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
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 471
A new Cloquet/Scanlon housing study aims to build on the success of a similar study 10 years ago. That study led to support for more rental housing: both Carlton Lofts and the White Pine Apartments were created since then. But the need for housing here and across the region continues to grow, with an estimated 431 housing units needed for a range of incomes. At the same time, the blue collar manufacturing jobs that were the bread and butter here are stable, but lower-paid service sector jobs...
FRIDAY, OCT. 4 Community chess club 3:30-5 p.m. at the Cloquet Public Library. SATURDAY, OCT. 5 Carlton County Farmers Market 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Oct. 19, in front of Premiere Theatres in Cloquet. Heart to Heart nondenominational women’s friendship ministry gathering 9:30-11:30 a.m., St. Matthews Lutheran Church, 4 Elizabeth Ave, Esko. Soeakers, music. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m. $3 donation appreciated. Contact Candy Kramer, 218-310-1884, for more information. SUNDAY, OCT. 6 Senior dance 1-4 p.m. at the Cloquet VFW, with m... Full story
Cloquet city councilors set the 2025 preliminary tax levy at just over $3.9 million Tuesday, an 11.23 percent increase over the 2024 levy. Once a preliminary levy is approved, the figure can go down before it gets final approval in December, but it cannot be increased. City administrator Tim Peterson said the reason behind the jump is easy to pinpoint: wages. Salaries and benefits make up just over $6 million of the entire general fund budget of $9.5 million, he said. The total wage increases...
A public hearing on a proposal to adopt the International Property Maintenance Code brought frustrated residents out of the woodwork Tuesday, with nearly 20 people turning out for the Cloquet City Council meeting. Complaints ranged from trashy properties to trash-talking neighbors, from people who never mow their lawn to junk cars sitting unmoved for years. Many of the complaints were not relevant to the International Property Maintenance Code. But they were in keeping with the idea of city...
The city of Cloquet is looking at a property tax levy increase of at least 11.23 percent for 2025, or nearly $398,000 more than last year, city administrator Tim Peterson told councilors Tuesday. Peterson said the 11-percent rise is a decrease from the original budget estimate, which would have required a 20-percent levy increase. "The No. 1 difference is wages," he said. Wages make up just over $6 million of the entire general fund budget of $9.5 million, Peterson said. The total wage...
The Cloquet City Council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3 at Cloquet City Hall, 101 14th St., on the proposed adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code. The IPMC would provide up-to-date widespread property maintenance standards for residential, rental, commercial and industrial properties. The IPMC is updated on an ongoing basis by the International Code Council and would give the city additional “tools” to enforce code on existing structures, which is lacking in the Minnesota State Building Code, acc...
Cloquet Police Officer Trevor Kaldor was officially promoted to patrol sergeant during the Cloquet City Council meeting Aug. 20. Kaldor has been with the Cloquet department since May 2020. According to police chief Derek Randall, Kaldor was already considered an informal leader among his peers, “especially with our younger and less experienced officers.” He was one of several internal candidates who applied for the job. Kaldor has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin Superior, and later attended Fond du Lac T...
The beginning of school is right around the corner, so be sure to slow down when driving in school zones and around school buses. Soon fall will be upon us, and we will be getting the yards and flowerbeds ready for winter. I am anticipating putting out my annual Christmas decorations. It seems the older I get, the longer it takes to get it all set up. But I have decided to persevere and put everything out at least one more year. The Gigantic Garage Sale will be held next weekend, Sept. 6 and 7,...
Dan Reed's pickup truck figures to add a couple thousand more miles now that he's the leading vote-getter following Tuesday's primary election in District 5 in Carlton County. Reed and Alex French advanced to the Nov. 5 general election, receiving 37.6 percent and 25.3 percent of the vote. "I was very humbled," Reed said about seeing his name atop the ballot totals. Reed has been knocking on doors across the district, with a goal of reaching every door in every township. "The response,... Full story
This was a big week in local politics, although it passed quietly enough. During Tuesday’s primary, voters in District 5 whittled down the number of county commissioner candidates to two — Dan Reed and Alex French — who will advance to the General Election in November. Countywide, we also voted for judicial candidates in a rare local race with no incumbent. Shawn Reed (an Esko grad) and Gunnar Johnson advanced to the general election in that race. But Tuesday was also the final day to file as a candidate in seven local school board races with 2... Full story
Filings for local school boards as well as municipal and township races closed at the end of the day Tuesday, Aug. 13. Those candidates will appear on the General Election ballot, along with the top two candidates from any primary races detailed on Pages 1-19. Find the listing of local filings below, according to the Secretary of State website: School Board filings Barnum (elect 4): Louis Bonneville, Beth Dinger, Stephanie Ferrin, Mike Orn, Patrick S. Poirier Carlton (elect 3): Julianne Emerson, Ryan M. Leonzal, Ben Nilsen, Dan Solarz, Eryn... Full story
The final step in becoming an Eagle Scout - the highest rank for Scouts - is to do a project that will make a difference in the community. Bryce Sweere came up with a unique idea for his final project this summer: A skinny bike course in Cloquet's Pine Valley Recreation Area. Mountain bikers call wooden features on a trail "skinnies," but the Esko senior-to-be built a criss-crossing course of four different features. His efforts will give people something completely new in the popular biking...
