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  • Major cleanup set for reservoir

    Brady Slater|Jul 26, 2024

    Known for its hydroelectric power generation and appeal to kayakers, the Thomson Reservoir is soon to be the site of a $36 million construction project. Contractors are set to converge in August on the parking lot alongside Minnesota Highway 210 outside the Thomson Dam. They’ll be there through next summer, working to apply a layer of carbon pellets that will cover up and bind to contaminated sediments at the bottom of what is the St. Louis River. The process will prevent contaminants from t...

  • Obituary: Greg Day

    Jul 26, 2024

    Gregory Allen Day, 70, lifelong resident of Superior, passed away unexpectedly while fighting cancer on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota. Greg was born in Superior on March 2, 1954, the son of Carl and Ella (Petzold) Day. He attended school in Superior, with the Class of 1972. He married the love of his life, Peggy Shykes, June 2, 1995, at Pattison State Park. They recently celebrated 29 wonderful years of marriage. Greg worked as a mechanic most of his life....

  • Carlton Daze grand marshal is a hometown girl

    Jana Peterson|Jul 26, 2024

    Carlton teen Abrianna Schmidt will be the grand marshal of this year's Carlton Daze parade on July 28. Schmidt won the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Journey of a Song contest earlier this year, with a song inspired by growing up in Carlton. Schmidt's song, "Small Town Girl," won her an all-expenses-paid trip to Nashville, and participation in the Hall of Fame's weeklong songwriting camp in June, working with music producers and other artists. The 18-year-old found out she was grand...

  • Obituary: Charlyne Johnson-Dahl

    Jul 26, 2024

    Charlyne Johnson-Dahl, age 100 of Cloquet, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at her home of 74 years, surrounded by loved ones, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Charlyne was born on September 26, 1923, to Thomas and Irene Spies in Cloquet, Minnesota. In her early years, she enjoyed twirling the baton and ice skating. She graduated from Cloquet High School and shortly thereafter married Raymond Johnson. After spending a short time in Seattle, Washington, they returned to Cloquet and grew a family of...

  • Obituary: Anne Anderson

    Jul 26, 2024

    Anne Anderson of Cloquet passed away peacefully at home on July 15, 2024, surrounded by so much love and many family and friends, after a bravely fought battle with cancer. Anne was born Jan. 25, 1946, in Asheville, North Carolina. She moved to Minnesota in her teen years, graduating from Hill City High School. She married John William Anderson Jr. in 1972, and was blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home mom with her four children. Anne was considered a trusted confidante by all who knew her,...

  • Obituary: Larry Charles Isaacson

    Jul 26, 2024

    Larry Charles Isaacson, 90, a lifelong resident of Cloquet, passed away Tuesday, July 16, 2024. He was born Nov. 13, 1933, to Charles and Laila (Seppanen) Isaacson. He graduated from Cloquet High School and shortly after began work at Wood Conversions, which later became Conwed. Larry retired as the company transitioned to USG. He was married to Betty Mattson on July 28, 1956. The couple enjoyed many years of going out dancing on Saturday nights. He was a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church....

  • Death notice: Follett

    Jul 26, 2024

    Karen J. Follett, 81, of Moose Lake passed away Thursday, June 20, 2024, at Essentia Health-Moose Lake. She was born in Cloquet on June 12, 1943. No services will be held in accordance with Karen’s wishes. Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Care....

  • Carlton Daze are here again

    Jul 26, 2024

    This weekend belongs to Carlton ... and all the thousands of people who will descend upon the small city to celebrate Carlton Daze, Paddlemania and the Voyageur Ultramarathon. There are so many events, it takes two pages to list them all (see Pages 10-11). Making that many things happen is a group effort, said Daisy Rose, Carlton Area Chamber of Commerce board member and Community Education director. "It's really a whole community thing," Rose said. "The Chamber promotes it as much as possible...

