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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Late nights and early risings mixed with the colder temperatures of fall creates a deadly, sleepy challenge for high school students. Some days, the rush to school can leave students without the daily dose of caffeine needed to get through those first few hours of class. Not anymore. Students at Cloquet High School can rest easy knowing that when they arrive at school, they can secure a quick cup of joe. Cloquet High School’s new café, Java Jacks, offers students a convenient and co... Full story
The Carlton County Labor Day celebration is known for its parade and picnic on Monday, but the fun actually starts a day earlier at the annual Oldtimers Banquet. "This event's main purpose is to honor the retirees of the Carlton County labor force," said Rep. Mike Sundin of District 11A, one of the event organizers. Sundin said the teachers, millworkers, and other union workers who worked to create equal opportunities for all laborers should be celebrated. One of the banquet's most notable...
As the final days of summer slowly run out, so does my summer internship with the Pine Knot News. From the first article to my last, I've enjoyed the opportunity to help tell the story of our county and the people who live here. However, school and extracurriculars leave me with little time to devote to the weekly interviewing and writing. This school year, I plan to continue to write for the Pine Knot, but the time constraints that inevitably come with the school year will not allow me to... Full story
When the school year is done and the seniors' final year comes to a close, Carlton County grads are released into the world to travel far and wide to educate themselves, explore new opportunities, and make the world a better place. One 2003 Cloquet graduate took the opportunity to help the world and now stands on the congressional battleground to tackle climate change and our own human behaviors. Alexander Maki left Cloquet to acquire an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota...
With school just a few days away, schedules are suddenly becoming packed with both school and extracurriculars. While a seven-hour school day is a necessary part of every student’s day, extracurriculars become just that: extra. For some families, the stress of extracurriculars is simply too much — the cost of participation, the scheduling, the threats of burning out their students — all cultivate a weariness of extracurriculars. Extracurriculars offer things the school can’t always teach....
The Cloquet school board met Monday, Aug. 26 to address the last-minute details that every school faces before the start of school, from the approval of new staff and recognition of others, to talk of classroom sizes and teacher training. But Monday's meeting was a little different, as it started with two drum songs by the Cedar Creek drum group and a ceremony with the Fond du Lac Honor Guard before the school board formally accepted the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa flag as a part...
Starting in St. Paul, last weekend's Ragnar race took runners along Interstate 35 through Stillwater, North Branch, Moose Lake, Carlton, and the numerous other towns separating the runners from the finish line in Duluth. The director of the Minnesota Ragnar, Amber Sadlier, changed the course and name from the previous years' Great River Ragnar, which originally took runners from Winona to St. Paul. This is the first year that the statewide relay race ran through Carlton County and ended in...
It's fair time! With the official start of the 129th annual Carlton County Fair only a couple days away, on Tuesday the 4-H students were showing off their projects in hopes of impressing the judges enough to earn a spot down at the Minnesota State Fair. Each project eventually goes before a panel of judges who interviews the child and rank each project. The judge's job isn't easy, as each project must be checked and graded based on factors such as quality and the interview. The judges must... Full story
From sunrise to sunset, the final day of the Esko Fun Days brought dancing, games, food, a little bit of running and a parade with candy and smiles. The Kristin Burkholder 5K kicked off things Saturday morning. The parade was underway by the race end. The floats, music, candy drew numerous families. After the parade, there was a barbecue at Northridge Park and games, more food, and cornhole tournament. The Esko Fire Hall street dance finished off the day and ultimately the week with dancing and...
The hilly and wooded Pine Valley trails, the often too-close encounters with wildlife, and the satisfying smack of shoe on ground … It must be cross-country season. But this year, we had a bit of a unique snag. Oftentimes, first-day snags include unclear communication or some inconvenient weather. However, we got to start out the year dealing with “aggressive beavers.” Yes, you read it right. The team met for the first day of practice in the MedExpress parking lot because the balance of power...
Blessed with both clear skies and a full audience, the Wood City Music Festival set out yet again last Saturday to extend the hand of God to all who would listen. The free, family-friendly event featured Christian musicians from across the country, including Adelaide, Kutless, and Sean Feucht of Bethel Music. Local bands included the Holy Hootenanners and the Plowboys, above. Paul Nordvall, the leader of the festival's prayer tent, explained that the music not only introduces people to...
