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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Both legislative bodies approved a capital investment package to fund infrastructure projects around the state Monday, just hours before the session adjourned. It included funding for three District 11A projects: $17.5 million for the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (Cloquet, Thomson Township, city of Carlton), $10 million for the Carlton County female offender program and the jail and courts facility, and $5 million for Cloquet water infrastructure improvements on lines serving the...
As a high school senior, Dylan Lauer lived at his girlfriend's home, a fact that categorized him as homeless at the time. One of Lauer's parents had relapsed into addiction and been jailed, sending his siblings to their other parent in the Twin Cities. "It's my life," he said. "I'm not afraid to talk about it." Lauer, 23, didn't want to lose his senior year at Cloquet, a place filled for him with friends and academic and athletic promise. "Kassidy's family [the Steens] opened their doors so I...
Contractors will begin construction work on Minnesota Highway 210 west of Carlton on Tuesday, May 30. The highway will be fully closed 0.2 miles west of Interstate 35 over Otter Creek, a Minnesota Department of Transportation news release said. The detour route will take I-35 to Frontage Road to Carlton County Highway 26/Moorhead Road to Carlton County Road 5/University Road. The detour is expected to last until June 29. Access to Black Bear Casino will be maintained from I-35. The $1.8 million project is replacing four box culverts over the...
Starting Tuesday, May 30, local contractor 3D Construction will begin driving every street within Cloquet city limits to pick up brush, tree branches and tree trunks (in pieces no longer than 5 feet) from the roadside as part of the cleanup efforts following damaging winter storms. 3D Construction will not collect piles of leaves, pine needles or grass clippings; however, those can be brought to the city’s brush and leaf disposal site behind the public works garage, 410 Armory Road, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30-11 a...
As contractors began the work of disassembling parts of the Cloquet High School track and football field this week, Cloquet school board members approved the sale of $2.7 million in bonds Monday to help finance renovations of the outdoor athletic facilities complex. Six companies bid, with the lowest bid from Piper Sandler Companies coming in at a true interest rate of 4.7711 percent, lower than the pre-bid estimate of 5.34 percent. Jodie Zesbaugh, Ehlers municipal advisor, said the lower bid...
A former inmate of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program facility in Moose Lake pleaded guilty Monday to attempted second-degree murder. Just over three weeks after viciously attacking a security counselor at the facility, Nicolas Ladell Aron-Jones, 29, pleaded guilty in Carlton County District Court to the most serious of four charges against him. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the other charges of first-, second- and fourth-degree assault will be dismissed. According to the criminal complaint filed on May 3, Aron-Jones placed the motor...
A Cloquet man pleaded guilty to four felony counts of disseminating pornographic work of a minor under the age of 14 on Wednesday in Sixth District Carlton County Court. James Thomas Tuttle, 31, agreed to the plea deal in exchange for a sentence of 12 years, 9 months in prison and no federal charges. Carlton County Attorney Lauri Ketola also agreed to drop two other dissemination charges, plus one charge of possession of pornographic work of a minor under 14. According to the criminal complaint, the Cloquet Police Department was tipped off...
The 125th anniversary of the Sappi mill in Cloquet will bring a company picnic in August, and another surprise following a quarter-century drought. "For the first time in 25 years we're actually going to have public mill tours in July and August," said managing director Tom Radovich earlier this week. "We've got about 12 dates picked." Look for details to come on those celebratory events. Radovich met with local members of the news media prior to a tour of the mill on Monday. He told the story...
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College celebrated this year's graduates at a commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 11, with 74 of this year's 131 graduates walking the stage. Dr. Arne Vainio provided the commencement address, and student speakers included Valerie Zhaawendaagozikwe and Gracee Petersen. During her welcoming remarks in the Lester Jack Bridges Cultural Center, FDLTCC acting president Anita Hanson honored the former president, the late Stephanie Hammitt. "Yesterday and this...
The Cloquet/Carlton Housing & Redevelopment Authority’s board of commissioners fired the agency’s executive director on Friday, May 12. Residents in facilities run by the HRA received word that Debra Shaff was “no longer employed” after a closed meeting commissioners held with Shaff in attendance. Cynthia Slater, chairwoman of the Cloquet board, said Shaff was “released” from her duties based on some fact-finding done within the HRA organization. Slater was not specific on why Shaff was let go, but said findings showed that “we couldn’t fix...
Carlton school board members voted unanimously Monday on a path forward that appears to be unique in Carlton County. At its regular board meeting, superintendent-elect Donita Stepan summarized the new finalized strategic plan. She envisions making Carlton “the leader in educational transformation,” a phrase which headlined the handout she showcased to the board. The new plan will switch the Carlton school district to two lines of learning: one with a traditional curriculum, and another which follows a project-based progression. Students and...
Pine Knot News advertising director Ivan Hohnstadt had a tree-mendous idea three years ago. “Let’s give away 10,000 tree seedlings to celebrate the Pine Knot News being named the most outstanding newspaper in the Land of 10,000 Lakes,” he said, not knowing the paper would win the statewide award three years in a row. “Tree giveaway 3.0” is launching on Friday, May 26, a day when local businesses, schools and organizations will be giving away a grand total of 10,000 white pine and white spr...
