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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Mike Creger and Jana Peterson Fires this past week have displaced at least seven people in north Carlton County. A family of four in the lower unit of a duplex on the 100 block of 13th Street in Cloquet had to move to a hotel this week after a suspected electrical fire set a couch on fire early Saturday evening. The fire spread and there was heavy smoke damage. A woman who lived in the upper duplex was also forced to find housing and is living with family members. Everyone evacuated safely. Earl...
It's one of the only events in the Northland where the number of judges often rivals the number of student projects on display. This year's 68th annual Northeastern Minnesota Regional Science Fair welcomed 119 students from 16 different schools, displaying and explaining 106 different projects. A total of 115 different judges listened and questioned the student presenters, then scored, ranked and awarded whatever categories they were judging. The student projects run the gamut from everyday to...
When the weather is cold and the snow piled so high you can't see over the top of it, there's only one thing to do - celebrate! Yes, it's Winterfest all day long on Saturday, Feb. 8, in Carlton. Whether you like to celebrate winter by curling up with a book or getting outside for fun and games, your wishes will be granted. Unless otherwise indicated, most activities center around the Four Seasons Sports Complex and Event Center. Take advantage of open hockey from 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. or head...
Another Groundhog Day has come and gone, and this year Punxsutawney Phil predicted a short winter and a rapidly approaching spring. Of course, Phil’s accuracy rate is 39 percent. Coin flips are theoretically 50/50, and one of the famous almanacs has a 52-percent rating, so take all predictions with a grain of salt. Feb. 2 has long been an important day to many cultures because it falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Over time, the day became Candlemas, which marks t...
Historic Minnesota events with anniversaries this week. Feb. 7 1851 The Minnesota territorial legislature votes to make St. Paul the capital and to put the prison in Stillwater. 1867 Laura Ingalls (Wilder) is born near Pepin, Wisconsin. Her family would settle in Walnut Grove, in Redwood County, from 1874 to 1880 (living briefly in Iowa for the year 1876-77). She is remembered for writing the “Little House on the Prairie” books, which chronicle her family’s experiences as pioneers. She died Feb. 10, 1957, in Mansfield, Missouri. Feb. 9 1920...
Some might say that communities are more divided than ever. But if you joined us last Saturday night at the Otter Creek Ballroom at Black Bear Casino & Resort, you would agree that we are completely united in one area: quality education for kids in Cloquet. To look around the room at the 19th annual Cloquet Educational Foundation's Blue Jean Ball, you would see a very casual vibe - friends talking to friends, family members sitting together, people making new friends. It was really hard for me...
Candidate filings closed Jan. 24 for three spots on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation Business Committee. Only two people filed for RBC chairperson: Kevin Dupuis, Sr. (incumbent) and Bryan “Bear” Bosto. There will be no primary in that race because only two candidates filed, with the general election set for June 9. Both open RBC representative seats will go to a primary election, set for March 31. Five candidates filed for RBC District I (Cloquet) representative: Wal...
A double error from the state Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division led to confusion and concern in Floodwood, Moose Lake and several other communities in the region when they got messages to evacuate Wednesday. HSEM tests its Integrated Public Alert and Warning System weekly, but the message was distributed beyond the test environment. Further complicating the situation, the portion of the message saying “this is a test” was cut off. Communities in several counties received the message. There is no evacuation order in place, nor...
The Carlton school board will have a special meeting Monday to accept the resignation of middle school and high school principal Barry Wolff. Accepting the resignation would be retroactive to Feb. 3, when Wolff submitted it following his conviction on a driving while impaired charge Jan. 31 in Sherburne County court. Wolff was arrested and jailed in that county near St. Cloud in late December. He was charged and convicted on a misdemeanor, fourth-degree DWI. Wolff was named the principal last fall, replacing Barry Fischer, who took a job the...
Moose Lake Superintendent Robert Indihar announced that he will retire at the end of the school year, after 22 years with the school district. According to a story in the Moose Lake Star Gazette, Indihar thanked the board for their support over his time with the district, noting that Moose Lake has been a great place to raise a family and retire from. Indihar led the school district through the aftermath of the 2016 floods of the school at its former location, several referendum votes and ultimately the construction of the new school on the...
With income tax season now open, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced that over 200 sites will be offering free tax assistance for those filing income tax and property tax refund returns. Most sites are open through April 15. Carlton County sites include the following: • Cloquet Public Library, Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Appointments are preferred, call 218-499-8105. • Moose Lake Community Building, Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., by appointment only. Call 218-485-8225. • Lakes and Pines Moose Lake, Tuesdays 3-7 p.m., by appoi...
Cloquet citizen Tim Krohn was on hand again Tuesday to accept another donation for the extension of the Pine Valley mountain bike trail. The donor this time was Minnesota Power. Chris Rousseau, Carlton grad and Minnesota Power manager of renewable operations, was there with a giant check for $2,500 for the trail. Cloquet Public Works director Caleb Peterson explained to the council that the original budget for the trail extension was $125,000. Krohn and other Pine Valley volunteers first...
Here's a quiz question for you: What is the fastest growing sport in America? Lacrosse! That also holds true across Minnesota where the game, which was invented by American Indians long ago, is growing by leaps and bounds. Locally, a new league has been formed which is giving local youth an opportunity to learn about this fast-paced game. "This will be our second year of the Northern Siege Youth Lacrosse League as its own independent organization," said Sean Hall, president of the board. "During...
