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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It's official. Cloquet students will return to school in-person after Labor Day, unless they choose individually to opt out for distance learning. The decision came when it did based on two factors. One, that the state told school districts they must inform families of how school will start - with in-person, hybrid or distance learning models - at least two weeks before the start date, which is Wednesday, Sept. 9 for Cloquet. And second, they waited for the most recent report from Minnesota Depa...
The Esko sports fields that were redone only a few years ago now have a beautiful new parking lot to match. Over the spring and summer, workers tore down the old bus barn that used to sit in the middle of the gravel parking lot off Canosia Road and built a new bus garage in the northwest corner of the Esko business park. That freed up lots of space for parking in the newly paved lot adjacent to the athletic complex, which features locker rooms and a concession stand, fields for football,...
A sloppy kiss between a moist, unstable air mass and a veering cold front led to a stormy afternoon and evening last Friday, Aug. 14, across Carlton County. Strong downdraft winds snapped trees and unrooted others. Power lines went down, causing outages, particularly in the Carlton area and south although there were also lines down in Thomson Township. In the western part of the county, near Wright and Cromwell, low-level tornadoes were suspected but unconfirmed by the National Weather Service....
A Cloquet police officer is facing charges for driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing a car and fleeing the scene earlier this month. Andrew Michael Murray, 34, was cited for fourth-degree driving while impared as well as DWI-operating a motor vehicle under influence of alcohol, both misdemeanors, by the Minnesota State Patrol on Aug. 6. There was no blood alcohol content level available, but a blood sample has been sent to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis. According to the Minnesota State Patrol incident report:...
The Minnesota Rural Broadband Coalition is conducting a test of broadband services in rural Minnesota. To take the test, go to this site: mnruralbroadband coalition.com/speedtest. The speed test can be taken with any device that has an internet or cellular connection and takes less than one minute to complete. No personal information will be collected. Testing data will be statistically valid and provide a map of what service levels are for any given area in the state. This information will be an important tool for communities that are...
Law enforcement students are invited to apply for scholarships offered by the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association (MSA) Law Enforcement Scholarship Program for 2020. The scholarships are the result of coordinated efforts of the 87 sheriffs of the state of Minnesota. The fifteen $600 scholarships will be awarded in recognition of the financial needs of students attending the peace officer skills course or one of the two- or four-year law enforcement degree colleges. The application form and policy-procedure statement are available at w...
The Carlton County board of commissioners is deep in the throes of budget talks again, as they prepare to adopt a preliminary 2021 budget sometime in September and a final budget in December. Two budget sessions on July 27 and Aug. 4 spanned six hours and included presentations from county departments and budget support for publicly used groups such as the Bookmobile and the Carlton County fair. Many focused on the COVID-19 impact and the annual issue of needed revenues and increased costs. Following is a taste of the ongoing budget...
A crowd of more than 300 people turned out for a rally at the Moose Lake Hockey Arena grounds Friday, Aug. 14 to support keeping the Willow River Challenge Incarceration Program in operation. The event came 11 days after the announcement of the closure of the Willow River and the Togo camps, which were prompted by a Department of Corrections budget deficit of $14 to $17 million and growing due to Covid-19-related expenses. Since the announcement on Aug. 3, the DOC planned to relocate the two...
A Wisconsin man was charged with assault for allegedly attacking two men with his fists and a roofing jack in Kettle River late last month. Jeffrey Allen Louks, 35, of Washburn, Wisconsin was charged with first-degree assault, great bodily harm, as well as second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon in Sixth District Carlton County Court. A warrant was issued for his arrest on July 31 and quashed on Aug. 13 after he was apprehended. According to the criminal complaint: On July 25, Carlton County deputies received a phone call regarding an...
Cloquet resident Emily Tracy warned the Cloquet city council before addressing them in their Zoom meeting Tuesday: "I am the crazy chicken lady that they warned you about," she said, then asked the council to amend the city's current zoning ordinance to allow more people to raise chickens here. Currently there is no specific ordinance for chickens. Rather they are defined as "livestock" in the city code, which prohibits farm animals on residential lots under 10 acres in size, and only in the "fa...
Cloquet finance director Nancy Klassen walked the Cloquet city council through the audit of last year’s finances — which got a “clean” opinion with no errors — then city staff talked about the tentative budget for 2021. It was only a discussion, one that will continue, at least until the council passes its preliminary budget and levy later in September. “The audit shows you where you’re at, and budget shows you where you are going,” Klassen told the councilors who were meeting via Zoom and telep...
It's not only K-12 schools that are struggling with decisions about how to return to school - colleges everywhere are constructing plans and integrating new ideas and technology to make education available to students in all situations as the Covid-19 pandemic continues. Locally, Fond du lac Tribal and Community College will start school Monday with a mix of learning styles: with students attending a "Zoom classroom" online, and in-person for clinicals and other classes that require skills...
For decades, Cloquet kids played hockey outside in the elements, until volunteers and local businesses came together to build the Pine Valley Ice Arena aka the Barn, in the late 1960s and gave the city its first indoor rink. Now a growing group of volunteers and donors is bringing a quality outdoor rink to the Barn grounds, to give kids more space to play and practice the sport they love. Members of the Cloquet Area Hockey Association - many of them parent volunteers - tore down the old boards...
