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Articles from the January 27, 2023 edition


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  • Lakeside estate sale draws a crowd

    Brady Slater|Jan 27, 2023

    'There's a lot of nice stuff there' In 30 years of auctioneering and conducting estate sales, Steven Wesely has never gone to a second weekend for a sale. Until this weekend. "This is by far the most unique place I've had," Wesely said of the sprawling property at 3698 Bayview Dr., overlooking Little Hanging Horn Lake between Barnum and Moose Lake. Hundreds of guests visited the estate sale last weekend and, when Wesely talked about the sale on Monday, he was preparing to put out another wave... Full story

  • Justice center funding sought

    Dan Reed|Jan 27, 2023

    With a state budget surplus of more than $17 billion, Carlton County leaders are again looking to the state legislature for help funding the new justice center, despite voter approval in November of a half-cent sales tax for the next 30 years. The county had requested $22 million in state bonding money for the combined jail and courts facility during the 2022 legislative session, but the divided legislature failed to pass a bonding bill. Now, because construction has already started, the justice center project no longer qualifies for bonding...

  • New rep serves on WLSSD board

    Jan 27, 2023

    The Board of Directors of the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District welcomes Jack Ezell as the elected Carlton County representative. The seat was previously filled by Ruth Janke who dedicated 13 years of service to WLSSD and its environmental mission. Ezell had a 43-year career with WLSSD and now joins the board after 4 years in retirement. WLSSD is governed by a nine-member citizen board. Four members are appointed by the city of Duluth, three by the city of Cloquet, one is elected by the Carlton County cities and townships within the...

  • District wants $6.45 million for fixes

    Brady Slater|Jan 27, 2023

    Voters in the Cromwell-Wright school district will go to the polls Feb. 14 with a chance to weigh a series of school improvements, costing $6.45 million and including updates to the second gym and improved safety infrastructure. Voting for the referendum will take place from 1-8 p.m., at the Sno-Gophers Club building at 1247 Highway 73 near city hall. Mail and absentee options will be more limited than a general election. "This building is, conservatively, about a $40 million asset,"... Full story

  • Book author to present at CFC

    Jan 27, 2023

    Author John Pastor will share stories about white pine from his new book titled “White Pine: The Ecological and Human History of a Foundational American Tree.” In the book, Pastor tells the story of attempts over the past two centuries to restore the great white pine forests that were clear-cut by early loggers and decimated by the end of the 19th century. The professor emeritus of biology with the University of Minnesota-Duluth will present at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Stine Conference Room in the Classroom Administration Building at...

  • Hackathon returns with webinar series, live event

    Jan 27, 2023

    The inaugural Northland Hackathon in April 2022 exposed students from 20 Minnesota high schools to aspects of computer science that included building apps, writing code and exploring opportunities in tech. That focus was important because, according to a 2022 report by the Code.org Advocacy Coalition (https://advocacy.code.org/stateofcs), Minnesota finished in last place when it came to the percentage of public high schools offering computer science courses. This year, organizers are taking additional steps to introduce students to the fun of...

  • 'It's time to make the move' - Boys hockey to shift to Class A next season

    Jana Peterson|Jan 27, 2023

    After January 27, it will be official: the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team will move to Class A hockey starting next season for at least two years, a move that 90 percent of parents in the hockey program supported when polled by the school district earlier this year. "Cloquet has played up since the state went to a two-class system, and even when there was a Tier 1 and Tier 2 system in the early '90s," Cloquet High School activities director Paul Riess said after Monday's Cloquet School... Full story

  • Police arrest man passed out in car

    Jan 27, 2023

    A Barnum man is facing charges after police found him passed out in a parked car earlier this month. Roger Petersen Jr., 35, was charged Friday, Jan. 20, in Sixth District Court in Carlton County with felony first-degree drug possession along with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. Bail was set at $75,000 bond or $7,500 cash. According to the criminal complaint, a Fond du Lac tribal police officer was at a gas station on Minnesota Highway 210 on Jan. 18 when a staff member told him she had observed a vehicle parked and running next to the...