  • Kayakers race through 'gnarly' rapids in Paddlemania on Saturday

    Jana Peterson|Jul 26, 2024

    With plenty of water in the St. Louis River this year, the Fin Falls race returns to Paddlemania Saturday, said organizer Cliff Langley, calling it more of a sprint race. Kayakers will still paddle from just below the Thomson Dam to just above the rapids upstream of the swinging lift bridge at Jay Cooke State Park. From there, they will paddle the rapids upstream of the bridge - where spectators get excellent views of the action - then pass under the bridge about 100 years to where the river...

  • Ambulance district levy to rise 30%

    Noah Beardslee|Jul 26, 2024

    After hearing an annual report from the district's auditors on July 17, which highlighted the issue of the district writing off over half of its ambulance fee revenue, the Cloquet Area Fire District board approved a preliminary budget for 2025 which includes a 30-percent increase in the ambulance levy. The double-digit tax hike would be the largest since 2023, when the levy increased by 100 percent. For 2024, the ambulance levy increased by 2.83 percent. The reason for such a sharp increase in...

  • FDL police seek feedback on cameras

    Jul 26, 2024

    The Fond du Lac Police Department will hold a community input session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13 to discuss the proposed purchase and implementation of officer body-worn cameras. The meeting is open to all residents within reservation boundaries. According to a news release, footage captured by FDLPD cameras would serve various purposes within the department, including investigative, evidentiary, training, and accountability uses. Additionally, footage may be subject to release under specific legal circumstances, such as public records...

  • Tribal college hires new deans

    Jul 26, 2024

    Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College hired two new deans this summer: Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences Jessica Huber and Dean of Education Sara Montgomery. Huber was promoted from her role as nursing student mentor and program coordinator at FDLTCC, and worked at the College of St. Scholastica before that as an assistant professor, then as director/department chair of undergraduate nursing. Montgomery was the college’s elementary education program coordinator and faculty. She was an instrumental team member in bringing the college’s new...

  • FinnFest returns on Duluth harbor

    Jul 26, 2024

    With many residents of Finnish descent in Carlton County, some may be traveling to Duluth this weekend to learn more about their country of origin. FinnFest began Wednesday and runs through Sunday at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, offering a plethora of Nordic-influenced entertainment, lectures and activities to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds. Festivalgoers can choose from more than 150 performances, lectures, exhibits and other activities, including exhibits and...

  • Brickyard Days almost here

    Jul 26, 2024

    Wrenshall will celebrate Brickyard Days (aka Brickyard Day) on Saturday, Aug. 3, with a range of family-friendly activities and even a nod to the Olympics. The day kicks off with a pancake breakfast at the town hall 7-10 a.m., followed by the parade at 11 a.m. Activities in the park after the parade include kids’ games, face painting, crazy hair, bingo and vendors, and 3-point shooting at 1 p.m. and “crazy Olympic partner” games at 2 p.m. Sign up for the shooting and Olympic games at the park....

  • Biker blessing is next Saturday

    Jul 26, 2024

    The annual free Journey Biker Blessing — where motorcyclists can have their rides blessed — starts with registration at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3 at Journey Christian Church, 1400 Washington Ave., Cloquet. There will be a ride at 3 p.m. and the blessing is at 5 p.m. Outdoor services and prizes start at 6 p.m....

  • Moose Lake readies for police change

    Brady Slater|Jul 26, 2024

    Come Thursday, the city of Moose Lake will have officially adopted the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office as its law enforcement provider. Both the county board and Moose Lake city council approved a services agreement this week. The contract begins Aug. 1 and runs through the end of 2026. It stipulates the county will supply four deputies and a part-time clerical administrator to the city located on the county’s southern border with Pine County. They’ll be based out of the city’s former police headquarters in the city’s emergency response...

  • Sentence is nearly 5 years in sex abuse case

    Jana Peterson|Jul 26, 2024

    Sixth District Carlton County Judge Amy Lukasavitz commended 22-year-old Ricky Onefeather Tobolaski for taking responsibility for his actions — a rare occurrence in these types of cases, she said — and then sentenced him to four years and nine months in prison. Under the terms of a plea agreement, the Mahtowa man pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conductbafter originally being charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Tobolaski also pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of pornography. A first-degree criminal sex...

