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  • Business Spotlight advertorial: MAHTOWA TAVERN

    Jun 21, 2024

    The Mahtowa Tavern is located in the heart of Mahtowa, and is well-loved by many! After more than 30 years, Rob finally got to retire, and passed the torch to Glenn and Renee Gaffney March 1. Glenn and Renee continue to dedicate their lives to serving the community, maintaining old-fashioned traditions, and providing great food and fun for everyone. Glenn and Renee also own TJ's Country Corner, the perfect source of the freshest burger possible for the Mahtowa Tavern. They grind fresh lean beef...

  • Business Spotlight: Serenity wellness, Cloquet

    May 17, 2024

    Is your digestive system not working the way it should? Do you struggle to lose weight or eliminate daily, get bloated easily, react to certain foods or feel tired and run down? Are your periods a problem? Do you struggle with acne, even though puberty is in the rearview mirror? Then maybe it's time to have a functional medicine visit with Cloquet's Natalie Swanson, of Serenity Wellness. "Clients often come to see me when they want to look into their health from a different angle. They have...

  • Business Spotlight: The Green House

    May 3, 2024

    I am not sure I know how to write about The Green House without it turning into something sentimental. I used to daydream about owning a greenhouse. It was my "someday dream" for a time when our kids were raised, when we had more freedom and our financial responsibilities were less burdening. I worked at a small greenhouse in high school and was a florist for a few years in my 20s. After that, I had earned an established position traveling and working with automotive service departments. My...

  • Business Spotlight: B&B Market Cloquet

    Apr 19, 2024

    We are feeling spring up here at B & B Market. B & B Market has been part of the Cloquet community for over 60 years. We had a change of ownership in 2020 and our current owners are Jacob and Mikayla Richardson. Through the change of ownership, the same core values have persisted. We pride ourselves in being a family-friendly facility that provides excellent service. We are often a one-stop shop for many individuals. We offer a full-line grocery selection, a stocked meat department, fuel, and...

  • BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Carlton Area Lions Club (PHOTOS SOON)

    Apr 5, 2024

    The Carlton Area Lions Club has been serving the Carlton County area for 50 years strong, growing and serving. It is one of 49,000 Lions clubs around the world, and its members reside in all corners of Carlton County. They give their time and energy to create a positive impact here and around the globe. The club is over 25 members strong. Members spend much of their time raising funds to help support several causes. Fundraisers include their monthly Burger Night at the Carlton VFW, raffles, plant sales and more. Their next Burger Night is...

  • Spring brings changes to local eating scene

    Mike Creger|Mar 22, 2024

    The annual rite of spring in Cloquet is the opening of Gordy's Hi-Hat on the hill in Cloquet. Customers will notice little change in the decor there, and, according to the Lundquist family, perhaps never will. Meanwhile, next door at Gordy's Warming House, the all-year coffee shop and eatery, there has been a total reimagining of the interior. "It needed a facelift," said Sever Lundquist, third-generation Gordy's owner. The Warming House opened in 2005 and was outfitted like many coffee shops...

  • Business SPOTLIGHT: CARLTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

    Mar 15, 2024

    "History is who we are and why we are the way we are," said David McCullough, the American historian who received two Pulitzer Prizes, a National Book Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. McCullough would have felt right at home at the Carlton County Historical Society. Whether you are figuring out your family tree, who lived on your farm before you, or how people lived here long ago - you will find a warm welcome and friendly people who are as curious as you are and David McCullough...

  • Business Spotlight: FARMERS INSURANCE

    Feb 2, 2024

    Hello, I’m Lisa Montminy, owner of the Farmers Insurance agency at 106 Ave. C in Cloquet, across from the new Holy Smokes Coffee House & BBQ. I am originally from Duluth and I have two children, Mylee and Brock. Prior to purchasing my agency, I worked in the restaurant industry, and was general manager of several restaurants in Duluth, and the food and beverage manager at Northland Country Club starting in 2018. It was fun to be part of such a creative team of people working together on the same vision. While working at Northland, I met Mark L...

