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

I learned Tom Skare passed away over Labor Day weekend. He was apparently in his law office on Cloquet Avenue across from the Holiday gas station, where he spent a lot of his time, and wasn’t heard... Full story

The recent political events in Texas got me thinking a bit. As a Catholic, I've never been a fan of abortion. As a Democrat, I value the personal freedoms and rights all people should have, whether... Full story

Yard parties are a pretty good way to get to know your neighbors - sort of a National Night Out, but on our own terms and conditions. So, we held a big yard party last week. It was all Kathy Lund's id... Full story

I find it hard to understand how wearing a mask in public has become a political issue. But it has. To me, it's an example of how easily politicians and talking heads can manipulate people's... Full story

Jana Peterson, editor of the Pine Knot News, asked me to cover the opening and closing of a salacious criminal trial in Carlton last week; you can see that story in today's paper. I assume Jana... Full story

The prosecution and defense each made opening arguments Wednesday, Aug. 11, in the trial of Timothy Scott Young Jr., after two days of jury selection. Scott has been accused of both first- and... Full story

Those loud train whistles that blare all night long are not really necessary and should be stopped. There's simply no reason why the trains have to wake up half the town in the middle of the night to... Full story

I’m disappointed the county has decided to put the new jail out in Olsonville, where the transportation building is now. Sure, it’s just three miles away from its current location, but I think... Full story

The Esko School Board approved pay hikes for noncontract substitute workers during its July 12 meeting, citing a need to not only attract new substitutes but also to show appreciation for the current...

I love newspapers, and always have. It's common for me to pick up a copy of the local paper at every little town I may be traveling through, and it's fascinating to learn that every town has its... Full story

My wife forgot our wedding anniversary last week. I am not sure I can forgive her. Shocked? So was I. Not a card; no flowers, candy, fancy dinner or beer. Nothing. Well, she didn’t completely forget... Full story

Like any good organization, it's important for the U.S. Postal Service to keep up with modern times. It's the only way it can survive. Some of my more crazy ideas to save the USPS won't work in this... Full story

After serving as pastor for the Queen of Peace Catholic Church for the past 10 years, Father Justin Fish celebrated his last mass here Sunday, June 20. He likes to joke that he's spent a quarter of... Full story

There's clearly an employee shortage right now. As the pandemic wanes and the economy improves, we're seeing it harder and harder to find people to fill many job openings. Some blame the state and... Full story

A picture is worth a thousand words, it's said, and I agree. This article is about more than half that, and there's no way I can adequately explain how beautiful my mother is, even if you read to the... Full story

School is over for the summer, but the learning never ends, according to most professional educators. Kids learn a lot over the summer, even if it's not in a classroom. And it's a good idea to keep yo... Full story

Memorial Day is Monday, and many people take advantage of the long weekend to get to the cabin; maybe travel or barbecue, and enjoy other activities to mark the “official” start of the summer... Full story

It was exciting to see so many people breathe a sigh of relief when Gov. Walz lifted the state's mask mandate last week. Not only was it easier to breathe that sigh of relief, we could actually see... Full story

Esko seniors will graduate in a normal ceremony this year, if everything goes the way superintendent Aaron Fischer hopes it does. “Current guidelines will allow only two guests per student,” at...

I don't know if people realize how close we came to losing a seat in Congress recently. If good ol' Minnesotans had not been so effective at completing the census, odds are pretty good our eight... Full story

One of my favorite jobs was writing restaurant reviews for the old Ripsaw, the now-defunct alternative weekly out of Duluth. After exploring a couple of locally owned restaurants recently, I couldn't... Full story

There’s a lot of talk about raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, which is one of the campaign promises of the Biden administration. I’m uncomfortable with such a high minimum wage,... Full story

Bruce Ahlgren is a pretty well-known guy around these parts, having served the community for decades: first on the Cloquet school board for 12 years, then as mayor for about 16 years. Meanwhile, he... Full story