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 1608 - 1632 of 4092
An investigation into employee misconduct figures to end soon, but not before disrupting the start of the school year within the Wrenshall School District. At a time when Chromebooks and computers need to come online for teachers and roughly 350 students, the district’s information technology director is on administrative leave. Jaime Hopp is under investigation for profanely alluding to “killing” the superintendent in the staff lounge in June. Another district employee overheard the threat, which superintendent Kim Belcastro later repor...
Esko is adding a whole new layer to its annual Esko Fun Days celebration, by inviting every single graduate of the 102-year-old school to come back next week for an all-school reunion. Work toward organizing the reunion and school centennial actually began a few years ago, because the school opened in 1920. “Then Covid struck,” said Maggie Sunnarborg, a retired teacher and school board member who is one of the reunion organizers. So they decided that celebrating the centennial a couple years lat...
There's only one place a person can see a 40-foot tall bear promoting a famous brand of beer, and it's in Cloquet. The Hamm's Bear is an iconic advertising creation, and Northeastern Saloon proprietor Bert Whittington owns the largest version of the well-known bear. With the help from a few friends, Whittington inflates his giant bear on the Northeastern's lawn on Dunlap Island once each year during the Nordlager breweriana show. Breweriana shows are like a traveling museum of beer advertising...
Cloquet police and emergency personnel responded to a report of “an apparent drug overdose” Wednesday, July 27, at a residence on Loop Drive within the boundaries of the city and Fond du Lac Reservation, according to a news release from the Cloquet Police Department issued Wednesday afternoon. Efforts to revive the 16-year-old male were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The exact cause of death is not known at this time. The investigation is still open. If anyone has any information that could assist in this inv...
The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is hosting “coffee with the candidates” in Moose Lake, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 30 at the Soo Line Event Center, 900 Folz Blvd. The DFL True Blue Gathering will provide voters the opportunity to speak with and learn more about the candidates and their stand on critical issues facing local families. Confirmed candidates include Jen Schultz, John Peura, Pete Radosevich and Eric Olson, plus special guests. The event is timed to offer voters an int...
The emergency sewer repairs that caused a detour on Highway 61 in Thomson Township throughout July have wrapped up, but more sewer problems have been uncovered in another area of the township, leaving some residents upset and concerned. Thomson resident Joe Davidson brought his concerns to the Thomson township board of supervisors at their meeting July 21, 2022. According to Davidson, he received a letter from the township informing him that his property was in violation of the township's sewer...
The Carlton County board of commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to accept the guaranteed maximum price for the construction of the new justice center at just over $66.8 million, nearly double early estimates. County coordinator Dennis Genereau said the county passed the point of no return with this particular vote. “This was a significant decision,” Genereau told the Pine Knot News. “There is no turning back now. After eight years of planning and answering countless questions and concerns, the county board has made the decision to proceed....
In addition to community celebrations of National Night Out in Esko, Carlton, Kettle River and more, the Cloquet Police Department wants to drop by any neighborhood gathering in the city for NNO. It’s not too late to get something organized, neighbors. Send a message to the Cloquet Police Department Facebook page or call 218-879-1247 with an address and times. The nationwide community-building event was first introduced in 1984. According to the NNO official website, the gatherings provide a space for neighbors and public safety personnel to c...
Construction on a new reduced-conflict intersection where Gillette Road meets Highway 33 north of the roundabout will begin Monday, Aug. 1. The work will close access from Gillette Road to Highway 33, with access to Gillette Road and Frontage Road via the traffic signal in front of Walmart. Expect delays during peak travel times. Motorists can expect daytime lane and shoulder closures during the project, which is expected to last until October....
Although August is just around the corner, the summer festival season is abuzz with activity, with Carlton Daze this weekend, followed by Esko Fun Days, the Honey Bee Festival, Wrenshall Brickyard Days, and Ma & Pa Kettle Days over the first two weeks of August. Esko Fun Days runs Aug. 2-9 and will be combined with an all-school reunion in celebration of the school's 100th (actually 102nd, thanks to Covid) anniversary. The fun kicks off Tuesday night with a National Night Out gathering...
Efforts to revive Cloquet's West End business district continue, with city officials announcing the second round of the West End Flourish grants which aim to reactivate the historic business district through art. The grants are part of Cloquet's Artists on Main Street program, a multi-year program exploring how the arts help address the challenges affecting Main Street communities today, with funding from the Bush Foundation. Grants will be awarded to the following: • Lori Peterson was a...
Dean’s list Savannah Lyytinen of Cloquet was named to the Hamline University dean’s list for the spring 2022 term. To qualify, students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher and complete a minimum of 16 credits. Lyytinen is majoring in forensic psychology with a minor in criminal justice. Wrenshall’s Hannah Weiderman was named to the dean’s list at Drake University this spring. To be eligible for the deans’ list, students must have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the spring 2022 semester at Drake. The following local students were named to...
