The Pine County Board and Norman Township appear to have reached a resolution regarding the sale of nearly 120 acres of tax-forfeited land near Stevens Lake.
Earlier this year, the county board had designated the land as non-conservation with the intent to sell it during a public auction. However, the Norman Township board opposed the decision, with township board chair Bruce Jensen telling the Pine County board a public sale would impact the surrounding landowners.
"The unfairness of selling a landlocked property and the effect it's going to have on an adjacent property owner, where someone's probably going to go through the cartway process," Jensen said. "Most likely it's going to end up in the cartway process."
Neighboring property owner George Swanson followed up Jensen's comments by saying any easement onto the parcel would divide up his fields.
"The only high ground that really is accessible there is across my hay fields," Swanson said. "Otherwise, you'll be in the swamp areas. So then, it would fragment all my fields, and will lose that rural aspect in there."
Following the public hearing, the Pine County Board approved offering the adjoining property owners a chance at purchasing the property through a sealed bid process.
If none of the landowners bid on the property within a year, the board would decide on its designation during the next land auction.
Mora City Council gets updated timeline on turn lane project
City engineer Greg Anderson told the Mora City Council a Highway 65 left-turn lane project would likely be completed in October during last week’s meeting.
The construction will add a left turn lane on Highway 65 at North 9th Street near the new Mora High School for safer access.
According to Anderson, the council will likely be able to authorize opening bids during the regular July 18 meeting.
He anticipated a bid for work being awarded in early August if a special session is scheduled.
Council members expressed concerns that construction will coincide with the opening of the new high school campus, which is tentatively slated for occupancy in August.
One injured in Hinckley crash
A 75-year-old Bloomington man was taken to the hospital early Saturday following a single-vehicle crash in Hinckley.
According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a Subaru Forester was traveling west on Fire Monument Road when it crossed over train tracks in Hinckley, struck a pile of rocks and rolled just after midnight.
The 75-year-old was taken from the scene to Essentia Health Sandstone for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Pine County Sheriff’s Office and Essentia Ambulance assisted with the crash.
Chisago County man charged in vehicular homicide case
A Chisago County man has been charged in connection with a motor vehicle homicide case in the city of Wyoming.
Mark Wiosky is charged with third degree murder and criminal vehicular homicide.
According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement officers were called to a Kettle River Boulevard gas station on June 22 after a woman was reported to have been run over by a truck.
Witnesses said Wiosky and the victim had been in an altercation prior to the incident.
The following day, Wioski contacted law enforcement and admitted to driving the truck. He made his first appearance in Chisago County District Court on Monday.
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