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 2748 - 2772 of 3909
The 55th annual Wrong Days in Wright took place last weekend with a somewhat scaled back list of events. The events were not as well attended as in the past, but at least folks got a chance to get together in a safe and socially distanced way. Friday night’s fireworks concluded just as the storm’s fireworks began. There was a lot of thunder and lightning, then the rain came down in torrents for a few minutes, along with some pretty strong winds. I had an emergency bag packed just in case I had...
In the six years since a housing study showed a need for lots of new housing in Cloquet and Scanlon, there's been what amounts to an apartment building boom. That was the goal, said Cloquet Community Development director Holly Hansen. Seeing how many housing units the two cities needed - 260 rentals, 240 owned units - caught people's attention. And things started happening. "It stimulated major conversation with lots of boards like the EDAs (economic development agencies, city councils, Carlton...
Former Carlton County attorney Thom Pertler is facing possible disciplinary action regarding unprofessional conduct during his tenure with the county. Susan Humiston, the director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, filed a petition for disciplinary action with the Minnesota Supreme Court on July 6. The complaint centers around Pertler's failure to follow through with duties to disclose all exculpatory evidence (favorable to defendants), specifically by not disclosing miscon-... Full story
Effective Wednesday, Black Bear Casino Resort is 100-percent smoke-free inside the building. Guests may still smoke outside. General manager Dan LaPrairie said the Reservation Business Council made the decision to go smoke-free on Tuesday and he implemented the policy within hours. It was something LaPrairie had been thinking about for a long time before he took the recommendation to the RBC. "When I first took over I recognized that times were changing when it came to smokers and nonsmokers,"... Full story
Lengthy discussion, followed by two attempts to vote for a Carlton County mask policy, ended with no clear choice for a majority of the Carlton County Board of Commissioners at their regular meeting Tuesday, July 14. “I believe the board should set an example supporting the wearing of masks in public,” explained commissioner Dick Brenner. “The safety of our employees is our responsibility and all visitors to a county facility should wear a mask if social distancing is not possible.” To this point, each department head has set mask and social...
Two people were seriously injured Tuesday, July 14 when a furnace apparently blew up and mostly destroyed a home in Silver Township. Carlton County Dispatch took a report of an explosion and structure fire at 4080 Korhonen Road at 8:53 p.m. Tuesday. The initial report indicated that a 75-year-old female victim had been injured and a second victim was trapped inside the basement. The 52-year-old female was able to get out of the basement before the Kettle River Fire Department arrived. She... Full story
Bad news for paper manufacturing workers in Maine will likely bring a bit of stability for Sappi’s operation in Cloquet. The company announced on July 9 that it is closing by the end of the year Paper Machine No. 9 and major components of the biomass energy complex at its Westbrook, Maine mill. It will shift the base paper production there to the Sappi mills in Cloquet and Skowhegan, Maine. There are 75 workers in Westbrook who are expected to lose their jobs, about 30 percent of the w...
Superintendent John Engstrom pressed hard and Carlton school board members pushed back. In the end, they seemed to have come to some clearer idea of what the district's future might look like, consolidation with Wrenshall or not. It was an interesting yin and yang Monday night as the new superintendent gave his take on the state of the consolidation process and information he'd like to acquire before moving forward. He also urged the board to plot its course should no bonding money come from...
A one-vehicle crash just after midnight Friday left one person dead and another with non-life-threatening injuries. Patricia Mylonas, 36, of Duluth, was driving a GMC Envoy west on Highway 201 near Markusen Road in Cromwell when the crash occurred. According to the Minnesota State Patrol report, she corrected left, then right, then skidded left before the car crossed into the east traffic lane, leaving the roadway on the left shoulder and rolling before coming to rest. According to the Minnesota State Patrol report, Mylonas was not wearing a...
With 16 regular election judges bowing out of the primary election due to concerns about coronavirus, the city of Cloquet is hoping younger residents will step up for the primary on Aug. 11 and the general election on Nov. 3. Depending on their assigned duties, Cloquet election judges are paid $12-$14 an hour. By law, election judges are granted time off from their regular work. Cloquet typically has about 50 judges throughout its six polling locations. Duties include working a full or half shift between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. or later on the...
A lawsuit accusing the Minnesota Department of Corrections of not fulfilling its obligations to protect prisoners in Moose Lake from the Covid-19 pandemic was dismissed Monday. Sixth District judge Leslie Beiers dismissed the case, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota against the Department of Corrections on April 15. Initially filed on behalf of three inmates - later only two - the petition asked for the release of the three prisoners and others in a similar situation to a...
Were you one of the many people that decided to try your hand at gardening this summer? Whether you are a novice or an experienced gardener, or just interested in enjoying the freshness of summer all year long, we invite you to learn more about preserving your harvest. Please join Suzanne Driessen, University of MN Extension Food Safety Educator as she presents free webinars on food preservation. Dates, times and registration links to the free webinars are as follows: How to Freeze Food for Safe and Tasty Results, July 16, 2020, 10-11 am; R... Full story
Cloquet City Councilors passed a resolution Tuesday, July 21, that will require face coverings in public indoor spaces. The law will go into effect Saturday, Aug. 1, to give businesses time to put up signage or a copy of the resolution. The vote was 5-2, with councilors Kolodge and Langley dissenting. Read more in this week's Pine Knot News, the only locally owned and independent newspaper in Carlton County.... Full story
While the Duluth City Council will vote on a proposal Monday to require people to wear masks in public spaces and gatherings, the Cloquet City Council isn’t quite ready to take that step. Mayor Roger Maki broached the idea during a council discussion of ongoing pandemic measures by the city to limit the spread of COVID-19. Maki pointed out that it’s a popular discussion point right now, with cities like Rochester, Mankato and Edina implementing requirements for face coverings recently. Additiona...
