PINE CITY
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2016 VOL. 131 NO. 11 www.pinecitymn.com $1.00
SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH: School board picks six candidates for interviews. P2
Arson suspected in Pine City vehicle fire Reports of cars burglarized in area on same morning STAFF REPORT NEWS@PINECITYMN.COM
A March 12 vehicle fire in Pine City is believed to have been caused by arson,
and may be connected to a string of other car burglaries that same morning. According to the Pine County Sheriff’s Office, at 4:59 a.m. on March 12 a vehicle fire was reported in the 400 block of 8th St. SW, Pine City. Those investigating the fire believe that it was deliberately set. The State Fire Marshal’s Office was notified and
is assisting in the investigation. The sheriff’s office reports that late morning, several local residents called in to say that their cars had been entered, ransacked and items taken. The vehicles that were burglarized were all located in the area of the 100 and 200 blocks of 7th and 8th streets southwest in Pine City. All of the vehi-
cles that were entered were unlocked. The Pine County Sheriff’s Office reminds residents to lock their vehicles even when parked in the driveway of their home. Anyone who may have information about these events is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 320-6298380 or call the tipline at 320-629-8342.
Three fall through lake ice STAFF REPORT NEWS@PINECITYMN.COM
Three people on foot fell through the ice of Pokegama Lake on the afternoon of Saturday, March 12, and all are recovering after either escaping the ice on their own or being rescued. According to the Pine County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 2 p.m. on March 12, dispatchers received a call that people had gone through the ice on Pokegama Lake. The Pine City Fire Department, Essentia Ambulance and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources responded to the scene along with Pine County deputies. The three people had been on foot when they fell through the ice about 50 yards from the east shore north of the access on Maple Knoll Road.
DNR Conservation Officer Bret Grundmeier reported that the first individual fell through the ice while trying to fish, and then the other two broke through while trying to reach the first unfortunate angler. Two of the three had been able to climb out of the water on their own. The third person was assisted out of the water by rescue personnel from the Pine City Fire Department. No major injuries were reported. Grundmeier said that with the help of first responders, everyone was able to get back to shore and were treated for hypothermia. The DNR and Pine County Sheriff’s Office remind all area residents that the unseasonally high temperatures mean ice conditions are no longer safe.
‘I’ve been so lucky’ Margaret McDonald looks back at a lifetime of memories BY MARGARET MARTY NEWS@PINECITYMN.COM
Margaret (Widmark) McDonald considers herself a very lucky woman. Petite, perky and well-dressed as she nears 94, her mind is clear and she loves to reminisce. She is a descendant of Irish immigrants on her maternal side and Swedish immigrants on her paternal side. One of three siblings, she was born and raised in a farmhouse near Rush Lake where water was pumped by hand, diapers were scrubbed on a washboard
MIKE GAINOR | THE PIONEER
On thin ice on Pokegama Lake Despite the expanding patch of open water at the mouth of the Snake River, at least one driver on March 5 thought the ice was thick enough for a pickup.
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Margaret McDonald
and hung out to dry yearround; refrigeration meant putting the food down the well in the summertime
and in the front entry during the winter. “No one had much,” she said, “but we never went hungry. We always had meat, potatoes, vegetables, milk. Mother baked all our bread; a fond memory is coming home from school to a treat of bread and jam.” “We played softball every chance we got,” she said. “There were enough neighbor kids on our road for a team. As darkness fell, we tied a white handkerchief on the ball so we could see it. No street lights.” SEE MCDONALD, PAGE 14
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Dedicated Performance Brings Serious Results
2 bed/ 2 bath, Lake Home, $274,900
4 bed /4 bath, country, $449,900
4 bed/ 2 bath, Pine City, $129,900
3 bed/ 2 bath, Lake Home, $414,900
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