Articles written by Mike Creger
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2020: A rollercoaster of Covid realities
At the start, it was as if no one really knew how or whether to panic. So they cleared shelves of toilet paper and anything that could be used to kill germs on surfaces. As the state ordered places...
DeFoe leaves a historical legacy
It was a cold morning at the edge of the Old Holy Family Cemetery. This is where LeRoy DeFoe was put to rest on Dec. 28. It's important to note that fact, since DeFoe spent many years discovering... Full story
2020 Year in Review, part 1
A fly on the wall at the office of the Pine Knot News, during a meeting of the minds discussing year-in-review stories, may not have contained itself in screaming: "Covid. Done." But, being a fly...
Husband rues not getting Covid help earlier
Gene Shank most often got up before his wife, Linda, did. She had allergies, and at night it could keep her from getting to sleep right away. Gene would let the dogs outside at their home next to the... Full story
District financials stay the course, good and bad
The good news for the Carlton school district is that there were no surprises and things stayed pretty much the same as years before in the annual audit released Monday night. That’s also the bad news as the district continues to face rising costs...
Carlton heading toward consolidation cliff
The Carlton school board this week firmed up its position when it comes to the current standoff with the Wrenshall board and possible consolidation between the two neighboring districts. On Monday, the Carlton board agreed in a committee of the...
Last of Esko's 1955 starting five has died
Jerry Anderson, the last surviving starter on the first boys basketball team from Carlton County to reach the state tournament, died Tuesday at age 83. Anderson was a star on the 1955 Esko team that...
Carlton looking at school options
The Carlton school board voted Monday night to hire a company to provide construction cost estimates on transforming South Terrace Elementary into a facility that could serve three more grades, up to grade 8, or serve all students through 12th...
History mystery not quite resolved
There’s good news and no news regarding the two History Mystery photos from last week. David Haugen submitted pictures of a fireplace sitting alone in a woods in Cloquet and a “gondola cable... Full story
History mystery: outdoor fireplace and gondola cable car
Reader David Haugen admits he’s lived in Cloquet for only 15 years, so may have missed an era of general knowledge about some physical structures in the area that have puzzled him for some time. He... Full story
Esko pastor dies after Covid battle
When Jeff Walther was transferred to the intensive care unit at Essentia-St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, he was greeted by nurse Amanda Valentine. She would spend 16 hours with him that day as the... Full story
After long slog, bonding bill is signed
After five special sessions since the regular session ended in May, the Minnesota Legislature last week passed a $1.9 billion bonding bill. It was signed Wednesday by Gov. Tim Walz. The bonding will allow for public works projects across the state, i...
Highs, lows found in state funding
As the Minnesota Legislature breathed its last gasps of air of the 2020 session, Carlton County can find some wins and some big losses when contemplating what became a session extended by five months with mostly unproductive special sessions since... Full story
Mail-in, absentee ballots abound
The dynamics of this year's general election brings to mind a question: Is it the pandemic or the rhetoric? Minnesotans are requesting absentee ballots in record numbers for the Nov. 3 election -... Full story
Sub shortage still crippling schools
People coming down with Covid-19 is not the problem handcuffing the Cloquet school district. It’s the waiting for test results when someone shows symptoms. That was the assessment this week from superintendent Mike Cary as the district continues...
Covid regulations stress schools
Wrenshall superintendent Kim Belcastro didn’t need to say it. Her face told all. “It’s been a tough week,” she told the school board Tuesday night during a special meeting. The day before, she announced that the school would be going to full... Full story
Carlton, Wrenshall schools report smooth starts
Reports to the school boards at Carlton and Wrenshall this week showed that the two small districts had relatively drama-free starts to the year despite intense pressure due to Covid-19 pandemic protocols. In Wrenshall, the major hitch remains the...
Women discover each other 25 years after China adoptions
Two 20-something women have matching tattoos using the Latin words attributed to Julius Caesar: "Veni, vidi, vici," which translates to "I came, I saw, I conquered." It seems a fitting phrase for...
Fast, furious storm pummels county
A sloppy kiss between a moist, unstable air mass and a veering cold front led to a stormy afternoon and evening last Friday, Aug. 14, across Carlton County. Strong downdraft winds snapped trees and un... Full story
Photo: A Great Debate
There was a passionate debate during a Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game at Veterans Park Tuesday, not to be mistaken as part of the nearby picnic for Carlton County Republicans. Nicholas...
County schools continue reopening scramble
There are outliers among Carlton County schools, those that won’t be coming back this fall with all of their students. So far, students in Esko, Carlton, Cromwell-Wright, Moose Lake and Barnum will likely go back to school en masse next month if th... Full story
Midway through with Esko bridge
The bridge replacement project at the Midway River just north of Esko in Thomson Township on Carlton County Road 1 remains on schedule to be completed by early October, the county engineering...
Surveys, stats and state will drive school openings
An August scramble like no other is on across Carlton County this August as schools prepare to reopen for the year. School boards, staff and administrators are meeting this week and next to make almos... Full story
Esko faces nickname scrutiny
A petition duel continued this week on the website Change.org considering the use of the nickname "Eskomos" for the Esko school district. Both begun by students at Esko High School, one petition says... Full story
Schools strain for clarity on opening
As a pandemic summer heats up meteorologically, so has the national rhetoric around how school districts will start classes in August and September. Normally sleepy and short meetings of school...
