A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
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Stormhaven Studios, maker of the "Embers Adrift" online video game, is operated by three members of the Cloquet High School Class of 2005: John Gust, Seth Anderson and Wade Larson. "North of the Great Chasm, humanity struggles to survive. Venture into the untamed lands, battle ferocious beasts and thwart treacherous schemes that would see your new home burn!" So reads the summons to videogamers who explore "Embers Adrift," the creation of Cloquet High School graduate John Gust and a few others...
Although Election Day saw many highly competitive and issues-based elections around the country, along with a change of mayor in Duluth, Carlton County had just two school board races on the ballot. Both races — one in Carlton, one in Barnum — were to fill a vacant seat. In Barnum, Patrick Poirier won by a 61-percent margin, with 102 votes to Tony Newman’s 64. Poirier will fill the one year remaining in the term, until the 2024 election. It isn’t new ground for Poirier, who once served on the Barnum school board for 12 years. He was appoint...
When I was young, we called them swamps, those low areas on the farms where grass for pasture or hay crops failed to grow. They were often wet and farmers said the soil was “sour” and the land worthless. However, in 1970 we learned the true value of these natural entities with the passing of the Environmental Protection Act and the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the Carlton County Planning and Zoning guide, Carlton County has retained “over 94 percent of it...
Get ready for a horrifying, hilarious and toe-tapping treat, theatergoers, "Little Shop of Horrors" will be presented by Cloquet High School students next week. The horror comedy rock musical tells the tale of Seymour, a meek nerdy floral assistant who finds success and romance by nurturing a plant that thrives only on human blood and flesh. As the audience grooves to the music, the plant grows larger and larger and Seymour more anemic. Then people start disappearing. In his second year at the...
Walk into the new Holy Smokes Coffeehouse and BBQ at 103 Ave. C in Cloquet, and one is immediately struck by the savory smell of smoked meat and a sense of time gone by. A 100-year-old leather-cushioned bench lines the back wall, pulled out of a billiards room in an old Elks Lodge. An Ed's Bakery and Coffee Shop sign hangs down from the ceiling, prompting flashbacks from customers over 40. Tin and wood are a nod to Texas barbecue. Behind the counter are faces familiar to anyone who knows the Hol...
The countdown to Santa’s Home for the Holidays has started, with the annual celebration set for the first weekend in December. Events actually kick off the evening of Nov. 30, with Storytime with Santa at the Cloquet Public Library, and with a free chili feed sponsored by the Cloquet and Fond du Lac police departments. On Dec. 1, enjoy a spaghetti dinner, crafts and photos with Santa at Queen of Peace. Saturday, Dec. 2, is the biggest, busiest day. Events include breakfast, lunch and a huge c...
Jana Peterson [email protected] A Cloquet man convicted of murdering his pregnant girlfriend and her toddler is appealing that conviction to the Minnesota Supreme Court, on the grounds of prosecutorial misconduct, claiming the prosecutor created a scenario in her closing arguments that wasn’t supported by the facts of the case. Sheldon Thompson was found guilty by a Carlton County jury of eight counts of murder in June 2022, after five days of testimony. Five of the eight counts were first-d...
In a rematch of last season's Section 7AAA title game, Esko downed Pequot Lakes 34-14 Thursday, Nov. 2, to gain the state tournament for the third season in a row at the University of Minnesota Duluth's Malosky Stadium. "We knew that the game would be much closer than the game we played against them in the regular season," said Esko coach Scott Arntson, referring to Esko's 60-0 mauling of the Patriots in late September. That was Pequot Lakes only loss of the season ... until the section final...
All season long, the Moose Lake/Willow River defense has played like a unit possessed by protecting the endzone. The Rebels entered the playoffs allowing an average of a little over 8 points per game defensively with most opponents scoring late in games when the Rebels' second or third units were on the field. The Rebels defense played a starring role in the 13-0 win over Barnum Thursday, Nov. 2, in the Section 7AA championship game at Esko. "All season long the defense played so well, this is...
The dream season for the Cloquet volleyball team came to an end Thursday night in Hermantown when the Lumberjacks fell 3-0 to Grand Rapids in the Section 7AAA title game for the third season in a row. The Thunderhawks raced out to a big lead in the first game and that seemed to set the 'Jacks on their heels. By the time Cloquet responded, the writing was on the wall - they would be one set down. The Thunderhawks captured the first game 25-16. "When we beat them in the regular season, they did no...
For the third consecutive season, Rush City ended the Esko girls volleyball season in the 7AA playoffs. Last year, a late comeback by Esko in the section final forced a deciding fifth set for the Tigers before 700 fans. In 2021, the Tigers ended the Esko season in the section quarterfinals. On Saturday, Rush City swept Esko 3-0 to advance back to the state girls volleyball tournament this week in St. Paul. "They are a very good team with so many great players," said Esko head coach Pete Stasiuk....
Thousands of cross country fans descended upon University of Minnesota Les Bolstad Golf Course on Saturday, Nov. 4 for the annual Minnesota State High School League's boys and girls cross country state meet. The meet was a homecoming of sorts, as the cross country state meet was previously held at Les Bolstad 1964-90. The meet was then held at St. Olaf College in Northfield from 1991 through last season. Mounds Park Academy junior Eddie Snider had to hold off hard-charging Will Ahrens, from...
