PINE CITY
THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017 VOL. 132 NO. 23 www.pinecitymn.com $1.00
SPEEDING TO STATE: Dragon boys 4x800 meter relay team will race in St. Paul. P10
Arson suspected in armory fire STAFF REPORT NEWS@PINECITYMN.COM
Law enforcement suspects arson is the cause of a large fire that broke out at the National Guard Armory in Pine City this past Friday night.
According to the Pine County Sheriff’s Office, on June 2 at 10:47 p.m. a fire was reported to have broken out near the National Guard Armory in Pine City. The first deputy on scene found a large fire in a fenced area of the facility in-
volving a military vehicle. Pine City Fire Department firefighters responded to the blaze. They extinguished the fire to the vehicle and surrounding grass area. Pine County deputies found a hole that
had been cut in the fence, giving access to the vehicle storage area. The Minnesota State Fire Marshals Office was called in to assist on the SEE FIRE, PAGE 12
Pettie joins city council BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
JESSE LOGAN | THE PIONEER
Visiting student makes Pine City proud Coach Rick Engelstad congratulates Santiago Ospino on qualifying for the Varsity Tennis State Tournament this past Tuesday. Ospino, an exchange student from Venezuela, is the first Dragon boy to make it to State in tennis since 2010. More on Page 9.
Gina Pettie has been appointed to the city council of Pine City, and took her oath of office just before her first meeting as member of the council on May 31. The seat had been vacant since former Council Member Paul Miller stepped down on March 1. Because the four-year seat Miller held is up for election in November 2018, the four current members of the city council (Mayor Carl Pederson, Council Member Steve Ovick, Council Member Brian Scholin and Council Member Mary Kay Sloan) were required by law to vote to appoint a member of the community to the city council to serve out the remainder of Miller’s term. Three Pine City residents applied for the post: Kent Bombard, Becky Schueller and Pettie. After submitting written applications and taking part in an interview process, Pettie was selected to serve on the council through the rest of 2017 and into 2018. Pettie said she has Pine City roots, but also brings the experience of living in other communities. “I moved away and lived in the big city and I’ve lived in other states,” Pettie said. “And I’m here by choice now.” She currently works as manager
MIKE GAINOR | THE PIONEER
Pine City Mayor Carl Pederson (left) welcomes new Council Member Gina Pettie to her first meeting.
at Pine Habilitation and Supported Employment, Inc. (PHASE) in the Pine City area. “I wanted to join the city council so I could be part of serving my community,” Pettie said. She said she knows there will be a learning curve as she starts work on the city council and on different city committees. “I would love to understand the process and how decisions are made,” she said. “I just want to understand the issues from all sides. I’m a pretty independent person, so I’m hoping that after I SEE PETTIE, PAGE 12
Sunday liquor sales start in Pine City in July BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
The doors at the Voyageur Bottle Shop in Pine City now open at 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday for the summer – and
starting on July 2, the store will be open on Sundays year-round from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. On May 31, Pine City Liquor Store Manager Lara Smetana explained
to members of the Pine City Council that Sunday liquor sales will be legal throughout Minnesota starting on that date, and that she thinks the 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. hours set by the Minnesota Legis-
lature will work well at the Voyageur Bottle Shop. Council Member Mary Kay Sloan SEE LIQUOR, PAGE 12
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