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
Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 484
Look hard enough, below the golden arches off Highway 33 in Cloquet any Monday or Thursday morning when the weather is tolerable, and you'll see them. Guys and gals in lawn chairs and on truck gates enjoying a cup of coffee and maybe a breakfast sandwich, but most of all, conversation with friends. Pre-pandemic, this coffee klatsch used to meet inside the McDonald's restaurant. In the old-old days, a few of them even met in the first McDonald's building. When Covid-19 precautions forced...
Cloquet city councilors approved the city’s preliminary budget and property tax levy for 2021 on Tuesday night, setting the maximum levy increase at 4 percent, for a total levy of $3,164,750. The council can choose to levy for less than that amount in December, but they cannot increase the levy. Property owners will probably not see an equivalent increase to their Cloquet property taxes, however, because the city has had a 5.12 percent increase in taxable market value, as new homes and commercia...
Following an Aug. 27 altercation at a local bar involving Cloquet city councilor Steve Langley, the man who says Langley shoved him without provocation — Cloquet’s Brian Vanderwerff — wants the councilor to be charged with assault. This is the second time in two years that Langley has been accused of assaulting someone at The Jack, although the victim in the first case, Don Gentilini, never wanted to press charges. He did, however, file a “matter of record” report with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 5, 2018. Whether or not Langley...
Labor Day turned out windy and rain-free but cold - 57 degrees in Cloquet's Veterans Park. Lots of people showed up for chili, music and rousing speeches in front of a cheeky sign saying to "elect an adult this time." With the traditional Labor Day parade canceled, the local DFL held a drive-in, some of us sitting in our cars, spaciously arrayed in a semicircle around the stage they'd built, with our radios tuned in. Others sat on lawn chairs in front of the stage or their cars. Organized as a...
In a straw poll during the Sept. 1 work session, Cloquet city councilors gave hope to want-to-be chicken owners all over Cloquet. After a relatively quick rehash of the past seven years of chicken debates in Cloquet, city administrator Tim Peterson first asked councilors if they would allow chickens in the suburban residential zones of Cloquet, neighborhoods such as the Antus Addition by Hilltop and Erickson Acres, where lots are larger. While no one objected to allowing residents to keep... Full story
We love civic engagement by citizens, exercising their First Amendment right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. As we’ve stated before, the First Amendment is even more important than the Second. And we’re seeing it in action right here in Cloquet. Recently, a local resident approached the Cloquet City Council about modifying its ordinances to allow chickens on small lots within the city. Currently, farm animals are allowed only in certain zones on lots of 10 acres or more. “Chickens aren’t just pets to us. It’s a way of...
The filing period for the most local of political offices — school board, cities and township positions — ended on primary election day last week with one exception. In Carlton County, Cloquet city candidates filed by June 2 and there was a primary election for the Ward 5 City Council spot last week. Staff at the Carlton County Auditor’s office said residents may request absentee ballots by calling the auditor’s office at 218-384-9127 (leave your name and address if you get voicemail) or register online at mnvotes.org. It’s not urgent th... Full story
The nation marked 100 years this week since women finally won the suffrage battle. A key player in getting women the right to vote hailed from Cloquet, Anna Dickie Olesen. She was the first female nominee of a major party for the U.S. Senate and was a celebrated orator and passionate social reformer who became one of the most prominent Democratic women of the early 20th century. Anna Dickie was born on July 3, 1885, to Peter and Margaret Dickie and grew up in rural Waterville in southern...
Cloquet resident Emily Tracy warned the Cloquet city council before addressing them in their Zoom meeting Tuesday: "I am the crazy chicken lady that they warned you about," she said, then asked the council to amend the city's current zoning ordinance to allow more people to raise chickens here. Currently there is no specific ordinance for chickens. Rather they are defined as "livestock" in the city code, which prohibits farm animals on residential lots under 10 acres in size, and only in the "fa... Full story
Cloquet finance director Nancy Klassen walked the Cloquet city council through the audit of last year’s finances — which got a “clean” opinion with no errors — then city staff talked about the tentative budget for 2021. It was only a discussion, one that will continue, at least until the council passes its preliminary budget and levy later in September. “The audit shows you where you’re at, and budget shows you where you are going,” Klassen told the councilors who were meeting via Zoom and telep...
An additional 82 mailed ballots were delivered to the Carlton County Courthouse in the two days following Tuesday's primary, but even with the additional votes counted, the rankings in the local election remain unchanged. Moving on to the general election in November for Cloquet City Council Ward 5 are Lyz Jaakola and Dennis M. Painter, while former mayor Dave Hallback is out of the race with a third-place finish. Final results showed Jaakola with 217 votes (up from 210 after Tuesday), Painter...
