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 3039 - 3063 of 3909
While Tuesday, March 3 is the day set aside for voting in Minnesota’s first presidential primary in decades, some residents are ahead of the game. According to the Carlton County auditor’s office, more than 500 Carlton County residents have already cast their vote in the Minnesota presidential primary via a combination of mail-in and absentee ballots. Earlier this week, Minnesota Public Radio wrote that close to 40,000 Minnesotans have already voted. Local residents who received mail-in ballots or absentee ballots have through March 2 to get...
In the Feb. 21 editorial, “As lacrosse makes inroads, stay tuned,” the Pine Knot incorrectly stated that the Cloquet school board was “less than receptive” to the idea of making lacrosse a school-sponsored sport. We apologize for the error. According to school board members and Superintendent Michael Cary, the idea of making lacrosse a school sport has never reached the board. District administration reviewed information shared by the lacrosse club and shared initial concerns with them. “We have doubts about the sustainability of lacrosse...
Tuesday's Republican and Democratic-Farmer-Labor party caucus meetings were substantially more subdued than the last time presidential candidates were on the ballot. Local party leaders on both sides agree: that's mostly because Minnesota is now holding a primary election for president, rather than using local caucuses to choose a candidate. "I've had people ask me why we're even having precinct caucuses," said Carlton County DFL chairperson Patty Murto, as she waited for results to come in...
After deleting several portions of the tobacco ordinance that passed in December, the Carlton County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a reduced version of the ordinance with a May 1 enforcement date. The ban on the sale of all tobacco products, flavored and unflavored, and on vaping products to anyone below the age of 21 remains. Language included in past drafts to restrict sales of all flavored tobacco products was omitted completely. Chairman Marv Bodie said there had been enough discussion on the ordinance and there was no need to...
Things are back on track for the school consolidation moves by the Carlton and Wrenshall school districts after the Wrenshall board held a special school board meeting at 6:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21. The board revised two resolutions it passed Monday: removing a sentence in each that made the resolutions contingent on “the full support of the Carlton Board and Superintendent.” The special meeting was called after Carlton Board member Tim Hagenah voted no on the resolutions during Carlton’s meeting Tuesday. The revised resolutions referred to “c...
Members Cooperative Credit Union has announced that Tammy Heikkinen will be retiring as president and CEO of the credit union. Heikkinen, who has been with MCCU since 1978 and in her current role since 2008, will support the transition led by the board and executive leadership team. Under Heikkinen's leadership, the credit union has grown to almost $800 million in assets, and over 55,000 members, with 12 branch locations across the state of Minnesota. "It has been an honor and a privilege to...
A 34-year-old Bayfield man who was found guilty of murder and attempted murder last month was sentenced to life in prison Monday in Sixth District Carlton County Court. In January, a jury found James Francis Montano guilty on all three of the charges against him: first-degree premeditated murder and intentional second-degree murder for the shooting death of his uncle, Andrew Gokee; and the attempted premeditated first-degree murder of his cousin, Hudson Gauthier. Judge Leslie Beiers sentenced...
The annual Carlton County Emergency Medical Services awards were presented at the Carlton County board meeting Monday. EMS chairman Steve Trenhill presented Andrea Peterson, left, of Mercy Ambulance with the "EMS Person of the Year" award, and Mike Peterson, right, received the "Lifetime Achievement with EMS" award. Mike Peterson has been active in the Cromwell-Wright fire and ambulance district since 1984. When asked about his service to EMS, he said he could think of many others who also...
To all those folks born on Feb. 29, a very special Happy Birthday to you this year. Congratulations to Paul Johnson and Lorraine Guentzel who were crowned the Valentine’s Day King and Queen at the Villa Vista and Cardinal Court on Feb. 11. They both were surprised and thrilled to be chosen by their friends and the staff. Send cards to them at: Villa Vista, 1220 Villa Ct Drive, Cromwell, MN 55726. Happy 86th birthday to Leo Dahlberg on March 1 and Judy Miller (turning 100) on March 4. They b...
Winters can be snowy, cold and gloomy in the Northland. But March usually comes with signs of spring and new life. March is also the month we Finnish-Americans celebrate St. Urho’s Day. March 16 is a day when the wacky reigns, where you can eat grapes and pet grasshoppers, and wear purple and green in honor of St. Urho, the Finnish saint created right here in northern Minnesota. Here are the St. Urho’s Day events that will be celebrated in or close to our area. It’s the 45th annual St. Urho...
Kettle River is the only small town in Carlton County to be featured on the WDSE documentary, "This Town," to be shown at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 2 on the Duluth station. Three other northern Minnesota towns - Sandstone, Ball Club and Grand Portage - are included in the documentary, which describes how the towns started and how they are looking to their futures. Kettle River, like so many other small towns, started when a rail line came through in 1909. A depot was built, and farmers would...
Is the defendant guilty or innocent of murder, after allegedly selling oxycodone pills to a man who later died of an apparent opiod overdose? The Cloquet high school mock trial team is taking its arguments - for both sides of the hypothetical murder case - all the way to the state tournament next week. The team qualified for the state tournament, held at Ramsey County Courthouse in St. Paul March 5-6, after participating in four meets with different schools, then winning the case at regionals...
The second annual Local Food Fair will take place 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 7 at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. This free, family-friendly event brings together local farmers, bakers, and other food producers to sell their products and provide information about the upcoming growing season. Farms that offer community supported agriculture boxes will also be on hand to provide ordering information. Vendors will be offering bread and other baked goods, sauerkraut, kimchi, jam, pickles, meat, eggs, and more. The Magnolia Caf...
