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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Voters in Cloquet will see two sales tax proposals on their ballots during early voting and the midterm general election Nov. 8. Carlton County voters will have to pay attention, too, because they're part of half of this. The ballot questions both ask voters to raise the existing sales tax by 0.5% - half-a-penny per dollar to raise $8 million in project funds for the city of Cloquet, and another half-penny countywide to fund the $66 million Carlton County Justice Center already under...
This week’s Pine Knot News and the local election guide inside are being delivered to almost every home and business in Carlton County … free of charge. Please don’t throw it into the recycling bin before exploring what’s inside. You will find stories and photos about government, your neighbors, business, crime, local sports and so many local candidate profiles. There are ads too, for local businesses that you love. As the only independent and locally owned newspaper in Carlton County, our mission is to inform and/or entertain readers with th...
At least half of the mini golf mystery proffered in the Sept. 30 issue of the Pine Knot News has been solved - its origin story - but the mystery of where (and by whom) the historic mini golf set was taken remains unknown. Readers may recall that a Cloquet "landmark" mini golf set was set up for the West End Flourish event Sept. 24, after an employee of Lyn's Auto Body found it in a dumpster behind the U.S. Bank building a couple weeks before. The homemade set consisted of six mini golf holes,...
An amicable gathering last week brought together most of the Wrenshall school board candidates in a public forum for the first time. As it concluded, the six candidates in attendance expressed pride in the school, and appreciation for one another. It stood in contrast to the tumult which has mired the board throughout the past year. But in subtler ways it also further illuminated the chasm between four relative newcomers and incumbents Deb Washenesky and Jack Eudy, along with board appointee...
An observant police officer and a likely DNA match led to the arrest of a 43-year-old Cloquet man last week on suspicion of trying to strangle a woman in her home this summer. Cloquet detectives and officers arrested Brendan Gareth Smith Friday afternoon after an extensive investigation of a home invasion June 7. Smith appeared in Sixth District Carlton County Court Monday, Oct. 10, charged with first-degree burglary and third-degree assault, both felonies. He was granted a public defender and bond was set at $250,000. According to the...
There was a time Emily Lockling didn't know what she wanted to study or do with her future. But a nudge from her mother, Jodie Lockling, a language teacher at the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, helped to unlock her daughter's potential. "I came home crying one day," Emily said, recalling her days as a first-year student at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. "I was like, 'I don't want to do this; I don't know why I'm in school anymore.'" Emily's mom asked her to summon one thing about...
A request to allow the local industrial landfill to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week for two specific customers was approved by the Cloquet planning commission Tuesday. The motion passed by a 3-1 vote, with new commissioner Michelle Wick the only “no” vote. Wick lives near the SKB Environmental landfill in the neighborhood near Hilltop Park, and had suggested the commission table the request so she could have time to do some research. The vote is an advisory one: the final decision rests with the Cloquet city council. City pla...
Blackhoof Township residents have collected nearly 100 local signatures on a petition opposing a new “green” cemetery advertising its services on land in the township. Residents again attended Tuesday’s county board meeting, this time to object to the approximately 20-acre cemetery, Loving Earth Memorial Gardens, being established adjacent to eight relatively new homes. The cemetery caters to clientele wishing to be buried naturally without embalming or cremation. Matt Connell originally bought the land but does not live here. The issue has p...
The Esko school district is planning a few projects that will give students and the greater community an opportunity to stay active year-round. The Esko school board has been working on plans for a new fitness center over the last few months, something that was identified near the top of the list on the district's 10-year facilities plan. The board shared some initial plans for the new fitness center at the meeting Monday, Oct. 10. In a presentation given by ICS, the district's building project...
The Thomson Township board of supervisors is continuing to seek improvements for the township’s sewer system in order to prevent future emergency repairs, like the one in late July 2022 on Highway 61 in front of the Esko school. At their meeting Thursday, Oct. 6, the board approved a project, to be completed by July 1, 2023, that will update sewer lines in the area surrounding where the emergency repairs were done in summer of 2022, to prevent a similar situation again. Township engineer Joe Jurewicz recommended the township work with Visu S...
When we started the Pine Knot News four years ago next week, people in the newspaper industry noticed. It was mostly shock — who was crazy enough to start a brand-new paper? — mixed in with hope. The Minneapolis Star Tribune sent a photographer and a reporter to our office in Cloquet. Minnesota Public Radio called, so did Business North and Fox 21 in Duluth. The industry’s Editor & Publisher magazine even wrote a short story with a photo. I can confidently say we weren’t delusional. After t...
In general, Americans are generous and willing to lend a helping hand to our fellow citizens. Donations after disasters, local charitable fundraisers and volunteer efforts for those in need demonstrate our benevolence no matter what political party individuals follow. So, what happens to our ability to be kind in the political arena? As we advance through this election cycle, we spiral deeper into the quagmire of negative, and too often derogatory attacks on those who do not share our views,...
