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  • Second COVID-19 case confirmed in Carlton County

    Pine Knot News staff|Mar 27, 2020

    Carlton County officials reported a second lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a county resident. The person did have contact with a lab-confirmed case, and that is the presumed exposure, but the case is still under investigation by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). As a reminder, community transmission is widespread in Minnesota, so there are likely additional cases in our community that have not been lab-confirmed, and may go unidentified at this time (because of limitations of lab testing). “This stresses the importance of the Stay a...

  • Keeping up with and coping with the coronavirus pandemic

    Pine Knot News staff|Mar 20, 2020

    Days, hours, minutes and seconds. International, national, statewide, and home. In a whirlwind the past 10 days, life in Carlton County and the world has changed in response to a deadly respiratory disease pandemic. Schools are shut by order of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz - as are bars, restaurants and other public gathering spaces until at least the end of the month and likely much longer. We've been told to not gather in groups of more than 10 people. In short, stay at home, gather supplies when...

  • Minnesota starts reacting to coronavirus threats

    Pine Knot News staff|Mar 13, 2020

    On the same day the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus a pandemic, the NBA suspended all game play and the University of Minnesota decided to go to online classes, northern Minnesota still felt largely unaffected, with the exception of a severe lack of toilet paper and hand sanitizer. As of Wednesday, the novel coronavirus had infected more than 120,000 people in over 100 countries, with three confirmed cases in Minnesota — Ramsey, Carver, and Anoka Counties — with one of the infected in critical condition. By Fri...

  • Wrenshall, Carlton to hire lobbyist

    Pine Knot News staff|Mar 6, 2020

    After initially voting against paying a professional lobbyist to help persuade the Minnesota Legislature to make school consolidations eligible for greater state aid, the Wrenshall school board met early Monday morning and reversed that decision. Wrenshall and Carlton school districts will each pay half of the $25,000 cost of hiring lobbyist Reid LeBeau. A successful effort in St. Paul could lead to state funding that would pay 40 percent of the estimated $38 million in school improvements. Both districts agreed they will not continue...

  • Your Pine Knot is now an award-winning newspaper

    Pine Knot News staff|Feb 7, 2020

    The Pine Knot News was recently recognized as among the very best newspapers in the state by the Minnesota Newspaper Association at its annual Better Newspaper Contest. Hundreds of papers from across the state, large and small, compete in a variety of categories from news to sports to advertising excellence. The Pine Knot won an unprecedented 15 awards just a year into its existence. The contest was judged by newspaper professionals in Indiana, part of MNA's rotating list of judges from midwest...

  • Our view: These pages are for every viewpoint

    Pine Knot News staff|Sep 20, 2019

    This is an opinion page. Most weeks you will find an editorial, under the header “Our View” about a subject the newspaper staff have agreed we should take a stand on, comment about, applaud, or all of the above. There’s always a “Harry’s Gang” column by publisher Pete Radosevich, and usually an “On the Mark” column by board member Ann Markusen — which may land on opinion or elsewhere in the paper, depending on the subject matter. (This week it’s definitely one for the opinion page.) An opinion page like ours is not unique among newspapers, a...

  • Labor get its tradition on

    Pine Knot News staff|Sep 6, 2019

    These buttons are united in their support of working men and women. "Unions: Keeping America Great," proclaimed the 2017 button. "Right to Work provides No Rights and No Work," the red and blue button said in 2017. "Solidarity" was the simple message in 1982. And this year's 2019 Labor Day button promised "Blood, Sweat & Tears, Another 100 Years!" In truth, the city's been celebrating its labor roots more than 100 years, but that was last week's story. This story is about the now, when Cloquet...

  • Ice cream outing is a big hit

    Pine Knot News staff|Aug 30, 2019

    If the opening of Gordy's Hi-Hat is a sign of spring, then the annual Sunnyside trip to the Warming House for ice cream is an indication that summer is winding down. Sunnyside Health Care Center staff, along with volunteers and resident family members mostly wheeled 26 residents down the hill from the nursing home at Community Memorial Hospital to the beloved coffee shop and ice cream joint. Sunnyside director of engagement Toni Hubbell said the group made it door-to-door in a record time of...

