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
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 35
Angela Sjodin was sitting next to her unconscious daughter and thinking about the moments before everything changed. "Let's go for a walk, Mom," Angela wrote of the day before her daughters Janae and Jaela were injured in a car crash on Friday, March 24, coming home from softball practice. Angela recalled telling Janae the day before that she had work to do, charting for her social work job. "Charting will always be there, I will not be," Angela wrote of the conversation. Janae was referring to... Full story
If you scroll Facebook or other social media, you've seen how spring roads in Minnesota have taken on a new life in memes. Many of the humorous images feature the character Jack from the blockbuster film "Titanic" shown submerged in a pothole. "It's one of the worst years I've seen for potholes," said Ross Biebl, assistant public works director for the city of Cloquet. "The roads are as bad or worse than they are in a normal year at this time," said Rick Norrgard, assistant transportation... Full story
In a way, Katharine Johnson's writing career was sparked by a dislike of washing dishes. The Cloquet author recounts how she was always trying to figure out ways to not do the dishes when she was a little girl. "So when it was my turn one time, I just scooted upstairs and hid from my mother," she said. "I don't know what possessed me, but I said: 'I can't, I'm writing a book.' And lo and behold, she did the dishes for me." She started, but never finished, that particular mystery novel, and...
Carlton County Public Health is holding one more childhood vaccine clinic next week for children in grades K-12 who need vaccinations to meet school requirements, on Tuesday, April 4 at the Carlton County Community Services Building at 14 N. 11th Street in Cloquet. There is no cost. Insurance information will be collected if the child is insured; there is no charge for uninsured children. Parents must register for appointments, available 3-4:30 p.m., online at co.carlton.mn.us or by calling 218-879-4511. Available vaccines include DTap/polio... Full story
The Minnesota Department of Transportation ended winter load increases — and started spring load restrictions — in the north-central and north zones (including Carlton County) on March 29. Ending dates for spring load restrictions are variable and based on The Minnesota Department of Transportation ended winter load increases — and started spring load restrictions — in the north-central and north zones (including Carlton County) on March 29. Ending dates for spring load restrictions are variable and based on how weather is affecting roadway...
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is hosting a hybrid public meeting on Wednesday, April 5, to discuss the Minnesota Highway 73 corridor study from Kettle River to Cromwell. Doors open at 5 p.m. in the Cromwell Pavilion with a formal presentation at 5:15 p.m. To attend virtually at 5:15 p.m., find the link at mndot.gov/d1/projects/hwy-73-corridor-study or call in at 855-282-6330. Meeting access code: 2491 961 9499. A recording of the meeting will be posted to the project website. The corridor is being studied to understand existing... Full story
The Pine Knot News will hold its next art show — featuring textile arts – from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 28 at 122 Ave. C in Cloquet. Area residents who create with fabric and fibers are invited to submit images of their favorite quilts, clothing items, hats, wall art and more to gallery curator Ann Markusen at [email protected] by April 14 for consideration.... Full story
With about two weeks left before the April 18 deadline, more than 1.8 million Minnesotans have already filed their income tax returns with nearly 1 million already getting their refunds. “The weeks leading up to the deadline are often the busiest of the tax season,” said Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart. “We anticipate hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans will file between now and the April 18 deadline. For those that haven’t filed yet, the Minnesota Department of Revenue offers these tips.” Need tax filing assistance? Free tax preparati... Full story
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Duluth will offer free Skywarn spotter training classes across the Northland on April 13 in Duluth and April 26 in Cloquet. Skywarn is a cooperative effort between the NWS, local emergency management, and private citizens who volunteer their time to attend free classes and send their weather reports to the NWS. Volunteers who commit to attending these classes serve a vital need for the NWS by monitoring and reporting severe weather conditions. These reports in turn help the NWS deliver accurate and timely... Full story
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving vehicle permit fees at all 75 state parks and recreation areas on four dates in 2023: April 22, June 10, Sept. 9 and Nov. 24. With the support of the state legislature, the DNR offers Free Park Days to encourage Minnesotans to get outdoors and enjoy the health and wellness benefits of spending time in nature.... Full story
The Essentia Health medical supply distribution center is moving to 126 Bedrock Lane in the Esko Industrial Park by late 2024. A 163,000-square-foot warehouse is planned to support the medical supply needs of six Essentia Health facilities regionally, reaching to the Dakotas. The supply center is currently operating in West Duluth in a warehouse only one-third the size of the proposed construction project. Twenty to 25 full-time jobs will be moved from West Duluth to the new facility. The...
It's that time of year again, and those volunteers that make Carlton County a safer place to live by providing emergency medical services throughout the year were recognized at the Carlton County board meeting on March 14. Moose Lake Fire District chief Steve Trenhaile presented the awards to each of the recipients. Trenhaile has spearheaded the EMS and fire department training in Moose Lake. Erik Bergstedt was honored as "Person of the Year" for EMS. Bergstedt is an emergency department nurse...