Jana Peterson [email protected] Tuesday's primary election offered a small taste of what the general election will likely offer voters in November. Far more people voted either by absentee or mail ballot than ever before, outnumbering people voting in person. Those who voted at polling stations were required to follow pandemic social distancing measures and wear masks inside. Election judges also had to sanitize any surfaces touched by voters after each person voted. Although all the votes... Full story
Donna M. Melin, 87,of Carlton, passed away Tuesday, August 11, 2020, at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth. She was born May 31, 1933, in Carlton to Charles and Anna (Novak) Dahlberg. Donna worked as a secretary for South Terrace Elementary School for 29 years. She served on the Carlton City Council for six years and also on the board of directors for the Carlton Library, the Carlton Volunteer Fire Department, and was a lifelong member of St. Francis Catholic Church. She enjoyed crocheting,... Full story
With all of the votes up to and including election day counted in Cloquet's Ward 5 City Council primary, former Cloquet mayor Dave Hallback is in third place in the vote count, with 103 votes compared to top vote getter Elizabeth "Lyz" Jaakola at 210 and Dennis M Painter with 117 votes. In the other local race, with all 14 precincts reported to the Secretary of State's website, incumbent Gary Peterson had 570 votes, Alex French had 316 and Marci Moreland had 207 votes in the District 5 Carlton... Full story
An additional 82 mailed ballots were delivered to the Carlton County Courthouse in the two days following Tuesday's primary, but the rankings in the local election remain unchanged. Moving on to the General Election in November for Cloquet City Council Ward 5 are Lyz Jaakola and Dennis M Painter, while former mayor Dave Hallback is out of the race with a third place finish. Final results showed Jaakola with 217 votes (up from 210 after Tuesday), Painter with 119 (up from 117) and Hallback with... Full story
As is everything in this year of Covid-19, the election season is also changed. Far more people have voted absentee this year than ever before, and more mail-in ballots are being cast in Carlton County for Tuesday's primary election than in the past. Additionally, a state rule change giving mail ballots an extra two days to reach the courthouse will likely delay results in any close races until the end of the week. But polling stations will also be open as usual (sort of) on Aug. 11. According... Full story
Slowly but surely, the Cloquet Police Department is getting back up to full strength. On Tuesday, the department got one more spot filled when the Cloquet City Council unanimously approved the appointment of David O'Connor as the new patrol commander. Police Chief Derek Randall said the appointment will bring the department up to 18 sworn officers (out of 24 budgeted positions), and fill the remaining vacant administrative position. O'Connor comes to the job after working as a police officer...
The south State Highway 33 corridor will be seeing more changes in the future, specifically where Gillette Road and Frontage Road open onto the highway south of the Walmart traffic lights in Cloquet. With the anticipated construction of the new Essentia Clinic on Gillette Road west of Highway 33 and bustling business traffic along the Frontage Road on the east side, city officials said they want to be proactive. "We are trying to get ahead of the potential traffic impacts that we know are...
Q What in your personal background, characteristics and qualifications makes you good for this job? A I am a hard working, honest individual that is running for the position of city councilor to represent the people of Ward 5. I will put in the research and work necessary to ensure the decisions I make best represent the interests of my constituents. Q What motivated you to run for city council? A I was born and raised in Cloquet. My wife, Gina, and I are raising our boys, Sam and Gavin, here.... Full story
Q What in your personal background, characteristics and qualifications makes you good for this job? A I am an upstanding citizen of the reservation, city, county, state, country and tribe. I work to help people understand governments, history and my fellow citizens. My family has been a part of this community even before they named it Cloquet in 1882. My 28-year career in education and music performance has prepared me to listen first, make informed decisions and represent with a strong voice.... Full story
Former Cloquet mayor (2014-18) Dave Hallback did not respond to several efforts by Pine Knot News to reach him over the past two weeks.... Full story
There's been at least one unexpected side effect of coronavirus in the city of Cloquet and nationwide: new single-family housing projects are already significantly higher than last year's total. Cloquet Community Development director Holly Hansen said the increase was somewhat unexpected but a welcome surprise. She credits the low interest rates for at least part of the boom. "We scratch our heads sometimes," Hansen told the Pine Knot last week. "We know there's a Covid recession going on right...
Emily Tracy and her family are trying to change the rules around chickens in Cloquet city limits. She has written a petition and it is circulating the internet and gaining traction in the community. The petition explains the many blessings chickens can bring to a home, while still expressing an urge to change the current ordinance allowing farm animals on large lots only in certain parts of the city. "When it comes to the benefits, well, they are endless," Tracy said. She has had her chickens...
From a health care perspective, a mask ordinance is a good idea. Multiple studies have shown that wearing masks helps reduce transmission of Covid-19. There are many tools in our toolbelt to help us combat this virus. Examples of these tools are contact tracing, physical distancing, testing, and wearing masks. A vaccine will ultimately change everything in a big way, but that is still over the horizon. Contact tracing has proved challenging in this case. The fact that so many of us are asymptomatic for so long while we are contagious makes it... Full story
Hours after the Cloquet City Council voted to require face coverings by Aug. 1 in all public indoor spaces in the city of Cloquet, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced that a statewide mandate would begin Saturday. The Cloquet City Council joined a growing number of cities issuing mask ordinances during its regular meeting Tuesday by a 5-2 vote, with councilors Kerry Kolodge and Steve Langley dissenting. On Wednesday, Walz cited the emerging ordinances and decisions by businesses in requiring masks... Full story
