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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You could say that parts of Carlton County lucked out this past Labor Day weekend. Things could have been much worse. Days after a swath across northern Minnesota, including all of the county, was designated in the "extreme drought" category, we were hit with record high temperatures over the holiday weekend. Drought conditions lingering into the fall are not common in the region. Infamously, the region also received what would have been declared an "extreme" level of dryness in the fall of...
The Esko volleyball schedule was incorrect in last week’s paper, and the Fond du Lac volleyball and Cloquet cross country schedules didn’t run. We apologize for the errors. ** VOLLEYBALL ESKO Thursday, Sept. 7 vs ML/WR, 7 Saturday, Sept. 9 tournament at North Branch, TBD Thursday, Sept. 14, vs Barnum, 7 Thursday, Sept. 21 at South Ridge, 7 Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Cloquet, 7 Thursday, Sept. 28 at Hibbing, 7 Tuesday, Oct. 3, at Carlton, 7 Thursday, Oct. 5, vs Duluth East, 7 Saturday, Oct. 7 Esko Tournament, TBD Tuesday, Oct. 10, vs Proctor, 7 Tue...
Both Wrenshall Brickyard Days and the Cromwell Harvest Festival return this weekend, bringing a shot of community togetherness. In Wrenshall that togetherness comes with a game of cow patty bingo. Wrenshall cheer coach and Brickyard Days organizer Jolene Johnson explained the process behind the unusual game of chance, which involves a student walking a cow over a giant grid with 200 squares. “One of our students will halter-walk a cow around all the squares, whatever square the cow does its b...
Giant "Welcome back to school" signs greeted returning Churchill Elementary School students Wednesday, providing the perfect photo opp for family members as they said goodbye to children and summer in the cooler weather. Staff were ready and waiting inside and out, lined up along the hallways to greet students as they disembarked from buses rolling in on the building's west side, or piling out of cars or walking at the main entrance. "We got the first crew in," said American Indian Ed teacher...
A nonprofit organization tasked with supporting the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton varsity boys hockey program is hitting reset after falling out of compliance with its federal and state government filings. Calling it “pure oversight,” the Lumberjack Blue Line Club reported its revoked nonprofit status on Facebook earlier this week. “We are in the process of submitting the required forms and past information for our organization to be reinstated,” the social media post said. The Lumberjack Blue Line Club is among many volunteer- run, nonprofit organiz...
Enjoy a Sloppy Joe dinner, silent auction and 50/50 drawing noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Cloquet VFW and help a family in need at the same time. The Stansfield family, which includes four children, lost their home in a fire June 23 and things are still a struggle. Cost is $12 for adults and $6 for kids. Want to donate more? Call 218-600-9314....
The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa announced last week some guidelines for members harvesting wild rice. “(R)espect the gift we have been given,” the Band’s Wild Rice Committee said in a news release Aug. 31. “Please avoid areas of green rice, knock with respect, and to think of those who come after you as those who came before you did.” The wild rice harvest began on Saturday. Other harvesting notes include: • Ricing will be allowed every day. • For the first week harvest hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; for the second week harvest goes...
Cloquet made statewide news last month, and not in a good way. The city was one of 12 Minnesota cities that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed new limits on manmade chemicals dubbed “forever chemicals.” During Tuesday’s meeting, Cloquet City councilors got an informational lecture on the chemicals and the possible impact on the city and its residents from public works director Caleb Peterson, who explained that the city’s five wells were tested, and one slightly exceeds the limit for PFAS in drinking water that will like...
When you can’t come to the library, your library on wheels will come to you. The Arrowhead Library System’s Bookmobile stops every three weeks at these locations in your area, with the next date listed: Esko, at Northwood United Methodist Church, 10:30-11 a.m. Sept. 25 ; Solway Town Hall, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Sept. 21; Wrenshall, Silver Brook Town Hall, 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Sept. 25; Kettle River, Main Street, 1:30-2:15 p.m. Sept. 25; Mahtowa, TJ’s Country Corner, 2:45-3:45 p.m. Sept. 19; Cromwell, City Park on Highway 210, 1-2 p.m. Sept. 19; Barnu...
