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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The Cloquet city council canvassed votes Tuesday, making the final numbers official with a unanimous vote. Those vote totals included the write-in candidates for Cloquet’s Ward 3 city council race, with Iris Keller receiving 49 votes to Pete Erickson’s 40. The totals are meaningless, however, as they were too low to beat former city councilor Chris Swanson’s landslide 602 votes. The race for Ward 3 was, undoubtedly, the most confusing race in the county. Swanson was the sole candidate on the ballot, but cannot serve again as the Ward 3 counc...
Santa may be heading to Duluth in mid-November for its holiday parade, but the jolly old elf has promised to come to Cloquet for three special days in December. "There will be magic, marching, lots of shopping and even fireworks, along with plenty of opportunities to see the old elf in person," said co-organizer and Pine Knot News editor Jana Peterson. The highlight of Santa's Home for the Holidays festivities will be the parade and fireworks on Dec. 3. "We hope lots of people will decide to... Full story
Election judges reported a steady stream of voters all day Tuesday, with many expressing surprise at such a good turnout for the midterm elections. Thomson Township clerk Rhonda Peleski said they had a line that wrapped through the community room for much of the day, reporting that 2,134 residents voted in person at Thomson Town Hall, the polling place for Carlton County's largest precinct. "It was a long day. Really busy," Peleski said. In Cloquet, Ward 2 residents voted at the public library....
The race for Cloquet mayor was much closer than it was four years ago, but the end result was the same: voters elected Roger Maki to lead the city forward. Maki defeated former Ward 2 city councilor David Bjerkness by 118 votes. Maki had 2,312 votes (51%) to 2,194 (48.5%) for Bjerkness. The race looked a little different when the polls closed and the in-person votes were tallied. Bjerkness had the advantage then, leading by 48 votes. That didn’t include the absentee votes, however. Those early votes made a critical difference for Maki. Maki cre... Full story
Cloquet city councilors got a lesson in water and sewer costs and rates Tuesday night, as public works director Caleb Peterson provided an overview of the fee-based utilities. The good news? No. 1: Cloquet has good water. No. 2: Cloquet's water isn't very expensive for users. Compared to similarly sized cities around the state, Cloquet has always been right in the middle of the pack for water and sewer rates, Peterson said. However, when compared to other neighboring towns that also pay the...
The Cloquet city council chambers was a revolving door Tuesday, as candidates for six races answered questions in the Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce candidate forum, an election year tradition. All of the forums ran smoothly, with a quiet and polite Minnesota audience made up mostly of other candidates, their supporters and a handful of interested citizens. It was a far cry from most national or even statewide televised debates, with no rudeness or verbal fireworks, and zero rebuttals until th... Full story
I believe Roger Maki has given our city good leadership as mayor during his term. Roger came into the mayor’s office during a challenging time in our city government. He brought stability to our city council. He then had to be the leader during the very difficult time of the Covid pandemic. As leader, he had to make some unpopular choices in some people’s eyes, but he made them and we got through those many difficult months. I have known Roger Maki for many years. I know him to be fair, honest, and concerned for our city and our well-being. I a...
I would like to offer my full support for Roger Maki to serve as our mayor for the city of Cloquet. I have known Roger for over 40 years. First, as a neighbor, then as a Realtor, and later we worked together when I was employed as chief of police and Roger was a member of the city council. I first met Roger while living just a few doors down from his family. Roger was a great neighbor and we have remained friends. Roger has a successful real estate career and was the person we trusted to help us purchase our homes. Roger has used his business...
Frederick Keith Little, 93, passed away in Cloquet on Oct. 23, 2022. Fred was born July 17, 1929, in Ferndale, Michigan, the first of four children born to Austin H. and A. Winnifred Halpenny Little. Fred believed in working and playing hard, putting time and effort into communities and causes he believed in, encouraging others to find their strengths, and in telling stories, even if the listener had already heard them a time or five before. Dad's stories typically were lengthy, so be warned... Full story
While historical markers dot the heart of Cloquet, replete with photos and historical narratives of places such as the old city hall, the train depot and Pinehurst Park, a large part of the area’s history was overlooked when those markers were installed years ago. The history of the Native American tribes who lived here — some long before any European explorers arrived — is conspicuously absent. City officials hope to change that with help from a diverse group of area residents and the guidance of a consultant, thanks to a $50,000 grant from th...
In my decade-or-so as a Cloquet city council member, a few people stand out in my mind as highly-engaged citizens — outspoken, positive, and passionate about our community. They’re absolutely tenacious. One of those tenacious people is Pete Radosevich. Over his many years as a local resident, he’s stepped up time and again to rally for changes, support (and operate) local businesses, raise a family, and work hard to make the place we live a little better for us all. When I heard he was running for office, I thought: It’s about time. As an atto...
The Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a series of candidate forums for Cloquet-area and state legislative candidates on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at Cloquet City Hall, which will be livestreamed at cloquetmn.gov and also air multiple times afterward on CAT-7. Cloquet mayor and city council candidates will start at 6 p.m., followed by Cloquet School Board candidates at 7 p.m., state senate District 11 candidates at 8 p.m., and state representative District 11A candidates at 8:30 p.m. Tony Sertich will moderate....
