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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Two familiar faces are among the six candidates set to interview for a spot on Cloquet's school board later this month. Cloquet public schools leaders on Monday, Dec. 9, agreed to interview Brendon McKeon, Robert Peacock, Nate Sandman, Jason Loons, Shaun Williams and Ted Lammi next week. Each hopes to replace Sarah Buhs, a board member who resigned effective in January after she was elected to the Carlton County board of commissioners in November. The current board members agreed to meet... Full story
A man was rescued and later charged with driving while intoxicated Monday after his vehicle was submerged in the St. Louis River in Scanlon. A 35-year-old man from Ironwood, Michigan was arrested by the Cloquet Police after being medically cleared from the local hospital. At 10:30 p.m. Monday, first responders were dispatched to a vehicle that went into the river off River Gate Avenue, past the River Inn and Minnesota Whitewater Rafting businesses, CAFD battalion chief Jason Maki said in a...
The Cloquet Area Fire District’s 2025 budget has climbed and its proposed levy, which garnered three “no” votes from board members in September, remains unchanged. The district board presented this information at its annual truth-in-taxation meeting at which two residents participated Dec. 5. The state-mandated meeting allows for public comment ahead of levy approval. The total that could be levied on the combined fire and ambulance service areas at the board’s upcoming Dec. 18 meeting is $4,334,394. The amount individual residents pay may dif...
Only three members of the public spoke at Wednesday’s Truth in Taxation hearing conducted by the Carlton County board and administration. While small in number, the three speakers seemed to carry the concerns of a broad swath of citizens. Namely, why do taxes keep going up? “If I don’t have enough money, I don’t go to my employer with a levy,” said Cody Gilbert, 43, of Moose Lake, who reported his property taxes have doubled in the seven years since he’s owned his home. Gilbert was comparing how the levy on property owners is used to balance ju...
Thursday, Dec. 5 Boys Basketball Barnum 68 Hinckley-Finlayson 32 Bayfield 104 Fond du Lac 90 Cherry 96 South Ridge 45 Girls Basketball Northwoods 32 Carlton/Wrenshall 30 ML/WR 58 Hinckley-Finlayson 44 Cromwell-Wright 79 McGregor 17 Boys Hockey Moose Lake Area 6 WSFLG (Wisconsin) 5 Girls Hockey CEC 5 Hibbing/Chisholm 1 Superior 4 Moose Lake Area 2 Friday, Dec. 6 Boys Basketball Esko 86 Cloquet 69 Northwoods 80 Carlton/Wrenshall 48 Cromwell-Wright 73 McGregor 45 Girls Basketball Moose Lake Area 4 St. Paul Highland Park 1 Saturday, Dec. 7 Boys... Full story
At the end of harvest, when "All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin," farmers gather to compare notes before their attention is captured by the holidays. Traditionally, the two largest Minnesota organizations, Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) and Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF), hold their annual conventions in Minneapolis on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Each assembly hears reports, welcomes guest speakers, and votes for delegates to their national affiliates....
Mary Beth Peter plays Christmas carols and other holiday tunes Saturday on a 1910 upright grand Hamilton piano recently donated to the Carlton County Historical Society. One of the piano’s original owners was in the crowd Saturday. She gave it to former Cloquet resident Mark Hanratty, who brought it back to Cloquet from Oklahoma on a trailer earlier this year after taking it with him on moves around the country. “It’s extremely heavy so we’re grateful to two men in a truck who showed up with fo... Full story
Friday, Dec. 13 Wrestling Cloquet-Esko at Brainerd Invitational, 4:30 p.m. Boys basketball Ogilvie at Barnum, 7:15 p.m. Mille Lacs at Carlton/Wrenshall, 7:15 p.m. Cromwell-Wright at Cook County, 6:15 p.m. Esko at Superior, 7:15 p.m. Moose Lake/Willow River at Two Harbors, 7:15 p.m. Girls basketball Cloquet at Rock Ridge, 7:15 p.m. Cromwell-Wright at Cook County, 4:45 p.m. Pierz at Esko, 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 Boys hockey Cloquet-Esko-Carlton at Blaine, 2 p.m. Girls hockey Sartell at CEC, 3 p.m. Hayward at Moose Lake Area, 1 p.m. Alpine ski... Full story