  • Hearing set on sewer rate increase

    Rebekah King|Jan 27, 2023

    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 township. The meeting will now be held at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 16, before the board’s regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. According to the public hearing notice online, the proposed rate changes per month are as follows: • One-family dwelling used for residential purposes: from $35 to $40 • Multi-family dwell...

  • Food tasting takes center stage

    Jan 27, 2023

    The Food for Thought tasting event returned to the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College last week after a Covid hiatus. More than 200 people enjoyed samples of signature food and beverages from a dozen local vendors and raised more than $22,000 for FDLTCC student scholarships. The crowd voted to award the Golden Spoon to Route 61 out of Moose Lake for their ribs and tasty deconstructed cheesecake. The Silver Spoon award went to Room at the Table catering for their fantastic assortment of...

  • Alleged fentanyl dealer arrested while on bail

    Jan 27, 2023

    A Cloquet man who was charged in October for having 1,200 fentanyl pills in his possession is facing new drug charges. James Daniel Randa, 19, and Kaydance Marie Barrett, 18, were charged with felony second-degree drug sale and fifth-degree drug possession in Sixth District Court in Carlton County after Black Bear Casino surveillance staff observed possible drug use activity in the parking lot earlier this month. Fond du Lac police responded to a call Jan. 9 from security and observed video of people in two vehicles handling and smoking an... Full story

  • College wins e-book award

    Jan 27, 2023

    An e-book project coordinated by Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College was recently awarded the 2022 Minnesota Author Project award in the Communities Create category. To celebrate the win, the college is inviting the community to a reception and reading starting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7. The e-book, “Bringing Joy: A Local Literary Welcome” is an anthology of writing and art inspired by the work of former United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Muscogee) and created by local writers and artists. Harjo made a virtual visit to the Northland in 202...

  • Reminder about deer feeding and attractant bans

    Jan 27, 2023

    The DNR is reminding Minnesotans that deer feeding and attractant bans are in place across the state to prevent concentrations of wild deer in areas with a higher risk for disease, including all of Carlton County. These bans are precautionary steps the DNR took after deer that tested positive for chronic wasting disease were found both in the wild and on deer farms. Feeding bans encompass wider areas because food sources can concentrate deer and allow for close contact — one of the mechanisms for CWD spread....

  • 'Charlotte's Web' promises fun for whole family

    Jan 27, 2023

    The County Seat Theater will open its new season next weekend with "Charlotte's Web," a story about friendship that ought to enchant audiences of all ages. The Children's Literature Association had high praise for the well-known book by E.B. White, calling it "The best American children's book of the past two hundred years." "This show is only about an hour long, which is great for our younger audience members, but I guarantee all ages will want it to go on longer," said co-director Joel... Full story

  • Guest view: Carbon-free bill needs some work

    Jenny Glumack|Jan 27, 2023

    Jenny Glumack, manager of legislative affairs for the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, wrote this piece on behalf of its member cooperatives. On Jan. 5, the Minnesota Legislature proposed a bill to transition all electricity sold in the state to be carbon-free by 2040. The bill must consider potential impacts to the reliability and affordability of the essential electric service provided by Minnesota cooperative utilities to their 1.7 million members. As new energy generation and transmission facilities are built to meet clean energy...

  • From the editor: Celebrating Dad's good life

    Jana Peterson|Jan 27, 2023

    It snowed the morning my dad died in Indiana earlier this month, big white flakes that weren't in the forecast, as if Mother Nature wanted to honor my Minnesota-born-and -raised father one last time. I will miss him dearly, but I take comfort in the fact that Lloyd "Pete" Peterson packed plenty of living into his 87 years of life. We grew up hearing about pond hockey games with magazines for shin pads, and Dad's secret way of turning on the lights at the Worthington city rink so he could continu... Full story

  • 'Jacks escape frenzy with a tie

    Jan 27, 2023

    Following a tough loss to Duluth East the night before, the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team looked to change their fortune Friday when they hosted Holy Angels Academy at Northwoods Credit Union Arena. In what turned out to be one of the most bizarre games played in quite a while, the Lumberjacks ended a three-game losing streak by tying the Stars 8-8 in a seesaw affair. "In my entire playing and coaching career, I've never seen anything like that game," said CEC coach Shea Walters. The... Full story

