Articles written by Rebekah King
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 69
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Residents question large budget 'surplus'
Thomson Township residents voted to approve a 3.91-percent tax levy increase for 2024, despite significant pushback from a few residents at the annual meeting Tuesday. At the end of 2022, Thomson Township was left with a fund balance in its general...
Board approves fitness center plan, payment
The Esko School Board approved its 2022-2023 revised (and largely unchanged) budget of $16.14 million at its monthly meeting Monday, March 13, along with final funding and construction plans for the...
Thomson Township: Shared road hearing delayed, sewer rates go up
After tentatively scheduling a date for a follow-up public hearing on the proposed private road and private shared driveway ordinances at their first February meeting, the Thomson Township board of supervisors decided to take the date off the...
Esko fitness center moves forward
The Esko school district is one step further along in its plans to build a new fitness center for students and community members, following the school board’s approval of an initial construction plan and budget. The district’s construction planni...
Township schedules second hearing on private roads and driveways
The Thomson Township board of supervisors has scheduled a followup public hearing on the proposed private road and private shared driveway ordinances for 5 p.m. March 9. Following a large turnout for the initial public hearing — with many township...
Thompson Township residents question proposed township road, driveway rules
A set of ordinances presented to Thomson Township residents last week has people talking, and not all of them are in favor of more government control over their properties. At issue are two proposed...
Hearing set on sewer rate increase
The Thomson Township board of supervisors had a short agenda for its meeting Jan. 19. The board rescheduled a public hearing to set rates for sewer service in order to allow time to work out the details for changes to commercial businesses in the...
Esko board backs online classes for snowy days
Snow days may soon be a thing of the past in Esko. Esko school board members approved the district’s eLearning day policy — basically having school online instead of canceling classes for a snow day — as presented by superintendent Aaron...
Sunnarborg appointed to Thomson board - again
The Thomson Township Board of Supervisors appointed David Sunnarborg to fill the vacancy on the board at its meeting Jan. 5, following more than four months of an empty seat and controversy surrounding the original appointment process....
Esko levy to rise 5%
The Esko school board approved the 2023 tax levy with a 5-percent increase at their meeting Monday, Dec 12. The board previously approved the 5-percent increase, which is the maximum amount allowed, for the preliminary levy in September. The total...
Board hits reset on appointment process
The Thomson Township Board of Supervisors is once again accepting applications for an open seat on the board. In an effort to self-correct after the Minnesota Department of Administration ruled this...
UPDATED: Board appoints familiar face as supervisor
Editor's note: On Dec. 8, appointee David Sunnarborg resigned his new position so the board could rewind its selection process after the Minnesota Department of Administration ruled that they had violated open meeting law when they illegally closed a...
Supervisor resigns as Thomson Township resets appointment process
The Thomson Township Board of Supervisors is once again accepting applications for an open seat on the board. In an effort to self-correct after the Minnesota Department of Administration ruled this month that the board violated open meeting law... Full story
Candidates for open board seat interviewed
The Thomson Township board of supervisors interviewed finalists for its vacant board seat on Nov. 17, after nearly three months without a full board. The three candidates, Eric Rish, Gary Bonneville, and David Sunnarborg, were asked a series of...
Coach carousel discussed
The Esko school board approved all winter sports team coaches and their stipends at their meeting on Monday, Nov. 14, but not without discussion from the board about the direction the coaching staff has taken over the last few years. With more parent...
Incumbents win handily in Esko area
There will be no new faces on the Thomson Township Board of Supervisors following the 2022 midterm election, as all three incumbent candidates were re-elected to their spots on the board. The board’s current chairperson, Ruth Janke, defeated... Full story
Thomson Township: Candidate interviews set, selection process questioned
The Thomson Township Board of Supervisors announced plans to finally interview finalists for its vacant board seat, as the process for selecting those three final candidates is under scrutiny by the state of Minnesota. The board will select one...
Board OKs new policing contract language
The Thomson Township Board of Supervisors approved terms of a new law enforcement contract with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, extending services provided to the township for another three years. The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office assigns...
Esko candidate forum has passion, pride from candidates
The seven candidates running to fill three open Esko school board seats in the Nov. 8 midterm election spoke directly to community members at a candidate forum event earlier this month. The Oct. 11 event was hosted and moderated by Esko’s Parents i... Full story
Plans for new Esko fitness center unveiled
The Esko school district is planning a few projects that will give students and the greater community an opportunity to stay active year-round. The Esko school board has been working on plans for a... Full story
Township seeks to avoid future sewer emergencies
The Thomson Township board of supervisors is continuing to seek improvements for the township’s sewer system in order to prevent future emergency repairs, like the one in late July 2022 on Highway 61 in front of the Esko school. At their meeting... Full story
Esko board approves maximum levy
Esko board approves maximum levy The Esko school board held a special meeting Monday, Sept. 26 to approve the proposed levy payable in 2023. The board was not able to vote on the levy at its normal meeting on the second Monday of the month because...
Thomson Township: Needed sewer rate increases explained
Thomson Township officials hosted a sewer rates presentation Thursday, Sept. 8, to allow the township engineer Joe Jurewicz to explain why he is recommending an increase in rates for upcoming years. When Jurewicz and the Thomson Township board of sup...
Esko teachers, students embrace return to 'normal'
At their first meeting of the new school year, the Esko school board heard good news from district administrators. Principals Greg Hexum and Brian Harker told the board Monday, Sept. 12 that there is excitement in the building like never before. With...
Thomson Township supervisor applications due Sept. 1
Thomson township supervisor, Jason Paulson, gave some final statements to the board and the community at the Thomson board meeting Thursday, Aug. 18. Paulson had announced his resignation from the board, and his position on the Cloquet Area Fire...