There was no shortage of Santa sightings in Cloquet during the annual holiday celebration. Santa read stories to the young ones at the Cloquet Public Library Thursday during the kickoff night of the Santa's Home for the Holidays celebration, then happily posed for photographs with children and families at Queen of Peace Friday night. On Saturday he sat obediently with scores of dogs and cats for pet photos. More than one Santa - and multiple Grinches - waved to the crowds during the parade down... Full story
Bethany/Bethlehem Lutheran Parish www.bethanybethlehem.org Bethany Lutheran Church 5660 Hwy 210, Cromwell 218-644-3640 bethany55726@ yahoo.com Worship 9:30 a.m. with Sunday School Women’s Bible study 9:30 a.m. first Wed. Bethany Beacons women’s ministry 9 a.m. second Wed. Bethlehem Lutheran Church Hwy 210 & Third St., Wright 218-357-2593 [email protected] Worship 8 a.m. Bethel Lutheran Church Pastor Rob Larson 1012 29th St., Scanlon 218-879-9723, 763-957-2990 [email protected] Facebook: @BethelLutheranChurchScanlon 9 a.m... Full story
FRIDAY, DEC. 6 Community chess club 3:30-5 p.m., Cloquet Public Library. Spaghetti dinner 4:30-6:30 p.m., Queen of Peace Catholic Church. Also crafts and bake sale, and photos with Santa by photographer Alan Johnson with the purchase of a meal for $10, or $5 for ages 3-12. Opening night of “A Goblins’ Christmas Carol” 7 p.m. at the County Seat Theater, Encore Performing Arts Center in Cloquet. Also 7 p.m. Dec. 7, 11-3 and 2 pm. Dec. 8, 14 and 15. Tickets at the box office, (218) 878-0071 or www.countyseattheater.com. SATURDAY, DEC. 7 Count... Full story
Cloquet's sneak peek of old St. Nick and all things Christmas is finally here. The annual Santa's Home for the Holidays festivities kicked off Thursday with "Letters to Santa" at Members Cooperative Credit Union and storytime with Santa at the library, followed by a free chili feed at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, courtesy of the Cloquet and Fond du Lac police departments. Today, Friday, Dec. 6, activities move to Queen of Peace Catholic Church, with a $10 spaghetti dinner, crafts and bake... Full story
When the state afforded an additional $10 million to Carlton County in 2023 to help fund the new $75 million Justice Center, the money came with a stipulation. The project would include a justice-involved female program to serve as a demonstration project that might one day be replicated in other parts of the state. More women were being jailed and incarcerated, and lawmakers were sold on the idea of a creative solution to the problem. The 16-bed justice-involved female portion of the jail -...
Recycle your unwanted or no longer working holiday lights at the Carlton County Transfer Station, 1950 Highway 210. Electric cords are also accepted. Please remove all decorations from your string lights and remove them from any type of plastic spool, cardboard packaging, or plastic bags first. Place the clean string lights in the correct box at the Transfer Station. Rope lights are acceptable. Acceptable electric cords include extension cords, appliance cords, and telephone cords. Operating hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday,... Full story
Residents along a proposed bike and pedestrian trail were eagerly waiting for more information at two open houses this week explaining the project announced last month by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The branches from Carlton's Munger Trail to Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and Black Bear Casino Resort would create 3.8 miles of connection to the popular trail that runs from Duluth to Hinckley. There were two open house sessions planned for Thursday at the college....
Sixth District Court judge Rebekka Stumme called it the most “remarkable” victim impact statement she’d ever heard, after Brandon Westby asked the judge to be lenient. Westby’s father, Justin David McNeil, died after being hit by 21-year-old driver Brent James Keranen on March 21. “As a Christian, I reflect on the many examples of forgiveness found in the Bible,” said Brandon Westby. “My father was a devoted Christian. With that in mind, I forgive the young man [sitting] here.” Stumme listened to Westby — and also spent weeks pondering her deci...
