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The Cloquet Area Golden K Kiwanis club is no longer. Its members met for the last time as a club on the last Tuesday in September. The Golden K group was Cloquet's final Kiwanis chapter to disband, said president Ray Hatinen. The Noon Club started in the 1950s and ended just a few years ago. The Morning Club started in 1976 and met at 7 a.m., before the workday. It, too, went away. While the pandemic certainly did some damage to the longtime local organization, so did age and a lack of interest... Full story
Take a late afternoon tour of the grounds at the Haunted Shack with Pat Stojevich and you get the feeling that the name is a misnomer. It should be Love Shack, or Family Shack, Survivor Shack or even "Hey, I Got a Kidney" Shack. An energized Stojevich obviously still loves the monthlong dive into scaring people to raise money for charities. He's been at it for 28 years, making his operation the oldest of its type in the state and one of the oldest in the country. The Haunted Shack is a... Full story
The 13th annual Suicide Awareness Memorial Walk starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9 at Carlton High School. Historically, hundreds of community members gather at the event in memory of loved ones lost to or touched by suicide, and awareness toward prevention. There will be a short walk lasting approximately 20 minutes followed by light refreshments and a short message of hope from Jessica Laney, an investigator with the Carlton County Sheriff's Office who has lost two co-workers to suicide... Full story
A Carlton man died from injuries sustained in a construction accident in Lindstrom, Minnesota last week. Developer Dave Chmielewski, 48, was standing near an excavation trench at an apartment building construction site on Sept. 28 when the trench partially collapsed. According to Lakes Area police chief Bill Schlumbohm, Chmielewski asked another person at the trench to go grab something. When the person returned, approximately two minutes later, he found Chmielewski partially buried inside the... Full story
Carlton County will be running two drive- thru dual influenza and Covid-19 vaccination clinics targeted to Carlton County residents next week. From 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, residents can drive through at the Carlton County Transportation Building, 1630 County Road 61, Carlton. On Thursday, 2:30-7 p.m., residents will find the drive-thru clinic at the county’s Barnum garage, 3888 County Road 61 in Barnum. Options for influenza include the FluMist nasal spray, the flu shot and and a high-dose flu vaccine for age 65 and older. C... Full story
It’s time to register for northern Minnesota’s oldest Halloween-themed race. The popular Pumpkin 5K Run & Walk will be back, in person, at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College this year. The college is hosting the 16th annual event Saturday, Oct. 23. The 5K race will begin and end on the FDLTCC campus. It’s open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. “We’re excited to welcome runners, walkers, people in costumes, students, area residents, and people from around the region to... Full story
Two recent grant awards has the Lake Superior Community Health Center in Carlton expanding from four to six dental operatories in 2022 — increasing appointment capacity from 4,400 to 6,600 per year. As a nonprofit community health center, LSCHC provides care to those in need, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. LSCHC opened a dental office in Carlton in August 2020 due to the well-documented shortage of dental services, particularly for low-income residents. The practice rapidly reached capacity. The Delta Dental Foundation provided a $...
Hammarlund Landscape Nursery is hosting a houseplant swap and more 2-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9. There will be live music, a yard sale and an assortment of craft vendors. All are welcome. Plants must be healthy and pest-free. Unrooted cuttings must have a visible node. Plants must be labeled with scientific names, to the best of your ability. Please have a price or range marked if selling. Plant-related crafty things can be brought to trade or sell. Contact [email protected] with any questions. Hammarlund Landscape Nursery is located at 159...
After months of visible renovations at a new location on Cloquet Avenue and Eighth Street, Pedro's Grill and Cantina has moved. "Today ... was our last day in our old building, kind of a sad day after almost 17 years but excited at the same time," owner Erika Aranda posted on Facebook Tuesday, adding that they were looking forward to seeing all their faithful customers at the new restaurant. The popular Mexican restaurant won't be the first eatery in the building at 7 Eighth Street. It was most...
A new vintage store, 'ant'cetera Art & More, will hold a grand opening at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 8 in the old Smokies building at 109 Avenue D in Cloquet's West End business district. Proprietor Jean Farleigh said she was a "thrifter" before she even knew it was a term. "My whole life, I've been a saver, a scavenger, a treasure hunter," she said. "As I grew up, I would go to rummage and garage sales with my mom and neighbors. I was more excited to find bargains and unique pieces at these places... Full story
Minnesota’s spreading Covid-19 outbreak has been pummeling greater Minnesota for weeks, and hospitals are feeling the impact. For the first time in the pandemic, there are more Covid patients hospitalized in greater Minnesota than in the Twin Cities region. The pressure is significant. Covid accounts for less than 10 percent of hospitalized patients in the Twin Cities area and in southeastern Minnesota, but that percentage is nearly twice as high or more in much of the rest of the state. Across Minnesota, 864 people are in hospital beds with Co... Website
Since taking over as interim, and then appointed, police chief two years ago, Cloquet police chief Derek Randall has been slowly building the police department back up to full strength, after a flood of retirements and disability claims reduced the department by close to 30 percent in 2019. On Tuesday, the department held a public celebration of sorts, swearing in every officer hired since the pandemic began. There were seven of them, which brings the department just shy of its budgeted total...