  • Business Spotlight: CreativEdge Designs

    Jan 19, 2024

    CreativEdge opened in downtown Carlton in 2017 when Jessie Waldorf, with the support of her husband, Joe, jumped from being employed as a full-time graphic artist for more than 15 years to beginning an adventure as a business owner. After starting out as a design studio, CreativEdge has evolved into a full-service print shop offering graphic design, print services, apparel decorating, promotional products and creative workshops. With her knowledge and experience in the design and printing...

  • Self-serve beer now on tap in Cloquet

    Tom Urbanski|Jan 12, 2024

    There's a new game, and a lot of craft beer, in town. The 218 TapHouse opened for business on Wednesday, Dec. 27, in the business complex that includes Premiere Theatres on South Highway 33 in Cloquet. Southgate Family Pizza previously operated in the space that is now home to 218 TapHouse. "We had a very successful first week," said bar manager Dane Levinski. "Opening day was on a Wednesday and our seating was full with a good standing room crowd. Our weekends have been very popular." "The...

  • Investment in building projects rolls on

    Jana Peterson|Jan 5, 2024

    A giant warehouse that will one day support the medical supply needs for more than 100 Essentia Health facilities has transformed the Esko Industrial Park over the past several months. Hidden from Highway 61 - where the park entrance is located - the dark rectangular building looms large to those driving past on Interstate 35. It represents a $36 million investment by the regional health care system. According to Essentia spokesperson Tony Matt, the building structure is complete. Contractors...

  • Business Spotlight advertorial: Ellison Family Chiropractic

    Jan 5, 2024

    When Dr. Kayla Ellison established Ellison Family Chiropractic in 2019, she wanted "Family" in the name for good reason: Patients of all ages, from infants to children to adults, receive care here based on their individual needs. "We love caring for patients of all ages in our clinic, and serve many families," said Dr. Ellison. "We provide diverse, individualized care to our patients, focusing on their unique needs." Located in the West End of Cloquet at the corner of Avenue C and Arch Street,...

  • Business SPOTLIGHT: Pine Knot News

    Dec 1, 2023

    The Pine Knot News observed its fifth anniversary at the end of October rather quietly, because staff members at the independent locally owned newspaper were busy working. From humble beginnings in October of 2018 when its five owners mailed free copies across northern Carlton County, the Pine Knot News has grown to become the dominant newspaper in northern Carlton County. From the start, the goal was to cover local news, sports, issues, faces and events across Carlton County as comprehensively...

  • Business grant to help the 'underestimated'

    Joe Bowen|Nov 24, 2023

    A rebranded and expanded regional program hopes to help Northeastern Minnesota entrepreneurs who are Black, Indigenous, military veterans, or women. The Driving Access to Wealth & Networks (DAWN) program at Northspan Group, Inc., a Duluth-based nonprofit, is set to receive $2 million over the next four years from the U.S. Department of Commerce. That money is meant to help budding business leaders who hail from historically underserved communities - or, as more than one speaker at a kickoff...

  • Business SPOTLIGHT: B&B MARKET & CATERING

    Nov 17, 2023

    B&B Market has been part of the Cloquet community for 65 years, a one-stop shop for many that offers gas, a full line of groceries, a meat department and catering. Named after founders Bob and Babe, who started the store in 1958, the store saw Gary and Dorothy Huard take ownership next, then John and Kim Lind. August 29 marked the second anniversary of the most recent change of ownership, to Jacob and Mikayla Richardson. Jacob had worked at B&B for several years before expressing interest in...

  • Business Spotlight: CLOQUET MATTRESS & FURNITURE

    Oct 20, 2023

    Cloquet Mattress & Furniture, located at 1207 Cloquet Avenue, is a small business located in the heart of Cloquet. We specialize in furnishings for smaller spaces with an eye for quality and price. We proudly carry La-Z-Boy, England, Ashley, Allwood, Therapedic Mattresses (made in Minnesota) and MDA Rugs brands. We're open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, and closed on Sundays. Finding the right furniture to offer our customers is an interesting job. We consider...

  • Stock Tire keeps rolling with new owner

    Jana Peterson|Oct 13, 2023

    A longtime Cloquet business has a new owner with a familiar face. Scott Nelson purchased Stock Tire from his boss, Steve Stavang, in August. Nelson had worked as a mechanic there for four years and is still doing plenty of hands-on work - he just added lots of other tasks to his list of duties. Nelson hadn't planned to buy the business. He actually gave two weeks' notice thinking he should do more paint and body work - his side gig in Carlton - when Stavang asked him if he'd thought about...

