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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For the second time in 14 months, the board of commissioners for the Cloquet/Carlton Housing & Redevelopment Authority fired its executive director. Trisha Osborn, formerly Trisha Morgando, was terminated effective July 26. The Pine Knot News learned of Osborn’s dismissal earlier this month. In response to a public data request, attorney Donald Erickson shared the dismissal letter and another letter denying the appeal of her dismissal. Erickson is a labor and employment law specialist with Fryberger Law Firm in Duluth who was hired by the Cloqu...
Jim and Carlie Nynas of Esko received a $25 gift certificate to Outdoor Advantage in Cloquet for being spotted for having an "I Think Knot" bumper sticker on their vehicle. The supporters of our independent, locally owned Pine Knot News were attending the grand opening of the Carlton County Justice Center last week....
Cross Country Carlton/Wrenshall Thursday, Sept. 5 vs Superior at Pattison Park, 4 Tuesday, Sept. 17 vs Northwestern at Norwood, 4:30 Thursday, Sept. 26 at Hibbing, 4 Thursday, Oct. 3 at Ely, 4 Thursday, Oct. 10 vs Cook County at Pincushion, 1 Tuesday, Oct. 15 at Proctor, 4 Thursday, Oct. 24, sectional tournament,TBD Saturday, Nov. 2 state tournament, TBD Cloquet Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Mora, 4:15 Tuesday, Sept. 17 at Grand Rapids, 4 Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Hermantown, 4 Thursday, Sept. 26 at Hibbing, 4 Thursday, Oct. 3 at Ely, 4 Tuesday, Oct. 8 at...
1No one knows exactly when the annual Chub Lake cross country meet started, but everyone is in agreement that it was a long time ago and it remains a fun kickoff to the season for area teams. "I know Jerry Zimney was one of the guys who originally started the meet, but what year, we have no idea," said Esko cross country coach Jerimy Hallsten. At 10 a.m. Aug. 22, the tradition continued. Hallsten is the main organizer of the event that is about as laid back as it could possibly be. "We don't...
The Cromwell Park Pavilion grand opening on Aug. 23 was a big success. There were several talks, workshops, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation booths, lawn games and, best of all, food. We sincerely thank the City of Cromwell, city council members, and Mayor Zelazny for all their hard work on getting our park in such great shape. A $110,000 grant was secured for improved drainage as well as a DNR grant for outdoor recreation improvements, including a riverwalk along the...
The beginning of school is right around the corner, so be sure to slow down when driving in school zones and around school buses. Soon fall will be upon us, and we will be getting the yards and flowerbeds ready for winter. I am anticipating putting out my annual Christmas decorations. It seems the older I get, the longer it takes to get it all set up. But I have decided to persevere and put everything out at least one more year. The Gigantic Garage Sale will be held next weekend, Sept. 6 and 7,...
Did you know? -The Carlton County Justice Center will house the Sheriff's Office, the jail, 911 dispatch center, probation, courtrooms, court administration, the Carlton County Attorney's Office and public defender offices. -The total size of the project is 112,276 square feet located on a 28-acre county-owned wooded site next to the existing County Transportation Building off County Road 61. -The Sheriff's Office includes administrative offices for administration, detectives, patrol officers,...
Graffiti with white supremacist messaging appeared on and along paved pedestrian trails in Cloquet and Carlton earlier this week. "White Man Zone" was painted on the walls of the underpass on the north side of the pedestrian bridge over the St. Louis River in Cloquet. Farther down the wall was the Nazi SS Lightning Bolts symbol, commonly used in the white supremacy movement. Repeatedly, in both Cloquet and along the Willard Munger State Trail in Carlton, someone scrawled the website address for...
A 21-year-old driver, who struck and killed a pedestrian in Moose Lake in March, is now facing additional charges after blood tests revealed the presence of four drugs in his system. Brent James Keranen, of Pengilly, Minnesota, waived his right to an omnibus hearing Monday morning in a remote hearing held with Sixth District Carlton County judge Rebekka Stumme. Keranen’s attorney, David Keegan, requested a settlement conference versus a jury trial, an indication they’re looking for a plea deal. According to the criminal complaint, Keranen adm...
Thomson Township is the latest Carlton County area to learn it is now home to the emerald ash borer, an invasive forest pest known for its devastating impact on ash trees. Jonathan Osthus, technical assistance coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, informed the township that the MDA had located an infested ash tree at 16 E. Highway 61 in Esko. The area already falls within what is considered a “generally infested” area, which means any ash tree not currently being treated has a high likelihood of already being impacted by EAB...
Carlton County has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service for its Women, Infants and Children breastfeeding program. Carlton County WIC is one of three WIC agencies in the state to receive the high-level award. The Breastfeeding Award of Excellence recognizes local WIC agencies that support breastfeeding goals through “exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities and serve as models for other local agencies to strengthen breastfeeding among WIC participants,” a press release from the cou...
Ten months ago, the Pine Knot News reported on concerns Carlton County officials expressed about the potential for runaway health care costs for county employees starting in 2025. A high number of claims had forced the county to use 5- and 10.5-percent caps on premiums in 2023 and 2024, with the county facing an uncapped future. At risk was a higher tax levy and the hard decisions that could have resulted from trying to contain other costs. But based on what transpired Aug. 13 during the county board meeting in Cloquet, it’s safe to say, ...
What is normally a five-minute rubber-stamp meeting of Thomson Township residents turned into a near-revolt Tuesday, when citizens pushed back hard on actions by the township's elected officials. First up on the agenda for the reconvened annual meeting? An error in the township's proposed levy for 2025 after township officials failed to include payments to cover a $400,000 certificate of indebtedness to purchase equipment executed March 29, just over two weeks after the annual meeting when...