As residents continue to clean up trees damaged by heavy winter snow, Cloquet city councilors voted Tuesday to help its citizens dispose of that debris. Starting May 30, local contractor 3D Construction will drive every street within city limits to pick up brush, tree branches and tree trunks (in pieces no longer than 5 feet) from the roadside. “The contractor won’t skip your house because you have a 6-foot tree, but we want to be able to load it into a truck without having someone working out...
The Carlton County Board of Commissioners has declared “No Mow May” in the county, to protect bees and other pollinators. In May, many bees are coming out of hibernation and need flowers to feed themselves and their babies. The main purpose of No Mow May is to encourage people to let their lawns’ early spring flowers bloom before mowing. As part of the May 9 resolution, the board is directing county employees to not mow, and encouraging citizens to wait until after May 31 to mow their yards....
The Cloquet Area Fire District brought its ladder truck to the Bergquist Imports complex again Monday, but there was no fire. This time investigators were taking aerial photos of the roof of the large warehouse that burned in February, said CAFD lead investigator Jason Maki. By the next day, much of the roof was gone, as a number of investigators from CAFD, the state fire marshal's office and more than one insurance company worked their way through the burned-out remains of the warehouse. The...
While the Wrenshall school board has yet to seal a contract with its proposed superintendent for next school year, Jeff Pesta was nonetheless in the audience at Monday’s board meeting. “We are in negotiations right now,” board chair Nicole Krisak said, meaning there would be no board approval of Pesta until June. The retired Deer River superintendent was offered the Wrenshall job earlier this month. He heard good news during the board meeting: for now, the district is done with budget cuts. “We’re at a comfortable place where we’re not making...
Carlton County has been awarded federal funds made available through the Department of Homeland Security under the Emergency Food and Shelter Board Program. Carlton County has been chosen to receive $5,987 from the State Set-Aside and $6,441.00 State Set-Aside Reallocation to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county. Carlton County has distributed Emergency Food and Shelter funds previously to the Salvation Army, Moose Lake Food Shelf, and the Tri-Community Food Shelf. Public or private volunteer agencies interested in...
Lake Country Power director election results were announced at the annual membership meeting in Cromwell on April 20. Districts 4 and 8 held a special election to fill a two-year vacancy. The other three districts will fill three-year terms. Candidates ran unopposed in Districts 3 and 7. Local results for District 8, which includes Cromwell and Kettle River in Carlton County, follow: Brian Napstad, McGregor, 283 votes Daniel Reed, Kettle River, 203 votes Danny Smith, Tamarack, 183 votes Marvin Ketola, McGregor, 182 votes Paul Vernon, Tamarack,...
A Cloquet man was charged last week with seven counts of criminal sexual conduct for allegedly assaulting a juvenile. Bradley Loren Owens, 40, was charged and appeared for a remote hearing in Sixth District Carlton County Court on May 11. He faces one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct (sexual penetration), five counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct (contact) with a juvenile under the age of 14, plus one count of soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct. According to the criminal complaint, the Cloquet Police...
An estimated 1,500 people showed up for the Sjodin family Saturday, packing the Four Seasons Sports Complex and Event Center in Carlton to demonstrate their support for 18-year-old Janae Sjodin, badly hurt in a car crash six weeks ago. The parking lot outside was packed. Cars overflowed onto Chestnut Street for blocks in either direction. More and more people streamed into the arena throughout the afternoon, dropping money in the donation jar by the entrance and buying raffle tickets inside....
An enrichment day last week for Queen of Peace Catholic School found a large group of students bicycling through the Historic West End of Cloquet. The goal was to teach students the rules of the road. "They're going to be riding bikes long before they're driving cars," said volunteer Paul Baecker. "They've got to know the rules." Baecker works with the school as a mental health therapist. He and his wife, Jana, and their four young children moved to Cloquet from Germany, where they were...
When Bill Stone started Venture North Aviation at the Cloquet Airport in 2009, it was just Stone and one airplane in a one-room office at the airport. As of last week, Stone announced Venture North now boasts nine aircraft and 15 employees and taught accelerated flight courses to more than 200 customers last year. This year they expect more than 360 customers. Stone made the announcement at an open house event held to celebrate the grand opening of a multi use hangar that houses airplanes as...
Contractors resumed construction on Minnesota highways 210 and 73 in Cromwell on Monday, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reported. Remaining work on the $3.7 million project includes sidewalk and entrance installation, culvert and storm sewer lining, striping, and final signage. Motorists can expect daytime lane closures and intermittent flagging operations. All work is expected to be complete before July 1. The project to reconstruct the existing highway was designed to improve the ride for travelers and increase stormwater...
The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa joined two other northeastern Minnesota tribes last week in solidifying their stewardship of the 3.3-million-acre Superior National Forest. Fond du Lac, along with the Boise Forte and Grand Portage bands, joined officials with the Superior National Forest in signing a memorandum of understanding on May 2 in Grand Portage. The memorandum will ensure the bands’ involvement in the future management of the Superior National Forest, a joint news release said. The memorandum recognizes the bands as origi...
Down to their last man, the Wrenshall school board seems to have found their next superintendent. The district has offered Jeff Pesta, retired Deer River superintendent, its position beginning July 1 and working half-time through the next school year. Pesta and the district are in negotiations, and board member Mary Carlson reported during the board’s committee of the whole meeting Wednesday that Pesta has said he wants to help the financially struggling district and not take a penny more than what the district is currently paying outgoing K...