  • Business Spotlight: Carlton Area Lions Club

    Oct 6, 2023

    The Carlton Area Lions Club has been serving the Carlton area since 1972 and is one of 49,000 Lions clubs around the world. Members of the all-volunteer Carlton area club have resided in all corners of Carlton County, giving their time and energy to create a positive impact here and around the globe. Club members spend much of their time raising funds to help support a number of causes. Fundraisers include their monthly Burger Night at the Carlton VFW, raffles, plant sales and more. Their next...

  • New game store in play in West End Cloquet

    Jana Peterson|Sep 29, 2023

    Ten-year-old Cyleiona Almenares made three trips to Cloquet's new game store on the first day it opened at 305 Broadway St. On trip No. 2, she carefully counted out her change to pay for Demon Slayer cards under the watchful eye of her dad, Tyler Almenares, an unabashed Pokémon fan. The father-daughter duo is exactly the target audience Sara Kenwood and her wife, Gabrielle, were thinking of when they decided to open the store in Cloquet. Game players. Card collectors. People who enjoy the art...

  • Dollar store stakes a claim in Barnum

    Brady Slater|Sep 29, 2023

    Sometime in winter 2024, the city of Barnum will be less of a food and retail desert than it is. Dollar General is moving onto Main Street, with construction already begun on a store which figures to include staples such as milk. While not a grocery store, Dollar General will fill a longtime void in a community that sees its residents travel to Moose Lake, Cloquet and beyond for merchandise such as cleaning supplies, health and beauty products, stationery, seasonal decorations, and some snacks...

  • Business Spotlight: Burger's Shoes, Cloquet

    Sep 15, 2023

    From Carmen LaPlant Owner, Burger's Shoes September means so many things to me: the end of summer, the start of fall, and another year of small business ownership. While September marks two years of my owning Burger's Shoes, this destination store has been a part of Cloquet's many small businesses for a grand total of 65 years. That's a long time! There's so much history since Ludwig Burger began as a cobbler in a small shop on 10th Street. I still have people come in and share stories about...

  • Business Spotlight: HAGEN CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING

    Sep 1, 2023

    Hagen Construction & Remodeling, LLC is a relatively new business name in Carlton County. But owner Bart Hagen is no stranger to the area. Barnum is Bart's hometown. Bart and his family returned to the Barnum area to be closer to his aging parents in 2020. As a child, Bart helped his dad put an addition onto the family home and often assisted with household projects. He worked for his family's lumber mill business. Being a handy man comes naturally. Bart Hagen started Hagen Construction in Color...

  • Business SPOTLIGHT: Carmen's Bar & Restaurant

    Aug 18, 2023

    Carmen's Dry Dock West opened in May 1997, originally a sister company to the Dry Dock on Midway Road, by Carmen Lindstrom-Zezulka and Michael Van. Their goal was to have a bar and restaurant with a home-feel vibe by offering quality comfort food with caring staff and committed ownership. Throughout its history, Carmen's Bar & Restaurant has always been a family-owned and -operated business. In December 2020, Carmen's sons, Ryan Lindstrom and Zachary Zezulka, took over full ownership with...

  • Business Spotlight: TJ's Country Corner MAHTOWA

    Aug 4, 2023

    TJ's Country Corner is the hub of the Mahtowa community and a business that's hard to pigeonhole. Owners Renee and Glenn Gaffney love the support they receive from the community and they like to help out whenever and however they can. TJ's always offers delicious food, great conversation, and a rich history in Mahtowa. They have a little bit of everything. Their Facebook page lists them as a convenience store but they're much more than that. Known for their slogan - "Our Wurst is Best!" - TJ's...

  • Cloquet Country Club turns 100

    Aug 4, 2023

    Established in 1923, the Cloquet Country Club golf course is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this summer. Festivities last weekend included special food and drink, live music, a nine-hole tournament on the original layout, kids' games and activities, and even people sporting costumes from the dated era weekend. I delved into the history of the club for a special 20-page booklet, produced with the Pine Knot News and Northern Printery. It all started thanks to Illinois entrepreneur Rudolf...

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