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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Senior Isaac Hill sat in the auto shop building at Cloquet High School Friday morning, parking an 18-wheeler over and over again, a different scenario popping up on the video screen in front of him each time, then being graded after each simulation. Hill can feel the change in steering pressure as he practices each maneuver. Most of the time he gets 100 percent, when 80 percent is required to pass. On the parallel parking exercise, he got only 96 points out of 100. That's because he turned too...
Call them hiccups or hurdles, the consolidation efforts between the Carlton and Wrenshall school districts were bound to encounter them. But so soon in the process? A third meeting of the shared consolidation committee yielded an impasse on Tuesday, when the Wrenshall contingent pressed contract issues, while the Carlton contingent balked. "If that is where the line is drawn," Carlton board chair Julianne Emerson said, alluding to potential for a deal-breaker, "we can all have a really free...
As Minnesota continues to face record-high winter temperatures, Gov. Tim Walz announced last week that Minnesota has unlocked federal funding for small businesses impacted by this winter’s historic drought conditions. Amid the warmest winter on record, federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available because of ongoing federal drought declarations affecting 81 Minnesota counties. “From skiing and snowshoeing to winter festivals, snowy winters are part of our way of life in Minnesota. The low precipitation we’ve experienced this winte...
Betty Lou Milberger, the daughter of Tina Wilhelimina (Salo) and Emil Joseph Plante was born on Oct. 20, 1930, in Cloquet. After high school, she worked at Diamond Match until she married Robert D. Milberger on Oct. 3, 1953. Betty was a housewife as she and Robert had eight children together. For 50 years she helped Robert sell Teeny Weeny Donuts, going from fair to fair in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Betty always enjoyed talking with the many customers and concession stand owners. Betty...
Roger Vincent Abramowski of Brookston passed away March 11, 2024, at St. Luke’s Hospital. Roger was born Nov. 11, 1949, in Cloquet. He was 74 years and 4 months old to the day when he journeyed on to heaven to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Roger was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mae Abramowski. He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years and 3 months, Wanda (Bockovich) Abramowski. Roger had diabetes for more than 64 years, and Wanda helped him outlive and o...
The Carlton school board met Monday in a working session devoted mostly toward preparing for the next night’s consolidation committee meeting with Wrenshall. Carlton was still smarting from a set of emails exchanged primarily between the board chairs regarding information and agendas. The messages are terse, and like all emails had the potential to stir up raw emotions if written or received in a tone not intended. A March 4 meeting between the consolidation teams was intended to smooth over the disagreements and was partially successful, b...
A search was underway Wednesday morning on the Fond du Lac Reservation for a 31-year-old Native American man last seen and heard from on Friday. Peter Michael Martin is considered a missing person, according to a Fond du Lac Band news release. A search and rescue effort began at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, March 13, using police and volunteers combing the Mahnomen neighborhood. The search-and-rescue effort was being coordinated out of the Brookston Community Center at 8200 Belich Road in Cloquet....
Stanley Walter "Stan" McKibbon passed away Monday, March 11, 2024. Stan was born in Cloquet on July 27, 1951, to Walter and Margaret McKibbon. He graduated from Carlton High School in 1969. He served four years in the U.S. Navy and married Sharon Blyth in 1972 in California. Stan was a gentle, easygoing man who had the love of fixing things and putzing around with just about anything. His creative mind and need to figure out how things worked made him a great person to bounce ideas off of. He...
Two adults have been charged and two juveniles have been petitioned after the Feb. 24 shooting into a home in Cloquet. Carlton County Attorney Laura Ketola made the announcement after last week’s issue of the Pine Knot went to press. Arrested were Raymond Peterson, 19, and Mukwa Belanger, 18. Police investigating the shooting on Bagaan Street, near the Fond du Lac Supportive Housing complex, said they spoke with four people they believe were involved in the shooting, leading to the arrests. According to police, Peterson had an altercation w...
The regular Cloquet City Council meeting scheduled for March 19 has been canceled, due to a lack of agenda items, said city administrator Tim Peterson. The next regularly scheduled council meeting is set for April 2 at 6 p.m....
The Cloquet High School and Cloquet Middle School student council students are putting on a CHS staff vs. CMS staff volleyball game at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 in the middle school gym. Ticket cost is $5 at the door and concessions will be available. All the proceeds from the event will go toward this year’s student council state service project: Make-A-Wish Minnesota....
After flirting for weeks with a resolution that calls for wolf management in the state, the Carlton County board voted unanimously Tuesday to appeal to federal and state legislators to delist gray wolves from endangered species protection. The board agreed to send letters to Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, as well as Rep. Pete Stauber, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and local state legislators, Sen. Jason Rarick and Rep. Jeff Dotseth. "We are hopeful that you will support this effort to delist...
Ardis Joan "Bestemor" (Eide) Jons, born on June 9, 1933, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, died on Dec. 18, 2023, in Tucson, Arizona. The younger daughter of John and Aagot Eide, she grew up on the family farm near Baltic. A third-generation Norwegian immigrant, she valued hard work, equity, and kindness. This also meant she had a weakness for lefse, krumkake and, yes, even lutefisk. But you couldn't keep her down on the farm. Despite her parents' misgivings, she was off to the five-year R.N....
