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
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 28
This summer’s drought is painted in the yellow of parched grass and fields, and the cracked brown and grey mud of a riverbed far more exposed than usual. The St. Louis River is still running, but it’s the lowest Minnesota Power’s Chris Rousseau has seen since around 2005. “Right now we’re about 7 feet below what we consider a normal-high pond,” Rousseau said of the Thomson Reservoir, where the water has receded substantially, leaving beaches of drying mud and docks that serve no boats. Only...
Superintendent John Engstrom read his prepared statement. After a pause that encapsulated the import of his words, Carlton school board member Sue Karp said “well stated.” Three other board members agreed. “Our hearts are in a K-12,” Karp later said. The lament in the school library during one of those typical short July meetings was palpable. Engstrom had just laid out a future for the district that didn’t include educating students in grades 9-12. He announced that talks with Cloquet to release Carlton students to its high school had reach...
Once again, Carlton will pause traffic through the heart of the city and take the weekend to celebrate small-town togetherness in many different ways. The car show 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and the parade at 1 p.m. Sunday are two of the biggest and most visible events of annual Carlton Daze celebration, but organizers make sure there’s something for everyone during the three-day bonanza. Whether it’s competing fiercely in horseshoes or bean bags, playing kids’ games, eating, listening to music... Full story
Florida resident Kathy Peil shared this memory of the Fourth of July when she was growing up in Cloquet in the mid-1950s, when the fireworks were set off just south of the ballfield in Pinehurst Park. According to Jim Boyd, who forwarded Peil's remembrance, in those days, firework lighters had a flare that glowed in the dark like the ones they used on the railroads to direct trains. The fellows lighting the fireworks would walk up to the structure the fireworks were placed in and light them... Full story
This year is the inaugural year for the Munger Mission. The Munger Mission was started by Jolene Steffens, owner of Carlton Bike Rental & Repair. The idea behind the mission is to spur people to get out and bike the Willard Munger Bike Trail. The mission is pretty simple and is a "do it at your own pace" type of challenge. Riders can either use their own bikes or rent through Carlton Bike Rental & Repair. Renting a bike for the mission would cost $35. Other rental options are two hours at $14...
Got a home sewer line that repeatedly backs up from roots? The City of Cloquet is offering a grant program for homeowners who need to upgrade or repair leaky or decaying lateral sewer lines running from the home to main sewer lines. The grants are part of a program to reduce the problems of clean water inflow and infiltration into the sanitary sewer system, which can overwhelm the system during heavy rain events and cause overflows of untreated sewer water. The program offers financial assistance of 80 percent of costs up to $4,000 for the...
The Cloquet Broadband Committee is asking residents and businesses to take a broadband survey to determine internet needs for the area. Visit www.goctc.com/cloquet to take the survey and find the link to a speed test or go here: mnruralbroadbandcoalition.com/speedtest. The western municipal city limits of Cloquet are not included in the survey because the FDL Reservation will be rolling out their broadband fiber to the home network connections which will be open to ALL residents within the FDL Reservation territory, not just Band members. The...
Motorists will encounter a lane closure on northbound Interstate 35 bridge crossing Moose Horn River, south of Barnum for the next 1-2 weeks while maintenance crews repair issues found during maintenance painting performed earlier in the week. MnDOT will be conducting environmental borings for soil and groundwater sampling near the intersection of Minnesota Highway 210 and Minnesota 73 in Cromwell next week. Motorists should expect narrow lanes and lane closures which may cause difficult turning movements, especially with large vehicles and...
As one sales tax nears its halfway point, the city of Cloquet is banking on residents approving a new one in November 2022 that would pay for improvements to the hockey arenas and Pine Valley park. It’s been almost nine years since the city’s first sales tax was passed, with 63 percent of voters approving the half-cent tax. Collection of monies for that sales tax will sunset after raising either $16.5 million or 30 years, whichever comes first. Finance director Nancy Klassen said Tuesday the city collected $1.1 million from sales tax funds in...
The information is in. Architects and engineers have told Carlton County that moving the new justice center, consisting of the jail and courtrooms, to the “green site” located northeast of the transportation building on Old Highway 61 will save sitework costs of $3.5 to $3.9 million. The current courthouse parking lot is plagued with costly remedies: not enough space, bedrock outcroppings, wetland areas, a sewer line, and lack of staging area for a major construction project. The green site is aptly named for the evergreen forest that cov...
New broadband options will be available to Thomson Township residents in the coming months, according to the Thomson Township board of supervisors. Residents of Thomson Township came to the board meeting July 15, suggesting that the board explore giving residents the option of underground cabling for their internet. Board members said they appreciated the suggestions, since reliable fast internet access is an issue that the township has struggled with historically. The board then used the time to inform the public of new broadband options that...
Late summer means community festival time all around Carlton County. We have Brickyard Days and the Free Range Film Festival in Wrenshall; Carlton Daze in Carlton; Wrong Days in Wright; Esko Fun Days in Esko; West End Flourish in Cloquet’s West End and, of course, there’s the Carlton County Fair. We encourage everyone to participate in these community-building events, especially as we emerge from isolation due to the recent pandemic. It’s a good chance to meet with your neighbors and have a little fun at the same time. There’s very little...
