[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6246991,"mediaKeyId","3213520-d575c170500105d7d02b8980a6b93757","parentId",3213520,"title","Royalton Township resident tells Pine County board she heard threats of lawsuits and a possible $100,000 bribe over a cannabis ordinance","audioSeconds",163,"startMs",163000,"endMs",326000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3213520-d575c170500105d7d02b8980a6b93757&start=163&end=326","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3213520-d575c170500105d7d02b8980a6b93757/thumbnail_163000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6246991/Pine-County/Minnesota/Royalton-Township-resident-tells-Pine-County-board-she-heard-threats-of-lawsuits-and-a-possible-100000-bribe-over-a-cannabis-ordinance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246991-457c4aa7af45f0bd944cde70381045cd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157295&Signature=YNaM12KB0mWMvZ7uMKRuLGCknjsbSUUNjMzibmgkpq2gRREaob2oHx-HC7x2SAF~0BBu3J1Si~PUwke9c78bTD0p-bmfcGoIviZIT9zkv9N6QNygINTuCufM3cdCVAY6kuCzZhssavams9m0WzNjPGTaX7~lOwPg9KbYiVYNXxC0zI2QpBH0W3AUs5-3QcBz8qf6HQ5Jof8VO4Clhtx8b9~6LDqyvZaouZZfal1Z0nCiXEsneB0VqNo7B1FR-34QC4qSwhxm29UWrKy84FsKAGolCygjQYOs3nfpNJJj9gFSJTF~VLz8R4NaQysCTmRGJfDWWuqkwYhKuvRLvvW7tg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pine County, MN","date","2025-05-07T05:22:53Z","article","At the Pine County Board meeting on May 20, Royalton Township resident Denise Weiss addressed the board during public forum and urged county officials to look into alleged intimidation and what she called a bribe tied to a township cannabis ordinance.

Weiss described a recent Royalton Township meeting in which supervisors were reportedly told they would receive \"1% of their net revenue, which would have been about a hundred thousand dollars\" if they passed a proposed ordinance. \"To me, that's a bribe,\" Weiss said, describing the township's roughly $300,000 annual budget and asking what avenues citizens have when such offers or intimidation arise.

She told the board she had reviewed earlier drafts of Pine County zoning and county guidance, including recommendations from the Minnesota Association of Counties and zoning material from the Office of Cannabis Management that had changed between drafts. Weiss asked the county to review how the township came to its decision and asked County Administrator Dave Mankie or other staff to advise residents on possible recourse. \"I hope that there was no bribes that happened and that how you guys came to your conclusion wasn't based on lawsuits or bribes,\" she said.

Why it matters: the comment asks county officials to clarify oversight options when a township's decision has raised allegations of intimidation or improper influence. Commissioners did not take action during the meeting; Weiss asked to be contacted with any suggestions.

No formal county investigation or motion was announced on the record at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Pine County Board Meeting - May 6th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During public forum, Royalton Township resident Denise Weiss asked Pine County officials to investigate allegations that supervisors were threatened and offered a large donation if they passed a cannabis ordinance; she asked county staff for guidance on citizens' recourse.","taxTitle","Pine County, Minnesota","taxId",51038,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6246996,"Midwest Medical Examiner reports 262 Pine County deaths in 2024; overdoses linked to meth and fentanyl",439,942000,1381000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3213520-d575c170500105d7d02b8980a6b93757&start=942&end=1381","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3213520-d575c170500105d7d02b8980a6b93757/thumbnail_942000.jpg","/articles/6246996/Pine-County/Minnesota/Midwest-Medical-Examiner-reports-262-Pine-County-deaths-in-2024-overdoses-linked-to-meth-and-fentanyl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246996-50b8776ea7f9651d6c3ba66eb320a58f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157295&Signature=chmYwlOjucOYxqrP4NFWwukh2614tq5KwBzxYQima1DHpoZD8dpyYVea5KYVCTpKUba4Q1ILwRi1EnQBOPPnf11s8dyrUeJjktg0-aHORViF-xBd3nmY1sLmrXpdvXwUlGrZvgT7PCHgo~haVjz7MP42cc5~M9zvoqLtpy7n~~YFXj9gkUxdcEITfrXZTKj6tIbn15kvM4y8u-zrLAYCCoX7RsS3iamF0jbJ9EjhoNTQWqSmM0AG5Gorvzg3Ckhn6C6qGsCwWivi74yOKDUskB59C9cOfOnrgxaEKGYcm6cJigj5ucjS0L4dfhv1OMZmlBXBj-Yir-9tp2kvAWFTGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shane Sheets, director of the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, presented the office’s 2024 overview to the Pine County Board on May 20 and summarized local death trends, toxicology findings and services the office provides to Pine County residents.

