A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
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A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed outside a home on the Fond du Lac Reservation early Monday morning and an arrest warrant was signed Tuesday for another teenager, 18-year-old Joseph James Fohrenkam, who is wanted by police. According to a press release from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, deputies and officers from the Fond du Lac Police Department responded to a call at 1:19 a.m. Monday reporting that someone was shot. When officers arrived at the rural St. Louis County home, they...
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 with no means to discernibly communicate with humans, no one here at the office heard the plea. Not that we needed to. 2020. Covid. Pandemic. Restricted socializing. Masks. Illness. Death. Loss. Or, as we displayed in our largest headline of the year on March 20: Everything has changed. Yes, fly, 2020...
Leroy DeFoe of Cloquet died Dec. 20 at age 72. He played a vital role in preserving the legacy of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa by being a keeper of its history. Here, we are printing DeFoe's own words, from the FDL website, on the creation of the tribal logo in 1981. We will profile DeFoe in a story next week. If you have something to share about him, contact Mike Creger at news@Pine KnotNews.com or call 218-216-6292. It's been many years since I drew the Fond du Lac...
Six degrees and sunny made for perfect sledding weather Monday morning, as Jill Brenner and her sister, Mary Jo Durkin, and their sons, Owen Brenner and Joseph Durkin, hit the hills at Pinehurst Park. Although the Durkins were visiting from California, they were not put off by the cold temperatures or the bumpy ride down the hill....
There will be a free Covid-19 saliva testing event 1-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Moose Lake School. This is open to all families and community members in the area. You don’t have to have symptoms to test. Results will help public health better understand the spread in the community along with identifying any asymptomatic individuals who may unknowingly be spreading the virus. Questions? Email [email protected] The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is holding another free three-day Covid-19 saliva testing event Jan. 6-7 at the F...
Martin “Dude” Barr, who owned Barr Brothers Funeral Home in Cloquet with his brother, passed away Dec. 26. He was 95. Barr and his brother, Bob Barr, started their first funeral home in Carlton in 1951, then quickly bought a funeral home in Cloquet, according to Dude’s son, Brad Barr. They were in business here for more than 30 years, during which time Bob worked as the county coroner and Dude as the deputy county coroner. “That was before you had to be a medical examiner,” Brad said. Although they never worked together, funeral director...
Carlton County residents are encouraged to recycle their Christmas trees during Treecycling, a free program with dropoff locations throughout the region that will take trees through Jan. 11. • SAPPI Fine Paper gatehouse entrance, Cloquet. • Moose Lake compost site across from city garage. • For other locations, visit wlssd.com Holiday light strings can be recycled at the Carlton County Transfer Station....
Despite an 8-percent increase in health insurance costs, the Carlton County Board of Commissioners approved the smallest property tax levy increase in years on Monday, voting to set it just 2 percent higher than last year. The levy for 2021 will raise $28,790,977 through property taxes. Following are some of the ways the levy will be allocated: • $8.2 million for public health and human services; • $3.67 million for roads and bridges; • $3.46 million for the sheriff’s office; • $2.5 million for the county jail; • $2 million for community c...
Locally, nationally and internationally, Sappi has been working hard at sustainability practices and people are taking notice. In February, Sappi North America received the SEAL Business Sustainability Award for Environmental Leadership, in particular for the land application program at the Cloquet mill. On Dec. 3, Sappi North America won a different sustainability leadership award, this one for a reclaim and reuse project at its mill in Skowhegan, Maine. And in early December, all three regions... Full story
Carlton County Covid-19 numbers declined for a fifth week, with an increase of 65 cases between last Tuesday and this Tuesday, and three new deaths from Covid from Dec. 22-29. That's down from a week-to-week high of 407 new cases from Nov. 18-25. Since then, the new case numbers have been dropping steadily, although they are still high compared to the surge this spring. As of Tuesday, Dec. 29, Carlton County had seen a cumulative total of 2,572 Covid-19 cases and 36 deaths, according to the... Full story
Duluth's Lakewalk hugs several miles of the city's Lake Superior shore, from the Canal Park tourist district all the way to Brighton Beach. With its sweeping view of the lake and the city, the trail is a destination for locals and the more than 6 million people who visit the city every year. But for the past few years, it's also been an active construction site, as the city slowly rebuilds the Lakewalk after sections of it were ripped to pieces by a series of intense storms a few years ago -... 
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The Minnesota Legislature convenes next week for its 2021 session, and we hope for a productive session with better results for Carlton County interests. Although there are some new members after last fall’s elections, most of the lawmakers are returning to continue the work that fits their agenda and serves their constituents. And with seven special sessions under their belt since the 2020 session ended, it’s likely that most of these legislators are familiar enough with each other to get some actual work done, quickly. We’d like to see measu...
