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

A Cloquet man accused of manslaughter resulting from a fight pleaded guilty Friday in Sixth District Court in Carlton. Joel Jay Ammesmaki, 59, was charged with first-degree manslaughter in September 2021 for “causing the death of another while c...

Deeper cooperation between Wrenshall and Carlton schools was on the table Tuesday — and the Carlton school board promptly swept it off. The board members dismissed a letter from the Wrenshall board seeking greater collaboration, declining to move b... Full story

Cloquet High School head football coach Jeff Ojanen pleaded guilty Jan. 13 to a single fourth-degree misdemeanor count of driving while impaired related to his arrest last month. Ojanen, 39, was arrested by Cloquet police early in the morning on...

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 Fisch...

A winter season with plenty of snow has made for excellent snowmobiling conditions throughout the state, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources made efforts last week to remind eager riders to make safety a priority. The increase in...

Minnesotans facing mental health crises can now dial or text 988 to connect to Lifeline support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 988 code will serve as a universal entry point, so callers can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help... Full story

Do you get bored on the cold wintery days and wonder what to do to keep occupied? Maybe you should look at woodcarving as a hobby. You don’t need any special artistic ability to be a woodcarver. There is no age limit. It can be a lifetime hobby. T...

It’s been just more than four years since this little experiment called the Pine Knot News began. By this time next week, members of the staff here, and contributors, will be coming home with more hardware from the Minnesota Newspaper Association a... Full story

Thank you to the Pine Knot News for publishing the feel-good story about the wandering dog that was noticed, caught and placed in a safe home. (Jan. 6 issue.) Also a big thank-you goes out to Jodi Carlson, Jen Cadigan, the owner and staff of Trapper... Full story

I want to thank the “snow angels” that appeared in the last few weeks. Before the snow stopped falling during the “blue blizzard,” social media was filled with posts asking for help and others offering assistance. Cloquet residents asked for help ge... Full story

The Minnesota Wilderness opened the door to adversity when they entered the 2023 calendar year. The team got swept in Eagle River, Wisconsin, last weekend, managing only three goals, coughing up seven and finding themselves spinning further away from... Full story

The next city council meeting is at 7 p.m., Feb. 14 at the Kettle River Senior Center. Quilting at Holy Trinity is every Wednesday from 9 a.m. until noon. The next Ma & Pa Kettle committee meeting is at 1 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Kettle River Senior...

The Farmers Co-op store in Wright now has a new phone service provider, but the phone number is still 218-357-2251. If you need the number, put it into your contacts or write it down. Watch for updates on sales on Facebook. Margaret Webster is now...