Sometimes, everyday ordinary events give us a glimpse into the world we will see someday, and we’re generally happy with what we see. Case in point: recently, the Cloquet Middle school was inundated by an internet influence that encouraged students to vandalize the school bathrooms, record it, and place the video on TikTok, a video sharing website that’s popular among teens. It’s called a TikTok challenge, and it’s spread like wildfire across the United States, hitting Cloquet Middle School earlier this semester. CMS principal Tom Brenner...
There’s a pretty standard formula for fairy tales, it seems, where a beautiful princess finds a handsome prince who sweeps her off her feet, and they live happily ever after. The formula is so consistent, I had trouble following the movie “Frozen” the first 20 times I saw it. To be fair, I didn’t actually watch the movie 20 times, but it’s been on in the background as my daughter, Eleanor, watched it. I’d guess 20 times, but it could easily have been 100; Ellie loved the movie and watched it... Full story
Some years ago, I reported on the success of Carlton and Aitkin counties in attracting new residents. University of Minnesota researchers found that for the period 2000-2010, these two counties gained more people than they lost to death or outmigration. Both counties were among the highest net gainers through net in-migration. Although many young people moved out of these counties after high school to find jobs elsewhere, substantial numbers of people aged 30 to 70 moved in, including families...
I am writing to acknowledge the positive reports I heard about how Cloquet middle and high schools recognized “Orange Shirt Day” on Sept. 30. I heard many staff wore orange shirts and there were some classes where they discussed the history of Indian boarding schools and their impact on people, then and now. It is encouraging to know that Cloquet school administrators are applying the Minnesota K-12 standards, to include authentic and meaningful learning opportunities for all about our shared histories in this place. The experiences of all tho... Full story
Elfreda J. Anderson, 89, a Lake Nichols legend, passed into the sky Friday, Oct. 1, 2021, at Miller-Dwan Hospital in Duluth. She was born in Dill City, Oklahoma in August of 1932, the daughter of Robert "Lee" and Ellen G. (Morris) Stubblefield. She moved from southern Minnesota to Lake Nichols in 1961. Elfreda loved gardening, canning, raising chickens, quilting, and was the "Queen of Mending" who wasted nothing. She chauffeured many friends and neighbors, served as a fire warden for 50 years,... Full story
John R. Schleret, 75, of Cloquet passed away Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021 at Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet. He was born Nov. 28, 1945 in Cloquet to Felix and Bertha (Johnson) Schleret. Jack served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He worked for the Potlatch Corporation and, after retiring, enjoyed woodworking and making numerous wooden objects for family and friends. Jack also enjoyed watching Nascar races every weekend. His best friend and loyal companion, Frisky, his dog, passed... Full story
Eunice Mae Hulda (Westlund) Siiter, 90, peacefully passed away at her home Aug. 17, 2021. Her children were by her side, just as she wanted. Born and raised in Cloquet, she married her high school sweetheart, Don Siiter. Together they shared a loving 67 years of marriage. After graduating nursing school in Duluth, her career advanced to hospital administration, then to consulting in the state of California. After 64 years of hard work, she retired in 2016. Eunice dearly loved her parents, Charle... Full story
Rollin "Giiwedin" Francis Smith, 77, of Cloquet passed away Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021 in St. Luke's hospital in Duluth. He was born Feb. 28, 1944 in Cloquet to Jay and Lizzie (Bear) Smith. Rollin married Peggy Saylor on Nov. 20, 1982 in Denver. Rollin was a proud band member and worked for the Fond du Lac Reservation. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Rupert, Ronald, Roger and Raymond Smith; sisters, Bernice Jarski, Theresa LaPrairie, Audrey Smith and Valerie Ross; and one... Full story
Janet (Brander) Buczynski, 83, of Cloquet was welcomed into the arms of the Lord with her family by her side in her home Oct. 3, 2021. Janet was born to Charles and Bertha (Strand) Brander on April 21, 1938, in Cloquet. She graduated from Cloquet High School in 1956 and then the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in business education. She went on to teach business classes at Eveleth High School, Eveleth Junior College and Cloquet High School. In 1964, Janet was married to her husband... Full story
Gloria Leila Johnson, 89, longtime resident of Perch Lake Township, Carlton County, died peacefully Sept. 15, 2021, in Chris Jensen Health Center. She was born Dec. 14, 1931, in Long Beach, California to Ernest Cruz and Carmen Romo. Gloria graduated from Palmer High School in Palmer, Alaska. She was united in marriage to John E. Gleason. After his death she married Robert O. Johnson on May 2, 1960. Throughout her working career, Gloria was employed at the Elmendorf Air Base in Anchorage in the... Full story
Muriel A. Christian, 87, of Carlton passed away Sept. 22, 2021 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth. Private family services will be held.... Full story
Marietta Erickson, 83, of Cloquet passed away Oct. 6, 2021, at North Shore Estates in Duluth. She was born Jan. 31, 1938, in St. Paul, the daughter of Stanley and Evelyn (Kurkoski) Wresh. She was united in marriage to Leonard Erickson in May of 1981. Marietta was an avid artist and did wood paintings. She was active for more than 30 years with art and craft fairs. She was well-known and one of the first artists at many local and regional annual events. Her work is visible, as she did the murals... Full story
United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo will make a virtual visit to Carlton County next week, and local artists and writers have been preparing for her appearance. Harjo is a writer and performer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation serving her third term as the 23rd poet laureate of the United States. She is the author of nine books of poetry, including the highly acclaimed "An American Sunrise," several plays, children's books, and two memoirs, "Crazy Brave" and "Poet Warrior." Harjo's many honors... Full story