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At first glance, Cloquet's Kelly Avenue looks like any other street in the city: mostly tidy homes with flowers blooming outside, tall trees, cars parked in driveways and on the street, the occasional person out for a walk. But neighbors told a different story at Tuesday's Cloquet city council meeting. Close to a dozen people showed up to complain about what they see as an inadequate police response to repeated calls about two homes that make the neighborhood anything but peaceful. Longtime...
Cloquet city councilor Chris Swanson announced Tuesday that he will step down as the Ward 3 representative effective Aug. 17. Swanson and his family are moving to a home a few blocks outside of Ward 3, so he will no longer fulfill the qualifications to represent his current constituents. "I've taken great pleasure, and it's been really fascinating and interesting. We have a lot of great folks who work for the city. I know we still have some problems, as we've heard from the residents here...
Who knew that blacksmithing and friendships could go hand in hand? A curious crowd of nearly 40 people turned out for Sunday's first Forging Friendships event at Spafford Park on Dunlap Island in Cloquet. Donald and Brian Lokken worked with 14 people to make projects to take home. Participants could choose to make a wall hook, bookmark, plant hanger, "S" hook, or a leaf. The Carlton County Historical Society gave away Stories of a Century: Cloquet Centennial Book of Reflections 1904-2004. They...
Cracks filled with knee-high weeds zigzag across the tennis courts at Carlton's South Terrace Elementary School. Although there are nets, the courts are in such a state of disrepair it would be almost impossible to play a game of tennis there. With the school district battling ongoing budget woes, repairing the tennis courts has not been a priority for a school board that is working hard to simply keep the schools open and fully staffed. Ed Kavanaugh gets that. The Carlton grad has been on the...
Two northern Minnesota Native American tribes have sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a bid to reverse recent changes the state made to its water quality standards. The tribes argue the changes are likely to damage wild rice and pollute waters on their reservations and treaty-protected lands. The Fond du Lac and Grand Portage Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa filed the suit Thursday in federal district court. It seeks to overturn the EPA’s approval last October of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s recent overhaul of its Cla... Website
Earlier this summer, Julie Holmgren traveled from Paynesville, Minnesota to Wrenshall where she had booked Farm LoLa's new "AirB-n- BAWK!" She brought with her a copy of "Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm – from Scratch," the written tale of Jason and Lucie Amundsen's voyage from city dwellers with a backyard flock to running a free-range local egg farm in rural Carlton County. In the newest chapter of the Locally Laid Egg Company story, the Amundsens have now opene...
After eight years of research and planning, Carlton County officials should know the maximum cost of a new justice center following a special meeting set for Thursday, July 21, after this issue of the Pine Knot News went to press. County coordinator Dennis predicted the top number from project contractor Adolfson & Peterson will come in at over $70 million, including construction and soft costs such as architectural, engineering and permitting. Funding is also up in the air. The largest possible funding source for the justice center is the...
Contrary to rumor, Brickyard Days is a go. Now under the direction of the daughter-and-mother team of Jolene Johnson and Phyllis Rousseau, the annual Wrenshall celebration is set for Aug. 5-6 and will include a parade, a movie in the park and much more. Interested in entering the parade or being a vendor? Call Phyllis at 218-393-1507. And look for a preview story of Brickyard Days in next week’s Pine Knot News....
Join your fellow Minnesotans by reading William Kent Krueger’s “Iron Lake” as part of One Book One Minnesota in July and August. Get your free copy of Iron Lake by going to ebooksmn.org and choosing either the eBook or electronic audiobook. “Iron Lake” is Krueger’s first novel in the bestselling Cork O’Connor mystery series and won the Minnesota Book Award. It’s available during July and August as part of One Book One Minnesota, a statewide book club. You can participate in a virtual author discussion with William Kent Krueger in a free, live...
In preparation for the Esko All School Reunion set for August, organizers are seeking people who graduated between 1940 and 1966, who may not be regular users of social media. While the reunion is being held in conjunction with Esko Fun Days Aug. 2-7, Class of ’64 grad Joyce Houtz said they are trying to find older grads who may not be on the internet and are hoping they will reach out....
Esko area author Elaine Osborne’s book, “If I Felt Alone,” was recently nominated for a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award in the nonfiction category. Osborne’s book tells the story of the massive sewage spills near her home and the effects on her health and her life, as she fought to get officials at the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District to acknowledge and rectify the damage done. Tens of millions of gallons of raw sewage — wastewater that included industrial waste from the paper mill in Cloquet along with fecal matter — spilled int...
Minnesotans facing a mental health crisis can now dial or text 988 to connect to Lifeline support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new 988 code will serve as a universal entry point, so people can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help regardless of where they live. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. People should call 911 if they suspect drug overdose or need immediate medical help. Moving to a shorter dialing code is an important step to help reduce suicide, and it is part...