The U.S. Census Bureau has begun following up with households nationwide that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. Based on the current self-response rate of 63.3 percent nationally the Census Bureau estimates it will need to visit about 56 million addresses to collect responses in person. Census takers have completed training on social distancing and safety protocols, will follow local public health guidelines, and will be required to wear face masks when conducting followup visits. “America has answered the call and most households r...
A Thomson Township woman was airlifted to a Duluth hospital last week following an alleged assault by her daughter. Amber Rae Stonemark, 35, is facing charges of first-degree assault, great bodily harm as well as second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, both felonies, for allegedly assaulting her mother with a hammer Aug. 5. Stonemark was charged in Carlton County Court Aug. 7. According to the criminal complaint, Minnesota State Patrol and Carlton County Sheriff’s Office officers responded to a welfare check Thursday, Aug. 6, on East S...
The bridge replacement project at the Midway River just north of Esko in Thomson Township on Carlton County Road 1 remains on schedule to be completed by early October, the county engineering division told the Pine Knot News. The project has had few delays since it began in late June, said assistant county engineer Rick Norrgard, who was at the site with an inspector Tuesday, the same day these pictures were taken. The project has cut off Esko schools from the Esko Sports Complex - save for a...
A Hermantown woman pleaded guilty to felony third-degree murder Monday, Aug. 10, admitting tearfully that she sold methamphetamine to a Moose Lake woman who died as a result of taking the drug in 2018. Dawn Marie Clemons, 41, appeared in person before Judge Robert Macaulay in Sixth Judicial District Carlton County Court Monday, with her attorney Kevin Cornwell and prosecuting attorney Jeffrey Boucher there and others attending via Zoom video. In exchange for the guilty plea, the prosecution agreed to recommend a downward departure for...
In a few short years, Carlton County will have to find a new place to take its solid waste as Superior’s Moccasin Mike landfill is expected to reach capacity sometime between 2026 and 2028. On Aug. 11 the Carlton County board of commissioners took the first step toward figuring out the future of Carlton County waste by supporting the creation of a regional plan for solid waste management. The Northeast Minnesota Waste Advisory Committee — made up of solid waste officers from Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Lake, Itasca, Koochiching and St. Louis cou...
Former Carlton teacher and girls basketball coach Robert Kent Pioro, 62, appeared via Zoom video for a hearing in Carlton County Sixth District Court on Tuesday. Pioro faces three felony charges of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, stemming from allegations of sexually abusing a student athlete more than 20 years ago. Each charge stems from a different incident that occurred in Carlton County — at Four Seasons Recreation Center, South Terrace Elementary School and Carlton High School — all between October 2000 and March 2001. Acc...
For more than 100 years, Cloquet has celebrated the hardworking men and women of our area with parades and festivities. But Labor Day will be quieter this year. Organizer Mike Parrot said all of the regular Cloquet events -the parade, the carnival, the car show and even the picnic lunch at the Labor Hall - are not happening because of the coronavirus pandemic and the risk of spreading the disease with large gatherings. Organizers in Duluth have canceled activities there as well, including a...
The Salvation Army of Carlton County will again provide back-to-school help to Carlton County residents in need of assistance. Applications will be accepted 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 19-26 by calling 651-746-3538. No late registrations will be accepted. The drive-thru distribution will be held at the Salvation Army food shelf at 316 Carlton Avenue in Cloquet, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sept. 3....
Coronavirus has claimed the fall musical at Cloquet High School, director Darrell Davey announced “with a heavy heart” on the CHS Theatre Facebook group page last week. Davey said the cancellation came per administration guidance and following school and health protocols. Cloquet’s fall musicals usually involve large casts and, by definition, lots of singing. Scientists have determined that Covid-19 can be spread by droplets that are expelled from the mouth while talking and particularly while singing. “As unfortunate as this is, your health...
Carlton County and the City of Cloquet are offering pet spay/neuter vouchers for Carlton County residents. If your pet needs to be spayed or neutered, you are encouraged to apply for this program that provides financial assistance. These vouchers include $150 off a cat spay/neuter and $250 off a dog spay/neuter at any of the three listed local veterinary offices (Crow-Goebel Veterinary Clinic, Cloquet Animal Hospital and Moose Lake Veterinary Clinic). Approved vouchers must be redeemed before the end of the year. For more information or an...
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has released studies of two contaminated sites - the Scanlon and Thomson reservoirs - in the St. Louis River Area of Concern that detail cleanup options for the sites. The public is invited to review the cleanup alternatives by studying the plans online and commenting to the MPCA. The Scanlon Reservoir site is east of Scanlon and downstream of Cloquet. The site is approximately 40 acres and bounded by forested lands owned by electricity provider Minnesota...
An additional 82 mailed ballots were delivered to the Carlton County Courthouse in the two days following Tuesday's primary, but the rankings in the local election remain unchanged. Moving on to the General Election in November for Cloquet City Council Ward 5 are Lyz Jaakola and Dennis M Painter, while former mayor Dave Hallback is out of the race with a third place finish. Final results showed Jaakola with 217 votes (up from 210 after Tuesday), Painter with 119 (up from 117) and Hallback with...
