Pine Knot News - A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news

James Montano, on trial for a murder and assault in rural Carlton County in April 2018, was found guilty on all three of the charges against him Wednesday: first-degree premeditated murder and...

I’ve always liked Scott Holman, the former Cloquet detective who is now suing the city and others after being fired from the police department. I mentioned to former mayor Dave Hallbeck the other...

It’s not easy being a man in these enlightened times. Recently, my family spent the day skiing at Spirit Mountain. I was in court, so I joined up with them later in the day. A mile before the...

I read in the last Pine Knot News of 2019 that the Rudy Law firm merged with Fryberger in Duluth, and will now be known as Rudy, Gassert, Yetka, Pritchett, and Helwig, a Fryberger Law Firm Practice...

I love reminiscing. A good story, well-aged, being told and re-told, brings out the nuances that develop like fine wine and cheese. Details emerge that didn’t exist in the original story. But no...

The Minnesota Board of Pardons is planning to issue its first ever posthumous pardon to a black man convicted of rape in Duluth. Many of you already know the story: In 1920, six black circus workers...

You probably know about noncompete clauses from sports and broadcast performers. For example, after Kerry Rodd left KDAL radio in Duluth, (the “formerly great radio station,” as it is sometimes...

There’s so much misinformation over the impeachment proceedings, I thought it might be helpful to explain the process using more common terms and an analogy that should make sense to most of us....

Diocese of Duluth Bishop Paul Sirba died unexpectedly Sunday, Dec.1, after suffering cardiac arrest on his way to celebrate Mass at St. Rose Church in Proctor. "Bishop Sirba was a role model to all... Full story

A few weeks ago I was in court arguing a motion against the always impenetrable opposing attorney Jessica Sterle. Midway through, the judge needed to stop for a minute to consult with her clerk and...

As a divorce attorney, I find myself asking my clients a lot of questions that really don’t have anything to do with the legalities of their case. I like to know why the parties got married in the...

Jimmy Carter has always been my favorite president. I’m not sure many people agreed with me, because when he ran for re-election in 1980 he got only about 40 percent of the vote and lost to Ronald...

The Democrats are excited to find the right candidate to take on the incumbent in next year’s Presidential election. They’re spending a lot of time and energy to pick the right candidate, and the...

As a patriotic American, I am proud of our Constitution and all its amendments (I am particularly fond of the 21st). But there’s a reason why the First Amendment comes first. Freedom of speech and... Full story

There’s a primary election coming up in Cloquet’s Ward 3, and three very good candidates are running. I had a chance to interview all three on “Harry’s Gang” on CAT-7. We talked,...

“Sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but my walk-in cooler isn’t working and if you can’t fix it today, I’ll have to throw everything out ... or do an awful lot of eating tonight!” That’s...

President George W. Bush used to say he was a “uniter; not a divider” and in a lot of ways he was right. I wasn’t a particularly big fan of his conservative politics and I felt he jumped onto...

It’s been 20 years, and Cloquet has changed a bit since I first moved to town on Oct. 1, 1999. There were two weekly newspapers then, too, the old Pine Knot and the upstart Cloquet Journal. But...

It’s been happening since people started having kids, but in recent years some people are trying to do something about it. I’m talking about First Witness, a group dedicated to protecting...

Esko's Corner won't have a gas station after today, when the Esko Self Serve closes down after more than 40 years in business. Beth Belden, whose family has operated the popular store known around...

They say you can’t go home again, but it sure would be nice sometimes if some people did. For example, former Cloquet City Administrator Brian Fritsinger served Cloquet for over 18 years ...

Del Prevost was looking sharp in his colorful jacket, tie, and creased slacks, but when he stepped to the pulpit at the end of Mass at the rededication of the Sawyer Log Church at Saints Mary and... Full story