PINE CITY
THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017 VOL. 132 NO. 11 www.pinecitymn.com $1.00
WORKING TOWARD RECOVERY: Madelyn and Harold Wimmer take on challenges. P12
County plans $4m in construction projects BY TERRY CROUP NEWS@PINECITYMN.COM
Pine County is proposing a 20-year, $4 million bond to construct another health and human services facility and add updates to existing county buildings. Commissioner Josh Mohr updated the board, at last week’s regular county meeting, on the facility committee’s progress toward a new building. Mohr outlined the process which led to the board’s decision to build a new facility in Sandstone. The county’s John Wright building had
to be vacated several years ago when mold was discovered. This building was the home of the county’s northern Health and Human Services Department. “Put out of place quite a few workers and we were scrambling to find a place for them,” Mohr said. A few months ago, Pine County Engineer Mark Lebrun brought the board some building options. Mohr said one of those proposals was to build a new building. TERRY CROUP | THE PIONEER
SEE COUNTY, PAGE 15
Pine County’ s current Health and Human Services building in Sandstone.
Dragons dominant in deep playoff run Boosting their season record to 22-6, the Pine City varsity basketball squad has reached the section semifinals for the first time in nine years. The team first beat the Mora Mustangs 70-57 in front of a home crowd on March 9, then traveled to St. Cloud to take on the heavily-favored Milaca Wolves on March 11, bringing home a 60-57 win. The Dragons’ next game was against the #4 ranked St. Cloud Cathedral team on March 14. More on Page 10.
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Frederickson says attorney’s office busy, getting results BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
When you go by the numbers comparing criminal prosecutions in area counties, Pine County is doing more with less. That’s what Pine County Attorney Reese Frederickson told members of the Pine City Area Chamber of Commerce at an informational meeting this past February. Pine County has six attorneys, and charged 1,400 adult criminal cases in 2016 – up from 1,016 in 2014 and 1,128 in 2015. In comparison, he said, in 2016 Chisago County charged 1,213 criminal cases with nine attorneys, Carlton County charged 987 criminal cases with five attorneys, Isanti
charged 885 criminal cases with seven attorneys, Aitkin charged 842 criminal cases with five attorneys and Kanabec charged 434 criminal cases with four attorneys. He also pointed out that Chisago County’s population is 25 percent larger than Pine County, and that besides their nine attorneys they have nine support staff. “What’s significant about that is that we have six attorneys in my office and four support staff,” Frederickson said. “We’re doing more work with half the people. And we’re getting good results out of that.” He noted that this does not include the 2,551 misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor traffic cases filed in Pine County in 2016.
COUNTY ATTORNEY RESPONSIBILITIES Frederickson said that criminal prosecution is about 75 percent of what the Pine County Attorney’s Office handles. They also represent the county in civil cases, act as the general counsel to the county and its departments, draft contracts, and deal with issues like child support and guardianship. The county also took over city prosecution contracts. “That brings in all crime in the county under our jurisdiction,” he said. “And we also generate revenue ... that allowed us to hire an extra attorney in our office.” SEE FREDERICKSON, PAGE 15
MIKE GAINOR | THE PIONEER
Pine County Attorney Reese Frederickson
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