  • 'Time does not heal what he has stolen'

    Mike Creger|Jul 26, 2024

    “We know that Mr. Hansen abused every child in his orbit.” Those were the words from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth Shnider Tuesday as she spoke to a judge in federal court in Duluth about the proper sentence for Stephan Hansen, the 30-year-old former foster parent and Carlton resident who was found, and who admitted, to be in possession of more than 1,600 exploitative and pornographic pictures or videos of children. After a plea deal made last fall, Hansen was facing a 15- to 30-year prison sentence. U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell hea...

  • Try some gratitude as you ply this world

    Pastor Seth Wynands|Jul 26, 2024

    Have you ever come back from vacation feeling like you need a vacation? Have you ever felt empty at the end of what should have been a great day? Have you ever found yourself snapping at loved ones for no real reason? If you answered “no” to all of these questions, then I’d like to congratulate you on the ungodly amount of money you are going to make writing your bestseller. For the rest of us mere mortals, though, I’m guessing you’ve lived through some of these experiences. If you’re an...

  • Korby's Connections: A happy event in memory of a friend

    Steve Korby|Jul 26, 2024

    Nearly every person in Minnesota, and, for that matter, everywhere, has known a close friend or relative who has had some form of cancer. My good friend, Gary "Moose" Pastika, a few years back, tested positive for colon cancer. His best chance for recovery was to have his colon totally removed. He recovered, went back to work, played golf well, and after several years was deemed cancer-free. But, as it often does, the cancer returned, he got sick, and the disease won, ending his life. He died...

  • Pine Thoughts: Bookstore is a great story

    Brady Slater|Jul 26, 2024

    One of Carlton County's premier used bookstores resides in one of its least populous towns, where roughly 5,000 titles of inventory is more than 10 times the resident population. "As my son would say, 'We're a hidden gem,'" said Janis Martin, who was working the desk at Twice Told Tales in downtown Mahtowa last week. Twice Told Tales has been around since 2006, and moved into its charming cottage of a bookstore in the spring of 2023. A brainchild of Mahtowa Covenant Church's mission and outreach...

  • Baseball teams fill area fields

    Kerry Rodd|Jul 26, 2024

    The sixth annual Northland Baseball Classic drew 59 teams ages 9-14 to Cloquet last weekend. The teams played at four different locations in the Cloquet and Carlton area over the weekend. Champions were crowned in five different age groups. "We had games being played at Pinehurst Park, Mettner Field and Braun Park in Cloquet as well as at Chub Lake Park in Carlton, said tournament director Nate Knutson. "We had teams from all over the state of Minnesota as well as Canada." It was a group...

  • What's wrong with these pictures?

    Amber Nichols|Jul 26, 2024

    Carlton County's smallest city hosted its 59th annual Wrong Days in Wright festival this past weekend, drawing hundreds of residents and visitors to Wright. Saturday had a great turnout on a perfect hot summer day in July. This year's activities featured a parade, live music, food trucks, kids' races and bouncy houses, a car and tractor show, along with the annual mixed volleyball and softball tournaments. There was also a silent auction and button raffle for prizes. Known for the emphasis on...

  • Kettle River news

    Marcia Sarvela|Jul 26, 2024

    The Arrowhead Library System’s Bookmobile visits Kettle River is 1:30-2:15 p.m. Aug. 5 and 26 on Main Street. Mark your calendar so you can visit the bookmobile. National Night Out is 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 6 at the Kettle River senior center. Ma & Pa Kettle Days is August 9-10. The steak fry is Friday night. The pancake breakfast, pie social, midway, mud bog and bingo happen on Saturday. More information to come. When I was living in an apartment in Chicago with three other girls, one of the girls brought home a baby duck. That duck was l...

  • Wright/Cromwell News

    Jennie K. Hanson|Jul 26, 2024

    The 59th annual Wrong Days in Wright is now in the books. This year's event was one of the best ever. The parade set a new recent record, I think. Our thanks to Mark and Linda Dahlman for their leadership this year, and for all the volunteers, vendors, flea markets, steak fry cooks and servers, and those ran activities that all added to the event. Thank you to everyone who helped in any way. Now, let's make next year's 60th even bigger and better. With that in mind, please collect any Wrong...

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