Master Gardener volunteers have tested popular flower and vegetable varieties and want to share. Each year, the seed trial gardeners test six vegetables and two flower varieties. They look for the best return on investment. They’ve tested heirlooms, seed saved from generation to generation, and varieties that promise high yield, ease of growing, space saving and simple beauty. The list is updated each January. To get a copy of the full list with the current updates go to extension.umn.edu/planting-and- growing-guides/master- g...
When Dustin Anderson wanted to improve his small vineyard in Carlton, he called the company that had sold him his grapevines. What happened next is why he is known as "The Apple Tree Guy" and not "The Wine Guy." Anderson had purchased a couple of apple trees from this same vendor and they were doing well, but the grapevines were not. The company suggested he plant more apple trees, but had a 100-tree minimum purchase policy. "Oh yeah, I can put in 100 trees," the hardworking Anderson told them,...
Ward 3 Cloquet city councilor Chris Swanson took the oath of office for the second time in seven months Tuesday, this time as a duly elected representative following his appointment in July. The council meeting Tuesday was a quick one, with no public hearings, no presentations and no comments from the public. Changes at the Cloquet police department dominated much of the short meeting, as acting police chief Derek Randall recommended the council approve the appointment of Eric Baker to the position of detective, effective that same day. The...
Tim Young Sr. started on a Valentine's Day snow carving Feb. 13, but the bitter cold temperatures made for poor carving and a cold carver. "I've always wanted to do something with Pepé Le Pew," he said, referring to the cartoon skunk known for his ardent pursuit of uninterested female cats. He finished his carving Friday and Saturday, when the temperature got into the 20s, better suited for carving snow. Young said there are future sculptures waiting in his snow block along Freeman Road. Jana...
The Wrenshall school board wanted the full support of the Carlton school board this week when it comes to the next steps of the school district consolidation process. But some Carlton school board members are still lukewarm about the two-site plan. And that’s despite an overwhelming majority of constituents indicating via a recent survey that they want the districts to consolidate with two school locations, and that they are willing to pay for it. On Monday, the Wrenshall board approved a resolution that the districts would move forward and l...
Shield 616 and the Cloquet Eagles Club worked together to make Cloquet's newest school resource officer (SRO), and the children he is there to protect, a little bit safer. On Wednesday, Feb. 12, SRO Larry Sherk was presented with gear from Shield 616, a nonprofit organization that raises money to provide law enforcement officers with better protection. The nonprofit group was started after founder Jake Skifstad, a former Colorado police officer and SWAT team member, responded to a shooting at a...
Voting to have your local sales taxes raised to fund a particular project isn't as easy as it used to be. Prior to this year, voters could approve proposals on Election Day, then ask the legislature and governor to give their blessing to the funding plans. But the 2019 tax law called for stricter legislative control, including that voter approval can now only occur after the legislature has vetted the projects and granted taxing authority to a municipality or county to fund them. The proposals...
The first sign that the former Applebee’s building may have new owners came when a crew of workers were crawling all over the extensive roof earlier this month, shoveling off snow. Carlton County assessor Kyle Holmes confirmed that the building at 1405 Highway 33 was purchased by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for $600,000. The seller was Koller Family Trust and the filing date was Dec. 30. In response to the Pine Knot News, spokesperson Rita Aspinwall said the Band has no formal plans for the longtime restaurant site at this p...
Across the highway and about a block north of the Applebee’s site, the former Lemon Tree Liquor and Gas store at 1212 Highway 33 has also been sold. According to the county auditor’s office, the property sold for $140,975 to Pru Properties in May 2019. The seller was Brenner-Pollard, Inc. The Lemon Tree closed in late 2016 and has been vacant ever since. Pru Properties is a commercial and residential real estate development and consulting business. It declined to comment on plans for the building....
The following are the results of court cases as reported by Carlton County District Court in Carlton: Schullo, Kelly Marie, 28, Duluth - 4/23/2018 - Possession of a Narcotic Drug not Heroin in the Third Degree - Felony. Plead Guilty 9/16/2019. Disposition: 9/30/2019 - Placed on Adult Supervised Probation for 3 yrs. Credit for 9 days served. 2nd Offense: 8/17/2018 - Damage to Property - 1st Degree - Felony. Plead Guilty 9/30/2019. Disposition: 9/30/2019 - Adult Supervised Probation 3 yrs. with Conditions, Restitution $1,293. CCSO Overland, Lola...
Students, parents and teachers talked to the Barnum school board at its monthly meeting Tuesday, Feb. 18 to express their concerns about proposed staff cuts following news that the district needs to make significant cuts or it will go into the red. Kyle, a student, spoke first and listed two items that the students wanted the board to realize: that academic needs are met by the students’ relationships with the teachers, and that the students care deeply about each and every teacher. A high school teacher asked if restructuring, such as a f...
When firefighters responded to a fire on 13th Street in Cloquet earlier this month, it wasn’t their first visit. According to Cloquet Area Fire District captain and public education coordinator Sarah Buhs, CAFD had been proactively involved years before disaster struck the duplex at 115 13th Street on Feb. 1. In 2017, CAFD staff updated and installed smoke alarms in the home. They also discussed the importance of having an escape plan for the entire family. The day the fire occurred, the smoke alarms that were installed in 2017 alerted the o...
