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's high and dry in Idaho. When she felt the humidity here, Brittany Peterson immediately knew she was back home. The Carlton native and elite trail runner was trying to take advantage of a COVID-19 pandemic break in her race schedule to fulfill a dream - running the 310-mile Superior Hiking Trail that cuts right through her old stamping grounds. As a cross country runner in high school, training runs were taken along the trail in Jay Cooke State Park. It was all coming back to her in the...
While the Duluth City Council will vote on a proposal Monday to require people to wear masks in public spaces and gatherings, the Cloquet City Council isn’t quite ready to take that step. Mayor Roger Maki broached the idea during a council discussion of ongoing pandemic measures by the city to limit the spread of COVID-19. Maki pointed out that it’s a popular discussion point right now, with cities like Rochester, Mankato and Edina implementing requirements for face coverings recently. Additiona...
Historic Minnesota events with anniversaries this week. July 11 1999 Duluth’s state representative Willard Munger dies of liver cancer at age 88. He had served in the Minnesota House since 1955 and was known as Mr. Environment for his reputation as a pioneer, leader and activist in environmental legislation. The Willard Munger State Trail, which runs through Carlton County, is named in his honor. July 12 1829 Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Taylor ends his command at Fort Snelling, which had begun May 24, 1828. He would later lead the U.S. Army i...
While many other summer festivities have gone by the wayside during the coronavirus pandemic, the folks in Wright will hold the small town's trademark celebration July 17-20. This year's festivities will mark the 55th annual Wrong Days in Wright celebration, where people challenge each other to a game of O-G-N-I-B (Bingo spelled backwards) and play to lose in a cribbage tournament. This year's poster aptly announces: "We're still Wrong in Wright in a World Gone Awry." While it's fun to mix...
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Carlton County reached 88 on Wednesday, July 8, an increase of five cases in a week, versus an increase of five cases over the previous three weeks. There have been no reported deaths in Carlton County attributed to COVID-19 yet. In nearby St. Louis County, total confirmed cases sat at 198 with 16 deaths as of July 8. While the state's original predictions of a peak in July did not come true (yet) because of early measures, state officials warn that...
ATV accidents on July Fourth killed a woman in Barnum Township and a man in Holyoke township. Tricia Jean Lanthier, 47, of Proctor, died of injuries received in the Barnum Township crash, which was likely caused by limited visibility from excessive dust. Emergency personnel responded to a 911 call at 11:40 a.m. Saturday, reporting an ATV crash at the intersection of County Road 139 and County Road 6 in Barnum Township. Carlton County Sheriff’s deputies and the Minnesota State Patrol responded along with Emergency Medical Services from the B...
The Minnesota Insulin Safety Net Program launched July 1, and will allow Minnesotans in urgent need of insulin (less than a seven-day supply on hand) to access the life-saving drug through their pharmacy. The Insulin Safety Net Program is made up of two parts: 1) The urgent need program for eligible Minnesotans to receive a once-per-year 30-day supply of insulin immediately at their pharmacy for no more than a $35 copay; and 2) The continuing need program for eligible Minnesotans to receive up to a one-year supply of insulin for no more than...
A former Carlton teacher and girls basketball coach faces felony charges of criminal sexual conduct stemming from allegations of sexually abusing a prior student more than 20 years ago. Robert Kent Pioro, 62, was charged in Carlton County Sixth District Court on Thursday, July 2, with three counts of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree for engaging in sexual penetration with a person who was 16 years old when he was in a position of authority over the victim. Each charge stems from a different incident that occurred in Carlton County ...
As schools continue to plan for three possible scenarios for resuming classes in the fall, details continue to emerge. As reported in the Pine Knot News on June 26, state officials told schools to prepare for three different possibilities in the fall: 1. In-person learning for all students with as much space between students as feasible during the day. 2. A hybrid model with stricter social distancing and capacity limits in the building and buses. 3. Distance learning only. In the weeks since...
The NorthEastern Hotel and Saloon will hold its annual Nordlager Club sale from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, July 11, on the grounds of the historic hotel and drinking establishment on Dunlap Island (115 St. Louis Ave.) Cloquet. Look for the 40-foot-tall Hamm’s Bear. Beer clocks, signs, cans and more for sale by 40-plus vendors. Held outdoors. The historic bar with its myriad antique beer signs is open inside and out; food and drink will be available. Social distancing will be observed, masks recommended. Questions? Call 218-393-0657 or 2...
All Carlton County governmental offices are now open to the public again, although there are numerous restrictions in place to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. All Carlton County offices at the Courthouse, including the assessor and auditor offices, are open. However, visitors are expected to practice at least 6 feet of social distancing and wear a face covering when appropriate. Only one person or household will be assisted in an office service area at a time. The Public Health and Human Services building in Cloquet remains open to the...
The Carlton County Board has livestreamed its last three meetings and people are tuning in online in larger numbers than normally attend the regular county board meetings. According to the latest online county newsletter, the livestream feature has been viewed by an average of 200 people. The public is encouraged to listen to the meetings live or at a later time using the playback feature on the county website. Each meeting will be uploaded to the county Civic Plus Website within a day or two of the actual meeting. The meetings are held twice...
