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Articles from the March 12, 2021 edition


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  • Spring Thaw

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    The St. Louis River opens in Jay Cooke State Park as warm temperatures visit the Northland in this photo taken late in the day Friday, March 5 by local photographer and retired doctor Dana Malkovich. "We're lucky to have such a nice park so close to home," Malkovich said, adding that the park is a great place to go for a hike on a warm afternoon. "The trails, however, can be icy. It would be wise to have some kind of traction like spikes on your boots," he cautioned....

  • County approves Covid grants

    Dan Reed|Mar 12, 2021

    A total of 54 local small businesses and nonprofit organizations were approved to receive the latest round of Carlton County grants, courtesy of Covid-19 county relief money provided by the State of Minnesota Legislature. In total, the grants add up to $691,466. The Carlton County board of commissioners approved 54 out of 71 applications on Tuesday, as recommended by the CARES Act committee and a grant application review committee. All grants must be awarded by March 15 and the funds distributed by April 1, pending some final compliance... Full story

  • Gordy's competes in 'Burger Bracket'

    Pine Knot News staff|Mar 12, 2021

    A new radio program on Minnesota Public Radio is trying to muster up some interest through potential listeners' stomachs. The Warming House program, which began running on MPR stations in January as a balm for pandemic-induced tedium, has set up tournament bracket-style face-offs between favorite burger joints across the state. Yes, Gordy's Hi-Hat made the tournament field and votes are being tabulated this week. It's good timing, as Cloquet's landmark seasonal restaurant is scheduled to open...

  • MN vaccine eligibility expands beyond seniors to younger people, some essential workers

    MPR News|Mar 12, 2021

    Tim Nelson / MPR News The state will hit its goal of vaccinating 70 percent of Minnesotans age 65 and older weeks ahead of schedule, and is rolling out Covid-19 vaccines to a wider array of people. Gov. Tim Walz announced the expanded guidelines in a statement Tuesday, March 9, hours after health officials posted data indicating that 66 percent of older Minnesotans had already been vaccinated, and the 70-percent benchmark was near. "We asked most Minnesotans to wait patiently while we protected Minnesotans at higher risk and got shots to at... Full story

  • History Mystery

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    Look next week for more on a likely abandoned village along the first railroad line in the area. If you remember Milford on the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad route, please email [email protected]. For those with personal memories, we promise a story on your ability to still be upright at age 150-plus....

  • It's a dog's life for Carlton County mushers

    Timothy Soden-Groves|Mar 12, 2021

    Carlton County sled dog racers Will Bomier and Ted Wallace have spent countless hours over the past several decades tending to, training and racing their dogs. For them, time spent with their dogs is what they love to do. It turns out that is quite a lot of time, as Bomier and Wallace have over 80 years of mushing experience between them. Bomier lives near Mahtowa. He’s 38 years old but can already count 35 seasons on the dog sled trail. “My dad used to take me out, wrap me up and put me in the... Full story

  • LCP announces candidates for 2021 director elections

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    Lake Country Power will hold director elections this spring. Director ballots for Districts 1, 3, 5 and 9 will be mailed to co-op members between March 26 and March 31. Individuals running for the LCP board in or near Carlton County include the following District 9 candidates: Larry Anderson, Esko Paul Horgen, Sturgeon Lake Kevin Maki, Saginaw Lake Country Power will use a hybrid election process for members, offering the opportunity to vote online or by mail. Voting instructions will be included with the mailed ballots. The LCP annual meeting...

  • FDLTCC to host digital multimedia festival

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, in partnership with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, will host THUNDER inDIGIfest 2021, a digital multimedia festival to be held March 26-28. THUNDER inDIGIfest 2021 is a three-day virtual festival featuring original multimedia productions in photography, audio, animation, and film submitted by students, faculty, and staff from the 37 tribal colleges and universities affiliated with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium in the United States. “This festival is designed to let p...

  • Former Cloquet police chief promoted in Duluth

    Jana Peterson|Mar 12, 2021

    Former Cloquet police chief Steve Stracek will be the new deputy chief of the Duluth Police Department effective May 22. Stracek left Duluth to lead the Cloquet department in August 2014. He retired in June 2017 after being placed on paid administrative leave that March based on complaints from police union members. After being investigated by a third-party investigator and exonerated, he was reinstated and retired. Prior to returning to the Duluth Police Department in 2019 as a patrol officer...

