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 1158 - 1182 of 4092
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... Full story
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.... Full story
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... Full story
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,... Full story
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.... Full story
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...
The Cloquet Housing & Redevelopment Authority has received designation as a “High Performer” by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development under the Public Housing Assessment System Measurement of four key indicators: Physical, financial, management, and capital fund administration. Executive director Debra Shaff attributes achieving HUD’s highest ranking to the HRA’s staff and commissioners. “Big things are possible as a result of our commissioners and staff’s continued commitment, enthusiasm, perseverance and leadership,...
Esko parents are continuing to show up and show their support for changing the school district’s Eskomos nickname. At the Esko school board’s meeting Monday, two parents and a representative from the National Coalition Against Racism in Sports spoke in support of changing the mascot during the open forum portion of the meeting. Two letters of support were sent to the board as well. Parent Rachel Gilbertson said many more support the cause. “Within the last two months, I’ve received an outpouring of support from people throughout this communi...
Carlton and Wrenshall have completed the plan to combine all competitive activities with the merger of robotics and speech for next year, Carlton superintendent John Engstrom announced Monday, following the debut of combined spring sports this year. Activities such as theater and prom will have a different approach, he said. Engstrom explained that each school puts on one or more plays and that they should be kept in place, “but also open them up to the student body of each.” The decision whether to combine prom and dances went to the stu...
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has rejected challenges from Dennis Michael St. John Jr., who was found guilty by a Carlton County jury in January 2022 of three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, along with kidnapping and domestic assault of a woman. St. John’s attorney, Kevin Gregorius of Meshbesher and Associates in Minneapolis, asserted that the Carlton County Sixth District Court erred in seven instances regarding procedures, evidence and testimony during his trial. All were rejected by the appellate court led by Judge Tracy S...
The conflict between an outspoken business owner and the Wrenshall city council spiked again last week, when the council voted to send a letter informing Jeff Bloom he was out of compliance with city ordinance. Bloom is the owner of the Wrenshall General Store and RV park, and was in attendance at the May 3 city council meeting. Bloom told the board he would not seek to renew an interim use permit for his Ponderosa Sales, an auction business located on the same property as Bloom's other...
Daniel Wilson, a committed client at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program facility in Moose Lake, said Wednesday that a "vast majority of clients are horrified" by the two assaults that took place there recently. He said that despite the past records of the people who live at the facility, most are "nonviolent." But he also said "we all sort of expected it" when it came to the attacks. On May 1, according to a complaint filed in Carlton County District Court May 3, client Nicolas Ladell Aron-Jones...
The Cloquet Middle School gymnasium was transformed into a powwow grounds Saturday for the seventh annual Ziigwan (Spring) Powwow. "It's a way we can honor our students, our program and our school," said Cloquet American Indian Education program director Teresa Angell. "And we invite the whole community." Angell counted 300 people at the feast, plus others who came and went during the daylong event. It was a happy occasion, the first school powwow after a three-year hiatus because of Covid-19.... Full story
The snow may have finally melted, exposing the effects of December’s devastating storms. The heavy snow left some young trees bowing like monks while older trees fell or dropped limbs that were overwhelmed by the weight of the wet snow. The freeze that followed froze many in the same position much of the winter. Strong winds this spring are finishing the damage in some cases; people armed with saws and clippers are doing the rest. In an effort to help citizens who are now cleaning up the m... Full story
A 29-year-old man committed to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program in Moose Lake was arrested on assault charges Monday after causing a 53-year-old staff member to be airlifted from the facility. The condition of the victim was not known late Monday, said a Carlton County Sheriff’s Office news release. Carlton County 911 dispatch received a call from the Minnesota Sex Offender Program at Moose Lake at 1:23 p.m. Monday, reporting a client assault on a staff member. Sheriff’s Office deputies and Essentia Health ambulance services responded, alo... Full story