Sheets said the office received reports for 262 deaths in Pine County in 2024 and performs investigations that include scene visits, interviews and autopsies when needed. \"You had a total cases reported to us for 250... again, 262 deaths in Pine County,\" he said.

Key findings and services:
- Manners of death: Sheets reported 29 accidental deaths in 2024 (including drug overdoses), 10 natural deaths investigated as non‑apparent natural deaths, 7 suicides and 0 undetermined deaths. \"For suicides... it's middle aged, white male, firearms,\" he said when describing statewide patterns.
- Accident subcategories and causes: The office counted 12 blunt‑force injury deaths (motor vehicle collisions and falls), 13 drug overdose deaths, two exposure deaths, one fire death and one infant unsafe‑sleep death.
- Drugs detected: Toxicology showed methamphetamine present in 12 deaths; Sheets said methamphetamine and fentanyl were the primary substances in Pine County overdose deaths.
- Comparative context: Sheets told commissioners that Pine County’s overdose and substance patterns are broadly similar to other rural counties and that statewide fatal overdose maps (OD maps) are being updated with real‑time data from the examiner's office after autopsies.
- Additional services: The office conducts Alzheimer’s/dementia brain removals for research and offers cultural‑sensitive services such as removal of metal hardware for Hmong families who require that for burial rites. Sheets said the medical examiner’s office serves 37 Minnesota counties — about 32% of the state population — and also consults for 11 counties in Wisconsin.

Sheets told commissioners the office does not plan a rate increase next year and offered to bring commissioners for a tour of the facility. \"We see no rate increase for next year,\" he said. \"Please email me. Let me know if you have any questions. ... We'd love to have you, though, just to to show you what... taxpayer dollars are going to.\"","Shane Sheets, director of the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, told Pine County commissioners the office handled 262 reported deaths in Pine County for 2024, with 29 accidents (including 13 drug overdose substance‑abuse fatalities) and 12 blunt‑force fatalities. Methamphetamine and fentanyl were the most common substances detected.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6247001,"Pine County HHS warns new child‑welfare law will raise costs, staffing and data demands",889,1604000,2493000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3213520-d575c170500105d7d02b8980a6b93757&start=1604&end=2493","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3213520-d575c170500105d7d02b8980a6b93757/thumbnail_1604000.jpg","/articles/6247001/Pine-County/Minnesota/Pine-County-HHS-warns-new-childwelfare-law-will-raise-costs-staffing-and-data-demands","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6247001-37dac774865e052561cd8316a9c19235/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157295&Signature=Vz4kPXvhfo1dB0ujQ8WtJ2WEPZ1F4PAduWSEzKCHaCMF8kBMrB-ik~alke7A1EHWq4jnRyxNDMD7VfPGI9Q9KzaQMkWusK8mcEXH8vyz888dJUzHPO~~N~GoMBkFoJ14i6W61iTCq0g21k5vjdbCJ6eQ17MSFFBxHBnxx5odpSzsCCMoJpMN~5VyVJsx3~acDkHt1gUDlbQDuPE25z-wyQRq7LS8bKsFS64OiC6IlgCynLacHcrJHVD1nZRq3S8QWdJ-uWGZhoFKmU7VrNhkMVQAAwRQC7vSAKWnmXgoxrn48sn2CPLExYV78ZHSog4mjNkMopdcSaP~6LQvWVGGZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pine County Health and Human Services Director Becky Fossman told the County Board on May 20 that the department spent well under its 2024 out‑of‑home placement budget but faces a new, unfunded state law that will significantly increase workload and costs by 2027.