Maybe you’ve noticed the “Hidden Gems” series on Facebook or seen them on CAT-7 more recently. You can also find them on their website, TheHiddenGemsofCloquet.com. It’s a salute to local small businesses, produced by Holly Hansen and Shelly Peterson, focusing on the small businesses of Cloquet that make up the backbone of our local economic vitality. Each segment is about two minutes long, featuring a local small business. Holly Hansen is Cloquet’s economic development director, and also the administrator of Cloquet’s Economic Development... Full story
Donald Edward Sunnarborg, 92, of Laurel, Montana and formerly of Cloquet, went home to be with the Lord on July, 15, 2021, with his loving wife Ida Rose and other family members by his side. Donald was born July 3, 1929, in Cloquet to Edward and Helen Sunnarborg. He graduated from Esko High School in 1948. Donald served in the U.S. Army and was a Korean War veteran. On July 11, 1956, Donald married Ida Rose Kamunen, and they went on to raise five children. Donald was employed by Conoco, first... Full story
Dorothy Jean Mettner, 95, of Cloquet passed on to eternal life on July 14, 2021, at Barnes Care in Esko. She was born to Andrew and Olga (Siltanen) Raisanen on Oct. 29, 1925, in Cloquet. Dorothy was a loving sister to her brother Warren, and she had two other siblings, Arlene and Jimmy, who both passed away in infancy. She grew up in Esko, where she enjoyed many nights of bowling and roller skating with friends. Dorothy graduated from Lincoln High School in 1943. She moved to Renton,... Full story
Marinette Rose Chell, 78, of Wrenshall passed away July 18, 2021, at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. She was born on May 11, 1943, the daughter of John and Agnes (Gault) Schneider in Cloquet. Marinette graduated from Wrenshall High School in 1961, and was employed as a dietary aide at St. Joseph Medical Center in Oklahoma and then as a property manager, working with her husband, Leslie for many years. Marinette was a member of the J.M. Paine Presbyterian Church, now The River's Edge Church... Full story
Marjorie Irene (Carlson) Hall, 85, of Proctor and formerly of Esko, passed away peacefully Feb. 22, 2021, at Diamond Willow in Proctor, surrounded by her family. A Celebration of Life will be held 1-5 p.m. Saturday, July 31 in the lakeview cabana at Pike Lake Golf and Beach Club, 4895 Midway Road, Duluth. Kathleen “Kathi” J. Davis, 60, of Duluth passed away unexpectedly on Friday, July 16, 2021, in her home. A gathering of family and friends will be held 1-3 p.m. with a time of sharing at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 25 in the Atkins Northland Fun... Full story
A state court on Monday sent a key air emissions permit for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine back to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for further consideration and additional findings. The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the MPCA did not adequately explain its reasons for granting the permit, after environmental groups and the Fond Du Lac tribe alleged that PolyMet was engaging in so-called “sham permitting” by planning a much larger mine than what it applied for. It’s a setback for what would be the state’s first copper-... 
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The 56th Wrong Days is now on record as being one of the best ever. The Friday night steak fry, pie social, O-G-N-I-B, Minnesota Sings and fireworks were very successful, along with all the activities Saturday and Sunday. Thank you, thank you to all who participated, donated or helped in any way. The cash drawings for the buttons went to Tim Dahl, $100, Kieriahna Goodin, $50 and Jim Walli, $25. More than 400 button tickets were sold. There are still a few 2021 WD buttons available; please let...
With Cloquet's high school science fair participation decimated by Covid and distance learning over the past year-and-a-half, the handful of older students who stuck with it are seeing dramatic successes. Cloquet junior Harmony Tracy took first place in the state for her ArcGIS story map and advanced to the national competition; she also won a $40,000 scholarship to the University of Arizona for her research on wild turkeys and the effects of climate change on their range. Freshman Grace Lavan... Full story
Whether you're looking for a way to while away an afternoon or plan an entire week's worth of activities - staycation style - there's plenty to do in Carlton County. Now that summer has taken hold, it's the perfect time to explore everything the area has to offer, from hiking in Jay Cooke State Park and whitewater rafting down the St. Louis River, to museums and other local attractions. Established in 1857 and home to more than 35,000 citizens, Carlton County encompasses Cloquet, Esko, Carlton,... Full story
Local baseball teams are winding down the regular season and getting ready for district tournament play. On Monday night the Esko and Cloquet Legion teams met at Ed Mettner Field in Cloquet. Both teams face different playoff paths starting next week. "We only have four Senior Legion-age players on our roster," said Esko coach Jordan Balow. "Because of that we won't have a team in the Senior Legion playoffs, but we will for the Junior Legion playoffs." Legion baseball normally serves players... Full story
It was a beautiful warm July summer day at the Rugged Spruce Golf Club in Mahtowa. About 25 golfers had played in the Friday morning golf scramble. After nine holes, most linksmen were grabbing for their water bottles and refueling, as recommended by experts, for the final nine holes. One golfer stood out from the crowd. He looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat. His name is Gayle Grant, he's 88 years old, and he walks 18 holes pushing his cart at the Rugged Spruce every Friday. I had to... Full story
Cody Anderson of the Houle'igans Alborn Tavern team is ready to hit the ball hard during a slowpitch softball game July 13 at Pinehurst Park in Cloquet. Eight teams play in the bar league softball games every Tuesday. Bill Schlenvogt talks softball with granddaughter, Ella, 9, while Viola, 6, watches her dad, Steve Schlenvogt, play for the River Inn team. Ella is a pretty good softball player herself, Grandpa Schlenvogt said. Photos by Jana Peterson / Pine Knot News... Full story
Artist Phyllis Ducey got her wish: to see people "sprawled out," doing their thing, during West End Art Day Saturday. Ducey wrote the grant for the West End Flourish event, and organized a day that included a children's area supplied with paints and projects, from suncatchers to largish rocks to use as a canvas.... Full story
