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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During Cloquet's taxation and budget hearing on Dec. 3, frustrated resident Shannon Kesner asked city councilors to think outside the box rather than raising taxes, sharing that her property taxes have gone up over $1,200 a year since she purchased her home in 2020. "I know there's all kinds of funding sources out there," she said. "I implore you and others to take a look at all the different opportunities and see if something can help this." There's good news for Kesner and other residents:...
Recently I was traveling through Cloquet for work and noticed that there is a quite large Ten Commandments tablet outside of the Cloquet fire station on Cloquet Avenue. Clearly, this is a violation of the First Amendment. In speaking with a local, they stated that the city council was informed by the Freedom From Religion Foundation to remove the Ten Commandments, yet they have clearly failed to do so. Being a lifetime resident of Minnesota (and longtime resident of the Duluth area), I’m surprised at the brazen action taken by the Cloquet c...
FRIDAY, DEC. 20 Community chess club 3:30-5 p.m., Cloquet Public Library. Also Dec. 27. Holidays at Lakehead Harvest Reunion, 6-8:30 p.m. at 70 Saint Louis River Road E, north of Esko. Hayrides, Santa, crafts and ice skating rink (weather permitting). $8 admission for most, free for children 11 and under. Dinner available for $10. Also open to the public 2-8:30 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22. SUNDAY, DEC. 22 Senior dance 1-4 p.m. at the Cloquet VFW, music by Jerry and Joyce. Potluck, $10 cover. 218-210-7793, 218-391-4783 Free community pulled pork and...
Two familiar faces are among the six candidates set to interview for a spot on Cloquet's school board later this month. Cloquet public schools leaders on Monday, Dec. 9, agreed to interview Brendon McKeon, Robert Peacock, Nate Sandman, Jason Loons, Shaun Williams and Ted Lammi next week. Each hopes to replace Sarah Buhs, a board member who resigned effective in January after she was elected to the Carlton County board of commissioners in November. The current board members agreed to meet...
Despite being sympathetic to citizens who can’t afford higher taxes, Cloquet city councilors unanimously passed an 11.23-percent property tax levy increase Tuesday, an increase of nearly $398,000 over last year’s levy. “This is the cost for the level of service that we have right now,” said city administrator Tim Peterson. “If we want to decrease the level of service, that will lower the costs that we have presented in front of you, but this is what it costs to have what we have right now.” Peterson focused much of his explanations Tuesday on...
When I was a kid, Christmas was a big deal and an exciting time. One of the events I remember most is the Wood Conversion Christmas party for the kids of all the employees. Booths were set up, for girls and boys by ages. Each child would receive a gift, a red mesh stocking filled with candy and nuts, and an orange. I think I still have the Lifesaver doll with green hair I received one year. And I know my sister still has the Pitiful Pearl doll she received. It is still in the original box in...
Preparations are heating up for Hockey Day Cloquet, an outdoor hockey extravaganza that will take place in Veterans Park on and around Jan. 11, 2025. Expect a state-of-the-art outdoor rink, shipping containers for locker rooms and Zamboni storage, plus fan-friendly seating and food trucks. Organizer Nate Knutson told the Cloquet City Council Tuesday that the idea was a “blind shot” in the beginning but the event is now in a good spot financially. “We’ve had unbelievable backing from our local sponsors, which is super cool. It’s Carlton,...
The Cloquet Country Club has a goose problem - between 100 and 200 Canadian geese have developed a special fondness for the 18-hole golf course on the west side of Cloquet. During the Cloquet City Council meeting last Thursday, Nov. 7, CCC general manager Matt Carlson proposed a genuine northern Minnesota solution: holding a special goose hunt. The geese are not new, and the club has simply put up with droppings and damage for years, Carlson said. The turning point came after last year's mild...
The Cloquet School Board welcomed the return of incumbent Melissa Juntunen and two new board members - LeAnn Butler and Nichole Diver - who attended Monday's meeting. In total, Juntunen garnered 4,428 votes in the Nov. 5 election, Butler had 3,593 votes and Diver, who ran as a write-in candidate for the third open spot, received 417 votes. Included in that count were various versions of her name, including Diver, Nichole, Nichole Buckanaga and Nichole Diver. An additional 240 write-in votes...
The holidays are upon us, and the orange lights will be replaced with red, green and white twinkling lights. Many of us have been out to local stores or been online shopping for that special gift for family and friends. When you are out shopping, please think about purchasing a toy for the 30th annual Toys for Carlton Area Kids toy drive. Help us celebrate giving to area kids in need. The toy drive runs through Dec. 6. Dropoff locations in Carlton are the VFW, city office, Carlton Wellness Cente...
Nathan Barta is just 20, but he won in a landslide Tuesday, taking more than 50 percent of the vote for Thomson Township Supervisor Seat C while his opponents – Jaryn Edblad and John Bergman – garnered 27 and 22.6 percent. While the incoming Thomson supervisor is definitely the youngest person in Carlton County – or maybe even the state – to win election Tuesday, the University of Minnesota Duluth junior knows a thing or two about local politics. Two years ago he penned a guest column in the Pin...
The candidate forum organized by the Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce got a makeover for 2024. Instead of candidates sitting side by side in the Cloquet City Council chambers in front of a live audience, individual interviews were recorded without an audience. Those interviews can be found on the city’s website at https://cloquetmn.new.swagit.com/videos/317878, or on the city’s CAT-7 channel (for Mediacom customers). The Cloquet forum features candidates for MN House District 11A and Carlton County Commissioner District 1 onl...