Thankfully, no one remembers my predictions from last year, so there's no way to gauge my accuracy or prognostic ability. Just trust me when I say I was very accurate and remarkably prescient. So, emboldened by the veracity of my history of accurate predictions of the future, I give you my predictions for 2021: • We will continue to wear masks well into spring, and again shortly after Labor Day. Not because the coronavirus stages a comeback, but because so many people have put so much effort i... Full story
Fifty years ago, I had my first worksite mentor. He and I didn’t choose each other; it just happened that way. As you read this, think of your potential role as a mentor or mentee. It is an important function, now and always has been, at in our worksites and in the community. I thought about the crucial subject when I was interviewing Dakota Koski, executive director of REACH mentorship, for another Pine Knot exclusive story. My story begins in 1970. I had just proudly received my driver’s lic... Full story
As 2020 comes to an end, I look back at this year and see what the citizens of our country have endured. The Covid-19 pandemic, a political division that has taken the trust out of our democracy, and our continuing discrimination of people of color and people not of color. But I saw a ray of hope this past weekend on a local news channel — a high school student giving back to an organization that gives all year long. He set up a GoFundMe page to help the local Carlton VFW make ends meet. I have often heard people say with a sarcastic tone t...
Brian Joseph Lafontaine, 68, of Cloquet passed away Dec. 28, 2020, at home with his wife and children at his side after a long battle with frontotemporal dementia. He was born Aug. 31, 1952, in Cloquet to Alcide "Frenchy" Lafontaine and Murel "Sis" Lafontaine. Brian graduated from Cloquet Senior High in 1970. He was a hardworking, loyal employee of, most recently, Potlatch and Fond du Lac Ojibwe School as the building engineer. Brian's favorite thing on earth was spending time with family and... Full story
Linda Dahl, 68, of Wrenshall died Dec. 26, 2020, at Essentia St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth following a long battle with Covid. She was born Jan. 16, 1952,to Ervine and Helen (McMillen) Laubach in Cloquet. Linda married Gary Dahl on Aug. 19, 1972. After a long-standing career, she retired as the Postmaster in Carlton. Linda was a hardworking person and loved to visit with customers during her working years. She was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church in Carlton. Linda loved living on... Full story
Martin "Dude" Barr, 95, passed peacefully on Dec. 26, 2020, to reunite with the love of his life, his wife of 69 years, Joyce (Larson) Barr. He loved the outdoors, was an avid hunter, and a great family man... and also a very capable trickster, playing practical tricks on anyone he deemed to be his friend. Dude was born on June 22, 1925, in Cloquet, where he grew up and ultimately met his sweetheart, Joyce, in high school. He played football and basketball in high school and loved to both hunt a... Full story
Eileen M. Johnson, 94, died Dec. 25, 2020, in Sunnyside Health Care Center in Cloquet. Eileen was born Aug. 22, 1926, to William and Mathilda (Jarvi) Bjorklund in Cloquet. She graduated from Cloquet High School in 1944. After high school she worked as a secretary and then attended Suomi College in Hancock, Michigan for two years. Returning to Cloquet, she again worked as a secretary until her marriage to Clifford Johnson of Esko on Dec. 6, 1947. For a time, they farmed in the Esko and Wrenshall... Full story
Isabelle "Izzy" V. Lindholm, 86, passed away Dec. 25, 2020, with her family by her side. She was born July 7, 1934, in British Columbia to Harry and Vivian Beck. Izzy married her high school sweetheart, Robert Lindholm, Oct. 30, 1954, in Fort Frances, Ontario. They moved to the U.S. and became naturalized citizens. Izzy loved family gatherings and spending time at the cabin on Rainy Lake in Fort Frances. Her hobbies included genealogy, collecting dolls, golfing, sewing, singing and especially... Full story
William “Bill” G. Erickson, 75, of Cloquet passed away peacefully Dec. 24, 2020. There will not be any services at this time.. Helen Lorraine Woollett, 84, of Cloquet passed away Dec. 22, 2020, at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. Visitation: 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral service Saturday, Jan. 2 at the Atkins Northland Funeral Home in Cloquet.... Full story
Raffy Johnson holds up four fingers for the number of meals the next car is picking up, but he could have been indicating the 425 free Christmas meals served via curbside pickup and delivery to high-rise apartment buildings on Friday. A core group of 15 mostly Disabled American Veterans and DAV Auxiliary members volunteered to cook and package the meals at Zion Lutheran Church in Cloquet, along with Johnson's son and nephew, Alex Johnson and Tanner Birnstihl, below....
Many famous people and things come in threes. Think of Crosby, Stills and Nash; The Three Musketeers; the Three Amigos; or The Three Stooges. Locally, you can add "the Three Tims" to the list. Tim Lindquist, Tim Tollefson and Tim Michaelson are all friends and 1978 graduates of Esko High School. All three have played racquetball together at the Cloquet Racquetball Club at the old Leach School on Park Avenue since 1982. A competitive spirit and a good sense of humor keep them going. "We've known...
The Minnesota State High School League announced Monday that winter sports contests and competitions may resume starting Jan. 14, according to the latest Covid-19 guidelines for youth sports from the Minnesota Department of Health. Included in the announcement was the release of a new Covid-19 sports practice guidance for both youth and adults. This new guidance and information is an important step as the MSHSL continues forward with a winter season model approved by the board of directors. This flexible model will be adapted to include the s... Full story
Have you ever thought about all the time we waste? Well, I heard a great story about wasting time and what not to do to avoid it. First, try to not wait in line for anything. Plan ahead and you will spend a lot less time waiting or maybe not have to wait in lines at all. Another waste of our time is owning a second home. Yes, it is always great to get away to that second home, but it is also a lot of extra work that you wouldn’t have to do if you owned only one home. Lastly, don’t waste tim...