It may seem odd for a Vietnam War era military veteran to refer to his experiences as "fun," but that's how Jerry Tschida chooses to remember his time in the U.S. Navy from 1966 to 1969. It was certainly interesting, including trips aboard the USS Princeton to snatch astronauts from the sea and feeling the aftershock of a historic nuclear warhead test off an island in Alaska's Aleutian chain. But there are darker memories that bubbled up later in life. At age 35, he was diagnosed with post...
Joan M. Urbanski, 92, of Cloquet passed away Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, in Community Memorial Hospital. Joan was born on Sept. 1, 1931, in Arlington, Minnesota, where she grew up before her family moved to Ten Mile Lake near Hackensack, Minnesota. She attended Walker High School, graduating in 1949. Joan earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics education from the College of Saint Benedict in 1953. She began teaching in Aitkin that year, and then moved to Cloquet for a teaching position in 1...
Carolyn Faye Matten, 86, of Cloquet passed away Friday, Oct. 27, 2023 at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. She was born Feb. 27, 1937, in Cloquet, the daughter of John and Dolores (Joseph) Garsow. Carolyn graduated from Cloquet High School and worked at Northwest Paper Co. for four years, Conwed Corporation for seven years, and as a diagrammer for USG for 14 years. She was an active member of the Presbyterian Church of Cloquet for over 60 years. Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents...
Roy Lewis Jerde passed away at home on Oct. 30, 2023, at the age of 83. Roy was born on Sept. 23, 1940, in Madison, Minnesota, to Herbert and Eleanor Jerde. Roy moved to Cloquet in 1955 and graduated from Cloquet High School in 1958. After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving 1958 through 1961. He married the love of his life, Judith Ann Jerde, on July 27, 1963, and they made their home in Esko. Roy was a meat cutter by trade. He ran many meat departments throughout his life,...
Duane Rae Mead, 87, of Wrenshall passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, with his family by his side. Duane was born to Fern and Adeline Mead on March 21, 1936, in Tamarack. He attended and graduated from McGregor Schools in 1954. He married the love of his life, Shirley, on Nov. 24, 1956, in Tamarack. They lived in the McGregor area until moving to the Carlton area in 1967. Duane worked in the dairy production and transport business. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and playing c...
Cecil R. Boedigheimer, 93, passed away Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at Sunnyside Health Care Center in Cloquet. Cecil was born and spent his entire life in the Cloquet/Scanlon area. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roman and Cecilia, and seven siblings, Donald, Vernon, Frances, MaryAnn, Kenneth, Leslie and Gordon. He was also preceded in death by an infant son, Gene; his wife, Gail; and the mother of his children, Annie (Jerry) Kriske. After retiring, his days were spent at the local coffee...
Betty Jane Giles Kolodge, 91, a former resident of Cloquet and St. Anthony, passed away on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. A funeral service will begin at 11 a.m Nov. 18 at the Washburn-McReavy Columbia Heights Chapel at 4101 Central Ave. NE in Clolumbia Heights. There will be a visitation one hour prior to the service. Frank D. Demenge, 74, passed away Nov. 7, 2023. A gathering of friends and family will be held 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Atkins-Northland Funeral Home in Cloquet....
And just like that, winter moved in.The weather might be turning a little frightful now, but we have plenty for you to do to get through the season, and maybe even enjoy it. Again this year, we are renting out ice skates, free of charge for whoever might need a pair. You can check them out for the weekend, or for the season. This is a good way to give skating a try, or to be able to provide the right size for your child without breaking the bank. If you have skates that you no longer use,...
Our sympathies to Jenny (Gary) Hedin on the recent passing of her father, Cecil R. Boedigheimer, 93, of Cloquet. Find his full obituary on Page 15. The Area Clothing Depot is celebrating its 30th year of operation this month. The Cromwell-Wright junior/high school band concert is at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 in the auditorium. All area veterans and friends of the Villa are invited to the Villa Vista at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 10 for the annual Veterans Day program, and to stay for lunch afterward....
Reminder: Winter parking is in effect from Nov. 1 to April 1. No parking on city streets from midnight until 8 a.m., so crews can clear the streets. Thank you to everyone who helped make the Kettle River Halloween event a success. The next city council meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 at the Kettle River Senior Center. The Ma & Pa Kettle Days tree lighting and craft sale is Dec. 2. If you’re interested in having a space at the sale, contact Mary Sanders....
Bruce Ahlgren Park. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I’ve been suggesting to anyone who will listen that we should be naming our public parks and facilities after the public servants who made such things possible. In Cloquet, there’s no one more deserving than Bruce Ahlgren, who served as mayor for many years, and on the school board before that. Bruce recently passed away, way too young, and it’s time to honor his legacy by naming a public park after him. I suggest we rename Wentwor...
A local business owner, his neighbors and the city of Cloquet have at least two more weeks to try to find a solution that would “make more people happy.” Cloquet City councilors voted Tuesday to table a request from business owner Ken Maki to give Maki time to explore other options. The request came because Maki would like to construct an office/shop for his business, on land near his home south of North Road and Sunnyside Lane. In order to do that, he’s asking the city to change its comprehensive plan for that property from moder...
Winter parking is in effect now through March, so don’t leave your cars parked on the streets of Cloquet overnight. According to city code, cars cannot be parked on the streets or in alleys between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. from Nov. 1 through March 31, to allow snowplow drivers and others to clear the streets. The only exception is a vehicle parked at an open business establishment between midnight and 2 a.m. “unless ordered to be moved at the direction of a peace officer.” In Esko, parking on the street is prohibited 4-7 a.m. In Carlt...