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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What a difference a day makes. Students at Cloquet High School found out Friday afternoon that they would not have to wear masks during prom the following evening, AND they would be allowed to dance with anyone they wanted to instead of being limited to a pod of six people. And dance they did, starting out following dance song directions in rows and ending with a giant mosh pit in the school's back parking lot Saturday night. Senior prom marked Cloquet senior Casey Essler's second formal dance:...
For more than a year, Minnesota has been operating under some level of restrictions, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But soon, most of those restrictions will be lifted. Gov. Tim Walz last week unveiled a three-step process to remove most Covid-19 pandemic restrictions by May 28, and end the statewide mask mandate by July 1 — sooner, if 70 percent of Minnesotans 16 and older receive at least their first vaccine dose. The first step went into effect May 7, when crowd-size and capacity limits on outdoor dining, events and get-togethers were r...
Active cases and hospitalizations are ebbing in Minnesota, but the vaccination pace remains at a relative crawl even as state public health leaders plead with unvaccinated adults to get their shots. More than 60 percent of state residents 16 and older have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. But with the pace only inching forward now, it’ll take longer to reach 70 percent — the threshold Gov. Tim Walz linked to ending the statewide mask mandate. A few weeks ago, the state was on pace to hit the 70-percent mark in mid-May; now it’s push...
The video is amazing. The reaction from Barnum High School sophomores Kate Ferrin and Ava Gran tells you all you need to know about how big a deal it was to find out last weekend that they are national champions. "We got first in nationals," Gran breathlessly says in an exhilarating reaction recorded online as news came May 8 that the team's national Business Professionals of America (BPA) project was deemed the best in the country. Days later, Gran was still in a daze. "It's crazy. It's...
Esko High School senior Michael Urie has been accepted to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland after receiving a nomination from U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, who represents the 8th Congressional District in Minnesota. Urie said he was drawn to the military academy because "many members of my family have served, and I'd like to follow in their footsteps." Teens interested in attending U.S. service academies are encouraged to seek nominations from members of Congress. Stauber said Urie...
After the Pfizer vaccine was approved this week for ages 12 and older, Cloquet’s Community Memorial Hospital will hold a vaccine clinic opportunity for anyone 12 years old and older from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 20 at the hospital. Anyone under 18 must bring a parent or guardian along to the appointment to sign a consent form. The second dose of vaccine will be administered June 10. Parents will need to attend this appointment as well. Anyone interested in being vaccinated or having their child aged 12 or older vaccinated can register by c...
Free community meals will be offered Thursday May 20 and 27 at the Carlton VFW, Cloquet VFW and Fond du Lac Head Start. There will be approximately 100 meals per location. Distribution starts at 3 p.m. and lasts until the meals are gone. Recipients are asked to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior. The meals, provided by Loaves & Fishes, will be prepared by Jim Vnuk of Jim ’n’ Jo’s Katering and Paul Sapyta and Kevin Peterson of Room at the Table Catering and Bakery, with volunteer support from the area United Way, Lions Club, Fond du Lac B...
The Cloquet Public Library will not be collecting fines for families with children from May 14 through Aug. 6 so that families continue to read throughout the summer and participate in their summer reading program....
For the first time since spring 2020, Monday’s Cloquet school board meeting was open to the public. No one came, but they could have. The change arose from a ruling on open meeting law by the Minnesota Commissioner of Administration, detailed in last week’s Pine Knot News story, “State ruling causes alarm.” The advisory opinion requires that boards allow members of the public to physically attend a meeting at which there is at least a quorum of board members (four, in the case of the Cloquet...
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will offer a new sustainable food systems class this summer. This summer's class, SUST 2090 Field Experience, is the first course of several that will form a new track in FDLTCC's Environmental Science program. The course is rooted in Indigenous values and food sovereignty, aiming to translate reciprocal relationships into sustainable harvest and cultivation techniques. The course's seven modules are holistic in nature with topics in treaty rights,...
Esko seniors will graduate in a normal ceremony this year, if everything goes the way superintendent Aaron Fischer hopes it does. “Current guidelines will allow only two guests per student,” at the graduation ceremony, he told the Pine Knot News, “but we’re expecting the restrictions to be relaxed May 28. If they are, we’re ready to have a completely normal graduation ceremony on June 4.” Students will be allowed up to six guests if the Minnesota Department of Education modifies its guidelines...
Approving the choice for a new county auditor/treasurer was easy, but what salary to pay brought out some dissension among the Carlton County commissioners. On May 3, commissioners interviewed finalists for the Carlton County auditor/treasurer and recommended Kevin DeVriendt for the hire. DeVriendt worked for many years as an accountant for Carlton County Health and Human Services before moving into the auditor/treasurer’s office as an accountant the last two years. At the county board’s regular meeting Tuesday, May 11, chairman Tom Proulx mov...
A Cloquet man faces charges for allegedly creating an elaborate system of false identities and forged checks based on stolen mail. Jory Richard Johnson, 32, is facing 11 different felony charges, including two for mail theft, two identity theft, two theft by swindle, four for check forgery and one controlled substance possession charge. The charges were originally filed in November 2020, but it appears a warrant was issued for Johnson in December 2020 and not recalled until May 7. During the...
