PINE CITY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2018 VOL. 133 NO. 6 www.pinecitymn.com $1.00
PIONEER IN KOREA: Army troops greet Pine City from DMZ. P20
MnDOT replacing I-35 bridges starting in April Public meeting at Pine City Library on Feb. 21 BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
Four bridges on and over Interstate 35 in the Pine City area will be replaced in 2018 and 2019, according to officials of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), and the seven-mile stretch between the Snake River and Highway 70 will be resurfaced. New bridges will be constructed on the northbound and southbound lanes of I-35 over the Snake River. The I-35 overpasses for Highway 70 and County Road 7/Hillside Avenue/Pokegama Lake Road will also be torn down and rebuilt. WORK IN 2018 – HIGHWAY 70 OVERPASS The first stage of work will begin in April 2018, with the construction of a new overpass over Highway 70. The existing Highway 70 bridge was built in 1963. MnDOT Project Manager Roberta P. Dwyer said that work on the Highway 70 overpass will begin on or about April 16, and should be finished by July 19. The overpass will be totally closed while it is under construction. The detour for Highway 70 on the east side will be County Road 61 and the west side detour will be County Road 23. These county roads will direct traffic to County Road 7 or County Road 11 depending on the stage of construction.
MIKE GAINOR | THE PIONEER
The Highway 7 overpass will be completely torn down and replaced in either late summer 2018 or early summer 2019.
WORK IN 2018 – NORTHBOUND I-35 BRIDGE This will be followed by the second stage: – construction of seven miles of northbound (east lanes) I-35 pavement along with construction of a new northbound I-35 Snake River Bridge. The existing I-35 Snake River Bridges were con-
structed in 1962. Dwyer said that I-35 should not close during construction, but it will be restricted to one lane in each direction on one side of the roadway from May 29 SEE BRIDGES, PAGE 14
New Lions fishing contest a battle on ice “It’s a brand new venture,” said Pine City Lions President Bruce Nelson. “We have a lot of hurdles in front of us, but we have a lot of hurdles behind us. It has come along really well. All the stuff that they have put together is phenomenal.” Full information, rules and registration forms can be found at http://www.pinecitylions.com.
BY MIKE GAINOR EDITOR@PINECITYMN.COM
The Pine City Lions are looking to take local area ice fishing contests to the next level on Feb. 10, with a $100 entry fee, a four-hour, two-person team tournament and a big cash prize for the winners. “There’s a history of organized ice fishing tournaments with two-person teams,” said Pine City Lion Brad Buys. “It brings a little more professionalism to it, a little more camaraderie and a little more drama.” The cash prizes are based on the number of teams entering, but if 60 or more teams enter, the top prize will be $3,000, with $2,000 for the second-place team and $1,000 for third place. “If we have 40 teams, we’d have something like $2,000 [for first], $1,200 [for second], $800 [for third],” Buys said. “All entry fees are going to the top three places.” Buys said he and the other tournament organizers are excited to help start what they hope will be a new ice fishing tradition in Pine City.
CONTEST BEGINS The contest will be held on Cross Lake starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, but the work begins the night before. “Friday night we’re all going to come together at a rules meeting at 7 p.m. at the American Legion,” Buys said. This will also be a last chance for teams to register for the contest before the cutoff at 8 p.m. Team numbers will be issued, and each team will be given a bucket. “That’s the only vessel they can turn their fish into us with,” Buys said. “It has a lid, and it’s our bucket.” SEE CONTEST, PAGE 14
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Condo Living is Great! 30 Main Street, Pine City Stylish Condo Homes in the former Coca Cola Building. 2 bdrm, 2 bath, underground parking so no dealing with the snow and the cold. Everything outside is taken care of for you. You even get a boat slip on the Snake River. Janet Wiener or Mark Olson, 320-358-0822
PHOTO PROVIDED
Big crappies – like this catch by Pine City Lion Brian Deutschlander – will be hotly pursued by competing teams of anglers in the Feb .10 contest.
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Home on 4 Acres 56587 Stephanie Lane, Rock Creek 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 2 stall garage. Country home with fresh paint, new roof, new well. House has open floor plan. Call Autumn 320-309-7840 or call 320-358-0822
Spectacular! 743 Chadwood Lane SW, Pine City This admired home has 5 bdrms, 7 baths and a 3 vehicle garage on 22 acres with a beautiful pond. You’ll love the generous size rooms in this 6100 fsf home plus, there is an attached office. This is a must see! Call Janet Wiener 651-261-5123 or call 320-358-0822 Coldwell Banker Pro IV Realty is a “Premier” Coldwell Banker office. Owned and managed by Janet Wiener and Dave Chmiel for over 10 years.
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