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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Brothers Jordan Aultman scored twice and Elijah Aultman once as the Lumberjacks defeated top-seeded Denfeld 3-2 in the Section 7AA championship Tuesday night. Winning was sweet revenge for No. 3 seed Cloquet-Esko-Carlton because Denfeld had knocked last year's undefeated 'Jacks team out during the Section 7A quarterfinals after Cloquet had beaten them 11-0 a month before. This CEC team entered the championship game with five straight wins and few multi-year starters. "I'm really proud of the... Full story
Douglas John Plante, 59, of Cloquet, with care and grace, ended his battle with cancer on Oct. 16, 2021. Doug was born on Sept. 27,1962, in Dayton, Ohio to Kenneth and Sharon (Thompson) Plante. Doug was known as a friendly, humorous, generous, considerate, loyal and kind person. He developed into a man whom many generations of Cloquet residents came to know and appreciate. He worked for the City of Cloquet for most of his adult life and made many lifelong friends among his crew mates. He worked... Full story
When the Lumberjacks won their second straight Section 7A title a year ago, it was bittersweet. Thanks to Covid-19 guidelines, there was no state tournament, so the victory left the Cloquet players with that taste of not finishing something they had started. With the Minnesota State High School League adding another class to soccer this season, the Lumberjacks took that challenge to heart. With hard work and determination, the Cloquet girls soccer team shut out North Branch 3-0 Tuesday night at... Full story
The field across the street from Holy Family Church on the Fond du Lac Reservation was busy Saturday, filled with modern people practicing a very old game in the same place their ancestors played possibly hundreds of years ago. They were playing Baaga'adowewin, or Great Lakes style lacrosse, a game played by Ojibwe, Dakota and other regional tribes long ago. It's similar but different from the kind of lacrosse made popular in East Coast prep schools or modern athletic leagues. "All tribes have... Full story
The Pine Knot News is wondering about our readers’ experiences when it comes to the most infamous of storms in modern Minnesota history: the 1991 Halloween blizzard. While Carlton County didn’t get hit as hard as Duluth or parts of southern Minnesota, each with more than 2 feet of snow, a still-whopping 15 inches was measured in Cloquet 30 years ago this next weekend. We’d like to know what you remember about the storm, wherever you may have been. Were you socked in? Caught in the storm? Trick-or-treating? Maybe you weren’t anywhere near th... Full story
Investigators are still working to figure out exactly what happened last weekend, when a father and his grown son were shot and killed at a home in Culver township by the son's best friend, who later took his own life. According to a press release from the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, Cody Pirila, 31, confessed to shooting Skylar Hunter, 31, and his father, Jamie Hunter, 51, in a call to a 911 dispatcher while he was being pursued by a state trooper. Pirila also told the dispatcher he...
Numbers of cases and deaths continue to rise in Carlton County with 23 cases on Oct. 18 and a seven-day average of 20. Overall, the county continues at a heightened infection rate, but case numbers fluctuate daily. On Oct. 8, 40 new cases were reported. On Oct. 13 there were 16 new cases. To this point, 4,403 county residents have had Covid-19 and there have been 66 deaths documented since the beginning of the pandemic.... Full story
A semi-truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene after his truck rolled into a ditch on Highway 210 just after 5 a.m. Friday, Oct. 15. According to the Minnesota State Patrol report, 49-year-old Dallas Clinton McCloud of Baudette, Minnesota, was driving an International semi eastbound on Highway 210 near Corona Road when the truck rolled into the ditch. Road conditions were dry and McCloud was wearing a seatbelt; no other vehicles were involved. The accident happened on a sharp corner on the two-way highway. The semi hit a power pole,... Full story
Cloquet City Council chambers were packed Tuesday, not with irate citizens, but with proud parents, spouses and children. In a followup to the oath of office for officers hired during the pandemic given during the Oct. 5 meeting, officers who were promoted over the past 18 months had their moment in the sun on Tuesday. The administration at the department has seen a large amount of turnover over the past two years, from the chief at the top to at least two of the sergeants. Judge Robert... Full story
After holding the event virtually last year, the popular Pumpkin 5K Run & Walk starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Certified and validated by USA Track and Field, the 5K race is just as much about the costumes as it is the running, so participants are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes or orange clothing. Prizes will be given for the best costumes. The event is open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities. No strollers, roller skates,... Full story
St. Luke’s and Gateway Clinic are partnering on a multi-million dollar project that will bring more healthcare resources to people who live in the Moose Lake area. On Wednesday, the two groups announced a partnership to build Northern Lakes Surgery Center. It will be located in the former Shopko building on County Road 10 in Moose Lake. The surgery center will use approximately 9,000 square feet, with the additional 16,000 square feet available for additional tenants in the future. Gateway Clinic has clinics in Moose Lake, Hinckley and S...
Lake Country Power is seeking applications for the Touchstone Energy Community Award. Any nonprofit organization that has helped make northern Minnesota a better place to live and work through its community service is eligible for the $500 cash award. Community members may nominate an organization by completing an application form, available at Lake Country Power or online at www.lakecountrypower.coop. Questions may be directed to Tami Zaun at 1-800-421-9959. The application will require a description of the community service project, program... Full story
The Wrenshall school board completed its do-over on the appointment of a new school board member last week. Eight candidates applied for the spot, including Ben Johnson, Karola Dalen, Cindy Bourn, Tony Sheda, Brandon Burt, Caroline Johnson, Janaki Fisher-Merritt and Ethan Harvey. The second appointment came after more than 200 community members submitted a petition to recall Bill Dian, the person the board appointed in August without holding any public interviews or extended board discussion. This time the board held public interviews in a...
