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 the stories of Carlton County — and hopefully create more engaged citizens as a result.

You won’t find national news inside these pages. Nor will you find a bunch of stories you already read elsewhere. What you will find is solid reporting that is fact-checked, stories about the places we go and the people we know right here. You’ll also read local obituaries as families say goodbye to their loved ones. And in a world where people can spread lies across the globe in a matter of minutes, having a trusted source of information is more important than ever, even if it’s just your local paper.

The Pine Knot News will celebrate its fourth birthday this month, so we’re giving away the paper for a week, an annual tradition. Ideally, people will cast more educated votes for local candidates as a result of the election guide inside. At the same time, we hope you rediscover the joy of the printed word as you page through the paper.

Thanks for reading.

Jana Peterson,

Pine Knot News editor