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Articles from the May 10, 2024 edition


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  • Family picks berry farm

    Jana Peterson|May 10, 2024

    A chilly wind raced across the strawberry fields Monday evening as the Lambert family and four young teenagers meticulously planted rows of strawberries. Together, they were a picture that could have been taken any time in the past 100 years. Slowly, the tractor rolled across the field: Amanda driving with two younger kids inside the cab, protected from the wind, and three or four older kids behind the tractor. Two teenagers sat with their backs to the tractor, taking turns feeding a planter...

  • Report: Sex offender program is broken

    Mike Creger|May 10, 2024

    A study released last month on Minnesota's "civil commitment" policies regarding people convicted of sex offenses says the state has failed in proving the worth of programs run in Moose Lake and St. Peter, under the umbrella of Minnesota Sex Offender Program, or MSOP. "Minnesota's uniquely aggressive civil commitment program threatens basic constitutional rights while exacerbating the very problem it is intended to solve," said Eric Janus, director of Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource...

  • Obituary: Eleanore Agnes Ehmann

    May 10, 2024

    Eleanore Agnes Ehmann, age 102, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at her home. She was born on August 14, 1921, in Cloquet, Minnesota to Alexander and Mabel (Brunette) Laveau. Eleanore moved to Cromwell, Minnesota at the age of five and graduated from Cromwell High School. The family then returned to Cloquet. Eleanore was a member of Queen of Peace Catholic Church where she served on one of many Circles. She was employed at Walmart as a greeter for 19 years....

  • Bad River Band keeps fighting for rights

    Jana Peterson|May 10, 2024

    The Thunder Film Fest welcomed a regional celebrity to its screening of the "Bad River" documentary Saturday afternoon at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Mike Wiggins Jr., former chairman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, was the guest of honor and featured in the movie. "Bad River" tells the story of the Wisconsin- based Bad River Band and its ongoing fight for sovereignty - not only its recent legal battle over the 70-year-old Enbridge Line 5 pipeline and the threat...

  • Obituary: Donald Magnuson

    May 10, 2024

    Donald Kenneth Magnuson, 88, of Cloquet passed away Thursday, May 2, 2024, at New Perspective Assisted Living. He was born June 18, 1935, in Cloquet, the son of Carl and Ann (Lance) Magnuson. Don graduated from Cloquet High School and then served in the U.S. Air Force. He married Shirley Ann Watson on Sept. 6, 1958, in Barnum. Don worked in the chemical lab for Potlatch until retiring. He was a longtime member of Zion Lutheran Church, where he served as usher, volunteered for lawn mowing for man...

  • Obituary: Charles H. Roatch

    May 10, 2024

    Private family graveside services for Charles H. Roatch, 86, of Fairmont, Minnesota were held this week at Lakeside Cemetery in Fairmont after a service at Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont. Charles passed away Monday, May 6, 2024, at the St. Luke’s Lutheran Care Center in Blue Earth. Charles H. Roatch was born March 8, 1938, in Cloquet, the son of George and Martha (Heikkila) Roatch. He attended school in Barnum and graduated from Barnum High School with the class of 1956. Charles worked as a millwright at Potlach for 43 years, retiring in J...

  • College gets cannabis training funding

    May 10, 2024

    The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced 19 workforce development grants totaling over $2.9 million to eight Minnesota educational institutions that are partnering with Minnesota businesses to develop and deliver customized workforce training programs. Grantees expect to train more than 4,000 workers through these programs. Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College received a $30,654 predevelopment grant for a partnership with Fond du Lac Band Cannabis Corp., a startup company opening a cannabis cultivation...

  • Anderson chosen as Lake Country director

    May 10, 2024

    A community of Lake Country Power cooperative members gathered in Mountain Iron, Minnesota for the annual membership meeting Thursday, April 25. Director election results were announced in Districts 1, 5 and 9, to fill three-year terms. Locally, Larry Anderson of Esko was elected to serve District 9 with 448 votes to 351 votes for Kevin Maki of Saginaw....

