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 may be more than 1,000 miles away, but Cloquet native Peter McKinney said it felt like home when he stepped inside Mäntylä, the Frank Lloyd Wright home his Finnish grandparents built in Cloquet almost 65 years ago. Instead of being hidden in a grove of pine trees along Highway 33 in Cloquet, the home is now located in Polymath Park in Acme, Penn. After being dismantled, shipped and then reconstructed in Pennsylvania over a two-year period, Mäntylä - Finnish for "under the pines" - opened to...
A second member of the Cloquet police department faced misconduct issues that could affect his ability to be a credible witness in criminal cases. Sergeant Scott Holman, who is likely to be called upon to testify in court because of his position as both a detective and K-9 officer, was identified in a court document April 30 by defense attorney Kevin Cornwell. In a motion for supplemental disclosure for client Adam Jackson, Cornwell requested disclosure of “all” materials pertaining to Hol...
One man is dead after an airplane crashed into the Moose Horn River sometime Wednesday, May 8, likely after taking off from the Moose Lake Carlton County Airport. According to a press release from the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 7 a.m. Thursday, May 9, the aircraft was located crashed and partially submerged in the Moose Horn River, a short distance northwest of the end of the Moose Lake Airport runway. The body of a male was located. All indications appear the body is t...
Residents in the Wrenshall and Moose Lake school districts will vote on an increase in school taxes to pay for improvements at the schools in special elections Tuesday, May 14. In Wrenshall, officials are hoping the third time will be the charm after voters rejected referendum proposals in April 2017, and then again last fall by a much smaller majority. In the current referendum proposal, the Wrenshall school district is requesting to bond for $14.4 million. The plan is to shore up the shell of the now-closed rec building and convert it into a...
Earlier this week, Sappi North America announced the completion of a $25 million capital investment at the Cloquet mill, which was to “debottleneck” areas of the pulp manufacturing process. Managing director Mike Schultz said the investment will bring an additional 30,000 tons per year of pulp production capacity for Sappi’s dissolving wood pulp customers. Look for more on this story in next week’s Pine Knot News....
After responding to 15 vehicle prowl calls in six days, the Cloquet police department is warning residents to beware of break-ins and lock their cars and trucks. In a press release, the department offered several tips beyond simply locking your vehicle: 1. Keep valuables out of sight (electronics, purses, bags, backpacks, wallets, cash, and car keys). 2. Park in areas where there is regular vehicle and pedestrian traffic. 3. Park in well-lit areas when possible. 4. Don’t leave your car running unattended. 5. Add a security alarm or use an a...
Cloquet police commander carey Ferrell said things have been extra busy at the department, where he is currently pulling double duty as patrol commander and acting chief while current police chief Jeff Palmer has been on voluntary paid leave for reasons that have yet to be revealed. City administrator Aaron Reeves reiterated that he assigned Ferrell to “perform the duties and responsibilities of chief” after Palmer was placed on leave effective April 16. According to the department’s policy manual, the order of command in the absence or avail...
“Heart to Heart,” a nondenominational Christian group in the Cloquet area, has been meeting for the past six years. This group offers women in the surrounding communities a time of fellowship, friendship, refreshments and inspiration. The focus of this ministry is to enjoy an inspirational speaker, an opportunity to hear about various needs in our communities, and ways to become involved. There is also special music. Heart to Heart meets three times a year and welcomes all who are interested in coming to this fun and casual event. Several are...
The Minnesota season is open for walleye, northern pike and trout in lakes Saturday, May 11. Out of the 1.4 million licensed anglers in Minnesota, about half a million anglers take part in the tradition of the fishing opener. Make sure to buy your fishing license, available at any DNR license agent, online using a mobile or desktop device, or by phone at 888-665-4236. Mobile buyers receive a text or email that serves as proof of a valid fish or game license to state conservation officers. There are about 3,000 public water access sites...
A bridge removal project is scheduled to begin Monday, May 20, on Highway 23 in Carlton County. Highway 23 will be closed to through-traffic between County Road 4 and County Road 1. Motorists will be detoured around the closed area. The SOO Line Railroad bridge will be removed and will not be replaced. The project is scheduled to be completed in early July of this year....
Cloquet city councilors and administration agree: it’s time for another police study. While not referring directly to police and council actions that contributed to a rising tide of citizen mistrust and frustration over the previous two years, city administrator Aaron Reeves pointed out that the Cloquet police department was one of the issues that drove last year’s election. Councilors voted unanimously Tuesday to pay the Novak Consulting Group $48,800 to conduct a police department operations s...
Twenty years have passed since Thomson Township adopted its comprehensive plan in February 1999. Over that time, the population of the northern Carlton County township has grown from 4,430 to 5,120 in 2017, making it the second-largest community in Carlton County. A business park that didn’t even exist when the last comprehensive plan was adopted is now over two-thirds full. Many of the residential subdivision lots are sold out. Many other indicators point to strong growth possibilities for t...
To the editor: In your last editorial, “State needs to modify Cloquet sales tax,” I agree that a modification needs to be made to allot for usage of the designated funding. I disagree with your statement that since “the original $4.5 million … allocated for the parks improvement (has) already been spent” these departments should receive more of the modified sales tax funds. Instead I believe this added money should be used to better our streets, other infrastructure needs and care of the general public. Any money left over from these necessary...
