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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It's always hit and miss when it comes to hosting motorcycle ice racing on the St. Louis River in Scanlon. But the mid-February cold snap allowed Jeff Berg to rally racers online for an event last Saturday, Feb. 20, near the River Inn. Berg has had three river runs since 2013. It all depends on the weather, he said, especially when it comes to the river. It's a chance for Berg to show off his Iceberg Tires products based out of Superior, where regular ice races take place as part of the Midwest... Full story
A total of 40 residences near Ditchbank Road were evacuated Friday because of fears that one or more explosive devices had been placed in the Line 3 pipeline currently under construction in Carlton County. According to a press release from the Carlton County Sheriff's Office, Fond du Lac police responded to protest activity blocking Ditchbank Road just before noon Friday. As people were dispersing from the area at 12:40 p.m., witnesses on the construction site saw three people who had walked... Full story
Pine Knot News The state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's human trafficking investigators task force announced on Feb. 19 that seven people were charged following arrests during a human trafficking operation in Itasca County. Two of the men charged were working on the Line 3 project with a subcontractor, Enbridge said. Investigators with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension led the three-day operation in partnership with the Tribes United Against Sex Trafficking task force and the Itasca County Sheriff's Office. The operation ran Feb. 17-19....
It's beginning to look like this school year will be a turnaround from previous school year, at least in terms of the pandemic. Last year, students enjoyed school as usual until mid-March, when Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health abruptly informed schools they would need to close March 18-27. But students never came back - the school year was finished via distance learning, with students, teachers, parents and other staff figuring things out on the fly. This time around it may... Full story
Following the declaration of a "pause" in consolidation talks between Carlton and Wrenshall school districts, Cloquet superintendent Michael Cary said Carlton had reached out to Cloquet again to discuss a range of future possibilities. It isn't the first time Carlton and Cloquet have talked, but Cary said he wanted approval from the school board - which he got during Monday's board meeting - because Carlton has a superintendent he hasn't talked to about consolidation along with new board...
The Carlton school board this month voted to accept another one-year contract for superintendent John Engstrom. The contract for a salary of $108,784 runs from July 1 to the end of June 2022. Engstrom is currently on a one-year contract agreed to last year after Gwen Carman resigned to take a superintendent job in southern Minnesota. Engstrom said he has yet to decide how he will use $14,000 in the contract that could be used for health care costs or as a direct benefit....
Esko school board members decided to stop holding its meetings via Zoom and return to in-person meetings, most likely in the auditorium to allow for physical distancing. The next meeting is March 8 at 6:30 p.m. Board members also accepted the resignation of Janet Halonen, director of business services. -Approved up to $110,000 to purchase a new propane-powered bus, bringing the fleet to 13. -Discussed the plan to pave the parking lot the school owns between the post office and Esko Dental. Funds have been allocated but the project has been...
The Carlton County board of commissioners gave its blessing Tuesday, Feb. 22 for two township grant projects that will compete for limited transportation funding from an annual Legislature initiative for Greater Minnesota. County engineer JinYeene Neumann requested the board’s support at the adjourned session of the county board Monday, Feb. 22. Almost all the Carlton County townships inquired into the possibility of funding needed township road projects, but the highway department staff explained that the competition throughout the state w...
Thomson Township supervisors unveiled a new audiovisual system at their meeting Feb. 18 that is expected to improve accessibility to meetings. The board had been experiencing audio and video issues since it began online meetings last year. It was often difficult to hear everyone and to understand who was talking. The township was able to purchase new equipment through the federal CARES Act, which provides pandemic relief funding. Board members, most of whom have been meeting in person at the town hall outside of Esko, and virtually through a...
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was justified in arguing that pollution seeping into groundwater from the Minntac mine tailing basin in Mountain Iron has harmed federally protected waters. The court sided with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, which appealed a 2019 court of appeals decision that said the MPCA failed in interpreting water rules in a 2018 permit for the U.S. Steel iron ore mine and pellet plant. The...
The county has formed a special committee to focus on plans for a new county jail building and programming, which met for the first time Tuesday, Feb. 23. Sheriff Kelly Lake said there is increasing urgency in what has already been a long process. "The state of Minnesota has given us a deadline of July 31, 2023 when we can no longer house inmates in our current facility," Lake said. "As it is now in the planning process, the goal is to have a jail facility completed by 2024 and we will need an...
Tim Nelson MPR News Minnesota is launching a new “vaccine connector” website to help line people up with Covid-19 shots. The site includes a questionnaire, asking enrollees for their address, age, occupation, medical history and other data that may factor into their eligibility for a vaccine. It also asks for race, gender and sexual orientation data, but says that is optional. The site isn’t a one-stop for vaccinations. “When a Minnesotan becomes eligible to receive a vaccine under state guidelines, the Vaccine Connector will alert them of... 