  • Eskomos show depth in another big win

    Kerry Rodd|Jan 27, 2023

    The Esko boys basketball team proved again Friday why it's a favorite in local basketball circles. The Eskomos hosted Moose Lake/Willow River - another perennial local basketball power - and handed the Rebels an 89-59 loss. "Esko is just a physical and athletic team," said Rebels coach Paul Dewey. "I thought we did a good job on some of their better players, but they have so much depth that sooner or later they are able to find a way to score points." The Eskomos bolted to a 46-20 halftime lead... Full story

  • Cardinals soar past Rebels

    Kerry Rodd|Jan 27, 2023

    Entering the game between Cromwell-Wright and Moose Lake/Willow River, the Cardinals had 12 wins and the Rebels just a single win. One of the reasons for the Cardinals' strong season, Sascha Korpela, who celebrated a landmark moment Monday, scoring her 1,000th career point on a free throw during the game at Moose Lake. Cardinals head coach Jeff Gronner said it was fun to watch. "She means so much to this team on offense, but what people don't realize is how good she is on the defensive side of... Full story

  • Cloquet grad makes world stage

    Jana Peterson|Jan 27, 2023

    During this month's 2023 FISU World University Games in Lake Placid, New York, Nordic combined competitor Aidan Ripp wore his Cloquet Ski Club hat for every competition. The Cloquet grad was one of six Americans competing in the Nordic combined event, which combines ski jumping and Nordic (or cross country) skiing. He estimated there were more than 200 Americans at the University Games, competing in a wide variety of winter sports, including downhill and cross country skiing, biathlon, curling,... Full story

  • Top scorer lifts Wilderness to sweep

    Jan 27, 2023

    The top scorer for the Minnesota Wilderness delivered his most dramatic goal of the season on Friday. Kevin Marx Norén scored as time expired in regulation, giving the Wilderness a 4-3 win en route to a home-and-home series sweep last weekend against the Chippewa Steel. A 20-year-old from Knivsta, Sweden, Norén scored twice in Friday’s game in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, then added a goal and an assist in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet. Norén has seven points in his last three games, and leads the team with 1...

  • Wright/Cromwell news

    Jennie Hanson|Jan 27, 2023

    The price of Forever stamps went up to 63 cents on Monday. So, how many of us send letters anymore? Well, I do. And the folks I write to sure appreciate getting actual letters from time to time. Even though a lot of greetings are now sent by email, an actual card with personal comments or notes sure is nice to send and receive. Early Childhood Family Education classes will run Feb. 14 through May 9. Please contact Mrs. Mayer at 218-644-3737 ext. 4134 or [email protected] if you would like to register your student. With deep sorrow, I’m a...

  • Kettle River news

    Marcia Sarvela|Jan 27, 2023

    Quilting runs from from 9 a.m. until noon at Holy Trinity every Wednesday. The next Ma & Pa Kettle days meeting starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29 at the Kettle River Senior Center. The next Kettle River City Council meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Kettle River Senior Center. Our sympathies go to the family of Carolyn Coleman of Kettle River, who passed away on Sunday, Jan. 15. When I was in seventh grade, I got sick. This was during a polio epidemic and the doctor came to the house to check me over. It was decided that I would need...

  • Better internet is on the way

    Dan Reed|Jan 27, 2023

    Good internet service in rural areas has been troublesome for a long time. This is not the world of my grandparents. Waiting for more advanced technology to finally hook up all of rural America, I have seen a lot of changes in my lifetime. But the main problem is that when a new great hope for aa foolproof means of communication explodes in one’s imagination, reality sets in and what comes just fizzles. It is like the old saying, “If it seems to be too good to be true, it is.” But we can always dream. In my early days on the farm before 1962,... Full story

  • Obituary: Anne F. Redfield

    Jan 27, 2023

    Anne F. Redfield, 68, of Cloquet passed away Jan. 18, 2023, at Diamond Willow Assisted Living in Proctor. She was born March 24, 1954, in Duluth, the daughter of Robert and Mandy (Balen) Redfield. She was a military daughter and was raised in many places including Alaska, Germany and New York before resettling with her family in Cloquet. Anne loved her work as a social worker for Carlton County, and also loved crafting with her friends, who called themselves "The Scrapin' Ho's." Anne was... Full story

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