Work on the Interstate 35 Atkinson Bridge (pictured) continues, and so do detours on Carlton County Road 61, which passes under the bridge about 3 miles south of Highway 210. Traffic on County Road 61 is being detoured to County Road 4 to County Road 5. This traffic configuration was expected to last through late August. Costs for the project were estimated at $4.15 million and will improve the load carrying capacity of the bridge and life of the highway. Carlton County also announced the...
TThumbs up to another great Carlton County Fair. The 4-H projects and other exhibits were well done, the grandstand events were highly entertaining, the music was wonderful. As usual, it was wonderful to see so many people of all ages just out enjoying themselves and exploring everything the Barnum fairgrounds has to offer. Of special note: kudos to the fair board and director for the attention paid to the new additions at the fair. In addition to regular live music we have the Little Italy promenade and its snazzy neon signs, plus the...
Friday, Aug. 23 Volleyball Esko vs Hibbing, 7 p.m. Boys Soccer CEC vs Two Rivers, 2 p.m. Girls Soccer Cloquet vs Two Rivers, 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 Girls Soccer Esko vs Proctor 2 p.m. Boys Soccer CEC vs Columbia Heights, 12 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26 Tennis CEC at Longview, Duluth East quad Tuesday, Aug. 27 Girls Soccer Esko at Cloquet, 7 p.m. Tennis CEC at Hibbing, 4 p.m. Swimming CEC vs Grand Rapids, 5 p.m. Volleyball Esko at Hermantown, 7 p.m. Barnum at Ogilvie, 7 p.m. Carlton-Wrenshall at Deer River, 7 p.m. Cromwell-Wright at Crosby-Ironton, 7...
Sports history and lessons learned can be very valuable and enjoyable. College or professional, amateurs or on a playground, it doesn’t matter. All can bring us a sense of joy and eternal fond memories. We tell of legendary games and encounters to all who will listen. I have two golf stories worth repeating. Pine Knot subscriber Bob Bromme lives in Arizona now, but he grew up in Cloquet in the 1940s and 1950s. His dad enlisted in the Navy in 1942, shortly after Pearl Harbor. He didn’t see him ag...
Folks thinking that all the Carlton County fair judges are local folks sharing their expertise are only partially right. A lot of judges - every livestock judge, in fact - come from outside the county, said Ora Mord. Mord drove nearly 200 miles from Clearwater County (west of Bemidji) to judge dairy goats for Carlton County 4-H last week. "You cannot judge in your own county," Mord said. "That's because you know the animals, you know the kids and you know the people. We want to make it as...
Car racing has been a part of the Carlton County Fair in Barnum for as long as most people can remember. This past week, the tradition continued as nearly 6,000 fans watched local drivers compete for $40,000 in prize money. "I've been either involved with the fair or coming to the fair for a long time and these events draw many people who might otherwise not attend the fair," said Steve Loucks, president of the Carlton County Fair Association. According to Loucks, more than 150 drivers...
It's great to have my internet back. I haven't been able to send this news column to the papers or my internet friends for the past three weeks. The last couple of weeks were busy and I hope you didn't miss any events due to not getting the news from me. Aug. 11 was a very special day for our family. My brother and sister-in-law Mark and Linda Dahlman celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Wright. We had relatives and friends from all over the country,...
Cecelia Anderson and Ron Johnson were humbled and surprised to be honored as the latest recipients of the Calton County Outstanding Senior award. They celebrated the honor at the county fair in Barnum last Friday. "It's amazing," Anderson said. "It's a great honor," Johnson said. That the two received notice for their work volunteering was no surprise to those on the receiving end of their work. Anderson calls bingo games at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. She said she takes pride in...
Cute animals are always on display at the Carlton County Fair, but this year's fair had a bumper crop of amazing critters thanks to the Animals *R* Us petting zoo (pictured) bringing its alpacas (with a 2-day-old baby), goats of all ages, camels, an emu and even a porcupine. With rain on Thursday, the barns and other covered spaces were even more inviting. The tractor pull was canceled that evening because the track was wet, but that was the last weather cancellation. Plenty of people turned...
Over 555 people attended Saturday's Mud Bog event during Ma & Pa Kettle Days, more than three times the population of the small Carlton County town. For those who aren’t familiar with mudding sports, there’s more than one type of mud bog, although they all involve vehicles driving into a giant mud pit. “This particular mud bog is more of a ‘bounty hole’ style. You’re not really supposed to make it through,” explained mud bog committee member Eric Senarighi. A mud bog is very different from a mud...
Dan Reed's pickup truck figures to add a couple thousand more miles now that he's the leading vote-getter following Tuesday's primary election in District 5 in Carlton County. Reed and Alex French advanced to the Nov. 5 general election, receiving 37.6 percent and 25.3 percent of the vote. "I was very humbled," Reed said about seeing his name atop the ballot totals. Reed has been knocking on doors across the district, with a goal of reaching every door in every township. "The response,...
Ted Swenson knew his farm had passed the 100-year mark, he just didn't know it happened in 2011. A trip to the Carlton County Courthouse led to that discovery last year. Now Swenson's Dairy will be honored as Carlton County's latest Century Farm in a program starting at noon Friday at the Carlton County Fair. To qualify as a Century Farm, a farm must have been continuously run by a family for a century or more, be at least 50 acres in size and currently involved in farming. Now owned by Ted...
