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 2072 - 2096 of 4092
The Carlton County Board of Commissioners examined a model jail cell as part of a regular meeting on Nov. 22. The board met in the Carlton County Transportation building and a jail cell was mounted on a truck and brought to the garage there from the manufacturer in Huron, South Dakota. The cell featured bunks for two offenders, a small shower, a toilet and shelves for hygiene supplies and seating. Buddy Johns, a representative of the manufacturer, Coastal Detention Holdings, said the cells are...
A Cloquet area man who accidentally shot his friend almost a year ago pleaded guilty last week to second-degree manslaughter. Joseph James Fohrenkam, 19, pleaded guilty in Duluth Sixth District Court Monday, Nov. 22, to the manslaughter charge. The maximum imprisonment for second-degree manslaughter is 10 years, with a minimum of 36 months. Fohrenkam signed off on the plea knowing that the prosecution is seeking an aggravated sentence of 84 months, or seven years. A charge of third-degree murder — with a maximum sentence of 25 years — will be...
Esko school board members elected interim officers last week, the result of board chair Jeff Salo stepping down from his leadership position. Salo’s action came after a long apology, for a verbal exchange with an Esko student athlete after a football game. Jerry Frederick is the interim board chair, Todd Rengo will serve as vice chair and Steve McConnell the interim clerk. The board will elect new officers at the organizational meeting on Jan. 10, to serve for the following year. Board members got good news following the audit for the fiscal y...
After a series of impassioned pleas from parents this fall to end the current mask requirement at Cloquet schools - which applies to all grades during the school day -the school board will have a police officer at meetings and will do more to inform the public how the comment period works at meetings. After police were called during the Nov. 22 meeting, superintendent Michael Cary suggested that the board move its public comments portion of meetings into what is called the "working session"...
Talks about a tuition agreement that would allow Carlton to close its high school and send students in grades 9-12 to Cloquet are moving toward action. On Monday, committee members representing both school boards met in Cloquet. They touched on minor changes to the evolving tuition agreement. Both sides agreed that they were comfortable with the agreement, which outlines both student enrollment and financial arrangements between the districts. The next step is to send the final documents to the...
Changes are underway for the city of Barnum. A new building houses the Barnum Municipal Liquor Store, a spacious event center and the city offices. The 100-year-old Barnum Community Center - once the Legion Hall - was demolished last week. The brick structure that once housed the city offices and the municipal liquor store is also slated for demolition. It has been a long process to bring the new building to completion. Discussions about a new structure that would fit within the city's $2 million budget began in 2019. As preparations were made...
It’s time for the fifth annual Deck the WrensHALLs lighting contest. Make your own amazing light display and enter the community contest for best lighting display. Forms are available at the Wrenshall General Store. Others can compete in the regional contest by going to christmas lightingchallenge.com by Sunday, Dec. 5....
The Cloquet/Carlton Housing & Redevelopment Authority hired Trish Stanius as the new coordinator of Section 8/Housing Choice voucher program. HRA executive director Debra Shaff said Stanius understands the challenges low-income households may have gaining access to and maintaining affordable housing while supporting property owners and managers who provide opportunities....
Join Cloquet schools superintendent Michael Cary, along with some school board members and administration for conversation from 9-10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 6 at the Warming House, 411 Sunnyside Drive, Cloquet. The meetings are being held monthly at different coffee shops in Cloquet and are a way to have a two-way discussion with school officials....
The Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts has named Burnell Peterson and Ann Carlander from the Wrenshall area as one of eight finalists in the 2021 Outstanding Conservationist Award program. They will be recognized at a Dec. 14 luncheon at the association's 85th annual state convention in Bloomington. The awards program recognizes farm families, individuals, conservation organizations, and other groups for their accomplishments in implementing conservation practices...
Over the last two years, my rural Wrenshall neighbor Burnell Peterson has built a cabin entirely of wood from trees he planted on his property 40 years ago. Peterson is quick to give Kelly Smith credit for the genesis of the project. “If it hadn’t been for Kelly, those red pine would still be standing,” he said. Two years ago, he reached out to Smith, who serves as a forestry technician at the Carlton County Soil and Water Conservation District, for assistance with planting a native pollinator h...
After less than a year on the job, Cloquet Area Fire District chief Matt Ashmore has been placed on paid administrative leave by the CAFD board and is fighting to keep his job. Ashmore defended himself in a Loudermill hearing on Nov. 21 against allegations regarding his performance as fire chief that could result in discipline, up to dismissal. Loudermill hearings provide public sector employees the right of response to contest reasons for possible firing. At the heart of the complaints is the...
After placing Cloquet Area Fire District Chief Matt Ashmore on paid administrative leave on Nov. 11, the CAFD board voted unanimously today to close its investigation of Ashmore "without findings" and accept his resignation effective today, Dec. 6. Ashmore defended himself in a Loudermill hearing on Nov. 21 against allegations regarding his performance as fire chief that could result in discipline up to dismissal. Loudermill hearings provide public sector employees the right of response to...