The first Davis Helberg Community Impact Award was presented during the Esko Seniors Picnic Lunch Wednesday as part of the annual Esko Fun Days festivities. Davis Helberg spent much of his time improving his community through his work on the boards of the Esko Educational Foundation, the Esko Tree Board, the Esko Historical Society, the Carlton County Historical Society and the Esko Sports Alliance. Helberg also helped create the Esko Alliance Hall of Fame, and edited both "Esko's Corner: An... Full story
Throughout time, humankind has found numerous different ways to push the physical body to the limit. However, the ultramarathon stands alone as the ultimate test of an athlete's physical and mental endurance. Here in the Northland, 238 racers decided to push their limits and attempt to run the 50-mile Minnesota Voyageur Trail Ultra on Saturday, July 27. Adam Doe, a 2006 Cloquet High School graduate, won the Voyageur with an overall time of 7 hours, 14 minutes, 36 seconds. Doe currently lives...
Rain couldn't stop 24 nature enthusiasts from enjoying the numerous activities offered during the second session of Forestry Adventure Days last week. For the past six years, the Cloquet Forestry Center has used the Adventure Days to bridge the gap between modern kids and the natural world. "We want to get more youth into nature," first-year helper Dylan Kelly said. He and the rest of the staff hope that the camp will help spark an interest in nature that the young boys and girls may not otherwi...
On any given Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday you may see the large group of mountain bikers standing eagerly, roughly in a circle. This group is the Cloquet- Esko-Carlton mountain biking team, and they are itching to get riding on the trails to continue their training for the upcoming races scattered across Minnesota and Wisconsin. There is a significant age range, with the youngest riders in sixth grade and the oldest preparing to start their senior year of high school. The CEC mountain biking...
Pollution and homelessness, two significant issues facing the country and our county, have sparked creative and innovative solutions. One group in Carlton seeks to address both issues with its 100-percent-recycled plastic sleeping mats. Every Tuesday, a group of half a dozen people gather at 9 a.m. to cut, tie, and crochet plastic bags into durable sleeping mats for the homeless population living throughout Carlton County. Maureen Singleton, the group's founder, was a member of a similar group...
The smell of popcorn coupled with the dim light within the barn brought a sense of anticipation to a large crowd of filmmakers and movie lovers last weekend in Wrenshall. Dozens of people were fixated on a gray screen pulled taut across the wall, each one waiting to see what the Midwest filmmakers had to offer. The 2019 Free Range Film Festival featured 19 films - all shown in a large, 103-year-old barn sitting just outside of Wrenshall. The 16th annual festival held June 28-29 offered live...
Over the last week of June, upcoming Lumberjack wrestlers woke up early and headed to Cloquet Senior High School, where they spent several hours a day learning the skills needed to one day stand at the top of the podium. The Cloquet youth wrestling camp spanned a total of four days, with each practice almost four hours long. The camp was geared toward teaching the young wrestlers six of the seven basic skills every wrestler needs, including stance, motion and level change, among others. While...
When you think of the Cloquet Fourth of July festivities, your thoughts most likely fall to the parade, the fireworks display and, of course, the Sawdust 5K and its sister race, the Lavonna Mile. The ninth annual Cloquet Sawdust 5K will start off the day's festivities at 8 a.m. at Pinehurst Park. Participants will make their way through the western roads and hills of Cloquet and finish right back at Pinehurst, probably a little more tired than when they began. On the bright side, they are...
County races Whether you plan to run your fortieth 5K or your first this summer, make sure you leave room for at least one Carlton County race. Here are a few of the highlights: Cloquet Sawdust 5K July 4, Pinehurst Park, Cloquet Registration: $25, guaranteed shirt Race day: $30, shirt not guaranteed You can go the extra 3.1 miles by participating in the Jimmer Challenge: run the 5K, turn around and run back for a total of 10 km or roughly 6.2 miles. Lavonna Mile Date: July 4, 18th St. & Avenue B...
Tom Proulx, the assistant coach for Cloquet boys tennis, was recently named the Section 7A 2019 Assistant Coach of the Year Award by the Minnesota Tennis Association. Proulx has been coaching in Cloquet for 18 years. He recently began working at the college level with the Cardinals tennis team at Saint Mary's University. Pine Knot News intern Jordan Allen caught up with Proulx this week to ask him a few questions about his time coaching at Cloquet and where he hopes to take the team in the...
Hello, Pine Knot News readers. My name is Jordan Allen and I will be an intern for the newspaper this summer, writing stories and taking pictures around the community. Although born in Lafayette, Ind., I have lived in Minnesota for nearly 14 years. This coming school year, I will be a senior at Cloquet High School and I hope to use my internship to interact with people of Cloquet and Carlton County before the school year takes over my time. This summer, you may see me running the roads and...
Government. When you hear the word, oftentimes your brain goes directly to the United States capital, Washington D.C. When you hear the word “government,” you may also immediately think of elected officials in the Senate, the House of Representatives, or even the president of the United States of America. My mind jumped to the same thoughts before I spent a week at The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University participating in the American Legion Boys State. June 9 through June...