  • Third-degree murder charge added in shooting case

    Jana Peterson|Mar 12, 2021

    Prosecutors added a charge in the case of a Cloquet man accused of fatally shooting his friend late last year. In addition to the second-degree manslaughter charges filed against Joseph James Fohrenkam, 18, for the Dec. 28 shooting, Duluth prosecutors added a third-degree murder charge in St. Louis County Court on Feb. 23. According to the criminal complaint, Joseph Fohrenkam was drinking with four other young men in a parked truck outside a home on the 3600 block of Giiniw Road, on the Fond du Lac Reservation in St. Louis County the night of... Full story

  • Cloquet will bring high school back full-time

    Jana Peterson|Mar 12, 2021

    Cloquet High School students will return to full in-person learning effective Tuesday, March 16. That is happening despite the objections of the teachers union, which requested the district delay the return until April 6, the start of the fourth quarter, to more safely address the risks of Covid-19. Superintendent Michael Cary said he brought it to the Cloquet school board for a vote Monday rather than just an FYI because of the letter from the Education Minnesota Cloquet executive board, which noted it was representing roughly 50 percent of...

  • The sweet smell of sauerkraut

    Mar 12, 2021

    Members of the Cloquet Eagles Club Aerie #1163 canned 180 pint jars of homemade sauerkraut at the Cloquet VFW as part of a fundraiser for the fraternal organization. The sauerkraut is for sale at B&B Market for $5 a jar....

  • Township passes levy, reports town garage break-in

    Rebekah King|Mar 12, 2021

    Intruders broke into the Thomson Town garage late last month, the Township board of supervisors learned at their meeting Thursday, March 4. Logan Saline, the township’s road utility and maintenance supervisor, said staff noticed Monday when they came into work that some things were not in order. “The door was unlocked, and we started to notice things missing,” he said. Saline listed off items that had been stolen by the intruders, including chainsaws, fuel, a battery charger and drill bits. The vehicles in the garage had been rummaged through,...

  • Our View: Medical tourism is good for the economy

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    Now that the Walz administration has expanded the groups of people eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, nearly 2 million people are expected to have had the shot within the next few weeks. The governor said this week that he expects to have vaccinated 80 percent of the state’s population in the next few months, which could mean “herd immunity” and a return to more normal social gatherings. Let’s hope that’s correct. We could not be more pleased. We encourage those who qualify for the vaccine to contact your health care provider and get schedul...

  • Harry's Gang: State of the city

    Pete Radosevich|Mar 12, 2021

    I had a chance to chat with Cloquet city administrator Tim Peterson this week. He's been on the job a bit over a year now, so I figured he's been acclimated to his new job enough to give us a decent State of the City address, informally, of course. I love asking leaders about economic development. To many of us, economic development means bringing in new business to town. But Peterson has a more pragmatic approach. "The question is: How do we renew and sustain the businesses we already have?"... Full story

  • On The Mark: Remembering my role model

    Ann Markusen|Mar 12, 2021

    The death of a beloved elder causes deep mourning. Some of us lose parents way before their time. My father died in a rock climbing fall when I was 27. My grandmother, Ruth Lee Markusen, Cromwell's beloved English teacher for years, died of cervical cancer in 1947, shortly after I was born. It's a blessing when some live long lives. My mother lived to be 89, plenty of time for us to work on her detailed, sometimes funny, life story, painstakingly written left-handed and then typed out on an old...

  • Letter to the editor: God bless the vaccinators

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    At 9:30 a.m. my wife and I received a telephone call from Human Services telling us that vaccinations were available that day for both of us. The caller registered us and asked if we wanted the shots that day with a second one in four weeks. Naturally, we accepted. After answering some questions, the time was given and we were told to go to the Barum garage. Upon arrival, we were met by people at the entrance of the yard who directed us to follow the marked lane to the building entrance. Along the way, there were small signs indicating there...

