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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There's a new club in town that's rolling right along. "We're a local mountain bike club and our goal is advocacy for singletrack and multi-use trails in Cloquet and the surrounding area," said Brendon Menze, president of the Cloquet Singletrackers. "It's a way to bring the local bike community together." So why the emphasis on singletrack trails? Menze summed it up in two words: "They're fun." "Singletrack trails are basically a path for bikes through the woods," described Menze. "They are... Full story
Early this morning, a ruby- throated hummingbird scouted our bird feeders, then departed for sweeter options. I poured sugar into a quart jar, added water and shook, retrieved and filled the feeders from the basement, and hung them out on their usual hooks. I'm hoping. Spring brings so many flashes of color into our winter-suppressed environs. And it's not just their raiment. High in the maples and oaks, a choir of goldfinches entertain us with their shared song. Other returnees engage in... Full story
A man who shot his sister's boyfriend at a funeral on the Fond du Lac reservation in 2019 was sentenced to 110 months in prison Monday. Shelby Gene Boswell, 29, was convicted in federal court with possession and discharge of a firearm (a .22 caliber rifle) by a convicted felon. His sentence of 110 months will be followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing and discharging a firearm in a school zone. According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 18, 2019, Boswell...
The Wrenshall school board opted for a very familiar face when it comes to hiring a principal for the next school year. Board president Michelle Blanchard was chosen last week after the board interviewed three candidates. The position is being created as superintendent Kim Belcastro goes to a part-time role solely as superintendent, giving up her time in principal duties at the school. The board cut the dean of students position for a fulltime K-12 principal, eventually saving money in the new administrative structure. Blanchard is a Wrenshall...
The Carlton County Assessor’s office has begun its statutorily mandated 5-year reappraisal of properties in the city of Cloquet. Staff will be out and about in Cloquet through the end of 2021. County staff will have proper ID, a county vehicle, a tape measure, camera and iPad, and are required to physically inspect each property. If a taxpayer is not at home or available, a business card or door hanger will be left....
Shortly after midnight early Monday morning, May 17, Cloquet Police Department officers responded to 227 Scotty Drive in Cloquet for a report of several shots fired at the residence. Officers responded and confirmed the initial reports. No one was injured. A short while later, at approximately 12:30 a.m., officers received a report of a second shooting, later determined to have occurred at 973 Ozhigaw Road in Cloquet. The victim, a 27-year-old male from Cloquet, had a gunshot wound to the leg...
Minnesota motorists are known for their high seat-belt compliance rate, but a disturbing development is taking place on Minnesota roads. Between Jan. 1 and April 22, preliminary reports show 31 unbelted motorists died this year, the highest number of year-to-date unbelted traffic fatalities since 2012. This loss of life comes after a deadly 2020 when 112 unbelted motorists died on Minnesota roads compared to 73 in 2019. The 112 unbelted motorist deaths in 2020 were also the highest since 2012, when there were 116. To remind motorists about the...
Don’t forget to watch Carlton grad Sam Kavanaugh compete in the Jeopardy 2021 Tournament of Champions Friday, May 21, and next week if he wins his way to the next round. On Friday, Kavanaugh faces off against Michigan writer Andy Wood and Oregon librarian Veronica Vichit-Vadakan. Kavanaugh and 14 other former champions (including one other Minnesotan) are competing for a $250,000 grand prize. Sam Kavanaugh won a total of $156,202 on the popular quiz show in 2019. “It’s so so exciting,” said Sam’s dad, Ed Kavanaugh, who will watch Friday’s...
The Carlton County board of commissioners will hold a public hearing at 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 24 at the Carlton County Transportation Building at 1630 County Road 61 regarding a proposed parking ordinance. The ordinance will regulate parking and parking enforcement for local roadways within Carlton County, and would allow the county to prohibit or limit parking provided regulations are posted or marked beforehand. The parking ordinance would give the county the right to designate certain roads as no parking or with parking only during certain...
University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel announced earlier this month that Karen Diver will be the institution’s inaugural Senior Advisor to the President for Native American Affairs. Diver will assume this newly created position — an uncommon role in higher ed with only a few comparables nationwide — May 28. Diver was Reservation Business Committee Chairwoman for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa from 2007 through 2015. As Chair, she expanded the land base of the Fond du Lac Band, grew the employment base from 1,600 to 2,200 a...
Planning for a new county jail, although slow and methodical, is getting closer to a decision on site and building design. The Carlton County jail steering committee and the property management department headed by county coordinator Dennis Genereau have recommended the green site as the preferred building site. The “green site” is a forested area north and northeast of the current Carlton County Transportation complex on Old Highway 61. The area set for soil borings and water table issues is in an area that was once the Northern Pacific bor...
Cloquet City councilors voted Tuesday to repeal the city’s ordinance requiring face coverings, and reconsider their vote on the repeal of the Cloquet project labor agreement passed two weeks ago. The repeal of the requirement to wear a mask indoors in public spaces came as no surprise, as Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order May 14 to undo the state’s mask mandate. The order came after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its own announcement, stating that people who are ful... Full story
Minnesota lawmakers walked out of the state Capitol in broad daylight after the 2021 session came to an end. In most years, that alone would be a banner accomplishment. This year, it produced howls of protest. The objections stem from the fact that the Legislature didn't complete a single budget bill by Monday's deadline. It's a point Republican House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt dwelled on. "Basically, I think Democrats were waving the white flag of surrender. This was the least productive...