To the editor: Some of those opposed to the upcoming Wrenshall school referendum have expressed a desire for consolidation as a reason for their opposition. What might not be recognized is that the current referendum plan positions the district well for future consolidation or continued independence. The plan — which was submitted to and approved by the state department of education — was specifically designed with the possibility of a future consolidation in mind. Consolidation between Wrenshall and Carlton has been an on-again, off-again top...
To the editor, It’s painful to admit, but our area is part of the underserved nine percent of the population in the state when it comes to having access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet service. We can’t wait any longer — and it didn’t help that the funding bill was vetoed last year. That’s all the more reason the legislature needs to adopt the House funding level that incorporates the Rural Broadband Coalition and governor’s full recommendation of $70 million over the next two years. Mark Thell, Carlton County Commissione...
To the editor: Contrary to what some community members say, community members with different perspectives do support education and advocate “common sense.” Many community members want to wait until the major risk factor, the energy/utility tax settlements, is resolved. Only then will we know what the overall tax impact will be to residential property taxpayers. Common sense would dictate that we should not increase residential property taxes by hundreds of dollars each year for the next 20 years until this risk factor is determined. The cur...
To the editor: Exploring art and culture is important for everyone because it connects us and brings our community together. Culture is a part of people's lives, history and family. If one culture doesn't know about another culture, how will we learn more about each other? How will we know what other people are thinking? At Cloquet Middle School we want to learn about other cultures. Sometimes we don't respect each others' differences, because we don't always understand. When working with our An...
There’s a lot of talk about the bias people bring to their jobs, especially in the media. Most of the grousing is by people who don’t like to hear any news that challenges their own beliefs. For example, many political stories are dismissed by those who don’t want to hear other viewpoints. So they often complain that the reporter or the media is biased. But there is bias everywhere. In the legal profession, we are required to attend courses every three years to help us recognize bias in our prof...
In my last article, I left off with the question: What is progress? This very question is coupled with the terms “perception” and “social norms,” relating to how we Americans view and handle the current climate of social unrest. There is a vast difference in perception held by our eldest population of the World War II era and that of our youngest currently in high school and college, Generation Z. Much of this has to do with the social circumstances surrounding us in our youth. Opinions formed...
About 150 people from all over the Eighth Congressional District attended a "thank you" dinner for retired U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, who retired this year after serving the district since 2013. State Rep. Mike Sundeen, DFL-Esko, was the master of ceremonies. Local party dignitaries such as former legislators Don Samuelson and Loren Solberg joined former congressman Bill Luther and former state attorney general Lori Swanson in praising Nolan's accomplishments in Congress. Swanson, who ran for the...
There is a lovely smell in the air these days – manure. I used to turn up my nose at it when I first came to Wrenshall but I've come to enjoy the smell because it means the work of farming has moved from indoor planning to outdoor planting. The Laveaus got out and turned up some acreage, Northern Harvest got their first planting in on Saturday, the Food Farm put broccoli into the ground, and Spectrum Farm has strawberry plants safely tucked into the fields. We cut our second crop of salad mix f...
Congratulations to Luc and Suzy Goodin on the birth of their third child. Daughter Ariahlyn Valinor was born May 1. She is also welcomed by her sisters Kieriahna, 10, and Emberleigh, 1, and grandparents Carol and Keith Laine, and Mark and Linda Dahlman. Our sincere sympathy to the family of Stephen Richard Krogh, 72, of Duluth, who died at St. Luke’s Hospital April 22. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 at Cromwell United Methodist Church. I was saddened to hear of the r...
Harriet F. Kruger, 88, of Cloquet, Minn. passed away Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. She was born Nov. 30, 1930 in Cloquet to Harry and Frances (Grabowski) Youngbauer and graduated from Cloquet High School in 1948. Harriet was united in marriage to Floyd W. Kruger, the love of her life, on April 7, 1956 at Salem Lutheran Church in Hermantown. Together they raised six children. Harriet enjoyed going to the cabin at Aerie Lake near Alborn, playing softball in her...
Randy E. Jokela, 64, of Cloquet, Minn. passed away Tuesday, April 9, 2019. Visitation: 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. memorial service Friday, May 10 at Nelson Funeral Care in Cloquet, with the Rev. Barbara Birkeland officiating. A lunch reception will follow in the Fellowship Room. Kenny Merrill, 65, of Barstow, Calif. passed away Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 in the Barstow Community Hospital. Celebration of Life: 3-5 p.m. Saturday, May 11, 2019 at Bethel Lutheran Church, 1012 29th St. in Scanlon. Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Care....
After years of study and infrastructure planning, the Big Lake Area Sanitary District is having trouble getting over the final hurdle in cleaning up a lake that is surrounded by failing residential sewer systems. The district has been trying to get the Fond du Lac Reservation’s Reservation Business Committee to sign on to a joint powers agreement that would start the flow of money and construction for a sewage collection plant with hookups around the lake. Earlier this year, the district board held emergency meetings in order to meet d...
