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
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 40
She just couldn't take it anymore. Life at home was not good. "The family dynamic was not safe," said Cat, a high school senior. Her friends could see it, a few encouraged her to move out. "They could see the decline in my mental health, how I was behaving, and even my overall appearance," said the high school senior. Cat did not share any details of her home life and the Pine Knot is not using her given name in order to preserve her privacy. "I just reached a point where my mental health...
The Minnesota Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Sheldon Thompson to reverse his murder convictions and grant him a new trial. Thompson, of Cloquet and Fond du Lac, was accused and found guilty of brutally killing his pregnant girlfriend, Jackie Defoe, their unborn child, and 20-month-old Kevin Lee Shabaiash Jr. in March 2020. He was found guilty by a Carlton County jury of eight counts of murder in June 2022. Five of the eight counts were first-degree murder charges, which came with an automatic sentence of life in prison. Assistant...
One of Carlton County's longest-serving employees received statewide recognition last week for her exemplary work in the recorder's office. Kristine Basilici, Carlton County recorder and registrar of titles, earned a member-of-the-year award last week during a conference in St. Louis Park of the Minnesota Association of County Recorders. Auditors, treasures and recorders from all 87 counties were on hand when Basilici received the honor. She received a brass and wooden plaque "in recognition of...
We practice yoga for many reasons. Some of us come to the mat to find a community connection. Some people come for the strengthening and balance that yoga provides, while others come for help with flexibility. Still, others come to their mat for assistance with finding calm, and learn new ways to tame an overactive mind. This is why it's impossible to compare yourself to others while practicing yoga. Not only does everyone have their own agenda, but they come with their own strengths and...
The Cloquet school district needs to make roughly $2 million in cuts for the next school year, officials said at Monday’s school board meeting. That’s a lot, even for a budget that is fast approaching $35 million a year. But the news is not as bad as it might seem. Superintendent Michael Cary stressed that close to three-fourths of those cuts are coming as a result of two large grants ending in 2024. Those cuts were anticipated from the start of the Covid-19 federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding and a sta...
Shirley Ann Hanson passed away at her home in Cloquet on Sunday, February 25, 2024, at the age of 78. Shirley was born on July 31, 1945, to Lawrence and Lillja (Niemi) Pettit in Carlton, Minnesota. She was raised in Wright, Minnesota, along with her nine siblings and was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran faith. Shirley graduated from Cromwell High School in 1963. She was united in marriage to Richard "Rick" Hanson on January 13, 1968. Together they moved to numerous places around the...
Sharon Faye Baker, 85, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, surrounded by her loved ones, at Diamond Willow Assisted Living in Cloquet. Sharon was born on Feb. 13, 1939, to Alcide and Murel (Stephenson) Lafontaine in Duluth, Minnesota. She was raised in Cloquet, Minnesota, and she spent a lot of time with her sisters throughout her life and the three of them were known as the "snoop sisters." Sharon graduated from Cloquet High school in 1957. Following graduation, she was united in marriage t...
Marchand C. Jackson, 69, of Cloquet passed away unexpectedly Feb. 19, 2024, at her home. She was born Dec. 6, 1954, in Duluth, the daughter of John and Doreen (Markham) Jackson. Marchand was a 1974 graduate of Central High School in Duluth. She worked as a caregiver for special needs clients at Pine Ridge Homes in Cloquet; she had a heart of gold. Marchand enjoyed classic muscle cars, going to car shows, and had a 1972 Chevelle SS. She also loved the sun and was a sun worshipper. She also loved...
Ruth Marie Sharratt, age 84, of Carlton, Minnesota passed away on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. She was born March 10, 1939, to Clifford and Amy (Nordell) Hansen in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Ruth developed a deep family bond while growing up near many cousins in Clearwater, Minnesota during the years you could play in the streets until dark and always feel safe. She attended grade school in Clearwater and graduated from St. Cloud Tech High School in 1957. On Sept....
Rodney Allen Niskanen, 75, of Floodwood, passed away on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, in Colorado Springs. He was born Jan. 23, 1949, in Duluth, to Leo and Lila (Marsyla) Niskanen. He graduated from Floodwood High School in 1967. On Sept. 13, 1968, he married Adele Gilbertson in Champagne, Illinois. Rodney entered the United States Air Force after graduation. He served a year before being called home to take care of the family business – logging and the farm. Behind the steering wheel of a s...
Shawn S. McKay, 52, passed away at his home in McGrath on Feb. 16, 2024. He was born May 25, 1971, in Little Falls, and grew up in Meadowlands, graduating from Meadowlands-Toivola High School in 1989. Shawn was a hard-worker and very successful in his sheetrocking business. He was very creative and had a keen eye for the little details that made things unique. Jordan was the most meaningful person in Shawn's life. He enjoyed every minute they spent together and their conversations. Shawn loved...
