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 751 - 775 of 1396
Dorothy E. Gault, 89, of Wrenshall passed away Nov. 9, 2020. A Celebration of Life will be held 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28 at Silver Brook Town Hall in Wrenshall....
Upon arrival at the gathering on Cloquet's White Pine Drive, laughter and conversations echo down the block. Children jump in a bouncy house while firefighters attentively give tours of the giant trucks. Adults enjoy grilled food and chat with each other in lawn chairs scattered around the driveway. Cloquet Police Department stickers are plastered on everybody. Altogether, the positivity of this gathering encompasses what National Night Out (NNO) is about. The neighborhood around White Pine...
Although August is just around the corner, the summer festival season isn't slowing down. Carlton County will be bustling with activity for the next week-and-a-half with Esko Fun Days, the Honey Bee Festival, Wrenshall Brickyard Days, and Ma & Pa Kettle Days all coming back after last year's Covid cancellations. The Honey Bee Festival returns to the Oldenburg House in Carlton next Friday and Saturday, August 6 and 7. Oldenburg House proprietor Glenn Swanson is eager for the festival to resume. "...
In 2005, Rick Dalen and his wife Karola had the opportunity to start their own Community Supported Agriculture business under the tutelage of John Fisher-Merritt, founder of the Food Farm in Wrenshall. Dalen describes Fisher-Merritt as a "pioneer" of CSA farming and credits him with providing the means to test the waters of operating one himself. The deal was that Dalen could use a couple acres of land, equipment, greenhouses and hoop houses at the Food Farm in exchange for working at the farm....
From Friday to Monday, July 26, Carlton County saw one newly reported probable Covid case, bringing the total cumulative cases to 3,569 as of Tuesday’s report. According to the most recent report from the Minnesota Department of Health, issued July 22, Carlton County had 3,568 total confirmed Covid cases since the start of the pandemic and 58 deaths. July 15-22, the county saw a total of 12 new cases, from 3,556 to 3,568, and one new death, bringing the total number of deaths from Covid to 58. The Carlton County Covid-19 hub reported Covid c...
This summer’s drought is painted in the yellow of parched grass and fields, and the cracked brown and grey mud of a riverbed far more exposed than usual. The St. Louis River is still running, but it’s the lowest Minnesota Power’s Chris Rousseau has seen since around 2005. “Right now we’re about 7 feet below what we consider a normal-high pond,” Rousseau said of the Thomson Reservoir, where the water has receded substantially, leaving beaches of drying mud and docks that serve no boats. Only...
Superintendent John Engstrom read his prepared statement. After a pause that encapsulated the import of his words, Carlton school board member Sue Karp said “well stated.” Three other board members agreed. “Our hearts are in a K-12,” Karp later said. The lament in the school library during one of those typical short July meetings was palpable. Engstrom had just laid out a future for the district that didn’t include educating students in grades 9-12. He announced that talks with Cloquet to release Carlton students to its high school had reach...
Late summer means community festival time all around Carlton County. We have Brickyard Days and the Free Range Film Festival in Wrenshall; Carlton Daze in Carlton; Wrong Days in Wright; Esko Fun Days in Esko; West End Flourish in Cloquet’s West End and, of course, there’s the Carlton County Fair. We encourage everyone to participate in these community-building events, especially as we emerge from isolation due to the recent pandemic. It’s a good chance to meet with your neighbors and have a little fun at the same time. There’s very little...
Donald Edward Sunnarborg, 92, of Laurel, Montana and formerly of Cloquet, went home to be with the Lord on July, 15, 2021, with his loving wife Ida Rose and other family members by his side. Donald was born July 3, 1929, in Cloquet to Edward and Helen Sunnarborg. He graduated from Esko High School in 1948. Donald served in the U.S. Army and was a Korean War veteran. On July 11, 1956, Donald married Ida Rose Kamunen, and they went on to raise five children. Donald was employed by Conoco, first...
Marinette Rose Chell, 78, of Wrenshall passed away July 18, 2021, at Inter-Faith Care Center in Carlton. She was born on May 11, 1943, the daughter of John and Agnes (Gault) Schneider in Cloquet. Marinette graduated from Wrenshall High School in 1961, and was employed as a dietary aide at St. Joseph Medical Center in Oklahoma and then as a property manager, working with her husband, Leslie for many years. Marinette was a member of the J.M. Paine Presbyterian Church, now The River's Edge Church...
Whether you're looking for a way to while away an afternoon or plan an entire week's worth of activities - staycation style - there's plenty to do in Carlton County. Now that summer has taken hold, it's the perfect time to explore everything the area has to offer, from hiking in Jay Cooke State Park and whitewater rafting down the St. Louis River, to museums and other local attractions. Established in 1857 and home to more than 35,000 citizens, Carlton County encompasses Cloquet, Esko, Carlton,...
It was a beautiful warm July summer day at the Rugged Spruce Golf Club in Mahtowa. About 25 golfers had played in the Friday morning golf scramble. After nine holes, most linksmen were grabbing for their water bottles and refueling, as recommended by experts, for the final nine holes. One golfer stood out from the crowd. He looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat. His name is Gayle Grant, he's 88 years old, and he walks 18 holes pushing his cart at the Rugged Spruce every Friday. I had to...
"I am one of a dying breed," said Peter Laveau during a recent interview at his farm. He is referring to his occupation as an independent family dairy farmer. In 1990, the state numbered just under 10,000 dairy farms. By the end of 2020, the total was down to 2,334, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Farms have become larger and produce more with volume working for them. The small-farm operations have lost out. To be a dairy farmer requires dedication and determination. It's...