A rural Carlton County man who posted a sexual image of a minor online was sentenced to prison for more than 17 years for one count of production and attempted production of child pornography. The sentence was announced in U.S. District Court last month. Cord Cameron Schipman, 34, of Blackhoof Township in Carlton County, pleaded guilty in June and was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz on Nov. 21 to 210 months at the federal prison in Sandstone, requested by the defendant so he could be closer to family. Schipman was... Full story
Gerald "Buck" Bloomquist recently turned 100 years old. Born Oct. 10, 1924, he was part of The Greatest Generation, graduating from Cloquet High School in 1942. He currently lives at a Veterans Home in Rifle, Colorado. He is a proud veteran of World War II. The Nov. 8 Pine Knot Veterans Day tribute spurred the Bloomquist relatives and me to revive - and retrieve - Buck's military and life stories. Buck's son, Bill, was a Cloquet school and athletic chum of mine. Buck Bloomquist was an... Full story
Saturday, Nov. 30 Boys Basketball Cloquet 95 Chisago Lakes 88 Boys Hockey CEC 10 Princeton 0 MLA 7 Ely/Northeast Range 2 Monday, Dec. 2 Girls Basketball Esko 60 Superior 53 Carlton/Wrenshall 46 Greenway 37 Cromwell-Wright 50 Floodwood 38 Tuesday, Dec. 3 Girls Basketball South Ridge 76 Cook County 24 Duluth East 52 Cloquet 47 Littlefork-Big Falls 60 Carlton/Wrenshall 50 Barnum 82 Northwoods 52 Boys Basketball Cloquet 76 North Branch 46 Hill City 79 Fond du Lac 78 Esko 88 Rock Ridge 60 Cromwell-Wright 87 Floodwood 25 Cherry 91 Barnum 58 Boys... Full story
Times are p.m. unless noted Friday, Dec. 6 Girls hockey MLA at Two Rivers, 7 Boys basketball Carlton/Wrenshall at North Woods, 7:15 Cloquet at Esko, 7:15 Cromwell-Wright at McGregor, 7:15 Girls basketball Barnum at Mille Lacs, 7 Cloquet vs. St. Francis, 7:15 Esko at Jordan, 7 ML/WR vs. Two Harbors, 7:15 Saturday, Dec. 7 Boys hockey CEC vs. East Grand Forks, 3 Wrestling Cloquet-Esko at Lakeville North, 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 9 Boys hockey MLA vs. Barron, 6 Girls basketball Barnum vs. McGregor, 7:15 Carlton/Wrenshall vs. Bigfork, 7:15 Cromwell-Wrig... Full story
'Tis the season ... for making and serving massive meals, if you're a member of the Carlton County Disabled American Veterans or one of their faithful volunteers. Last week's annual DAV Thanksgiving dinner and deliveries saw close to 1,000 meals served, starting at 3:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 28 when the first turkeys went in the oven at two locations. Head "Vetsgiving" organizer Raffy Johnson estimated they served 350 sit-down meals plus another 325 takeout meals at Zion Lutheran Church on... Full story
Every election season, candidates for county office talk about their desire to expand the tax base so that county expenses can be spread across a wider swath of property owners. Growth outpacing expenses would lower individual taxes, which have only risen in recent years. But those are campaign promises. Reality offers a more difficult picture. To learn more about how well Carlton County is positioned for growth, the Pine Knot met this week with one of the primary people responsible for it,...
The local firearm deer season has come and gone with an increased harvest, but a still downbeat mood. Statewide, hunters shot 152,430 deer — up from 126,531 in 2023. In Carlton County, zones 156 and 183 also saw improved numbers. Zone 156 on the western half of the county saw 1,540 deer taken, including 1,292 adult males, or bucks. That was improved from 1,299 overall and 1,066 bucks in 2023. In zone 183, on the eastern side of the county, surrounding Wrenshall, there were 1,264 deer taken, including 1,076 adult males. Comparatively, totals w... Full story
School Board members voted Monday to appoint a new board member rather than holding a special election when Sarah Plante-Buhs steps down on Jan. 3. The replacement board member would be appointed on Jan. 6, but wouldn't take their seat until the first board meeting in February. Plante-Buhs submitted her letter of resignation halfway through her term, after she was elected to serve as District 1 Carlton County Commissioner in November. Whoever replaces her will serve through Jan. 1, 2027. Board...
While the Cloquet Area Fire District board didn’t discuss whether to move forward on design development for a new building Nov. 20, it did approve an eight-month contract with a marketing firm to promote the district’s legislative priorities, including its desire to build a new station on 22nd Street in Cloquet. The district will pay Cloquet-based marketing firm Promoting Me up to $65,000 to develop a communication strategy, coordinate public meetings such as open houses, and conduct community surveys, among other tasks. “I’m seeing more an...