With the dismissal of a state lawsuit March 13, the door shut on a fired Cloquet police officer’s attempts to sue those he blamed for his dismissal. Scott Holman, a detective and K-9 officer who had worked for the Cloquet police department for 22 years, was fired by the city council in June 2019. Although the city administrator would say only that the dismissal was a “personnel matter,” the action came after the Carlton County attorney’s office identified past misconduct issues for Holman that could affect his ability to be a credible witness...
When Jessie Graddy started teaching at South Terrace Elementary School three years ago, she wondered why the school wasn't participating in higher-level activities, such as spelling and geography bees and Math Masters competitions. Instead of shrugging, she acted, creating all three extra outlets. "I'm just trying to elevate our school a little bit," said Graddy, a fifth-grade teacher. On April 21, the school's fifth-grade Math Masters team will participate at a competition in Duluth, one of 17... Full story
The Cloquet City Council and Mayor Roger Maki did the right thing last week when they voted to eliminate the project labor agreement mandate for private businesses. We elect the mayor and the councilors to look after the city of Cloquet, and that should be their top priority. If the private PLA mandate is discouraging investment in businesses or housing here, that’s not good for Cloquet. The fact that zero developers have signed a private PLA since it was mandated in 2017 is proof that the requirement was, indeed, limiting development here. Z...
It’s difficult to explain why, exactly, there’s a disagreement over the revised project labor agreement (PLA) requirement for city-funded economic development projects. Just asking the question is confusing enough. But like most political issues of the day, the solutions are both nuanced and obvious. It all stems from Cloquet’s requirement that private construction projects that receive city aid valued at over $175,000 (usually in the form of loans and tax-increment financing; the city rarel...
Thank you for your heartfelt story by Brady Slater in the March 17 issue. It was nice to see you honor a friend and one of the best mechanics that I know. I have been a loyal customer of Tom Getchell’s for decades, and so were my sons. It was nice to have a multigenerational garage and mechanic to take care of my family’s automotive needs. When my boys moved away to St. Paul I told them to find a local garage like T&N Auto, somebody you can trust. Unfortunately, they are still looking. It was good to see the chief mechanic get recognized for al...
March Madness is a great time of year if you are a basketball junkie. With multiple media outlets allowing for the televising of games, you can hardly miss any of the scores or stories that surround the tournaments. Even high school scores are readily accessible, such as this year when the Cloquet girls played Grand Rapids in the regional championship. Tough loss, though it is my belief that I would rather be in the game and have a chance to win than to never have been in the game and always... Full story
Throughout life I’ve toggled between professional worlds, working in journalism or being employed in human services as a caregiver. For the first time, I’m juggling those. I work part-time at the Pine Knot News, of course, and also for a Cloquet outfit which houses and cares for people with disabilities. As part of my latter work, I go with people on 1:1 outings. I chauffeur. We connect. We do fun things. One week, we played miniature golf and shot hoops at the carnival baskets at Adventure Zone in Duluth. Another week, a gentleman and I wen... Full story
On Sunday, March 26, I had a fall on ice at a local store. A kind man who was driving a truck at this store helped me without being asked to by moving my car where I lay on the ground and helping me to get back into it. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for his help. Thank you for taking the time to keep me safe. I hope you receive many blessings in return for your kindness. Peggy DeCaigny, Cloquet...
I love (Kermit Nielsen’s) ideas for security dogs in schools. (Column in the March 24 Pine Knot.) As a teacher for 45 years, I could see it working. I wonder if you could get your friends at Proctor High School to pilot a program. You most certainly would meet with some resistance, but I’ll bet you would find enough support to give it a go. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Lane Bendzick, Barnum...
Sixteen hours south of his hometown of Esko, Noah Wells entered a combine excited to showcase his skill set to the coaches gathered around. Unlike the NFL combine, his 40-yard split time or vertical jump were not on display. The coaches were taking note of his pitching, flipping, and knot-tying prowess at the Bassmaster High School Combine at Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Alabama. For the high school senior, the combine, held last summer, was a culmination of years of hard work. He walked away with... Full story
By summer, Sam Coil will have retired his throwing shoes and his track and field silks, trading them for a professional accounting job in Minneapolis. Until then, the 24-year-old Sturgeon Lake native and University of Wisconsin thrower will focus on adding to his championship career. "I like to set high expectations for myself, though nothing too unreasonable," Coil told the newspaper this week. In February, Coil won gold in the weight throw at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio.... Full story
A quick check on local field and track conditions shows that the spring sports season may take a bit longer than usual. Despite valiant efforts by local businesses, parents, coaches and athletes, Mother Nature has decided to only mildly cooperate this spring after a harsher-than-normal winter. The Northland is in the midst of a Top 10 all-time winter for snowfall, and the snow keeps falling. After a mild spell last week and a reprieve from the snow, with temperatures into the mid-40s, many... Full story
Last season ended abruptly for the Esko baseball team. The Eskomos had an incredible regular season, but were stunned with back-to-back losses at the hands of Marshall and Proctor in the Section 7AA playoff semifinals. With all nine starters back, and a deep pitching staff, the Eskomos come in as one of the favorites this season. To help jump-start the season the Eskomos spent last week in Orlando, Florida, where they were able to get time on the field as well as get in some scrimmaging outside... Full story