This is a list of candidates that area voters can expect on their ballot now until Election Day, Nov. 5. State Representative District 11A (elect 1) Jeff A. Dotseth, Republican Pete Radosevich, DFL Judge Sixth District (elect 1) Gunnar B. Johnson Shawn Reed County Commissioner District 1 (elect 1) Sarah Buhs Caleb Dunlap District 3 (elect 1) Tom Proulx District 5 (elect 1) Alex French Dan Reed Soil and Water Superivisor District 1 (elect 1) Michelle Boyechko Barbara Dahl District 4 (elect 1) Gary Peterson District 5 (elect 1) Bruce Heikes...
Armory Road will be smoother, safer and a little less steep at the end after a $1.8 million reconstruction project is mostly complete in 2026. For now, that project exists only on paper, but assistant city engineer John Anderson said construction is expected to start next spring during a public hearing at Tuesday's Cloquet City Council meeting. It's a well-used road, leading from Minnesota Highway 33 to the Cloquet Armory, McDonald's Restaurant and entrances to the Lumberjack Mall businesses...
The candidate forum organized by the Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce got a makeover for 2024. Instead of candidates sitting side by side in the Cloquet City Council chambers in front of a live audience, individual interviews were recorded without an audience and should be posted soon to the city and Chamber website, as well as the city’s CAT-7 channel (for Mediacom customers). The Cloquet forum will feature candidates for MN House District 11A and Carlton County Commissioner District 1 only....
Back on Oct. 7, the Carlton school board itself went to school. Members met for three hours with a representative of the Minnesota School Board Association to receive instruction on Minnesota law, school board rights and responsibilities, Robert's Rules of Order, and several other subjects pertaining to the proper function of a school board. Carlton schools are facing significant challenges, but all six of the people governing the schools still found time to work on making themselves better...
STATE REPRESENTATIVE District 11A (elect 1) Jeff A. Dotseth Republican Pete Radosevich Democratic- Farmer-Labor JUDICIAL CANDIDATES 6th District (elect 1) Gunnar B. Johnson, Shawn Reed, Duluth COUNTY COMMISSIONER District 1 (elect 1) Sarah Buhs Caleb Dunlap District 5 (elect 1) Dan Reed Alex French SOIL AND WATER SUPERVISOR District 1 (elect 1) Michelle Boyechko Barbara Dahl District 4 (elect 1) Gary Peterson District 5 (elect 1) Bruce Heikes Roger Hurd CITY CANDIDATES BARNUM City Council (elect 2) Darrel Berry James Calhoun CARLTON Mayor...
DISTRICT 1: Sarah Buhs Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications. As a lifelong Carlton County resident working in public safety, healthcare, and community service, I'm dedicated to community well-being. Leadership, resilience, and passion for public service drives my commitment to positively impacting Carlton County. Learn why I am determined to be a Carlton County District 1 Commissioner at sarahplantebuhs.com. What made you decide to run for Carlton County commissioner this year? I'm concerned about rising taxes and...
Steven Studniski Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications. I am currently employed at Sappi Paper in Cloquet as a Maintenance Superintendent. I have been in a leadership role for the last 16 years. What made you decide to run for Wrenshall mayor/city council this year? My wife and I have attended several city council meetings and we often find ourselves frustrated with how our tax dollars are being spent. What do you think are the top two issues facing the city of Wrenshall and how do you think you would go about tackling...
The candidate forum organized by the Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce got a makeover for 2024. Instead of candidates sitting side by side in the Cloquet City Council chambers in front of a live audience, individual interviews will be recorded without an audience and posted to the city and chamber website, as well as the city's CAT-7 television channel (Mediacom customers). "With only two [local Cloquet] contested races this year, we decided to do 'Meet the candidate' interviews that will be tape...
A new Cloquet/Scanlon housing study aims to build on the success of a similar study 10 years ago. That study led to support for more rental housing: both Carlton Lofts and the White Pine Apartments were created since then. But the need for housing here and across the region continues to grow, with an estimated 431 housing units needed for a range of incomes. At the same time, the blue collar manufacturing jobs that were the bread and butter here are stable, but lower-paid service sector jobs...
Cloquet city councilors set the 2025 preliminary tax levy at just over $3.9 million Tuesday, an 11.23 percent increase over the 2024 levy. Once a preliminary levy is approved, the figure can go down before it gets final approval in December, but it cannot be increased. City administrator Tim Peterson said the reason behind the jump is easy to pinpoint: wages. Salaries and benefits make up just over $6 million of the entire general fund budget of $9.5 million, he said. The total wage increases...
A public hearing on a proposal to adopt the International Property Maintenance Code brought frustrated residents out of the woodwork Tuesday, with nearly 20 people turning out for the Cloquet City Council meeting. Complaints ranged from trashy properties to trash-talking neighbors, from people who never mow their lawn to junk cars sitting unmoved for years. Many of the complaints were not relevant to the International Property Maintenance Code. But they were in keeping with the idea of city...
The city of Cloquet is looking at a property tax levy increase of at least 11.23 percent for 2025, or nearly $398,000 more than last year, city administrator Tim Peterson told councilors Tuesday. Peterson said the 11-percent rise is a decrease from the original budget estimate, which would have required a 20-percent levy increase. "The No. 1 difference is wages," he said. Wages make up just over $6 million of the entire general fund budget of $9.5 million, Peterson said. The total wage...
The Cloquet City Council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3 at Cloquet City Hall, 101 14th St., on the proposed adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code. The IPMC would provide up-to-date widespread property maintenance standards for residential, rental, commercial and industrial properties. The IPMC is updated on an ongoing basis by the International Code Council and would give the city additional “tools” to enforce code on existing structures, which is lacking in the Minnesota State Building Code, acc...