By this time next week, residents in the Carlton and Wrenshall school districts should have a pretty good idea on where their neighbors stand on the issue of consolidating the districts. The schools boards for each will meet jointly in a special 6 p.m. meeting Tuesday at South Terrace to discuss the most recent survey of stakeholders. Early indications are that there was a high return on the surveys. The group that is working with the districts says any return rate above 18 percent is good. Let’s hope we have a far higher response. This is t...
Scott Holman, the former Cloquet police officer who is now suing the City of Cloquet, didn’t run for mayor as I stated here a few weeks ago; he ran for city council against Kelly Riihiluoma but lost 44 percent to 55 percent. That was in 2002, and Holman reminded me about his comment on “Harry’s Gang” during the campaign that the old water tower should be torn down and sold for scrap. (I was hoping at least one candidate for any city office would want to preserve the old water tower, as we just b...
I can’t believe Carlton County wants to spend $25 to $40 million on a new jail. What are they thinking? Spending this kind of money on a building for inmates, criminals, etc. This is insane. A jail shouldn’t be so nice that criminals keep coming back. I am a county resident and taxpayer, and I am tired of all the darn taxes. I believe money should be paid from the inmates and not the taxpayers. We are law abiding citizens, and we have our lives to live, bills to pay and keep our noses clean. It’s time Carlton County listens to the taxpa...
I am for consolidation. But don’t three (Wrenshall) plus one (Carlton) failed referendums tell us something? Maybe asking for the moon is too much for the taxpayers to bear. The Wrenshall School Board has voted for a $9.3 million non-voter approved levy and now wants an additional $29 million if we consolidate. Here’s my idea: The two boards vote to consolidate upon voter approval; then get together, brainstorm, ask the public to participate. Surely there are people who have an area of expertise that will be helpful. Then sharpen your pen...
The 2020 voting season starts Tuesday in Cloquet with a special election for the Ward 3 City Council seat vacated by Dakota Koski in July. Candidates Uriah Wilkinson and Chris Swanson are asking voters to elect them for a term effective through Dec. 31, 2022. Find out more about each candidate in the Q&A section below. The election is for residents of Ward 3 only, which lies between Highway 33 and 14th Street, and Doddridge Avenue and the St. Louis River in Cloquet. Polls will be open from 7...
John Leo Worgren, 57, of Cloquet, died Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020 in his home. He was born Dec. 17, 1962, in Cloquet to Raymond and Jeanette Worgren. John was raised at Big Lake and graduated from Cloquet High School in 1981. He attended Brainerd Vocational for small engine repair. John worked at Northern Kawasaki as a mechanic in 1984 and North Star Auto Body and Paint as an auto body technician 1984 to 1988. He worked at Carlton Saw as a knife sharpening technician from 1988 to 2002, when he...
Robert George Rasen, 85, of New Hope, and formerly of Cloquet, died Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in his home. Robert was born Oct. 20, 1934, in Cloquet to William and Eva (Chapado) Rasen. Bob was a kind man with a ready smile for everyone he came in contact with. He loved listening to music, building Lego structures, drawing pictures, and especially loved the holidays (all of them!). Bob was retired from Pinewood, Inc. in Cloquet, where he had many friends. Bob was preceded in death by his parents;...
Marylu Young, 92, of Carlton passed away Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, at St. Luke's Hospital with her family by her side. She was born to Carl and Violet (Watt) Sorenson in Duluth on Nov. 10, 1927. Marylu will be fondly remembered by all who knew her as a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was a very creative person who enjoyed painting, sewing and decorating. Friends were many and held dear, but most of all she loved her family. Marylu and Tom enjoyed traveling, attending plays,...
Charlotte A. Johnson, 81, of Cloquet died peacefully Feb. 1, 2020, in the presence of family. She was born Sept. 19, 1938, in Cloquet to Carl Elon Johnson and Bernadette Fern (Mullen) Johnson. Charlotte lived her entire life in Carlton County. She married handsome Korean War veteran Arthur A. Johnson on June 16, 1956, and started a family. Raising four kids was her job and she was good at making ends meet even when they had no right to. Charlotte was creative. She made Christmas nativity...
Neil Dale Woodward, 87, of Cloquet passed away suddenly Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020, at Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital. Neil was born in Duluth to James and Hazel (Nelson) Woodward on Oct. 23, 1932. Neil served as a sergeant in the U.S. Marines during the Korean War. After the war, he returned to Cloquet and worked for many years at Northwest Paper/Potlatch until his retirement in 1995. He married Darlene Delores Lahti on Aug. 10, 1957, and they spent 62 happy years together. He was a member of th...
The Carlton County Republican Party invited a self-described refugee resettlement expert to conduct a meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, according to organizer Bill Dian of Wrenshall. Dian said Ron Branstner, who has homes in Palm Springs, California and Eden Valley, Minnesota will conduct the meeting to inform Carlton County Republican members and the general public of his research on the refugee issue in America. “I’ve been studying this...
The Pine Knot News was recently recognized as among the very best newspapers in the state by the Minnesota Newspaper Association at its annual Better Newspaper Contest. Hundreds of papers from across the state, large and small, compete in a variety of categories from news to sports to advertising excellence. The Pine Knot won an unprecedented 15 awards just a year into its existence. The contest was judged by newspaper professionals in Indiana, part of MNA's rotating list of judges from midwest...