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving vehicle permit fees at all 75 state parks and recreation areas on Saturday, Sept. 9. With the support of the state legislature, the DNR offers Free Park Days to encourage Minnesotans to get outdoors and enjoy the health and wellness benefits of spending time in nature....
The Cloquet Community Band is seeking new members. If you have played an instrument, please check out the band. Practice is 7-8:30 p.m. Mondays at the Cloquet Presbyterian Church, 47 Fourth St., Cloquet. The band provides sheet music, and you bring your instrument. The band performs at a variety of community events (spring and winter concert, parades, nursing homes and other events as requested). Questions? Contact Becky at 218-206-4441....
The folks at Black Bear Casino Resort turned a torn-down hotel into an opportunity, by planting grass on the demolition site and hosting a hot air balloon festival next weekend. Up to a dozen hot air balloons (and their pilots) will convene there Friday and Saturday, Sept. 15-16, for the 2023 Kismet in Carlton Hot Air Balloon Festival. The festival is free to attend, and will feature balloon demonstrations, local food trucks, live music, chainsaw carving, tethered balloon rides and a special...
Lorraine Hansen turned 100 years old on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Sunnyside Health Care Center feted her with a beer and pizza party that included friends and family and other residents. The birthday girl is pictured here with her children, Brad and Linda Hansen, and her friend Candi. Lorraine grew up in Pike Lake and lived in Duluth most of her life. According to Sunnyside's Toni Hubbell, Hansen always advised people to "never let moss grow under your feet" and she was a living example of that. She...
It’s been a long and challenging summer in our part of Carlton County. So little rain, so many detours on Highway 210. Not even one swim in a lake! We’ve made up for it with home improvements. These include installing a badly needed new septic system in a new location. That meant lots of oak and poplar to harvest and lots of good thigh and upper body work for the physique! Throwing the smaller lengths like javelins into the surrounding woods. Piling chain-sawed logs in two-foot lengths into the...
Before last session even began, we knew our nursing homes were overwhelmed with a massive crisis: 15 percent of nursing homes statewide had exhausted their financial reserves, and 10 percent were considering closure. Outside of the Twin Cities area, those numbers were much worse: 17 percent of the homes had no financial reserve and 12 percent were considering closure. With about 350 nursing homes in the state, that put 60 nursing homes without reserves, and 41 considering closure. This crisis was created from the combination of raging...
The Lahaina destruction on the Hawaiian island of Maui definitely is a catastrophe. The loss of lives, livelihoods, homes, and irreplaceable ancient relics from early inhabitants of the islands is a tragedy, no question about it. Yet, our area of northern Minnesota has its own fire tragedy that impacts our lives even after 105 years have passed. Up to this day, it is the largest natural disaster in Minnesota history, with some 1,500 square miles destroyed by fire in a region encompassing 8,400...
Local football fans got a treat Friday when Barnum defeated Moose Lake/Willow River for the first time since 1998. It wasn't easy, but the Barnum defense got it done during a second overtime, stopping the Rebels at the 5-yard line to pull out a 28-22 victory. The brown jug finally made its way back to Barnum. "It was a lot of fun and a good game between two good teams," said Barnum coach Rob Minkkinen. "I was proud of how resilient our team was all game long. There were a few times where they...