The Thomson Township Board of Supervisors welcomed Deputy Randy Roberts into his new role as the official deputy for Esko/Thomson townships at their meeting Thursday, May 6. Roberts was the temporary fill-in for the position after the retirement of deputy Rob Lucas this March, and he has now taken on the position full-time. Roberts reported there were 119 calls in April. He responded to 59 of those himself, including a string of mail thefts that have taken up a bit of his time. Roberts said that the case is on track to be handled at a federal...
The Carlton schools choir concert previewed in the April 30 issue went off with only one hitch, but a major one: technical difficulties. So while the students were able to sing together and the 75-minute concert was recorded, the livestream link didn’t work. Not to worry. It will run on CAT-7, the local cable access channel, at 5:55 p.m. Fridays, 2:05 p.m. Saturdays and 12:15 p.m. Mondays for the next month. Don’t have cable? Anyone who would like to view the concert over the internet can find the link on the Bethesda Lutheran Church page at...
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College was set to award associate degrees and diplomas to 157 students during a virtual commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 13, after this issue of the Pine Knot News went to press. In addition to the virtual ceremony, modified in-person celebrations were planned, including pinning exercises for nursing program graduates and a drive-through graduate parade starting at 5 p.m. Thursday....
After a summer season where The Beach at Pinehurst Park sat empty and unused due to the pandemic, we are excited to see leaders are opening the pool this summer. It’s a sign that things may be getting back to normal, and we couldn’t be happier. Yes, the pool opens Monday, June 14. It’s quite a gem, one of the few sand-bottomed swimming ponds left in the state. The city-owned pool in the heart of Cloquet is slightly chlorinated for hygiene and fully staffed with lifeguards for safety and security. Although the textured “sand” is more gravelly...
I don't know if people realize how close we came to losing a seat in Congress recently. If good ol' Minnesotans had not been so effective at completing the census, odds are pretty good our eight representatives would have been reduced to seven, and redistricting would have made our region grossly underrepresented in Congress. That census really worked out well for us. Minnesotans were so close to losing a seat, if New York state had counted just 89 more people, Minnesota's eighth seat would...
Has anyone noticed, or is it just me? The area of the Pine Tree Plaza parking lot drive between the Big Lake Road entrance and McDonald’s restaurant could sure use some attention. I don’t know if it is private property or government property; in any case, is the owner aware of the deterioration? I would describe it as being wall-to-wall potholes. Are there any plans to improve it? Also, at the Big Lake Road entrance there is an island of rocks and shrubs that block the line of incoming traffic entering the parking lot, causing vehicles to swe...
There was an error in the coverage of the recent Veterans Park vandalism, which reported that vandals “spraypainted a Nazi swastika” on the restroom shelter. At best, this is an unsubstantiated claim; at worst, it’s factually inaccurate, and it’s worth discussing why. The swastika in question appears to be a left-facing swastika (or aswastika), which is a Buddhist symbol for love or mercy, while the Nazi swastika typically faces right. To be clear, I doubt the vandals themselves knew this, as vandals do not tend to be particularly sophist...
I haven't been to the far corners of the earth, but I have visited exotic landscapes right here in the northeast corner of Minnesota. Peat bogs abound in our region and they provide an unusual and intriguing adventure for the curious. The recipe for a peat bog starts with a glacier moving slowly across the land. Our quadrant of the state has been glaciated many times, with the last glacier retreating about 11,000 years ago. As the final huge ice mass inched its way across the land, it scoured...
Fishing opener is this Saturday, May 15. That means the start of fishing for walleye, bass, northern pike and trout in lakes, plus the kickoff of the summer tourism season. As you prepare to hit the water for Saturday’s fishing opener, it’s vital to keep in mind that in many places the water temperature remains dangerously cold. Please be aware of this and plan accordingly. The law requires anyone younger than 10 to wear a life jacket when boating, but the DNR urges everyone to wear a life jacket when they’re on or near water. This is espec...
It was yardwork on overdrive Friday when close to 100 Carlton students spent the morning cleaning yards, trailsides and the entire Hillside Cemetery in advance of the citywide brush collection Monday. "It's nice to see the kids out and about in the community, doing their part," said Leola Rodd, who has organized the annual cleanup since 2010. "And it's good for the kids to get out. We'll do it if somebody calls, I don't question eligibility. If you need your yard raked or want it raked, we will...
Hockey isn't just a young man's game - the 10 teams that turned out for the Rusty Axe men's hockey tournament earlier this year proved that. Joe Broneak said he was thrilled with the number of players who signed up. They had teams from Carlton County, but also Duluth and the Iron Range. Most of the players were 21 or older. "Six of us got together and planned it six weeks in advance and we got 10 teams. Next time we'll start earlier and hope for 16 teams," he said. Other organizers included...
Laurel (Cahill) Peltier, 74, of Farmington passed away March 10, 2021 from respiratory failure. She is lovingly remembered by her children, Jessica and Eli Peltier, and her grandchildren, Breanna (21), Hannah Grace (13), Holly Ann (11), Mila (7) and Lily (4). Laurel enjoyed spending precious time with her grandchildren. She was creative and truly loved giving gifts. Laurel also loved fresh flowers. She would give them to her grandchild on every occasion. A Celebration of Life will take place 1...
