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 wasn't exactly "business as usual" in Carlton County Monday. Still, shoppers could choose from a wider variety of businesses, after the latest stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Tim Walz expired Monday, replaced by an order allowing nonessential retail businesses to open at 50-percent capacity provided they have a coronavirus safety plan. In Cloquet, those plans ran the gamut from basic sanitizing to three-step plans for customers. John and Joanne Buskala say they're following New York Gov. An...
Although many celebrate with a trip to the cabin, the actual purpose of Memorial Day on Monday is to honor and recognize the war dead. It is observed on the last Monday in May, when many people also remember family members by placing flowers on graves or simply visiting the cemetery. This year, under the cloud of a health pandemic, Memorial Day in Carlton County will not look like past commemorations. Although Cloquet Combined Honor Guard is placing flags on the graves of soldiers Saturday,...
Historic Minnesota events with anniversaries this week. May 22 1888 Minneapolis architect LeRoy S. Buffington, the "Father of the Skyscraper," patents a construction method involving a steel skeleton that allows structures to be built to any height. He referred to them as "cloudscrapers." May 23 1857 Twelve counties are created. Six are named for individuals important to the state's history: Aitkin is for William A. Aitkin (also spelled Aitken), who ran an American Fur Company post on Sandy...
The national VFW Auxiliary website offers a number of ways to commemorate Memorial Day while maintaining social distancing this year, including the following: Fly the American flag. • Make signs to hang on your door thanking the military. • Hang a “Buddy” poppy wreath on your front door. • Have food delivered or leave groceries at someone’s door. • Mow a veteran’s lawn or do other yard work for them. • Send a card or letter to a hospitalized or homebound veteran. • Call service members and veterans to say thank you. • Place flowers and fla...
When the Minnesota Legislature ended earlier this week without passing major bonding and tax bills, those waiting for funding word in Carlton County had to feel the sting. The failure to meet the deadline, and the push into a likely special session in mid-June, has ramifications from water lines to school consolidation to the county jail funding prospects. Remaining in limbo is the measure that would have brought millions into the Carlton-Wrenshall school consolidation plan. A planned August referendum, asking residents for money to pay for the...
The Minnesota Department of Health put the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Carlton at 70 as of Wednesday, May 20, up from 65 a week ago. As has been the case from the beginning, more than half of the positive cases are in the Moose Lake prison. There are 39 inmates who have tested positive at the prison — the MDH counts those — and 31 who are presumed positive, meaning they were not tested but they have been exposed to someone who did test positive and have developed symptoms. Four tests are still pending at the Moose Lake facility, and...
The Fond du Lac human services department announced Tuesday that the Min No Aya Win Clinic was going to stop offering the Abbott ID NOW point-of-care tests for COVID-19, which provided results within 20 minutes, because of concerns about the accuracy of the tests. The tests may return false negative results, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration press release from May 14. The clinic will continue to offer the second test, which goes through the Mayo Clinic and provides results within 1-5 days. According to the official Fond du Lac...
After closing the USG plant in Cloquet for a deep cleaning following three employee-confirmed cases of COVID-19 there, USG spokesperson Kaitlyn Henderson said the company has two additional confirmed cases here. "In both cases, the employees had already been away from the plant for several days," she said. In each case, operations at the plant were temporarily suspended so it could be thoroughly cleaned. "We restarted operations after the cleaning and are currently operating like normal,"...
Inside this week's Pine Knot News is a the first of two special Class of 2020 graduations sections, filled with eight pages of photos and best wishes for the Cloquet High School Class of 2020. Subscribers can see an online version of the pages, but clicking on the pdf option of the paper online, or simply waiting until this week's paper is delivered. The Pine Knot News can also be purchased at area Kwik Trip stores, Super One, B&B Market, Fond du Lac Gas and Grocery, Walgreens, Walmart, the...
A stock water tank and a giant Coca-Cola bottle replica contained most of the one million pop can tabs Wright Elementary School students collected back in the late 1980s. The collection was to be recycled for cash, with the money donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Minneapolis, a place where families can stay while children receive medical treatment. An appreciative Ronald McDonald himself came to the tiny school on a snowy day in February and entertained the students for the afternoon. "Peo...
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ruby’s Pantry will again be held outdoors as a drive-through program from 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 27 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 615 12th Street in Cloquet. Volunteers will greet you at your car, collect your $20 donation and fill your car with food as you drive by. Organizer Sheila Peterson said the move from the Cloquet Armory comes so that volunteers can bring the food to vehicles outside the church, and she asked that people remain in their vehicles and don’t arrive too early. (If you arrive befor...
The Cloquet Public Library is taking pickup orders again for library materials. The process is simple and involves three steps: 1. Reserve books, DVDs or other library materials. Call 218-879-1531, email [email protected] or place a hold through the online catalog at www.cloquetlibrary.org. 2. Schedule a pickup time with the staff. If you miss your scheduled time, please notify the library, or your request will be cancelled. 3. Call the library when you arrive in the parking lot. Your items will already be checked out, and library staff will...