Thursday, Aug. 31 Girls Soccer Alexandria 2 Cloquet/Carlton 0 Esko 15 Princeton 0 Volleyball Esko 3 Cook County 0 Cloquet 3 Duluth Marshall 0 Barnum 3 Moose Lake/WR 2 Football Esko 63 Duluth East 6 Mesabi East 52 South Ridge 0 Friday, Sept. 1 Football Barnum 28 ML/WR 22 Cromwell-Wright 35 Hill City/Northland 0 Sebeka 60 Carlton/Wrenshall 6 Two Harbors 40 Cloquet 8 Saturday, Sept. 2 Volleyball Esko 2 Albert Lea 0 Mabel-Canton 2 South Ridge 0 Esko 2 Rochester John Marshall 1 Byron 2 Esko 1 Chatfield 2 Esko 0 Tuesday, Sept. 5 Volleyball...
One team is learning to play together for the first time while the other school returns six players who either started full- or part-time last season. Such was the case when Carlton/Wrenshall hosted the first home game in their cooperative's history Aug. 31 against an experienced Cromwell-Wright team. Cromwell/Wright swept the match by scores of 25-17, 25-18 and 25-17. "Right now, we are just trying to figure things out," said Raptors coach Barb Soukkala. "We have to be patient and try to fit...
Esko fans have been anticipating the high school football season ever since the team lost in the state quarterfinals last year. On Aug. 31, Esko showed its optimism was warranted, demolishing Duluth East on the road, 63-6. "I knew we had a lot of pieces on both sides of the ball," said Esko coach Scott Arntson. "I knew we'd be good, but you still have to get on the field and prove it." Esko has team speed to burn and plenty of big strong athletes. They were so overwhelming that by the end of the...
Friday, Sept. 8 Football Chisholm at Barnum, 7 p.m. Ogilvie at Carlton/Wrenshall, 4 p.m. Hermantown at Cloquet (in Proctor), 7 p.m. Bertha-Hewitt at Cromwell-Wright/Floodwood, 7 p.m. Proctor at Esko, 7 p.m. Aitkin at Moose Lake/Willow River, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 Volleyball Fond du Lac Ojibwe at Hilltopper Invitational Esko at North Branch Tournament Girls Swimming Cloquet at Superior Invitational 10 a.m. Girls Soccer Cloquet-Carlton at Hermantown, 6 p.m. Spectrum at Esko, noon Monday, Sept. 11 Girls Tennis Cloquet-Esko-Carlton at Superior,...
It's been an interesting year for the 43-member Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls tennis team. With construction of the new $4.7 million Members Cooperative Credit Union Stadium complex going on, the 'Jacks have played all their matches so far on the road, and at this point they are not scheduled to have a home game this season. "That's been tough, especially because we have 13 seniors who would like a chance to play at home," said head coach Derek Johnson. "There is excitement for what the future hold...
The Dan Sheff Memorial adult-child golf tourney last month saw 170 people and 90 teams play in an event that many mark on the family calendar each summer. “It, for some time, has rivaled our Club’s invitational for sheer numbers of players,” said Bill Manahan, golf pro and course manager. “We had players from 6 years old being the youngest, to over 85 for the oldest. Golf truly is a game that can be played for a lifetime.” The Aug. 26-27 tournament format called for teams’ “best ball” score f...
Mary Alice (Turcotte) Thompson, 84, passed away peacefully from complications from Alzheimer's in the early hours of Sept. 2, 2023, at Havenwood of Burnsville, surrounded by family. Mary was born on Jan. 17, 1939, in Duluth, just one minute before her twin sister, Carol. She grew up in Carlton with her sister and three older brothers, picking blueberries in the summer and enjoying the beauty of the north. After graduating from Carlton High School, Mary attended the University of Minnesota...
Ellen Louise Simmons, 96, of Brookston passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, at Brooke Manor. Ellen was born on Jan. 24, 1927, to Everett and Eleanor Hare in Wilton, North Dakota. She attended elementary school in North Dakota then moved to Burnett, Minnesota, where she attended Alborn High School. In 1945, she married Harvey Janke. Ellen lived in Grand Island, Florida for 25 years. She moved back to Minnesota in 2015. Ellen worked as a dark room technician at St. Mary's in Duluth. She...