While the Carlton and Jay Cooke State Park area is known for its recreational trails, many people who would like to experience the beauty of these trails by bicycle may not be aware of a great resource for getting out and enjoying them. Carlton Bike Rental and Repair has been around for 10 years this summer, catering to the needs of those who would like to plan a group bicycle ride on the Willard Munger, Alex Laveau, or St. Louis River trails. The shop features a fleet of rentals: hybrid bikes i...
The film“Jaws” is a cinematic marvel based on the bestselling book by Peter Benchley. It became a blockbuster summer movie, a classic thriller and it settled Steven Spielberg as one of the industry’s great movie directors. The hit came out in 1975, 45 years ago this summer. Many of us remember the movie and how it scared some people out of the water for fear of shark attacks. Others remember some of the kitchy tie-in promotional items, or the ominous “da-dum” music. We are revisiting the theme of “Jaws” in today’s world. The film was set in...
School districts typically take summer time to clean and repair school facilities, plan for the following school year, and maybe take some time off for vacation. This year, however, many in the schools are busy trying to figure out how to educate kids while protecting them (and us) from the risks of the coronavirus. The first day of school is right around the corner (sorry, kids), but the schools themselves aren't sure what is going to happen. Will there be kids in the classrooms? Or, will we...
Cromwell-Wright Superintendent/Principal Nathan Libbon reflected recently on his team’s response to the order to close schools and educate from afar this past spring. To me, it sounded incredibly creative, a plunging into the unknown and doing the best you can. Libbon and his team put in many extra hours and tons of creativity in delivering instruction, food, and graduation to a community of at-home students and their parents. “At first it seemed surreal,” Libbon said. “But it became real during...
“It was the second week of April,” recalled Amber Collman, a senior at Cromwell-Wright High School. They had only a couple of days to decamp and prepare for remote schooling, time that their teachers spent scrambling to adjust to remote instruction and learning. Amber was a member of the girls basketball team that had its season cut short after reaching the semifinals of the state basketball tournament. She figured then that distance learning was imminent. “That was a shock,” she recalle...
M. Margaret Schmidt, 94, of Mahtowa passed away July 6, 2020. She was born June 1, 1926, in Aitkin to Herman and Anna (Hofer) Voller. Margaret graduated from Aitkin High School in 1945. On July 4, 1946, Margaret married Robert Schmidt in Aitkin. They made their home in Cloquet until 1964, when they moved to Mahtowa where they farmed and logged together. In 1964, Margaret started working at the Moose Lake State Hospital, serving as a psychiatric technician until retiring in 1987. While in...
Audrey M. Rimolde, 83, of Wrenshall passed away March 21, 2020. She was born Feb. 15, 1937, in Duluth, the daughter of John and Mildred (Wilcox) Ostman. Audrey enjoyed going to rummage sales, working in her yard and taking pictures of her flowers. She and her husband Ben enjoyed road trips, dancing, riding motorcycle and camping. They enjoyed camping so much that they bought and operated Park Lake Resort 1977 through 1990. In her later years, she enjoyed watching television and visiting with...
Lloyd C. Schmitz, 83, of Carlton passed away July 3, 2020, at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth. He was born Nov. 23, 1936, in Twin Lakes Township, Carlton County, the son of Conrad and Erna (Breitkreutz) Schmitz. Lloyd graduated from Carlton High School and was married to Ellen E. Granholm on Sept. 20, 1958. He served in the Minnesota National Guard. Lloyd worked for the Conwed Corporation in Cloquet for 23 years and then as a mechanic for the Carlton County Highway Department for 16 years. He...
The 89th Cloquet Invitational is on. The golf tournament began Thursday and will run through Sunday at the Cloquet Country Club, weather permitting. Due to the pandemic, the format has changed. Typically a three-day tourney, this year the first through seventh flight participants will be competing on Thursday and Friday and the senior and championship flights will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday. Club pro manager Bill Manahan said more than 175 players are playing in this year's event. Some...
The morning of June 21, Father's Day, broke hot and humid in the Twin Cities. I was visiting my daughter and son-in-law and three of my grandsons. My work quarantine was over and, for the first time in three months, I was able to see my grandsons and play ball with them. Little did I know it came close to being the last time. After a quick breakfast, we all headed to a ballpark where we played catch, hit grounders and I pitched to them as we finally got a little normalcy back in our lives. The f...
The entire Baker crew was in Duluth the other day, and, on a whim, we decided to check out some campers. We pulled into Bullyan RV and proceeded to drive through the line of small travel trailers along the edge of the parking lot, pointing at the ones that our Suburban might safely pull. By the time we parked, we had our short list already narrowed down. We weaved and bobbed around the row of trailers like a flock of ducklings paddling cross current on a lazy afternoon. We jumped over trailer...
As his teammates watch, Alex Walther keeps an eye on the ball he's about to crush one evening in late June during bar league slowpitch softball play at Cloquet's Pinehurst Park. The teams play games every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 9:30, at least for now as the COVID-19 pandemic continues....
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten the health of people locally and across the country, Carlton County acting auditor/treasurer Kathy Kortuem said both the county and the secretary of state are encouraging people to vote by using absentee ballots if they don’t already live somewhere using mail-in ballots. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weighed in last month, suggesting that election officials take steps to minimize crowds at voting locations, including by offering alternative voting methods. Absentee v...