After more than a year in limbo, Cloquet is closing in on getting a permanent police chief. Three of five police chief candidates made it through to the finalist round following a brief discussion during Tuesday’s Cloquet city council meeting. One of the five had already dropped out for personal reasons. Interim Cloquet police chief Derek Randall is in the running for the position, along with Troy Bacon of Indiana, and Eric Klang of Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. Klang started his law enforcement c...
Current at-large city councilor Lara Wilkinson announced her intention today to run for re-election for the Cloquet city council. "I'm proud of the work the council has done since January of 2019," said Wilkinson. "We have transformed the leadership of Cloquet, made difficult decisions, and are moving the community toward the kind of strength and stability that has been much needed." Wilkinson said she will focus on building city leadership, street improvements, economic development and tax cont...
The National Weather Service has issued more than one Red Flag Warning for Carlton County in recent days. The warning means the area is experiencing critical weather conditions that are ideal for wildfire, including strong winds and minimum humidity values. Do not burn while the warning remains in effect, and check any burning done recently to ensure the fire is out. Any spark could become a wildfire under Red Flag conditions. The fire danger rating for Carlton and St. Louis counties is very high. Visit dnr.state.mn.us for more...
The Cloquet water department will begin flushing water mains Tuesday, May 26 and continue through the months of June, July and August. Flushing will be done between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday....
While many small and large businesses have tapped into government grant and loan programs offered in response to the shutdowns and economic downturns wrought by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are still hurting. The Cloquet Economic Development Authority wants to help. The Cloquet EDA unveiled a small business assistance program to provide small businesses within Cloquet city limits with COVID-19 relief in the form of low-interest loans. They're targeting local businesses...
Every crisis results in changes. Floods alter the flow of rivers. Volcanoes can move mountains. After 9/11, the invasive screening process at airports we accept as “normal” were implemented here. And while it’s still too early to tell how life will look post-COVID-19, we are pleased to see government is taking its open meeting requirements so seriously during this pandemic. Open meetings are essential to good government. Enough happens behind the scenes as it is, and with news outlets such as newspapers becoming scarcer, the public has less...
Boy, we can sure politicize every issue in the country, can't we? It seems that the political divide can be attached to any issue, even ones concerning science, medicine and sports. I used to joke that it wouldn't be long before we assign political leanings to professional sports teams - the "Minnesota Viking Liberals" or the "Green Bay Packer Conservatives." You get the idea. So I was curious to see how emotional people get about mail-in voting. Voting is a fundamental right in our democracy....
I wrote myriad social media rants and deleted most of them. Accusing people of being armchair epidemiologists or challenging their economics degree is unnecessary. People have opinions and today we share those on social media instead of in coffee houses. Some choose to have parties, read the paper and some choose to use social media to share. If you disagree and want to debate, that is wonderful. But name-calling has no place in our schools, nor should it as adults. I would love the question of when we should return to normal moved to a vote...
National Police week concluded on May 16. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the traditional ceremonies and events were canceled or modified. It's a time for us to recognize officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice. In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week as National Police Week, paying special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. This year, in...
Delynn Marie (Morrow) Loeb, 76, of Los Gatos, California, and formerly of Pengilly, Cloquet, and Owatonna, passed away May 18, 2020. Our merciful God was truly on her side as she passed suddenly, saving her from further descent into Alzheimer's. She joined her husband of 52 years, Don "The Boss" Loeb, just two days before his birthday. We assume that she arrived early to plan his party, which has always been her nature. Rest assured she met her savior and reunited with Don. Del was born August...
Eleanor C. Thomsen, 94, of Cloquet passed away May 18, 2020, at Augustana Care in Moose Lake. She was born Nov. 28, 1925, in Akron, Ohio, the daughter of Walter and Florence (Troyer) Garske. Eleanor worked as a subcontractor administrator for Rockwell International and Boeing. She lived in California's San Fernando Valley from 1955 to 1961 and again from 1976 to 1988. She lived in Sarasota, Florida from 1973 through 1976. Eleanor worked as a secretary at Firestone Tire and Rubber, the...
Raymond William Kemi, 89, of Esko passed away on May 17, 2020, at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. A private family service will be held. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery. Letters and cards of condolence may be sent to the family c/o Atkins Northland Funeral Home, 801 14th St., Cloquet MN 55720. Donald James Olson, 81, of Cloquet passed away on April 27, 2020, in his home. He was born Feb. 28, 1939, in Cloquet to Lloyd and Caroline Olson. There will be no services per Don’s request. Atkins Northland Funeral Home, 21...
It was "pay it forward" to the tune of $4,000. That's how much a donor (who asked to remain anonymous) gave Cloquet's Family Tradition Restaurant to use to provide meals for people in need and essential workers. Kenny Heehn, a cook and one of the eight members of the Johnson family on staff at the family- run restaurant, said someone he knows approached them. "They wanted to help us out as well as doing the right thing for the public," said Heehn, noting that Family Tradition has done a good...