The Green House will soon be placing the beautiful hanging plants to brighten the main street of Carlton. I have mine ready to go, and with a little help they will be planted soon. I want to wish a happy birthday to everyone who is or will be 75 years old this year. It is amazing to me that we have lived three-quarters of a century, and that includes my classmates from the Class of 1964. The Carlton community blood drive is 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 1 at St. Frances Catholic Church,...
Victor Moretto, 86, died at home May 16, 2021, from bone cancer. He was born May 13, 1935, at home, the youngest of 10 children, in Dewey, Wisconsin. He worked at U.S. Steel in Duluth for many years and later drove a school bus in Carlton. In 1957, he married Shirley "Sam" (Blume) Moretto. He is survived by her; two daughters, Patti Sitzman (Paul) and Pamela Dragicevich (Mike); and six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his parents, all of his siblings, and... Full story
Lori Marie Alaspa, 59, of Cloquet passed away May 17 in her home due to health complications. She was born Nov. 15, 1961 in Cloquet, the daughter of Arthur and Helen (Nelson) Petersen. Lori attended school in Cloquet and was a 1980 graduate of Cloquet High School. She accepted a position with the school district soon after graduation and worked in various positions, her most recent being 20 years at Washington School until her retirement in August 2020. Lori married Walter "Sonny" Alaspa in 1999... Full story
Edward "Ed" Donald Thornton, 95, passed away peacefully at Diamond Willow Assisted Living in Proctor on May 17, 2021. Ed was born in St. Paul, the second eldest of seven children to Ada and Edward L. Thornton. Ed joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 when he was 17 and served in the South Pacific Theater as a signalman third class during World War II. He fought in the Battle of Okinawa among other actions. Ed served on the USS Briareus, USS Mona Island and the USS Chukawan, and was awarded the World War... Full story
Laurel (Cahill) Peltier, 74, of Farmington passed away March 10, 2021, from respiratory failure. She is lovingly remembered by her children, Jessica and Eli Peltier, and her grandchildren, Breanna (21), Hannah Grace (13), Holly Ann (11), Mila (7) and Lily (4). Laurel enjoyed spending precious time with her grandchildren. She was creative and truly loved giving gifts. Laurel also loved fresh flowers. She would give them to her grandchild on every occasion. A Celebration of Life will take place 1... Full story
Bimbo Nordrum, 51, left this world on an Indian Motorcycle in Sherman County, Oregon, May 5, 2021. Born April 6, 1970, to James and Judy Nordrum, he grew up in International Falls with his sister, Jo, until the family moved to Cloquet in June 1987, where he graduated from high school. He went on to serve in the U.S. Navy 1989 through 1993. After being honorably discharged, he followed his father into the ironworkers trade with the Ironworkers Local 512 and worked for many years throughout Minnes... Full story
Bonnie J. Carter, 75, of Cloquet passed away May 13, 2021, at Sunnyside Health Care Center. She was born May 11, 1946, in Cloquet, the daughter of Douglas and Lorraine (Proulx) Carter. Bonnie graduated from Cloquet High School and worked as a certified nursing assistant for the Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital, Nopeming Nursing Home, and Essentia Health. Her passions included sewing, knitting, and camping with all the grandchildren in Minnesota. She moved to Arizona in 2006 where she found a... Full story
Melanie Joy Synkiew, 57, of Cloquet died Feb. 13. Graveside service: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 29 at Round Lake Cemetery in McGregor. Arrangements by Atkins-Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.\ Kay Lenore Burgraff, 69, of Duluth and formerly of Holyoke, died Feb. 28. Celebration of Life: 1-4 p.m. Saturday, May 29 in the Silverbrook Town Hall in Wrenshall. Arrangements by Atkins-Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.... Full story
Cloquet’s parks are the envy of many, with plenty of recreation areas for outdoor activities as varied as team sports, hiking, playing on playgrounds, skating, skiing and camping. Many of our prize attractions are located along the Highway 33 corridor, with high traffic from tourists who drive through our city in droves, on the way to other destinations. We’d like to start focusing on keeping a few more of those tourists in town. Encouraging them to visit our parks is a good place to start. We recently were encouraged that The Beach at Pin...
It was exciting to see so many people breathe a sigh of relief when Gov. Walz lifted the state's mask mandate last week. Not only was it easier to breathe that sigh of relief, we could actually see people doing it: no masks were covering their faces. Of course, it's too early to declare victory over the coronavirus, and we can't get too careless now. The CDC has recommended only that people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask; those who are not vaccinated should still stay... Full story
Reflecting earlier this month, Cromwell-Wright principal and superintendent Nathan Libbon recounted how he and his teachers, staff, parents and school board members managed to host most of their K-12 students in person for the past school year. Few other schools stayed open at similar levels. Due to a number of close Covid-19 contacts, the district sent students in grades 7-12 home for two weeks in November, but that was it for distance learning. During the rest of the year, a few families...
The past 14 months have been a rollercoaster ride for 2011 Cloquet graduate and full-time musician Tony Petersen, from a rock 'n' roll tour of Europe to riding out the pandemic in Minneapolis. When all travel between the U.S. and Europe was suspended, Tony Petersen and his Social Animals bandmates (vocalist Dedric Clark from Cloquet, drummer Boyd Smith from Esko and Roger Whitten from Lino Lakes) were in Norway. It was 3 a.m., they were on a tour bus, in the middle of a European tour. "We had... Full story