  • After 32 years, Brenner won't seek board seat

    Brady Slater|May 10, 2024

    Longtime Carlton County commissioner Dick Brenner announced Tuesday he will not seek another term on the county board. Brenner is serving his 32nd year on the board, dating back to 1992. Prior to that he served on the Cloquet school board. "I am not running," Brenner said during the board's monthly committee of the whole meeting. "I've been hounded about it. I am done at the end of December." "I'm happy for you," board chair Susan Zmyslony said. Brenner resides in Cloquet and serves District 1,...

  • Obituary: Marie Victoria Stolan

    May 10, 2024

    Marie Victoria Stolan, 98, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2024, at Barnes Care in Esko. She was born in Hibbing on July 31, 1925, the daughter of John and Concetta (Colalillo) Cucinelli. Marie was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church in Carlton. She always surrounded herself with music and enjoyed entertaining family and friends. Marie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 35 years, Robert Stolan; sister, Patsy; and special friend, Floyd Haberman. She is survived by her...

  • Obituary: Janice J. Fall-Polo-Carlson-Storck

    May 10, 2024

    Janice J. Fall-Polo-Carlson-Storck, 78, of Cloquet passed away on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in her home. She was born June 22, 1945, to Marley and Elsie Fall in Carlton. Raised in Wrenshall and Carlton, Janice attended school in Carlton. She married George Carlson in 1980. Janice enjoyed dressing dolls, crocheting, dancing, being around others, and loved giving to others. Janice was preceded in death by her daughter, Terry Polo; and husband, George Carlson. She is survived by her son, Michael...

  • Hometown family band hits homegrown

    May 10, 2024

    The Cloquet family band #theindianheadband played the Homegrown Music Festival in Duluth last week. The band is known for its eclectic mix of tunes that defy categorization. The venue was the Sacred Heart Music Center Friday night. It's a former church in the Central Hillside neighborhood. The #theindianheadband lineup included Lyz Jaakola, Jackson Ripley, Xander Ripley-Jaakola, Jagger Ripley-Jaakola, Jeremy Gardner, Sheldon Misquadace, David Ripley and Suzanne Buan. They were among more than...

  • Filing period for local offices opens soon

    May 10, 2024

    Four Cloquet City Council positions are up for election in November, including Wards 3, 4, 5 and the at-large council seat. Ward 3 would be for a two-year term, the others are four years each. Residents may file affidavits of candidacy May 21 through June 4 at Cloquet City Hall, 101 14th St. in Cloquet. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The filing period is the same for Carlton Soil and Water Conservation District 1, 4 and 5 supervisors and Carlton County Board of Commissioner seats in Districts 1, 3 and 5....

  • Highway 23 culvert work to begin

    May 10, 2024

    Work to complete the Minnesota Highway 23 culvert replacement project at Perch Lake near Gary New Duluth will begin May 13. Contractors will begin mobilizing heavy equipment to the site on May 7. Motorists should expect a signal-controlled single-lane bypass. Work is expected to last about one month. A final phase of work to install a recreational bridge on the adjacent Marten Trail is expected to take place later in the summer. The culvert replacement is a part of a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Land Trust habitat res...

  • Fire district looks for state funding sources

    Jana Peterson|May 10, 2024

    Work to complete the Minnesota Highway 23 culvert replacement project at Perch Lake near Gary New Duluth will begin May 13. Contractors will begin mobilizing heavy equipment to the site on May 7. Motorists should expect a signal-controlled single-lane bypass. Work is expected to last about one month. A final phase of work to install a recreational bridge on the adjacent Marten Trail is expected to take place later in the summer. The culvert replacement is a part of a Minnesota Department of...

  • Obituary: Adolph E. Romanek

    May 10, 2024

    Adolph E. Romanek, 98, died at home on April 30, 2024. He was born Aug. 21, 1925, in Floodwood to Joseph and Mary Romanek. He married Bette Lou La Breche on July 18, 1953, in Cloquet. Adolph grew up in Floodwood and served in the U.S. Army infantry during World War II from 1944 to 1946. He was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star and was very proud of his service. He was a member of the local Korhonen-Hokkanen VFW Post 8299. He worked for Conwed Corporation in Cloquet, and in maintenance for...