At first glance, Cloquet's Kelly Avenue looks like any other street in the city: mostly tidy homes with flowers blooming outside, tall trees, cars parked in driveways and on the street, the occasional person out for a walk. But neighbors told a different story at Tuesday's Cloquet city council meeting. Close to a dozen people showed up to complain about what they see as an inadequate police response to repeated calls about two homes that make the neighborhood anything but peaceful. Longtime...
Cloquet city councilor Chris Swanson announced Tuesday that he will step down as the Ward 3 representative effective Aug. 17. Swanson and his family are moving to a home a few blocks outside of Ward 3, so he will no longer fulfill the qualifications to represent his current constituents. "I've taken great pleasure, and it's been really fascinating and interesting. We have a lot of great folks who work for the city. I know we still have some problems, as we've heard from the residents here...
Cracks filled with knee-high weeds zigzag across the tennis courts at Carlton's South Terrace Elementary School. Although there are nets, the courts are in such a state of disrepair it would be almost impossible to play a game of tennis there. With the school district battling ongoing budget woes, repairing the tennis courts has not been a priority for a school board that is working hard to simply keep the schools open and fully staffed. Ed Kavanaugh gets that. The Carlton grad has been on the...
Two northern Minnesota Native American tribes have sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a bid to reverse recent changes the state made to its water quality standards. The tribes argue the changes are likely to damage wild rice and pollute waters on their reservations and treaty-protected lands. The Fond du Lac and Grand Portage Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa filed the suit Thursday in federal district court. It seeks to overturn the EPA’s approval last October of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s recent overhaul of its Cla... 
Website
Earlier this summer, Julie Holmgren traveled from Paynesville, Minnesota to Wrenshall where she had booked Farm LoLa's new "AirB-n- BAWK!" She brought with her a copy of "Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm – from Scratch," the written tale of Jason and Lucie Amundsen's voyage from city dwellers with a backyard flock to running a free-range local egg farm in rural Carlton County. In the newest chapter of the Locally Laid Egg Company story, the Amundsens have now opene...
After eight years of research and planning, Carlton County officials should know the maximum cost of a new justice center following a special meeting set for Thursday, July 21, after this issue of the Pine Knot News went to press. County coordinator Dennis predicted the top number from project contractor Adolfson & Peterson will come in at over $70 million, including construction and soft costs such as architectural, engineering and permitting. Funding is also up in the air. The largest possible funding source for the justice center is the...
Join your fellow Minnesotans by reading William Kent Krueger’s “Iron Lake” as part of One Book One Minnesota in July and August. Get your free copy of Iron Lake by going to ebooksmn.org and choosing either the eBook or electronic audiobook. “Iron Lake” is Krueger’s first novel in the bestselling Cork O’Connor mystery series and won the Minnesota Book Award. It’s available during July and August as part of One Book One Minnesota, a statewide book club. You can participate in a virtual author discussion with William Kent Krueger in a free, live...
In preparation for the Esko All School Reunion set for August, organizers are seeking people who graduated between 1940 and 1966, who may not be regular users of social media. While the reunion is being held in conjunction with Esko Fun Days Aug. 2-7, Class of ’64 grad Joyce Houtz said they are trying to find older grads who may not be on the internet and are hoping they will reach out....
Esko area author Elaine Osborne’s book, “If I Felt Alone,” was recently nominated for a Northeastern Minnesota Book Award in the nonfiction category. Osborne’s book tells the story of the massive sewage spills near her home and the effects on her health and her life, as she fought to get officials at the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District to acknowledge and rectify the damage done. Tens of millions of gallons of raw sewage — wastewater that included industrial waste from the paper mill in Cloquet along with fecal matter — spilled int...
Minnesotans facing a mental health crisis can now dial or text 988 to connect to Lifeline support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new 988 code will serve as a universal entry point, so people can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help regardless of where they live. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. People should call 911 if they suspect drug overdose or need immediate medical help. Moving to a shorter dialing code is an important step to help reduce suicide, and it is part...
Well, Wrong Days in Wright is over for another year. There were a lot of activities, but some had to go by the wayside. For instance, due to Minnesota gambling regulations, Wrong Days can no longer sell gun raffle tickets or give cash prizes for button sales. If you purchased raffle tickets and want your money back, please bring the tickets to Kalli’s Place for a refund. Otherwise, the money from the raffle will go into the general fund. As far as the buttons go, they are mostly just a s...
The city of Cloquet is getting some help with being proactive about climate change. On Monday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced a $106,000 grant to the city to better understand how to prepare the infrastructure for extreme weather caused by climate change. Cloquet will use the funds to update and expand their comprehensive stormwater master plan, which will include identifying infrastructure inadequacies, specific projects to address localized flooding, and funding needed for implementation. The city is matching the...
Time is running out to pick your own strawberries! There are still strawberries to be picked at Spectrum Farms, but the season is ending soon. To check opening times, call 218-389-6265. The fields are located at 2332 County Road 4 in Carlton (formerly Finke's Berry Farm). Remember to bring cash or a check to pay -- they don't take credit or debit cards. What to know more? Here's the latest news from Spectrum co-owner Rita Vavrosky: How is it going? It’s going really well. The berries are b...