Fossman said Pine County budgeted slightly more than $1.3 million for 2024 placement expenses across child protection, probation and children’s mental health and spent under $1 million, leaving the county about $500,000 under budget. \"For 2024, we budgeted a little over $1,300,000,\" she said. \"We were under budget by over $500,000 in those 3 line 3 3 big areas.\"

The reason the county may need new staff and spending, Fossman said, is the African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act — which she referred to in the meeting as the ACT or MASPA and said is spelled out in \"Minnesota Statutes 260\" — and the law’s requirement that counties perform \"active efforts\" and extensive case reviews for disproportionately represented children. \"Active efforts is a very high bar, and truthfully, it's an expensive bar,\" Fossman said, listing transportation, rental assistance and hotel costs the county has paid in recent active‑efforts cases.

Why it matters: the law requires detailed, annually reported case data and establishes remediation planning if reviews indicate noncompliance. Fossman warned Pine County’s existing case‑management software (SSIS) cannot readily produce the required data and said the county will likely need a data specialist to prepare mandated reports. \"SSIS doesn't support what it's asking for in the law,\" she said. \"It's gonna take a lot of manpower, human power to get through that.\"

Key details from the presentation:
- Placement spending trends: Fossman said child protection and probation placement costs have trended downward since 2019, and the county’s children's mental‑health placement spending — historically a source of large, unpredictable costs — was lower in 2024 than in some previous years.
- Tenure and workload: Fossman cited longer staff tenure in Pine County than the state average (about 8–10 years locally versus roughly 2½ years statewide), crediting that stability with better outcomes and lower placement costs.
- Active efforts examples: Fossman described cases where the county paid $1,000 to transport a parent for court‑ordered visits, provided six months of rental assistance, and paid for short‑term hotel and food to preserve family visits — examples she said illustrate why the active‑efforts standard is expensive.
- Tribal cases and ICWA: Fossman and County Attorney staff explained that many Native American children in placement are under tribal jurisdiction or tribal court processes; those cases commonly remain in placement much longer because tribes emphasize reunification and often do not pursue termination of parental rights. That difference skews point‑in‑time placement counts, Fossman said, and is not fully captured by SSIS.

Board briefing and next steps: Fossman said Hennepin and Ramsey counties are already subject to the law’s phased implementation and that Pine County must prepare to start reporting in 2028 and be fully compliant by Jan. 1, 2027. She said county leaders should expect additional cost‑shift proposals at the state level affecting home‑ and community‑based services and behavioral health. Fossman recommended the board and residents contact state legislators and said she will present an earlier preliminary budget to the board in late May to reflect the anticipated fiscal impacts.

No formal county action to implement or fund the state requirements was taken during the meeting. Commissioners asked clarifying questions, and Fossman repeatedly urged outreach to legislators about the county’s fiscal exposure.

Fossman closed by asking commissioners to note the difference between point‑in‑time placement counts and placement rates, and she urged the board to consider staffing and data needs to meet the law’s reporting and remediation demands.","Pine County Health and Human Services reported 2024 out‑of‑home placement spending fell well under budget but said the newly passed African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act will require costly \"active efforts,\" extensive case reviews and likely new data staffing by 2027.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Royalton Township resident tells Pine County board she heard threats of lawsuits and a possible $100,000 bribe over a cannabis ordinance

Midwest Medical Examiner reports 262 Pine County deaths in 2024; overdoses linked to meth and fentanyl

Pine County HHS warns new child‑welfare law will raise costs, staffing and data demands