In the world of composting and recycling, small steps add up. But it does require an extra step or two in the process. For Magnolia Café owner Yvette Maijala, making her Carlton business more sustainable is worth the extra work. Three years ago, she reached out to Karola Dalen, resource and recycling coordinator for Carlton County Zoning and Environmental Services. Dalen and her staff conducted a waste assessment report to help Magnolia with sustainability and recycling. Many of the practices...
Walking east from the little house I grew up in on Chestnut and Avenue C, the first thing I saw heading out the door across Chestnut was a tennis court, plus a huge lawn leading up to the Northwest Paper Company staff house on Park Place. It was the 1950s, and a childhood friend said it perfectly: "How pretty the street was from Chestnut Street to the movie theater ... just walking along. The neighborhood had such a comfortable feeling ... homes of friends, local businesses, food and recreation....
The Esko volunteer fire department has sent seven sets of turnout gear to a specialized cleaning company after a messy call on Thursday, Nov. 18. This mutual aid call involved 50-100 gallons of spilled petroleum that coated 25 sets of gear in total, chief Kyle Gustafson reported to the Thomson Township board of supervisors at its meeting Nov. 18. Carlton fire department chief Derek Wolf said five other departments were called for mutual aid for manpower and backup water supply. The fire was extinguished in just over two hours. The property...
A fire Sunday damaged an Esko apartment but no one was injured. According to a press release from the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, numerous 911 calls reported a fire at 157 West Highway 61 in Esko at 3:10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21. Esko firefighters responded and found light smoke showing from the building and no visible flames. Upon entry, they found fire in the front apartment, but no one home. They quickly extinguished the fire but there was significant damage to the apartment. The tenant w...
5-2022 Quarter 1 ~ Honorable Mention A Honor Roll~ **To be recognized for A honor roll student must hold a term GPA of 3.75 or higher. 12th Grade Kenneth Alberti, Nicholas DeVriendt-LeDoux, Kash Gibson, Dakota Hegg, Alaina Kiehl, Erik McPhail, Noah Olsen, Thomas Orlowski, Carly Parker, Joseph Solomon, Michaela Sundeen, Cole Thompson, Maria Villena Hortelano 11th Grade ~ Eliza DeCaigny, Dylan Schwartz 10th Grade ~ Michael Cadotte, Brayden Drake, Luukas Korpela, Gavin LeBrasseur, Megan Matarelli, Adeline Midge, Sam Ojibway, Gibson Reed, Brody...
The annual Giving Thanks Feast could not be held this year due to the pandemic, so Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College staff brought Thanksgiving to them by creating Thanksgiving food bundles. Through a partnership with B&B Market of Cloquet, the food bundles were assembled into convenient packages for contactless pickup Friday, Nov. 19. Each food bundle included a turkey, one box of stuffing, pumpkin pie and whipped cream, vegetables, potatoes, cranberries, rolls and butter. Roughly 70...
Next month, Cloquet grad Benjamin Bauer will be winging his way to Colorado, where he will formally accept the National Student Athlete Scholarship, and read the essay that led to his latest award, this one from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrator Association (NIAAA). It won't be the first time Bauer has stood in front of a room of dignitaries to read his work. The last time was three years ago, after Bauer won the BestPrep essay contest for his response to a prompt by fellow...
The Cloquet High School fall musical has returned, and it is a spectacle. In the Disney version of "Beauty and the Beast," wondrous human teapots, clocks, dressers, candlesticks and more come to life on the stage, dazzling audience members and startling the "only human" characters in the show. The set is also remarkable: creator and handyman Rich Brummer has outdone himself, hanging three massive antlered creatures (that he shot out West) on a Tudor-style tavern wall, and crafting a castle...
This year's community Thanksgiving dinner will be a hybrid affair, on what will be the second Covid turkey day. The Carlton County Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Auxiliary will again offer free Thanksgiving meals on Thursday, Nov. 25, this year via pickup, delivery or in person. Last year there were no sit-down meals available. "We'll have all three options," said organizer and DAV treasurer Raffy Johnson. "As for Covid restrictions, we're just gonna follow CDC guidelines. If you're...
The terms of a tuition agreement that could bring Carlton students to Cloquet High School as soon as the next school year are mostly finished. Committee members representing both the Cloquet and Carlton school boards met for a third time Monday, this time for a tour of Cloquet High School and to put the finishing touches on the legal document that a shared attorney has drafted. Carlton has already scheduled a public meeting on the proposal for 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13. Cloquet committee...
The Pine Knot News will close Wednesday, Nov. 24 and reopen Monday, Nov. 29 to allow staff to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. If you urgently need to reach us, call editor Jana Peterson at 218-213-1231 or leave a message at 218-878-9332 or email [email protected]. The Thanksgiving issue of the Pine Knot News should arrive in mailboxes on Wednesday, Nov. 24....
Folks in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin are encouraged to decorate their homes or businesses and help spread some holiday cheer. Then, head over to christmaslightingchallenge.com to register your home or business and join in the fun. The goal of the contest, according to organizer Peter Cpin, is to create a great resource of festive homes and businesses to allow families to continue the tradition of going out to look at Christmas lights together while having a little contest fun. Online registration for the seventh annual Christmas Lighting...