Summer festival season is upon us. This weekend Moose Lake and Wright will celebrate their signature events, with Agate Days running Saturday and Sunday and Wrong Days in Wright kicking off Friday. Wright may be the only city in Carlton County that can still claim an “annual” festival, as organizers there did not pause the Wrong Days in Wright celebration because of the pandemic. It was business as usual last year — with masks added to the mix — and it’s business as usual this year: think three days of smalltown fun for everyone. Check out...
The Wrenshall school district is moving ahead with plans to update a moldering building on its campus into a space for industrial and technology classrooms. The school board approved a plan Monday that requires $3.1 million to shore up the former rec building, money that would likely come from a non-voter-approved levy. This is adding to the $9.3 million nonvoter-approved levy the board passed in early 2020 to cover projects that are now being completed at the school. The district is allowed to...
Wrenshall's August event calendar is filling up fast, so I want to take a moment to make sure everyone has a preview of the upcoming activities in your neighborhood! The month kicks off with Brickyard Days, Aug. 6 and 7. A community picnic will open the festivities 5-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, in the city hall parking lot. On Saturday, Aug. 7, there will be a 5k run, and the traditional celebratory parade starts at 10 a.m. This year the parade will feature the first of what will be an annual...
The Carlton and Wrenshall school boards refuse to make what I see as a responsible decision to combine. Another demonstration of political failure. I sit here and wonder, whose fault is it? Is it the voter, is it the school board, or is it the system? I think some of each. The voter becomes accustomed to others making decisions for us; we use them to remove our responsibility. School board members bring their biases, prejudices and personal desires to the meetings and then vote based on them (or are strongly influenced by them). Then there’s t...
My wife forgot our wedding anniversary last week. I am not sure I can forgive her. Shocked? So was I. Not a card; no flowers, candy, fancy dinner or beer. Nothing. Well, she didn’t completely forget; she did wish me a happy anniversary that morning as she started packing for our 5-day family camping trip. She organizes it every year, and this year she invited all my brothers and sisters and their families too. I guess she was too busy with all that to do anything special for me on our anniversar...
Wrenshall High School Fourth Quarter B Honor Roll Bruddy Axtell Bryce Barczak Eli Beetcer Gavin Beetcher Joseph Bergman Hennessey Bilges Ethan Blanchard Othin Carter Pidge Eckdahl Easton Everett Briar Fernquist Brennen Fisher-Merritt Elizabeth Johnson Jenna Johnson Mark Johnson Natalya Kacer Nathaniel Kopponen Joel Lembke Melany Lonetto Eden Loucks Anne Mattson Ryker Miller Paige Olson Austin Skagerberg Magdalene Sowada Willow Sowada Kaya Stark Wesley Ward...
Local Wrenshall farmer Jason Amundson describes the taste of the honeyberry as what would happen if a blueberry fell in love with a pack of SweeTARTS: some are sweet, some are sour, some are tart, and they are all ripening faster than they ever have before. "In 2019 we knew reliably that we could count on the berries to be ripe on the Fourth of July," he said. "Last year we opened for picking on June 30. This year it was June 25. It's terrifying." I spoke to Jason and his wife and farming...
The Polar League All Star baseball players faced off in Esko June 21. Team Weber took down Team Wallin 9-2. Players named to the teams included Noah Furcht, Tyler Koskela and Cale Haugen of Esko; Caleb Hautajarvi, Barnum; Dan Eggert, Kristian Herman, Kyle Siiter and Henry Ribich of Carlton; Wrenshall, Zeke Rousseau-Sheff, Wrenshall; and Jaxson Bennett, Connor Bushbaum, Jackson O'Bey, Wyatt Olson and Aaron Bennett of South Ridge. Other players included Lucas Stadler, Ryder McMillan, Ero Wallin...
With the heat wave in late May and early June, berry picking season is arriving early in Carlton County. Strawberry farmer Steve Schulstrom held out a perfect, bright red strawberry Monday morning, but partly green strawberries were still in the majority at Spectrum Farms. Still, he expected to open for picking later that week, a full week ahead of the early July estimate they made earlier in the month. "This year it got hot early on. Essentially, the plants woke up from sleeping and it was...
We are beginning to see some of the longer-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic as life returns to normal. For many, the more precise term could be "new normal," because things are nothing like they were before the world basically shut down 16 months ago. That's especially true in the regional labor market, where a shortage of workers has many businesses struggling to get help as customers flock back to venues outside of their homes. The literal signs are everywhere, most notably in the...
Arnold Gene Tribby, 83, of Sandstone passed away peacefully at home June 13, 2021. Arnie was born in Cloquet on Sept. 3, 1937 to Emery and Alyce (Holmquist) Tribby. He grew up in Carlton and graduated from Carlton High School in 1955. On Jan. 14, 1961 he was united in marriage to Roberta Kay (Hopp) Tribby at the First Presbyterian Church in Wrenshall. He was a self-proclaimed “professional driver” for United Parcel Service in Duluth before transferring to the newly formed Sandstone center, whe...
Consolidation between the Carlton and Wrenshall school districts is no longer on pause. It's dead. The Carlton school board on Monday voted to remove consolidation from its list of future options for the foundering district. Left on the list are two expensive options for district residents: turning the South Terrace elementary into a preK-8 school and releasing high schoolers to another district, or creating a new preK-12 school at South Terrace. While the Carlton board plans to conduct a...