Charles Franklin "Frank" Liupakka, 81, of Esko passed into the arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ, peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at Essentia St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. Frank was born on Sept. 17, 1942, to Moses and Ida Liupakka in Cloquet. He was raised in, and attended school, in Esko, graduating in 1960. Frank married his grade school sweetheart, Jane Marie Juntunen, on April 15, 1961. Frank was an ownership partner in Moses Chevrolet and Liupakka Oil...
Chad Stephan Gustafson, 39, passed away Feb. 18, 2024. Visitation: 11 a.m. until the 1 p.m. memorial service on March 9 at Bethesda Lutheran Church, 204 Fifth St. in Carlton....
Minnesotans will vote in the presidential primary Tuesday, joining a cluster of states and territories in what’s known as Super Tuesday. Democratic President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are favored in their respective primaries. The two are expected inch closer to the delegate totals needed to gain the party nominations, while Democratic Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota and former Republican Governer Nikki Haley of South Carolina hope for a show of strength. The Legal Marijuana Now Party is also holding a primary. E...
After the Cloquet Area Fire District opened its February meeting with a moment of silence for fallen first responders in Burnsville, CAFD board members unanimously accepted a donation of 12 bulletproof vests from the Dead on Arms shooting range and firearms store. Assistant fire chief Corey Larson said acquiring the new Safe Life Defense vests fulfills a key objective of a crew safety system. The district has been working with the Cloquet Police Department over the past two years to maximize...
Authorities in Carlton County Sixth District Court charged a 37-year-old Carlton man with attempted murder Feb. 23, two days after he allegedly attacked another resident in a local halfway house using a weapon made with a railroad spike. Jacob Robert Clarin faces up to 20 years in prison for a second-degree felony attempted murder charge, labeled “with intent-not premeditated.” A second felony, assault with a dangerous weapon, carries a maximum seven-year sentence and $14,000 fine. The attack occurred Feb. 21, when Carlton County She...
Joint meetings of the Carlton and Wrenshall school boards that had been scheduled to commence the first Monday in March have been put on hold. Instead, the smaller consolidation committee will meet at 5 p.m. Monday in the boardroom at Carlton High School. The committee, or consolidation team, meetings are open to the public, and feature superintendents as well as board chairs for both districts. Carlton and Wrenshall districts are moving toward consolidation into a single district as soon as the 2025-26 school year. School boards from both...
Two national traditions will combine Sunday, March 17 at Cloquet's historic NorthEastern Hotel and Saloon, as area cooks show off their best Finnish soups, all washed down with the buyer's choice of green or purple beer. The purple beer pays homage to St. Urho's Day, March 16, the day that St. Urho dined on a hearty bowl of mojakka before heading out to rid the Finnish vineyards of a plague of grasshoppers. The green beer, of course, is in honor of St. Patrick, who chased all the snakes out of I...
A lack of snow didn't hamper the Scouts Saturday, as troops from around the Northland converged on the Cloquet Forestry Center for the annual Beargrease Derby, formerly known as the Klondike Derby. Normally held on snow-covered trails, it is an outdoor winter skills event. Each station around a 3K loop of trail is named for a stop along the actual Beargrease marathon route. Scouts made their way to each stop Saturday, working together to master or solve whatever task they were given at that...
George Bernard Shaw was riffing on Thomas Jefferson when he once wrote: “Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.” Are we deserving? There is one way you might answer that question this month. You can take part in an annual township meeting on March 12. Yes, national politics gets all the ire and fire these days, but don’t take your most-local government for granted. Townships are the epitome of democracy, the oldest form of representation in the country. At the annual meeting you can learn about the l...
On Feb. 14, after a previous public hearing and discussion, the city council of Moose Lake voted to contract with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement protection for the residents of Moose Lake. It was not a decision made lightly. It was a vote to ensure that the residents of Moose Lake will be provided affordable, quality, consistent law enforcement protection. It will provide more coverage for less costs. Since that time I’ve noticed that some of the people quoted, who are in favor of keeping the Moose Lak...
Patty and I would like to thank the moms and dads, grammas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, school officials, coaches and past coaches and the many boys basketball players from the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, past and present, for all the enjoyment you’ve given us for the many years we’ve followed you. We’ve gotten to know a lot of fine boys and we wish them all good luck in their future years. The seasons go by so fast. Good luck to you all. Doug and Pat Anderson, Barnum...
We’re stuck with each other. All of us. All of us Trumpsters and all of us Biden-Buddies and everyone wishing there was some sane Other Option and all of us Christians and all us Muslims and all of us Jews and Palestinians and all of us short, fat idiots and all of us tall, lean geniuses and all of us Cops and all of us Robbers and all of us addicted to chemicals and all of us addicted to religion and exercise and gambling and shopping and eating and all of us Having and all of us Wanting and a...
Wrenshall High School English teacher Ted Conover said students in his College in the Schools composition course were eager to add to local discourse. So they revised and shortened their long-form problem-solution essays on local issues into print-length editorials, and shared those with the Pine Knot News. Topics range from addressing issues in local schools, arts, athletics, all the way up to state funding and the Legislature — and we are sharing them with you this week and next. Enjoy these thought-provoking writings from Wrenshall. Book b...