  • New director to lead Cloquet Ed Foundation

    Pine Knot News staff|Aug 23, 2019

    Jody Acers is a familiar face at the Cloquet Educational Foundation, having served on its board for at least nine years - two of them as president - and worked hand-in-hand with founding director Lorna Mangen for years. Now Acers will step into a new role at CEF: as its executive director. She is a Cloquet High School 1986 alumna and parent of two CHS graduates, Emily and Andy. Acers is replacing outgoing director Jeannie Kermeen, who is leaving after three years to work as the director of...

  • Ready, set, fun! Carlton Daze is here again

    Pine Knot News staff|Jul 26, 2019

    What isn’t happening during this weekend’s Carlton Daze? There’s running, garage sales, softball, volleyball, crafts, pie baking, kids’ games, music, whitewater kayaking, a parade, a car show, more running, food and drink, horseshoe and bean bag tournaments, more music and more food. “We’ve always tried to make it really family-oriented,” said Leola Rodd. “We’ve got the 5K, car show, all kinds of things. The parade is the big finale. It’s a pretty big parade and lots of fun. That’s really a big...

  • Sappi appoints new CEO of North American operations

    Pine Knot News staff|Jul 26, 2019

    Sappi Limited, a global leader in dissolving wood pulp as well as graphic, packaging and speciality papers, announced that Michael Haws has been appointed as president and CEO of Sappi North America effective Oct. 1, 2019. Haws succeeds Mark Gardner, a 38-year veteran of Sappi in North America, who will retire at the end of September. Haws is currently vice president of manufacturing at Sappi North America. Haws joined Sappi in 2012 as managing director of the Somerset Mill before being promoted to vice president of manufacturing in Oct. 2015...

  • As summer heats up, so does The Beach

    Pine Knot News staff|Jul 26, 2019

    As temperatures have climbed this summer, so have attendance numbers at The Beach. Community Ed director Ruth Reeves said 642 has been their highest attendance-day so far this season at the city swimming pond in Pinehurst Park. She explained that June was cool and wet, so numbers were down a little that month with 3,299 user-visits. They are right on track for July, Reeves said, adding that they were at 5,890 user-visits (not counting babies) as of July 23. "If it's hot and sunny, then were...

  • Wrenshall man charged with felony sex assault by a psychotherapist

    Pine Knot News staff|Jul 26, 2019

    A Wrenshall resident who worked as a social worker for St. Louis County has been accused of rape and sexual abuse of a woman who was his client. Licensed social worker Michael Bryant, 46, was charged July 15 with third-degree criminal sexual conduct by a psychotherapist both during and outside of session; both charges are felonies. According to the criminal complaint, in February Duluth police received a report of ongoing sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult by her social worker, Bryant, who was supposed to provide ongoing counseling services as...

  • She's tackling pollution at age 7

    Pine Knot News staff|Jul 19, 2019

    Seven-year-old Bella Richards and her grandmother, Jean Vatnsdal of Cloquet, have enjoyed summer nature walks since Bella's fourth birthday. Throughout the summer, they explore the outside elements together, watching the flowers bloom and witnessing the buds grow on the trees. Once or twice a week they do something special. Armed with garbage bags and latex gloves, they challenge pollution by collecting garbage along the tree lines and boulevard strips. On their cleanup walks, they find...

  • Our view: The Fourth still means something

    Pine Knot News staff|Jul 5, 2019

    Another year, another year older. Our country turned 243 yesterday, and it was a day spent celebrating what we like to call the greatest country in the world. Blessed with rich natural resources, fruitful farmland, mountains and valleys, the United States of America is more than just a land mass. Our Founding Fathers had the foresight to create a complex yet elegant blend of democracy, accountability, freedoms, and laws that has allowed us to flourish and grow to become the country we are today. They laid the groundwork in The Declaration of...