  • Obituary: Marjorie A. Hillman

    May 10, 2024

    Marjorie Ann (Seboe), age 85 of Wrenshall, Minnesota, passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2024. She was born in Wrenshall to Gus and Mary Seboe on March 29, 1939, and graduated from Wrenshall High School in 1957. Marjorie was preceded in death by her daughter, Debra Slatten; sister, Joanne Douglas; and brothers, Bernard and James Seboe. She is survived by her sister, Irene Pollack; sons, Colin, Allen, and Brian Hillman; grandchildren, Amanda Wyman and Jake Hillman; great-grandchildren, Evan, Aiden, and Emmett Wyman; and numerous nieces and nephews....

  • Wrenshall Board seeks balance on open enrollment

    Brady Slater|May 10, 2024

    Brady Slater [email protected] Faced with growing enrollments and class rosters for the next school year, the Wrenshall school board did something Monday it hasn’t had to consider in years. It closed open enrollment in four elementary school grades. Superintendent Jeff Pesta recommended the action and, after much discussion, the board agreed. “It’s a good challenge to have,” Pesta said, “and one you haven’t wrestled with in quite a while.” He was confident that closing classes to outside enrollees would reinforce the image the school wan...

  • Photos: Celebrating Business

    May 10, 2024

    The Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting and banquet April 25 at Black Bear Casino Resort....

  • Man faces 8 counts related to child pornography

    May 10, 2024

    A 50-year-old Cloquet man faces eight felony counts of child pornography after being turned into police by a person residing in the same home. Richard Craig Carlson appeared in Sixth District Court remotely from jail on Wednesday, making a first appearance before Judge Amy Lukasavitz. Carlson’s attorney, Veronica Surges, asked for a speedy, uncontested omnibus hearing to be scheduled. Lukasavitz said the time before the next hearing at 10:45 a.m. May 22 would give Carlson an “opportunity to work with Ms. Surges … [to] come back and see where...

  • Police pursuit ends with multiple charges

    Chloe Farnsworth|May 10, 2024

    A wanted man led law enforcement officials on a chase through two counties last month, before being apprehended and allegedly found in possession of both methamphetamine and fentanyl. Robert William Pladson, 53, of Eagle Bend, Minnesota, was charged April 14 in Sixth District Carlton County Court with two counts of first-degree felony drug possession, for allegedly possessing 25 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was also charged with felony fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle. According to the...

  • Trial set for former Cloquet police officer

    May 10, 2024

    A case alleging that a former Cloquet police officer exploited an elderly woman suffering from dementia is headed to court in November. The Minnesota Attorney General’s office charged Laci Marie Silgjord in July 2023 with financially exploiting a vulnerable adult — someone she befriended after responding to a call — and attempting to swindle the woman’s estate and her estranged husband after she died. Silgjord was dismissed from her job at the Cloquet police department in February 2022, after the Cloquet PD did its own internal investi...

  • Man charged with assaulting, kidnapping woman

    Pine Knot News|May 10, 2024

    A Carlton County man is in jail after allegedly holding, assaulting and threatening a woman — known to him — against her will for five days at his home northwest of Cloquet. Dennis Alan Oberg, 27, was charged April 29 with four felonies in Sixth District Carlton County Court, including kidnapping, felony domestic assault, threats of violence and false imprisonment. He remains in jail, with bail set at $7,500 with conditions or $75,000 without conditions. According to the criminal complaint, the woman told police that she willingly went to Obe...

  • Letter to the Editor: Law change welcome

    May 10, 2024

    I would like to thank Rep. Jeff Dotseth for his work co-sponsoring Minnesota House File 3925, which was just passed. The bill helps fix a problem with homeowners insurance for people who use a Transfer on Death Deed to pass real property to their heirs at death instead of having to go through the probate process. The bill is not perfect, but l believe it is an improvement over what the law was before. The bill was sponsored by four Republicans and two Democrats. I am glad the two parties were able to work together on this. Sam V. Calvert, St....

  • Letter to the Editor: Where are the hard numbers on wolves?

    May 10, 2024

    ete Stauber’s latest newsletter statements on wolf delisting I say: please put some numbers to your claims. Rep. Stauber goes on about wolf predation and lost pets but hasn’t provided much evidence of the problem besides anecdotes. What is the official documented rate of pet and livestock mortality in Minnesota? How much money has federal, state or counties agencies paid in compensation to farmers and ranchers in Minnesota for livestock lost to wolf predation? How do the “many experts, hunters and farmers” arrive at their wolf populat...

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