“Sticker shock” has become an annual program by Teens Leading the Way (TLTW) to prevent adults from purchasing alcohol for minors. This is its third year.

Each spring, students with TLTW in the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, Pine River-Backus and Northland school district communities label alcohol containers with stickers reminding adults that it is a crime to buy alcohol for minors. They target specific types of alcohol more than others, like wine coolers and beer.

With historical significance and an abundance of wildlife, the Pine River has a lot to offer. Locals are now starting to revive the river’s use by locals.

Official DNR maps record the length of the Pine at 59.2 river miles stretching from Pine Mountain Lake in Backus, all the way to the Mississippi. Each stretch of the river has a different personality, some are narrow with bogs, some wide with sand and gravel bottoms. The river has a lot of unused potential.

The Pine River City Council on Tuesday, May 14, appointed Tammy Hamilton to fill a council position vacated by Ron Derksen.

The city received three applications to fill the position. The other applicants were Keith Lenk, member of the library board, and Gary Siltman, member of the sewer district board. Tamara Hansen moved to appoint Hamilton, saying she showed a good understanding of council duties and was near completion of a degree in business management.

To increase efficiency and accountability among staff requesting substitutes to fill their place during sick days, the Pine River-Backus School Board on Monday, May 20, agreed to begin using Aesop, an electronic system for managing placement of substitute teachers.