I’m jazzed about an event coming to a Cloquet church this month. It’s just what we need in these fractured political times. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church will be the venue for a “Respectful Conversation” about this political season, sponsored by the Minnesota Council of Churches, at 6 p.m. on Aug. 28. It’s designed to allow space for people to explore their feelings about candidates and issues minus the “my way or the highway” responses. A church is a good place to hold such a conversation. People tend to drop their defenses, and perhaps most ve... Full story
Anyone interested in running for local school board, township office or most municipal mayor and city council seats has until the end of the day Tuesday, Aug. 13, to file an affidavit of candidacy and pay the minimal filing fee at the respective city, town or school office. Nate Sandman says it’s the best $2 you’ll ever spend. The Cloquet school board chair is wrapping up his eighth year on the board. He doesn’t plan to run again, but said anyone who cares about kids and is passionate about education should consider running. There were zero... Full story
About two weeks ago, I attended the 60-year reunion of the Cloquet High School Class of 1964. If some of you are trying to figure out my age, I am 78 years young. To be honest, I have not attended some of the previous reunions for one reason or another. But I was determined to go to this one. It was held during a bright sunny summer day at the Big Lake Golf Club. No fancy food or program, just a nice get-together. It gave each of us a chance to say hello and talk to classmates we had not seen...
The Cloquet Police Department hosted four training sessions over the past week to help prepare officers and other first responders for active shooter response. The intense, all-day training was hosted by the CPD, and included approximately 120 people from across the area, including Cloquet and Fond du Lac police departments, Carlton County Sheriff’s Office and dispatch, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota State Patrol, Cloquet Area Fire District, and several fire department m...
If all goes as planned, construction on a new dental clinic will start this fall or in the spring in the city’s Business Park, after Cloquet city councilors approved the sale of a 1.3-acre lot just off Highway 33, behind the business park sign. Dentist Wendy Peterson attended Tuesday’s meeting. Peterson plans to build a $2.3 million dental facility called Woods & Water Family Dental with space for up to seven operatories, starting with four. Peterson started her career as a dental hygienist in 2006, then went back to school, graduating fro...
THUMBS UP to Carlton County and the city of Cloquet for staying competitive when it comes to pay for law enforcement officers. Both jurisdictions saw their board and council, respectively, approve pay increases recently aimed at keeping wages comparable to those of surrounding departments and the local labor market. Nobody likes budget increases that stress tax levies. But, the alternatives are stark — losing peace officers to better-paying outfits and leaving our communities vulnerable. “The bigger issue is, if we can’t get qualified law e... Full story
I was pleased to see the council approve the wage adjustment for the police officers and settle their three-year contract. I’m hoping this decision will enhance their morale and job satisfaction. Minnesota is currently grappling with a severe shortage of law enforcement officers. The number of candidates entering the job market is alarmingly low, posing a significant challenge to our law enforcement agencies. For instance, the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Peace Officer program, which used to attract nearly 100 students annually, has... Full story
The Cloquet City Council meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday, July 2, is canceled for lack of agenda items. The next regularly scheduled council meeting starts at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 16 at Cloquet City Hall....
Police are in short supply these days, so Cloquet city councilors voted Tuesday to spend the money to keep its department competitive, approving raises of 6, 5 and 4 percent in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Then they voted again after a closed session to make the pay even more competitive: adding a "market adjustment" to police hourly pay, a move that will likely increase taxes, city officials say. "We value our police department and we want to keep them working in Cloquet," said Ward 4 councilor Kerry...
From discussions about making a pitch for Hockey Day Minnesota, a less complicated, more locally driven idea was born: Hockey Day Cloquet. It's an idea that has legs now that the Cloquet City Council gave the city's blessing to use Veterans Park for the first-time event, set for Jan. 7-17, 2025. Nate Knutsen, who spearheaded fundraising efforts for the high school's new outdoor athletic facilities and the baseball updates at Mettner Field, presented the idea to the council at Tuesday's meeting.... Full story
For 36 years, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College has fulfilled its mission of providing higher education opportunities for its communities in a welcoming, culturally diverse environment. As an institution, we have much to be grateful for. In reflecting on our history, my thoughts go back to what took place behind the scenes in 1987, and years prior, to officially establish our unique institution. We are the only college in the nation that is both a Tribal college and a state community... Full story
The candidate filing period for political races subject to a primary election ended on Tuesday, yielding a ballot with more than a few surprises. In Cloquet, councilors Lara Wilkinson, Iris Keller, Kerry Kolodge and Lyz Jaakola will all run unopposed, barring a write-in campaign mounted against any of them, on the Nov. 5 ballot. In Carlton County, the commissioners’ races are a tale of three different outcomes. To replace outgoing Dick Brenner in District 1, representing west Cloquet, Scanlon and Sawyer, Sarah Plante Buhs and Caleb Dunlap will...
Larson Commons is getting a new lease on life. All the pieces for the renovation of the seven-story senior high-rise building by new owners clicked into place during the Cloquet city council meeting Tuesday. That’s when councilors approved a housing program for Larson Commons along with the eventual issuance of $9.37 million in tax-exempt bonds, which will be used to pay for renovations and programming. The bonds will be paid back by the new owners, Steele Properties, LLC, which has experience across the country with affordable housing d...
