Articles written by Mike Creger
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Eclipse viewing is a vicarious affair
It wasn't just your run-of-the-mill cloud cover that kept Carlton County residents inside looking at the eclipse online on Monday. It was what writers call a leaden sky, oozing rain all day. A real so...
No injuries as vehicle takes out utility pole
The minivan smashed into a wooden utility pole, sheering it completely at its base. The back of the van then rose up and the entire vehicle flipped, coming to rest upside down on the sidewalk. That's... Full story
Pedestrian killed; driver charged
Brent James Keranen had been drinking late into the night with friends Wednesday, March 20, after working a “lot of hours” in the Twin Cities area that week. The 21-year-old was tired the next morning, and allegedly still buzzed when he made his way... Full story
Knot Pining: Easter Sunday comes with a bevy of tales
It was comical, for sure, last Easter, when my then 5-year-old and her friends went egg hunting in a backyard that had 4 feet of snow in it. She donned some snowshoes and did her level best. The... Full story
Spring brings changes to local eating scene
The annual rite of spring in Cloquet is the opening of Gordy's Hi-Hat on the hill in Cloquet. Customers will notice little change in the decor there, and, according to the Lundquist family, perhaps... Full story
Knot Pining: Don't mess with da Range
He gave it the old college try. But, they say, when you take on the bull, you get the horns. Or, in social media circles, and toned down for a family newspaper: Mess around and find out. There may be a new old saw: Take on the Iron Range and its...
Arrests made after shots fired at house
At least two men were jailed this past week after a house in Cloquet was struck with five to seven bullets from a handgun on Feb 24. The house on Bagaan Street, near the Fond du Lac Supportive...
PHOTO: The first golden age of girls basketball
Our keeper of local history, Clarence Badger, shared this photo of the 1931 Cromwell girls basketball team. It included, from left, Blanche Line, Laura Dumas, Edythe Kibert, Alice Gearns, Norma... Full story
Districts work out consolidation kinks
If one had stumbled upon the library at Carlton High School on Monday, you would have gotten the impression you were eavesdropping on some sort of couples therapy. There was talk about doing the...
For leap year babies, age is a numbers game
In one school year in the 1940s, in rural Moose Lake, there were five sets of twins riding a bus to school. This is testament from Jim Eckman, who, with his twin brother Chuck, belonged to one of... Full story
For Janae, it's all smiles ... and a crowning moment
The smile on Janae Sjodin's face was everything. But then someone must have said, "But wait, there's more." Wrenshall High School principal Michelle Blanchard called it all "surreal," like "something... Full story
Knot Pining: 1937 post office mural's fate is a mystery
There was an interesting program on Minnesota Public Radio last week on the New Deal, the government efforts in the 1930s to pull the country out of the Great Depression. Included in the Jan. 24... Full story
Son takes mom to the movies ... his movies
A Cloquet High School graduate who now dabbles as a filmmaker has planned a special free screening of his short films for his mother next week at a theater in Duluth. "Cloquet native Allan H. Johnson... Full story
Warrants, court shed some light on shooting
Search warrants issued just after the deadly Jan. 8 shootings at the Super 8 hotel in Cloquet reveal how much investigators will be processing from a scene where three people were found dead,...
Shooting victims mourned
The shock and mystery around the deadly shootings in Cloquet on Jan. 8 remain, but, this week, for friends and family of the two victims, there was time for reflection, thanks and celebration of the... Full story
Cloquet School Board wants meeting on busing issues
A continuing shortage of bus drivers for routes in the Cloquet school district has provoked school board members to meet with its transportation company to find ways to ease the crunch. The issue...
Those seeking weather normalcy will have to wait
It was a December like no other in Carlton County, not even the strange one in 1877-78 that augured a remarkable winter into the spring. In short, history was made as the region and the state had its... Full story
Creating, giving: Hazel's Christmas spirit
Allow Hazel her moment. Allow her to consider herself one of Santa's elves. She certainly fits the bill. This holiday season, Hazel Aili stuffed the donation box at South Terrace Elementary with 19... Full story
She makes the cut in flag design, inclusion
They liked its unique nature, which is something, considering that the state flag design entered by Cloquet artist Sarah Agaton Howes was one of 2,600 entries reviewed by the State Emblem Redesign...
Fires keep crews busy in area
Firefighters in the area were busy the past week with a spate of fires surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. The most serious incident was a garage fire on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at a home in Brevator...
Superintendent has an enrollment warning
Cloquet schools superintendent Dr. Michael Cary had an interesting observation he wanted to share with the school board during last week’s meeting. As the board prepared to hear about the annual audit of its finances at the Nov. 13 meeting, Cary o...
Esko coach reflects on sting of state loss
Two days after his previously unbeaten football team was eliminated by Annandale, 14-7, at a state quarterfinal game in Brainerd, Esko head coach Scott Arntson remained puzzled. "It just seemed like... Full story
Veterans Day: War, astronauts and big blasts ... Navy vet saw a lot during his service
It may seem odd for a Vietnam War era military veteran to refer to his experiences as "fun," but that's how Jerry Tschida chooses to remember his time in the U.S. Navy from 1966 to 1969. It was... Full story
Esko beaten in state quarterfinal
Esko's football season is over after a 14-7 loss to Annandale Saturday in Brainerd. The two teams came into the quarterfinal game of the state tournament with vaunted offenses. In the end, it came... Full story
El Niño will define winter
Way out west, there’s an air mass controlled by the El Niño cycle that will play a part in this winter’s weather. The National Weather Service office in Duluth released its winter weather forecast this past week, and it leaned toward the warmer Paci...