As Covid case counts continue to rise here, Carlton County commissioners say they will vote on a mask mandate at the board meeting Monday, Oct. 25. The mandate would apply to public spaces inside county buildings, not the county as a whole, and is being considered after some county departments requested it. Other departments are not thrilled with the idea and the board itself appeared split on the idea Monday. Some parts of the courthouse are already under a mask mandate after Minnesota State Supreme Court chief justice Lorie Gildea required...
Gov. Tim Walz toured a Covid-19 testing site in Duluth last Thursday morning — one of more than a dozen community testing sites around the state. He said officials were getting ready to announce an additional expansion of testing capacity around the state as hospitals deal with another surge in Covid cases that are filling up ICU beds. Officials announced last week that the state was opening its 14th testing facility in Morris on Tuesday. “We’re going to massively expand our testing capacity across Minnesota again,” Walz vowed. The governor als... Full story
It’s not a done deal. That was the rally cry from Carlton school board members Monday night when it comes to the possible closure of the district’s high school and the continuing talks about a tuition agreement allowing ninth- through 12th-graders to attend school in Cloquet. The first refrain came from board member Tim Hagenah. He said he’s tired of hearing dribs and drabs from the public concerning the loss of the high school. If there is a preferred solution, which likely won’t be as financially healthful as the one on the table, he admits,...
Nothing sounds more like winter in the modern age than the roar of snowmobiles racing across town, engines revving, maybe a long line of enthusiasts following close behind. You just don’t hear that sound during any other season, really. But I can understand how some people are worried about snowmobiles roaring through their property at all hours of the day, if the proposed snowmobile trail in Esko and Thomson Township goes through. The proposal has caused some controversy, mostly by people w... Full story
Although its roots are in mentoring, Cloquet's nonprofit REACH organization has been evolving to meet community needs from the beginning. A $920,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Human Services is now speeding up that evolution. The grant money is specifically targeted at measures to reduce drug and alcohol use through positive community norms over the next five years. The goal is to come up with positive activities, people and ways students can spend their time other than using drugs... Full story
My wife was in California for a week, so I turned on the TV and watched all the stuff I'd been hoarding - a sickening amount sports, including UFC - which isn't really allowed when she's around unless I wanna put up with incessant eye-rolling and her sleeping on her side facing the wall for three nights. Then I watched deliciously nauseating political and historical documentaries, including one on Caligula that everyone should eventually see. Or not. The spoiled narcissistic, hedonistic,...
Dorothy Jean (Gulbrandson) Carlson, 90, passed away Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Dorothy was born Oct. 23, 1930, to Harold and Sybil (McCulloch) Gulbrandson in Cloquet. She graduated from Cloquet High School and the University of Wisconsin–Stout, majoring in home economics. She married Gordon M. Carlson on June 26, 1954. They made their homes in Duluth and Cloquet while Dorothy taught in Superior. In 1964 they moved to Green Bay, where they continued to raise two children. She taught at Northeast W... Full story
Brandon Allen Blacketter, 24, passed away suddenly Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. He was born March 5, 1997, to Brad “Raff” and Melanie “Mel” (Rabideaux) Blacketter in Cloquet. Brandon graduated from Cloquet High School and worked as a laborer at various places over the years. Brandon was a skilled boxer, and traveled to several destinations for his fights throughout the United States. He also enjoyed playing Xbox with his cousins, friends, and especially his brothers. Brandon enjoyed sports, being o... Full story
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, Oct. 23. The event runs locally 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cromwell Fire Hall. Participants may dispose of prescription drugs with or without the original packaging. Many thanks to the City of Cromwell for bringing this service to our area. There is no school Oct. 21-25. The Community Area Community Club is holding an Adopt A Highway cleanup 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, with a hot dog and chip lunch to follow at the Pavilion. The Tamarack...
Thursday, Oct. 14 Volleyball Wrenshall-3 Two Harbors-0 Duluth East-3 Esko-0 Grand Rapids-3 Cloquet-0 Barnum-3 Cherry-1 Cromwell-Wright-3 Bigfork-0 South Ridge-3 McGregor-0 Boys soccer CEC-2 Grand Rapids-0 Girls soccer Cloquet-Carlton-2 Duluth Denfeld-0 Football Esko-14 Aitkin-12 Cherry-52 South Ridge-0 NAHL Hockey Minnesota Wilderness-4 Minnesota Magicians-3 Friday, Oct. 15 Football Cromwell-Wright-35 McGregor-20 Pine City-36 Cloquet-8 Barnum-48 Chisholm-16 NAHL Hockey Minnesota Magicians-7 Minnesota Wilderness-3 Saturday, Oct. 16 Volleyball... Full story
The top-seeded Esko girls soccer team shut out Two Harbors 2-0 in the Section 7A quarterfinals last Wednesday, but came up short in the semifinal game Saturday. The Eskomos fell to No. 4 seed Legacy Christian Academy in a penalty kick shootout after a 0-0 game with neither side scoring in the 20-minute overtime. “Our game on Saturday was one of those games that haunts the players and the coaches,” said Esko girls soccer coach Caitlin Lilly. “We showed up a little lackluster and by the time... Full story
The end of the high school cross country season is on the horizon. On Tuesday night all six local teams participated in the Proctor Lions cross country meet in an effort to show how far they've come as they get ready for the sectionals. The Raptors girls team captured top honors for Class A in Proctor as they continue to prove they will be a force this season. South Ridge finished second, Moose Lake/Willow River/Barnum was third, Marshall finished fourth, MIB was fifth, Esko took sixth and Hill... Full story