The annual meeting for residents of Thomson Township ended Tuesday with a standing ovation for clerk-treasurer Rhonda Peleski, who is retiring at the end of the month. Jason Paulson, a former township supervisor and current resident, made the motion to thank Peleski for her nearly 31 years of work for the township. "On behalf of Thomson Township citizens, I'd like to thank Rhonda Peleski for your decades of service to this community," Paulson said, requesting the motion be entered into the...
Mary Jo (Erickson) Farleigh, 75, was surrounded with love and carried to her heavenly home on the wings of the Holy Spirit on Monday, March 11, 2024. She was a treasured wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. Mary Jo met the love of her life, Abe Farleigh, while they served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Together, they built a beautiful home and touched countless lives. Mary Jo was preceded in death by her mom and dad, Josie and Arvid Erickson; sister Janet; and brother John. Mary Jo is...
It’s been nearly nine years, but two more blocks of Eighth Street — from Prospect to Sahlman Avenue — are getting a much-needed overhaul this summer. Cloquet city councilors unanimously approved the reconstruction of the pothole-ridden street, along with replacing water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer infrastructure at a total estimated cost of $1.5 million. Construction is expected to begin in May or June and be completed in September. The majority of the costs will be paid through state aid dollars, which come with requirements that set t...
Jeffrey Melvin "Opie" Aho passed away on Monday, March 11, 2024, at Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. He was born in Minneapolis on July 3, 1967. He graduated from Barnum High School in 1985. He worked at Woodland Services for five years, and retired from USG in October 2023 after almost 31 years of service. He was a great mentor and a great guy; everyone who worked with him knew it. Opie enjoyed spending his time hunting and playing softball, cards and pinball. He was an...
Renee Allison Abramowski, 67, of Cloquet passed away Thursday, March 7, 2024, at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth. Renee was born Feb, 11, 1957, to Russell Cash and Phyllis Hall in Guam. She was raised and attended school in Rochester, Minnesota. She married David Abramowski in 1985. Renee lived most of her life in Cloquet, working at Country Inn & Suites for 20 years. She enjoyed reading, taking walks and being with family. She loved spending time with her granddaughter. She was preceded in death...
Responding to a call about a shed on fire around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9, firefighters with the Cloquet Area Fire District arrived at the 1500 block of Miskomin Street in Cloquet to find a house with heavy fire coming from the eaves and back of the building. The fire, which appears to be accidental, was quickly extinguished. Damage to the already boarded-up house was extensive, and the fire is still under investigation. Battalion chief Jason Maki said CAFD would like to remind everyone to...
The Minnesota Department of Health is reminding Minnesotans who rely on private household wells for their drinking water to test regularly for contaminants. Testing is particularly important if babies or pregnant people will be drinking the water. More than 4 million Minnesotans rely on groundwater for their drinking water, including 1.1 million who rely on private wells. A recent MDH study found that less than 20 percent of well users test their drinking water as frequently as MDH recommends. Public water systems are required to meet...
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and partner organizations are proposing to treat spongy moth infestations this summer in seven counties across eastern Minnesota. Of the 42 sites, nearly half are in Carlton County. Residents are invited to get more information on the spraying at a meeting 4-6 p.m April 2 at the Cloquet Public Library. Formerly known as gypsy moths, spongy moths are ranked among America’s most destructive tree pests. The insect has caused millions of dollars in damage to forests as it has spread from New England w...
Are our local lakes and streams as clean and healthy as they should be? Is your shoreline or streambank eroding more and more each year? Would you like to beautify your yard while protecting water quality and attracting turtles, frogs, songbirds and beneficial pollinators such as bees and butterflies? Whether you've lived on a lake or stream for 1 year or 20 years, we encourage you to think about what we call your "buffer zone." This area between your backyard and the lake is very important. A...
County Seat Theater Company opens this weekend with "Black Comedy," billed as a hilarious, crowd-pleasing slapstick comedy. The show features several colorful, duplicitous characters stumbling around a pitch-black room - all in full view of the audience, who watch the events unfold in full light. Set in London in the 1960s, lovesick and desperate sculptor Brindsley Miller (portrayed by Preston Johnson) has embellished his apartment with furniture and objects d'arte "borrowed" from the absent...
What Sen. Jason Rarick failed to mention in his article last week is that the testing locations that the Driver and Vehicle Services department is proposing closing are open only one day a week, at most, for limited or inconsistent hours, and run by examiners who are stationed full-time elsewhere. He mentioned losing Moose Lake, a testing center that is open for road tests from 12:30 to 3:30 on Thursdays. At 20 minutes per appointment, the lone examiner who travels there from Duluth can usually give six Class D skills tests before they need to...
I was at the Thomson Township annual meeting last evening, March 12, and proposed a resolution for the town board, staff, and attorney to lobby the Minnesota Association of Townships and our state representative and senator to consider changing state statute to again have township board elections held “at large,” as was done a number of years ago. The state, a number of years ago, mandated township boards be elected “by seat” instead. The only thing that this accomplishes is to give re-election advantage to the incumbent due to severel...
