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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Rep. Jeff Dotseth this week denied allegations brought to light in a Minnesota Star Tribune story Monday detailing his “extremely difficult divorce” case 15 years ago. Divorce proceedings in 2008 included affidavits obtained by the Minneapolis-based newspaper. Dotseth’s former wife and her son described repeated physical assaults and abuse since the early 1990s from the man who today represents Carlton County in the Minnesota State Legislature and is seeking a second term in the Nov. 5 election. Dotseth was arrested in 2008 after his wife... Full story
Two Carlton County communities are being awarded substantial grants through the Small Cities Development Program. Kettle River will receive $600,000 for improvements to its wastewater and potable drinking water facility. Cromwell also will receive $600,000 for public facility improvements and community center rehabilitation. In total, 31 cities, townships and counties across Minnesota will receive nearly $21 million in grants. The funding must be used for commercial and residential property rehabilitation, public facility improvements and...
The Cloquet Area Fire District is conducting another Fire Explorers program for 2024-2025. The program allows youth members interested in a firefighting or emergency medical technician career to learn and experience the professions. The group will meet the first and third Tuesday of every month where explorers will be trained by firefighters and EMS professionals. The first session will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 15 at Station 1 at 508 Cloquet Ave. in Cloquet. Contact assistant chief Corey Larson with questions at 218-499-4258, or...
The absentee voting period for the 2024 General Election begins today (Friday, Sept. 20). Voters residing in Carlton County may cast absentee ballots in person at the following location from Sept. 20 through Nov. 4: Carlton County Historic Courthouse: • In-person absentee voting for all Carlton County voters is available at the Carlton County Historic Courthouse, 301 Walnut Ave, Room 205, Carlton. Hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. • The auditor/assessor’s office will have extended hours Oct. 26, Oct. 29 and Nov. 2-4 in advance of the Nov....
The newest J-turn in Carlton County is being constructed near the Carlton Kwik Trip, with completion expected by the end of October, say transportation officials. "It's not a huge construction project," county engineer JinYeene Neumann said. "We're not doing anything with the existing traffic lanes; we're building alongside." Neumann compared the work at the intersection of Minnesota Highway 210 and Carlton County Highway 61 to a J-turn, or reduced-conflict intersection, installed outside...
Officials are investigating the death of a 39-year-old man found in his cell at Minnesota Correctional Facility - Moose Lake. According to a news release, an incarcerated man reported to staff that a cellmate appeared to be unresponsive in their room at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17. Corrections staff immediately responded and initiated life-saving measures, without success. The circumstances surrounding the man’s death remain an active investigation. The Minnesota Department of Corrections’ Office of Special Investigations, in coordination wit...
A 37-year-old man was injured in a single-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in Mahtowa Township. According to a news release from the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, the crash near the intersection of County Road 61 and Painted Lane was reported at 4:51 p.m. Sept. 17. A Ford Ranger had left the roadway and crashed into the ditch. The reporting party found a 37-year old male lying on the ground next to the pickup. Carlton County deputies, along with Carlton Fire and Ambulance, Mahtowa first responders and EMS from the Cloquet Area Fire D...
Despite worries it would create another obstacle to consolidation with Wrenshall, Carlton school board members voted 4-2 Monday to extend business manager Angela Lind’s contract through June 2027. The three-year contract included a pay increase, and a year’s wages and benefits if the two districts consolidate during her contract and Lind is not selected as business manager for the new district. Lind was previously business manager for Wrenshall, which did not renew her contract in June 2023. Wrenshall school board members previously exp...
Outside the Wrenshall school library on Wednesday, football players from the Carlton/Wrenshall Raptors cooperative team could be seen running through their practice paces. Inside the library, the football coach and Raptors athletic director Brent Pokornowski joined officials from both districts for a meeting about the sports cooperative. In doing so, officials from the districts were meeting for the first time since a series of setbacks in the ongoing effort to consolidate the districts. In one of the most recent setbacks, Carlton sought to...
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...
The official grand opening of the Members Cooperative Credit Union Stadium and athletic complex was held Friday night prior to the Cloquet vs. Duluth East football game. School officials, the school board and MCCU representatives joined in a ribbing cutting ceremony before the game, and giveaways were in abundance in celebration of the occasion. A lot of work went on behind the scenes to get the project done, and as with anything of this magnitude, everything had to come together at the right...