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Good Hope Church in Cloquet recently suffered an outbreak of Covid-19 in its congregation, and immediately took steps to minimize the effect on the community, as we reported in last week’s Pine Knot News. We applaud the responsibility in acting quickly to contain the outbreak as much as possible. The church canceled services, informed members and strongly encouraged testing. It contacted the health department and did its own contact tracing. While most of those infected had mild symptoms, they looked out for everyone. “We want to be con... Full story
There's talk in the Minnesota Legislature to bring back the "voter ID" issue. The problem with voter ID is that the logic behind it is backward - that since we need an ID to write a check or buy liquor, we should thus require an ID to exercise the most basic right in a democracy - voting. That logic is backward because the government has intruded on our lives so much that we shouldn't allow them to intrude on our most basic right in a democracy - voting. We should not need an ID to buy liquor... Full story
I have a question for Father Fish and for all the other Christians who feel unfairly treated by Covid-19 restrictions. If He were here today and living among us in human form, and He had two options — doing whatever He pleased in order to satisfy His own selfish desires — or the opposite — taking temporary precautions that limit some of His freedoms in order to help preserve the health and lives of his fellow humans: What would Jesus do? Chris Jenkins, Cloquet... Full story
The National Association for Music Education tells us that music is crucial to a developing brain. It helps language skills, social skills, and is good for overall intelligence. Music also helps students perform better on the SAT. So why, then, is it the least-funded subject in our school? Take the school play, for example. The costume and prop budget is only $700 a year while the football budget stays at $4,800 a year. We have one art and one music teacher for our entire K-12 student body.... Full story
It’s been nearly a year that we’ve been living under the new world order wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Pine Knot News would like to hear reader thoughts or see impressions related to coping the past year. Write an essay. Send artwork or a photo of a project you’ve done to stay sane at home. Send a poem. Send your contribution to: Email: [email protected] Mail: Pine Knot News Editor, 122 Avenue C, Cloquet MN 55720 Those who send us items will be placed in a drawing for a speci... Full story
Donald Harvey Siiter, 89, passed away Jan. 18, 2021, of Covid 19-related pneumonia in Yorba Linda, California. He was born in Cloquet on May 19, 1931, and graduated Cloquet High School in 1949. He was a star athlete in high school as the baseball team pitcher, the football team quarterback and the basketball team center. He played golf his whole life and regularly beat his son during their weekly competitive games. He studied journalism at the University of Minnesota, leaving in 1958 believing... Full story
David “Bud” W. Levinski, 66, of Cloquet passed away suddenly at home on Feb. 18, 2021. He was born Nov. 20, 1954 in Cloquet, the son of William and Ethel (Westlund) Levinski. Bud graduated from Carlton High School in 1972 and was united in marriage to Janet Merrill on Dec. 2, 1972 in Cloquet. He worked as a service technician for Junction Tire, Duluth Dodge and St. Louis County. Bud enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, stock car racing, collecting cars and traveling. He esp... Full story
Michael C. Koncal, 65, of Wrenshall passed away Feb. 17, 2021 at home. He was born Dec. 6, 1955 in Duluth, the son of Charles and Pauline (Nichol) Koncal. Mike graduated from Proctor High School and was united in marriage to Pamela Maki in Cloquet on Oct. 22, 1977. He worked as an electrician for Midwest Energy Resources in Superior. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, snowmobiling, family gatherings, grilling and spending time with his grandkids. Mike was preceded in death by his parents; one... Full story
Melanie Joy Synkiew, 57, of Cloquet died Feb. 13, 2021 in her home. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 29 at Round Lake Cemetery in McGregor. Arrangements by Atkins-Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet. Elma McMillan, 101, formerly of Esko, passed away Feb. 21, 2021, at Essentia Health Miller Dwan Hospital in Duluth. Private family services will be held, with burial in Holy Trinity Cemetery in Kettle River. Arrangement by Atkins Northland Funeral Home, Cloquet.... Full story
Cloquet High School grad Kevin Aho is in the running to be named the world’s Favorite Chef, win $50,000 and be featured in a two-page advertising spread in Bon Appetit magazine. In his entry, Aho says he has been cooking 30 years, 25 of those as executive chef. Should he win the competition — sponsored by Favorite Chef — he said he would split the cash prize “with my team that supported me so much during these trying times.” The contest is hosted by celebrity chef Eddie Matney. A portion of the proceeds will go to Feeding America, an organizat... Full story
The Rugged Spruce golf club, in association with Re/Max Results and team leader Randy Myhre, raised more than $800 to support the 2021 Barnum Junior Class Prom committee in a recent fundraiser. A check, see photo, was presented to advisors Kathy Parker and Alycia Dammer at the Rugged Spruce clubhouse. Private donations from the community were accepted as part of the fundraiser. Parker and Dammer said the support was wonderful.... Full story
It has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for the Cloquet boys basketball team this season. The Lumberjacks notched a 77-68 win over Pine City last Thursday to improve to 6-5 on the season, but now they have to prove they can put together a win streak of more than two games. "I like where we are at," said Cloquet coach Steve Battaglia. "Four of our five losses were to teams that are favored to win their section. We're losing to good teams and we're only going to get better from here." The... Full story
Thursday, Feb. 18 Boys Hockey CEC-8 Eveleth-Gilbert-2 Girls Hockey Grand Rapids/Greenway-3 CEC-1 Duluth-3 Moose Lake Area-1 Boys Basketball Carlton-84 Silver Bay-50 Cloquet-77 Pine City-68 Ogilvie-73 Wrenshall-65 Girls Basketball Esko-58 Pine River-Backus-46 Isle-42 Barnum-41 Hermantown-50 Cloquet-41 Cromwell-Wright-69 Carlton-26 South Ridge-60 Two Harbors-36 Friday, Feb. 19 Boys Basketball Cromwell-Wright-56 Carlton-51 Two Harbors-71 South Ridge-59 Esko-62 Grand Rapids 52 Moose Lake/ Willow River-61 Barnum-41 Girls Basketball Pequot Lakes-62... Full story