  • District Court report

    Pine Knot News staff|Jun 21, 2019

    Following are recent felony and gross misdemeanor court cases resolved in Carlton County Sixth District Court. Arresting agencies are abbreviated as follows: Cloquet Police Department (CPD), Carlton County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), Fond du Lac Police Department (FDL), Moose Lake Police Department (MLPD), Minnesota State Patrol (MSP). Sloan, William Joshua, 40, Cloquet, violation of protective order, felony. Sentenced to St. Cloud for 24 months on May 17. CPD Richards, Trenton Alexander, 28, Mahtowa, first-degree possession of cocaine or m...

  • Bulletin Board

    Pine Knot News staff|Jun 21, 2019

    Juhannus Finnish midsummer festival 2-5 p.m. Sunday, June 23, Sampo Beach on Little Grand Lake, 7095 Saginaw Road, Saginaw. Finnish music, games, art projects, Mölkky tournament, swimming, sauna, campfire. Free, family-friendly, alcohol-free. Coffee, pulla and sima available. Feel free to bring food for roasting over the campfire. Food available for purchase from grill trailer. All welcome. [email protected], [email protected] District 5M10 Lions Clubs information sessions and membership recruitment for a new Lions Club in Cloquet are 4-...

  • Lumberjacks return from state with hardware

    Pine Knot News staff|Jun 14, 2019

    When practice started in March in the Cloquet Middle School gymnasium, the Cloquet girls softball team had high hopes. Returning eight starters from last year's section runner-up team, the coaching staff and players felt they had a chance to make something magical happen. The Lumberjacks did not disappoint, as they won the section tournament and marched on to take third place in the Class AAA state tournament while nearly knocking off the tournament's top-ranked team for a chance to play in the...

  • Cloquet girls softball is an award winning team

    Pine Knot News staff|Jun 14, 2019

    Post-season accolades continue to roll in for the Cloquet High School softball team which wrapped up the season last Friday by taking the Class AAA third-place trophy at the Minnesota State High School League State Tournament in North Mankato. Among the awards: Head coach Ron Tondryk was selected by his peers as Section 7AAA Coach of the Year this past week. Cloquet's Olivia Diver was selected to play in the MSHSL Senior All-Star Series on Sunday in Mankato. Top senior players from around the...

  • Three cars involved in Thanksgiving Day crash

    Pine Knot News staff|Nov 30, 2018

    A crash on Highway 33 near the Cloquet Walmart Thanksgiving Day resulted in only minor injuries to people, thankfully. According to the Cloquet Police Department accident report, a blue Plymouth Neon driven by Tod Michael Urban Jr., of Britt, Minn. crashed into the back of a black Dodge Charger that was stopped at the traffic light, then also hit the passenger side door of a white Chevrolet Spark sitting in the left-turn lane next to the Dodge. A witness told CPD officer Kristina Sather that...

  • Knot notes

    Pine Knot News staff|Nov 23, 2018

    Recount doesn’t change a thing Carlton County Auditor Paul Gassert said the hand recount of the District 4 Carlton County Commissioner race resulted in exactly the same ballot count as the election night vote, which means Mark Thell will be the new District 4 Commissioner starting in January. Carlton county board chairwoman Susan Zmyslony had officially requested the recount for the District 4 race after results showed Thell upsetting her by just 16 votes. There were 3,806 votes cast in the race. Thell had 1,905 to Zmyslony’s 1,889. There wer...

  • Veterans to be honored on their special day

    Pine Knot News staff|Nov 9, 2018

    One hundred years ago, while folks in northern Minnesota were just beginning to recover from the Oct. 12 fires and the Spanish influenza after both swept through the area, news of a war-ending armistice reached Minneapolis just before 2 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. As described by author Curt Brown in his “Minnesota 1918” book, sirens went off, “lights blinked on in homes, and people poured into the streets.” Major hostilities of WWI were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the armistice with Germany...