Well, folks, here we are again! September. Fall approaches, summer drifts away, and the world keeps spinning around. Although I would love to see the warm temperatures stick around for a while longer, we will just have to see what happens, I suppose. This year marks 10 years for me at ye olde shoe shop, and I feel very fortunate. Cloquet is a pretty neat little place! Thanks for being such an outstanding community. Reflecting on the last year, we have had businesses open, close and change... Full story
Minnesotans facing mental health crises can dial or text 988 to connect to Lifeline support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The 988 code serves as a universal entry point, so callers can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help regardless of where they live. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. People should call 911 if they suspect a drug overdose or need immediate medical help. The change is part of a nationwide effort to transition the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,...
Cloquet area residents who want to receive text messages or emails with public safety news should register with the Cloquet Police Department’s Nixle service. Nixle was created for local law enforcement, designed to notify the public of community updates, public advisories and emergency alerts. To sign up for notifications and alerts using the Nixle messaging system, text the city’s zip code (55720) to 888777 and follow the prompts, or follow the link https://local.nixle.com/register. Nixle also offers an anonymous tip line for the public to...
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, Cloquet Memorial Day service, parades, nursing homes and other events as requested). Questions? Contact Becky at 218-206-4441....
Hoping to start a friendly game of cards with friendly seniors two Thursdays a month starting in September. Time and place to be determined. Interested? Call Joan at 218-348-8480....
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is updating its fall color finder every Thursday now with the latest estimates for peak fall colors across the state. The map can also be used to predict peak colors. Find out more at www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colors/index.html....
Sam Godbout (in the boom) and Drew Ristinen of Archkey Solutions work Monday to level and add outlets to a new streetlight on the 100 block of Avenue C in Cloquet. A total of 26 new streetlights will now illuminate the streets of Cloquet's Historic West End Business District, yet contribute less to light pollution than the old models. The new streetlights match the existing lights along Broadway Avenue, installed during previous work on Broadway Avenue and the city's Dunlap Island and Spafford...
Family and friends of Peter Martin continue their efforts to find their missing loved one. But as months have gone by, the number of those who gather on Sundays to search areas on the Fond du Lac reservation has dwindled. This week, looking for more tips and keeping the public aware that Martin remains a missing person case, those friends and family organized a walk along Big Lake Road west of Cloquet, where banners can be found with his picture, stating "Bring Peter Home." Kayla Jackson was... Full story
The first returns on the popularity of the new four-day week at Carlton schools showed only a slight dip in enrollment. It amounted to good news for a district entering a new era by not having classes on Fridays. Early childhood to 12th grade saw the student count reach 304, according to superintendent Donita Stepan, compared to 317 on a report generated by the school in March. “We lost some, we gained some,” Stepan said. “We budgeted for 295 and are at 304. We are optimistic that the numbers will keep rising as the year progresses.” Nearby...
As of next year, Essentia Health will no longer accept Medicare Advantage insurance plans administered by UnitedHealthcare and Humana. According to a news release, Essentia Health has started to inform patients that it no longer will serve as an in-network provider for Medicare Advantage plans administered by UnitedHealthcare (UHC) and Humana, effective Jan. 1, 2025. The release stated that UHC and Humana delay and deny approval of care for patients at more than twice the rate of other Medicare Advantage plans. This can cause unnecessary...
The Sweetly Kismet Candy Store is hosting a hot air balloon festival this weekend. Gates open at 4 p.m. until after the "night glow" display both Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13-14. The candy store property is located behind the Kwik Trip near the intersection of Highway 210 and Interstate 35. This year's event will include food trucks, bounce houses, face painting, hay rides, a ventriloquist, pilot meet and greet, a candy drop for kids, along with music and lights for the night after dark when...
After a few winters of abnormal, the weather experts are seeing perhaps a good old-fashioned winter ahead this year. The National Weather Service forecast office in Duluth has provided a preliminary look at what winter might have in store for the region. The office expects to have a more defined outlook in mid-October when its Climate Prediction Center releases information. 0 For now, the Duluth office is looking at a weak La Niña weather pattern developing later this fall and winter. Historically, such a weather pattern creates a dry and...
The Carlton County Farmers Market will celebrate the bounty of the season during Harvest Fest 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 14 in the Premiere Theatres parking lot at 904 Highway 33 in Cloquet. The first 50 kids can decorate free kid-sized tote bags with fabric pens or try their hand at making zucchini cars starting at 9 a.m. There will be free tomato tastings all morning, and bratwursts available for purchase....
The Fond du Lac Band’s Resource Management invites all community members to the Ganawenjigewin Maawanji’idiwin, or Taking Care of Things Gathering 1-6 p.m. today, Friday, Sept. 13. This event, dedicated to environmental stewardship, sustainability and holistic community wellness, will take place at the Fond du Lac Pow Wow Arbor, located behind the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, 49 University Road in Cloquet. The gathering promises a fun-filled day for all ages. Highlights include information tables, diverse vendor booths, exciting raffle giv...