  • Obituaries: Robert "Bob" Charles Gerlach

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    Robert "Bob" Charles Gerlach, 86, died Jan. 23, 2021, at Northern Lakes Assisted Living in Baxter, with his family by his side. Bob was born on April 6, 1934 in Red Wing to Carl and Grace (Nilan) Gerlach. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, and his two sisters Betty Lou Gerlach and Dorothy McCann Waletzko. He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Mary; children, Julie (John) Hanowski, Jean (Bob) Gessell and Jon (Kay) Gerlach; grandchildren, Beau Hanowski, Benjamin (Melissa) Hanowski,... Full story

  • Obituaries: Margaret L. Jarvis

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    Margaret L. Jarvis, 91, a resident of Sunnyside Health Care in Cloquet, passed away March 4, 2021 with family by her side. She was born Oct. 31, 1929 to Otto and Emma (Gardener) Peil. Margaret married George Jarvis, and together they raised their seven children. She worked for Diamond Match and retired in 1992. Margaret enjoyed cooking, traveling, and dressing up for Halloween and going trick or treating for her birthday. She treasured the time spent with her family and caring for them.... Full story

  • Obituaries: Robert Vernon Schultz

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    Robert Vernon Schultz, 90, of Carlton died Tuesday, March 2, 2021 in Augustana Health Care Center, Moose Lake. Robert was born June 16, 1930 in Barnum Township, the son of George and Ethel Schultz. Robert grew up in Barnum Township and attended Central School. He served in the U.S. Army, on the front line of the Korean War from 1951 to 1953, and received two Bronze Stars. Robert was united in marriage to Peggy Jones on May 9, 1953 in Cloquet. Robert worked at, owned and operated the Carlton Feed... Full story

  • Death notices

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    John P. Trulson, 53, of Cloquet passed away peacefully in his sleep Feb. 26, 2021. A Celebration of Life will be held in the summer. Nelson Funeral Care assisted the family with arrangements.... Full story

  • Native plants available at SWCD

    Alyssa Bloss|Mar 12, 2021

    Have you heard the buzz? The Carlton Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has been busy helping community members plant pollinator habitat in their backyards, and will launch its second annual Native Plant Kit sale soon. New this year, native seed mixes will also be offered. Native Pollinator, Monarch, and Songbird mixes covering about 100 square feet will be available for pickup at a cost of $18 each. Native plant kits offered include Monarch, Pine Mulch, Rain Garden, Deer Resistant,...

  • Brown Jug Joy

    Kerry Rodd|Mar 12, 2021

    As local rivalries go perhaps none is bigger than the Carlton vs. Wrenshall boys basketball game featuring the traveling trophy known as the Brown Jug. This year's version of the game was held Friday, March 5, in Carlton with the host Bulldogs claiming bragging rights this season by taking a 63-45 win over the Wrens. Entering the game on Friday the two teams were both looking to get their records pointed in a northerly direction. Carlton had lost two of their last three games after suffering... Full story

  • The Ticker: A quick look at area teams in action

    Pine Knot News|Mar 12, 2021

    Thursday, March 4 Boys hockey Willmar-9 Moose Lake Area-3 CEC-2 Duluth East-2 (OT) Boys Basketball Carlton-88 Bigfork-66 South Ridge-45 Cherry-39 Barnum-69 Wrenshall-47 Girls Basketball South Ridge-79 Hill City/Northland-31 Cromwell-Wright-54 Cloquet-53 Moose Lk-Willow River-82 Barnum-43 Virginia-48 Esko-43 Friday, March 5 Girls Hockey Grand Rapids/Greenway-5 CEC-2 Boys Basketball Cromwell-Wright-73 Silver Bay-37 Carlton-63 Wrenshall-45 Aitkin-52 Barnum-37 Girls Basketball North Branch-77 Moose Lk/Willow River-64 Barnum-60 Wrenshall-34... Full story

  • Lumberjacks ski their way to state meet

    Jana Peterson|Mar 12, 2021

    In a two-part Section 7 Nordic ski race with a team trip to state on the line, the entire boys varsity team helped get the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys team its second consecutive trip to state, even the three who didn't actually score. It's a convoluted story, but just know that the first-place finisher gets 100 points, second place gets 99 and so on. Oh, and only the top two teams advance to state, and only the top four finishers from each team score. Following the classic race at Giants Ridge... Full story

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