The names of two Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidates - John Peura of Moose Lake and Michelle Boyechko of Tamarack - will be on the ballot for Minnesota Senate District 11 in the Aug. 9 primary election. The candidate who receives the highest number of votes will go against Republican incumbent Jason Rarick in the November 9 General Election. Peura grew up in rural Kettle River as a fifth-generation Carlton County resident. His educational background is behavioral sciences in management,...
Local veterans organizations lost one of their most valued and beloved volunteers last week. Lillie "Lil" Mae LaVoy, 81, of Cloquet passed away Monday, July 11, after a hard-fought, fourth battle against cancer. Folks at the Cloquet VFW, DAV and American Legion aren't sure what they will do without her. "She was the glue that held us together," said gambling manager Troy Smith, sitting in the party room at the VFW Club in West End Cloquet, which houses all three veterans groups along with the...
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar talks with Jay Cooke State Park manager Lisa Angelos at the River Inn Interpretive Center at the park Friday, July 15, before hiking another portion of the Superior Hiking Trail. Klobuchar and her husband John have already hiked 100 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail, with the goal of hiking all 310 miles....
Cool, clear, water. Nothing compares with that most basic of human needs, the substance that comprises 55-60 percent of our bodies, the liquid that flows freely from our taps, flushes our toilets and cleanses our bodies. Water is the life-giving elixir we so easily take for granted, until it is gone. The July 27, 2021, issue of Time magazine carried an article by José Andrés, a world-famous chef. He said, “As the climate crisis worsens, we need to address protecting and preserving our water res...
As a pro-life supporter, I have been in many discussions and debates on the issue of abortion. There have been many points as to the rights of the mother and of the unborn baby, with some focus around the timing of an abortion during the pregnancy. I feel many questions are impossible to be answered until parties on both sides decide the question of “when does life begin,” as this applies to our rights to life, freedom and pursuit of happiness. I believe there is a scientific answer to the question in the fact that life does end when the hea...
Recently I received in my mailbox a stamped envelope with no post office markings and no signature or return address, and inside a letter written to me. Obviously, the unknown [writer] knows my political opines or has read them in several printings. Because I can’t respond to the unknown letter writer, I am writing an open letter in the newspaper, which I have the courage to sign. In the letter the [writer] listed inflation, gas prices, groceries, poor schools, sexualizing little school children...
During Wrong Days in Wright, my wife, Susan Nichols, was having trouble locking the door to the Senior Center. Sheriff Kelly Lake happened to be driving by, and Susan flagged her down. After a few minutes, she got the door locked. I‘m glad we didn‘t have a more serious need for her services, but very glad that she is the epitome of public service. Thank you, Sheriff Kelly Lake! Tom Nichols, Eagle Township...
As temperatures heated up in Moose Lake this weekend, so did the number of people there for the Agate Days celebration, especially on Saturday afternoon. A half-hour before the 3 p.m. agate stampede, the streets were already lined with eager spectators, eventually standing four- and five deep in the heart of the southern Carlton County city. What is an agate stampede, you ask? It starts with two dump trucks driving up Elm Avenue in Moose Lake, dropping all kinds of rocks and gravel, plus 400...
It's impossible to take in every pleasure and message at a community festival. Wrong Days in Wright last weekend was as joyful as ever. Arriving early, I watched some energetic softball as I walked the grounds. And later, a vigorous match of volleyball. I enjoyed the parade and my tacos from the food truck. Highlights of the day for me included learning more about the Talon Metals Corporation's proposed plans to build an underground mine in Tamarack that would operate for nine years and...
The Cloquet Legion baseball team started playoffs this week after finishing the regular season with a 3-13 regular season record. "It is an unusual summer because we don't have any seniors playing on the team," said coach Tyler Olin, who also coaches the Cloquet High School baseball team. "They guys we have out want to play and our entire team is juniors and sophomores and even freshman. It is pretty rare not to have kids who have graduated, so we have a young group of kids." Last week Cloquet...
Sporting a lineup that consists of 12 players who are only 15 years old and four who are U14-eligible, the Cloquet VFW is making its mark this summer as a team on the rise. "We are 5-11 on the regular season, but this group is extremely young and they have lost some close games to some real good teams," said coach Nate Knutson. "Our pitching has been consistently above average with guys like Grant Biebl, Nikko Gentilini and Jack Battaglia leading the group on the mound." Defensively, the squad...
Love summer baseball? The first annual Cloquet Northland Baseball Classic will take place this weekend at three locations in the Cloquet area. According to tournament director Nate Knutson, the new tourney will play host to more than 50 teams in six divisions ranging from 9U to 14U. Games will be played at Braun Park, Mettner Field and the Chub Lake complex in Carlton. Teams from all around the state and Thunder Bay, Canada will play in the inaugural tournament, with 53 teams competing in the...
With the annual Carlton Daze celebration just around the corner, I am dedicating this column to all the ways we celebrate our city. Over the years, how many unique community celebrations has Carlton had? I checked at the Carlton County Historical Society to find out. I didn’t find an exact number but saw there have been several celebrations over the years, including a street fair that started in 1914 and a cabbage festival held in late fall. At one time there was a July Fourth at Carlton, beginn...