Here is the call to action, the case for vetting candidates and getting out to vote. In democratic forms of politics, representation and visibility matters. During elections, voters are the board of directors establishing the mandates for the elected officials. Elected officials are aware if they do not follow through with substantive legislation, they could lose their positions. Voters have allowed the gap between our elected officials and public to continue to widen due to lower midterm voter turnout. My friend and a former Oglala Lakota Indi...
It seems to me so many senior citizens like me feel they have no way, no power, to express unhappiness with what is happening in our government. Voting may seem like a small thing, but it’s the most important thing you can do. I urge you to vote in the upcoming election. Barbara Koopman, Cloquet...
First & Second Amendments, police, veterans, secure borders, every unborn, freedom, American dream, good to defeat evil, future of the USA and, most important, to serve my God. Bill Dian, Wrenshall...
Weighing in on a political race is just not something I normally do, but I have concerns that I would like to share with my fellow voters. I wonder, is Jeff Dotseth truly focused on the needs of 11A? His realty business office address is in Zimmerman, Minnesota, closer to the Twin Cities than to District 11A. The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board website information for his campaign shows his campaign chair and treasurer both live outside the district (in Anoka and Cambridge). How can he truly understand and represent the issues unique to our...
Politicians are sending us campaign literature. I ask of every sentence that comes my way: how shall I pick this sentence up? What shall I do with it? It seems as if our default assumption is that (declarative) sentences are about the natural world and therefore true or false; but if you pay attention, you’ll see that assumption is often false. If the speaker/writer doesn’t allow any way the sentence could be wrong, it’s not about the natural world and not a matter of truth or falsity. It might be used to try to incite us to have a certa...
I am writing this letter in support of Dave Bjerkness for mayor of Cloquet. I only came to know Dave this year and he has been very helpful. He really listens and has compassion for people. Through conversations with his supporters, and his history as a councilman, I believe he will take this position very seriously and give attention to the most important issues in Cloquet. I believe we need a leader like Dave to oversee the city‘s business, improve safety for Cloquet‘s citizens, and be able to communicate and address complex issues cle...
I come from a family of patriots. My grandfather, father, two of my sons and I — four generations — have served in the United States Armed Forces, from World War II to Iraq. It is because of my sense of duty to America that I feel compelled to weigh in on our election choices. My grandfather taught me to pay attention to whom we elect as our leaders and that they will preserve our Democratic ideals. This letter is to show my support for Pete Radosevich to represent us in Minnesota House District 11A. His message is simple, to serve the peo...
The Pine Knot News will accept candidate endorsement letters, with the following restrictions. The suggested word limit is 200 words, but we’ll accept up to 300 words for those who aren’t simply repeating themselves. If we receive multiple letters about a candidate saying the same thing, we won’t run all of them. We don’t charge for endorsement letters like many other papers, but expect our readers to understand that space is valuable. Endorsements must abide by the same rules as any other letter to the editor: in particular, reader comment...
Now that this year’s primaries are over and general election campaigns are revving up, it’s time to take a step back. I know, it seems an odd thing to do when all the media attention is shifting to focus on the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and legislative contests that might affect who controls those chambers. But for those of us who care about where the country’s headed, it’s also a time to look past the election and consider what our government and society as a whole need. I can tell you, in four...
The cornstalks are up and the light poles are being decorated. Come and check them out. The Kettle River American Legion Post 360 rifle drawing is 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 4 at the Tower Tap in Kettle River. First prize: Winchester XPR .30-06 with scope or $500 cash; second prize: Henry lever action .22 caliber rifle or $250 cash; third prize: Iver Johnson 12 gauge pump action shotgun or $200 cash; fourth prize: Bushnell game camera or $150 cash. It is important that all voters are registered to vote; make sure you vote for the best person you...
After losing my husband of 52 years on Oct. 1, I had to postpone his memorial service since I got Covid-19. Sometimes I wonder, “What else can happen?” But, as my mother always said, “This, too, shall pass!” So, with that in mind, Bob’s service has been rescheduled for visitation 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, which will continue from noon until the 1 p.m. service Saturday, Oct. 22, all at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Wright. My sincere thanks to everyone who has sent cards, flowers and food. We are grateful for all these remembran...
The Esko football team continued its impressive undefeated season last Friday with a 77-6 homecoming romp over Hibbing. The win improved the Eskomos record to 6-0. Esko head coach Scott Arntson praised the team's "relentless" defense. "Right now our defense is very stingy and they don't just get upset about teams scoring on us, but they get mad about giving up first downs - that is how high their expectations are," he said. Esko scored 28 points in each of the first and second quarters to build...
One year removed from making it to the Section 7AAA finals, the Cloquet volleyball machine continued to crank out wins and headed into the last two weeks of the season with an impressive 18-5 record. In class AAA, the Lumberjacks are currently ranked 13th out of 61 teams. In the entire state, they are ranked 60th out of 405 schools. The 'Jacks are also undefeated at home at 5-0, with only one remaining match, versus rival Hermantown on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Cloquet's two biggest wins this season...