CLOQUET MAYOR Roger Maki (Incumbent) Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications. (limit 50 words) I was born in Cloquet, raised in Esko and my wife, Peggy, and I moved to Cloquet in 1971. I have a B.S. degree in social science, political science from UMD. I served as Ward 3 councilor for eight years and mayor since 2019. I'm also a Realtor Emeritus and still work in real estate. What made you decide to run for mayor this year? (limit 35 words) I decided to run for reelection... Full story
CLOQUET CITY COUNCIL, WARD 1 Warren 'Bun' Carlson (Incumbent) Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications. I am currently the city councilor for Ward 1. I also serve on the Cloquet Area Fire District board. In addition, I was a salesman for 31 years. I also have coached youth hockey and softball. What made you decide to run for city council this year? I enjoy serving on the city council. I feel my experience and the cohesion of the city council gives me an opportunity to contin... Full story
CLOQUET CITY COUNCIL, WARD 3 Iris Keller (Write-in*) Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications. I have 4 daughters and 3 grandchildren, with another expected in December. I've lived in Cloquet since 1988 and I've been working in the Cloquet school district for 23 years. I have taken on many large projects with many people involved. I know how to work with other people. What made you decide to run for city council this year? I've always been involved with this community and... Full story
SCANLON CITY COUNCIL Jesse Johnson 1. Briefly summarize your personal background and qualifications. (limit 50 words) I have an AAS in Civil Engineering Technology. I have worked 24 years in the field of utility maintenance and surveying. I have worked my way from field surveyor to a safety professional and certified instructor. My current role is Environmental Health and Safety & Operator Qualifications Manager. 2. What made you decide to run for city council this year? (limit 35 words) I want... Full story
Voters in Cloquet will see two sales tax proposals on their ballots during early voting and the midterm general election Nov. 8. Carlton County voters will have to pay attention, too, because they're part of half of this. The ballot questions both ask voters to raise the existing sales tax by 0.5% - half-a-penny per dollar to raise $8 million in project funds for the city of Cloquet, and another half-penny countywide to fund the $66 million Carlton County Justice Center already under... Full story
A request to allow the local industrial landfill to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week for two specific customers was approved by the Cloquet planning commission Tuesday. The motion passed by a 3-1 vote, with new commissioner Michelle Wick the only “no” vote. Wick lives near the SKB Environmental landfill in the neighborhood near Hilltop Park, and had suggested the commission table the request so she could have time to do some research. The vote is an advisory one: the final decision rests with the Cloquet city council. City pla... Full story
The Cloquet City Council took up the topic of food trucks at its meeting Tuesday at City Hall, wondering if it should amend an ordinance to allow the cultural phenomenon better access to city park events. Councilor Kerry Kolodge raised the issue after having heard from a food truck operator who was denied access to a large bike race last month at the Pine Valley recreation area. The city currently doesn’t allow food trucks at parks unless it’s a city-sponsored event, such as the Fourth of Jul...
As a 23-year educational interpreter working at Cloquet High School, it's normal to find Iris Keller standing with the teacher at the front of the classroom. Keller delivers in sign language what the teacher is saying to a student Keller has worked with since he was in fifth grade. "There I am, looking out at this whole class," Keller said. "I go with the student to all his classes - college government, calculus, physics, German 4. He's really smart." Like the student, she carries a backpack and... Full story
News that the police department secured a $110,000 grant to pay for a DWI enforcement officer came as welcome relief to Cloquet city officials Tuesday. Not only will it bring an increased focus on driving-while-impaired arrests and education, police chief Derek Randall said they will fill the position with a current officer, so city funds allocated to pay that salary and benefits will be freed up for other uses. That could mean purchasing police body cameras — which were discussed, but didn’t make the budget — or replacing the department’s stun...
Cloquet Ward 3 city council candidate Pete Erickson has a unique challenge this fall: he has to get voters to do more than fill in a box next to his name. For Erickson to win, voters will have to actually write his name, and NOT fill in the box next to the listed candidate's name: Chris Swanson. In the meantime, Swanson is running his own informal "Please don't vote for me" campaign, after moving out of Ward 3 and stepping down as councilor in August. August was too late to change the ballots fo... Full story
I had the opportunity to go to the Premiere Theatres in Cloquet to see the movie “Where the Crawdads Sing.” It is a very good movie, had some questionable scenes, but all in all told a great story with no bad language. I was also impressed with the new reclining seats in the theater. I was comfortable and felt safe with the extra-spaced seating. With being home most of the time now, it felt great to get away for an evening. You may also notice I have a red dress hanging out by the end of my driveway. This is to honor the missing Indigenous wom...
Cloquet city councilors unanimously voted for a preliminary 2023 levy increase of 6.5 percent Tuesday, following advice of staff to build a little "wiggle room" into the budget. Ward 2 councilor Sheila Lamb made the motion, stressing that the goal was to lower the levy increase to 5.95 percent by the time the city budget and levy are formally adopted in December. City administrator Tim Peterson recommended the "wiggle room" and higher increase, noting that the council can choose to decrease the...
I’m so fed up with all the changes in this area. First, the middle school wasn’t fit for students, but yet fixed up for apartments. Second, putting in turn lanes and sidewalks for Washington Avenue, cutting into our properties. Because of the sidewalks, we’ll have to risk standing in the street to get mail, almost getting hit. Cars going too fast. No parking for sales or family events. Dumb! Third, a new jail costing millions. It’s a jail, not the Hilton hotel. Ridiculous! Fourth, the stupid [roundabout] on 14th and Washington Avenue. Makes n...