ATV accidents on July Fourth killed a woman in Barnum Township and a man in Holyoke township. Tricia Jean Lanthier, 47, of Proctor, died of injuries received in the Barnum Township crash, which was likely caused by limited visibility from excessive dust. Emergency personnel responded to a 911 call at 11:40 a.m. Saturday, reporting an ATV crash at the intersection of County Road 139 and County Road 6 in Barnum Township. Carlton County Sheriff’s deputies and the Minnesota State Patrol responded along with Emergency Medical Services from the B...
The Minnesota Insulin Safety Net Program launched July 1, and will allow Minnesotans in urgent need of insulin (less than a seven-day supply on hand) to access the life-saving drug through their pharmacy. The Insulin Safety Net Program is made up of two parts: 1) The urgent need program for eligible Minnesotans to receive a once-per-year 30-day supply of insulin immediately at their pharmacy for no more than a $35 copay; and 2) The continuing need program for eligible Minnesotans to receive up to a one-year supply of insulin for no more than...
A former Carlton teacher and girls basketball coach faces felony charges of criminal sexual conduct stemming from allegations of sexually abusing a prior student more than 20 years ago. Robert Kent Pioro, 62, was charged in Carlton County Sixth District Court on Thursday, July 2, with three counts of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree for engaging in sexual penetration with a person who was 16 years old when he was in a position of authority over the victim. Each charge stems from a different incident that occurred in Carlton County ... Full story
As schools continue to plan for three possible scenarios for resuming classes in the fall, details continue to emerge. As reported in the Pine Knot News on June 26, state officials told schools to prepare for three different possibilities in the fall: 1. In-person learning for all students with as much space between students as feasible during the day. 2. A hybrid model with stricter social distancing and capacity limits in the building and buses. 3. Distance learning only. In the weeks since...
All Carlton County governmental offices are now open to the public again, although there are numerous restrictions in place to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. All Carlton County offices at the Courthouse, including the assessor and auditor offices, are open. However, visitors are expected to practice at least 6 feet of social distancing and wear a face covering when appropriate. Only one person or household will be assisted in an office service area at a time. The Public Health and Human Services building in Cloquet remains open to the... Full story
The Carlton County Board has livestreamed its last three meetings and people are tuning in online in larger numbers than normally attend the regular county board meetings. According to the latest online county newsletter, the livestream feature has been viewed by an average of 200 people. The public is encouraged to listen to the meetings live or at a later time using the playback feature on the county website. Each meeting will be uploaded to the county Civic Plus Website within a day or two of the actual meeting. The meetings are held twice...
While the Carlton and Jay Cooke State Park area is known for its recreational trails, many people who would like to experience the beauty of these trails by bicycle may not be aware of a great resource for getting out and enjoying them. Carlton Bike Rental and Repair has been around for 10 years this summer, catering to the needs of those who would like to plan a group bicycle ride on the Willard Munger, Alex Laveau, or St. Louis River trails. The shop features a fleet of rentals: hybrid bikes i... Full story
Former Carlton County attorney Thom Pertler is facing possible disciplinary action regarding unprofessional conduct during his tenure with the county. Susan Humiston, the director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, filed the petition for disciplinary action on July 6 with the Minnesota Supreme Court. The complaint centers around Pertler’s failure to follow through with his duties to disclose all exculpatory evidence (favorable to defendants), specifically by not disclosing misconduct by then Cloquet police officer Scott B... Full story
The weather is heating up and so is berry season. Despite struggles with keeping plants watered during what has been a dry spring and early summer in Carlton County, strawberries are ripe at Spectrum Farm as well as honeyberries at Farm LoLa, both southeast of the Interstate 35 corridor from Cloquet. There is a convenient website to keep up with picking seasons at seven county berry farms, CarltonCountyFruit.org. Expect raspberries later in July and then blueberries. The site has links to each f... Full story
As construction workers put finishing touches on the extension at the Cloquet Public Library, donations to help pay for furnishing the new meeting rooms, teen room and children's area continue to come in. On June 25, representatives from Northwoods Credit Union and its board dropped by for a peek of the new facility and the large meeting room that will bear its name. They brought a larger-than-life check for $40,000 with them, with the promise of another $40,000 to follow over the next four... Full story
Folks of all ages looking to satisfy their sweet tooth have a new destination in Carlton County: Sweetly Kismet Candy store. Just follow the trail of 45 five-foot-tall suckers to find the sweet new business, located a short drive up a dirt road behind and east of the Minnesota Highway 210 Kwik Trip store near Interstate 35. Tuesday afternoon brothers Keigan Lennartson, 12, and Brody McIvor, 7, were checking out the many different aisles of the candy store and their offerings of brightly colored... Full story
