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The Minnesota nonprofit If the Dress Fits is coming to Barnum High School 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday to give away prom dresses to teens in grades 10-12. The dresses are free and available to students at any area high school and no proof of financial need is required. There may be ID checks. “We have hundreds of dresses,” said program cofounder Ashleigh Arntson. “We have an amazing inventory, sizes 0-26....
Congratulations to Beth Clark on her 500th win as the head coach of the Hermantown Hawks girls basketball team on Feb. 13. Beth is originally from Cromwell, graduating in 1977. She was one of the first girls to play basketball when Title IX was instituted. She played on the varsity team in the seventh grade when Stan Verich and I were the coaches. Title IX prohibits federally-funded educational institutions from discriminating against students or employees based on sex. The Title IX education...
The only thing Chris Swanson lost in Tuesday's special election was the "interim" title for the Ward 3 Cloquet City Council seat. Swanson garnered 84 votes to 14 for Uriah Wilkinson on Tuesday, out of a possible 1,299 registered voters in Cloquet's Ward 3. Swanson was pleased to win, but also praised Wilkinson, father of five and a Realtor in the area for the last 15 years. "I have Uriah's sons in class right now. They are wonderful and lovely human beings," said Swanson, a history and...
Sue Peterson had some choice words about the survey results released this week regarding how residents feel about the possible consolidation of the Carlton and Wrenshall school districts. “Atypical.” “Shocking.” “Surprising.” Peterson works for School Perceptions, the company hired by the school districts to guide the survey. The school boards wanted a clear idea of where residents stood on consolidation and the costs to accomplish it. They want it. And they seem willing to pay for it as well....
It was supposed to be an "impromptu" act, a quiet ceremony more for employees than the general public. There was likely good reason to keep things on the down-low. While the Northern Pacific Railroad had been buoyed the month before by a cash infusion from Jay Cooke, it really was nowhere near ready to begin the Herculean task of laying a rail line from Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean. But word got out. People traveled by rail from Duluth and Superior on the new Lake Superior & Mississippi...
The double whammy of fewer students and state and federal mandates that aren’t fully funded has the Barnum School Board looking at major cuts to keep the budget in the black. The issues aren’t new, nor are they unique to the Barnum school district. However, after five years of deficit spending, the school board now needs to make $750,000 in cuts or risk going into statutory operating debt. A large crowd of concerned residents attended the working meeting of the Barnum school board Feb. 4. It wasn’t so much a presentation from staff to audie...
On Monday, the Cloquet school board took a vote that made students and staff safer AND saved the district money. Instead of spending between $100,000 and $180,000 to replace the district’s aging walkie-talkie system — many of the devices are failing and often don’t work throughout the buildings — board members voted to switch the district to an emergency cellular network. Rather than walkie-talkies, the district will purchase FirstNet iPhones (at a cost of 99 cents each) with a Push-to...
On the third Thursday morning of each month (10:30-11:30 a.m.), the Second Harvest Mobile Food Pantry comes to the Our Savior's Lutheran Church parking lot in Cloquet to distribute food. What is unique about this food bank operation? The patrons stay in their cars and have - if you total it all up at the end of the day - tons of food put into their cars, vans, and pickup boxes as they parade by local volunteers who load it up, 50-75 pounds at a time. It's quite the operation. Dan Wilson, Second... Full story
The state of Minnesota has set a closure date for the Carlton County jail of July 31, 2023. The deadline came in a letter from the Minnesota Department of Corrections, dated Jan. 28, 2020, delivered to Carlton County sheriff Kelly Lake and county coordinator Dennis Genereau. Tim Thompson, inspection and enforcement director of Minnesota Corrections, detailed numerous deficiencies in the current Carlton County jail “impacting the safety and security of the facility, the staff, and the citizens of Carlton County” during Tuesday’s regular meeting...
A Honor Roll Grade 12: Alaina Bennett, Alisha Broneak, Madelyn DeCaigny, Spencer Hoeffling, Abigail Mickle, Brynne Mickle, Taylor Nelson, Austin Parker, Annabell Pearson, Matthew Santkuyl, Benjamin Soderstrom, Jessica Sutter, Justin Swanson, Benjamin Talarico Grade 11: Haley Adkins, Shea Campbell, Kristian Herman, Elizabeth Hey, Annabeth Johnson, Samantha Matarelli, Seth Mlodozyniec, Trevor Ojibway, Johnette Ostlund, Ella Palmer, Spencer Rousseau, Jairid Ward Grade 10: Olivia Anderson, Alaina Kiehl, Morgan Laveau, Sarice Northrup, Joseph... Full story
A Honor Roll Patrick Ankrum Liam Bruce Sage Fernquist Hunter Holmes Kaylie Lammi Elliana Lattu Hannah Lattu Joel Lembke Katarina Mattson Tyler Mills Sujata Mumma Alex Murray Alexis Nelson Samantha Nyberg Owen Resberg Jack Riley Zeke Rousseau-Sheff Magdalene Sowada Kaya Stark Alexis Swanson Hailey Tauzell Randy Wimmer B Honor Roll Emma Andrews Connar Ankrum Gavin Beetcher Joseph Bergman Keely Bergman Megan Carlson Lillian Eckdahl Easton Everett Ashley Hart Brie Hoglund Eathen Johnson Elizabeth Johnson Gracelyn Johnson Natalya Kacer Wyatt Kelley... Full story
A Honor Roll Grade 12 Taye Thomas Anderson Raisa Garik Avagyan Jacob Charles Bellinger Arnon Chaiboot Amber Jo Collman Cameron Seth-Linh Dickey Sydney Aniele Goranson Shaily Ann Hakamaki Taya Joyce Hakamaki Emmalee Grace Hoover Jordan Jennifer Jokinen Joselyn Leah Jokinen Bertie Gene Korpi Micah Daniel Pocernich Anja Marie Schoenberg Maria (Paula) Silva Cajas Lisa Vasile Chassandra Susan Ward Christopher Paul Ward Grade 11 Eliana Nicole Anderson Daniel Aaron Belden Elisabeth Trinity Kachinske Andrew Michal Kosloski Katherine Sophia Libbon... Full story
Mike Creger and Jana Peterson Fires this past week have displaced at least seven people in north Carlton County. A family of four in the lower unit of a duplex on the 100 block of 13th Street in Cloquet had to move to a hotel this week after a suspected electrical fire set a couch on fire early Saturday evening. The fire spread and there was heavy smoke damage. A woman who lived in the upper duplex was also forced to find housing and is living with family members. Everyone evacuated safely. Earl...
It's one of the only events in the Northland where the number of judges often rivals the number of student projects on display. This year's 68th annual Northeastern Minnesota Regional Science Fair welcomed 119 students from 16 different schools, displaying and explaining 106 different projects. A total of 115 different judges listened and questioned the student presenters, then scored, ranked and awarded whatever categories they were judging. The student projects run the gamut from everyday to... Full story
When the weather is cold and the snow piled so high you can't see over the top of it, there's only one thing to do - celebrate! Yes, it's Winterfest all day long on Saturday, Feb. 8, in Carlton. Whether you like to celebrate winter by curling up with a book or getting outside for fun and games, your wishes will be granted. Unless otherwise indicated, most activities center around the Four Seasons Sports Complex and Event Center. Take advantage of open hockey from 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. or head...
Another Groundhog Day has come and gone, and this year Punxsutawney Phil predicted a short winter and a rapidly approaching spring. Of course, Phil’s accuracy rate is 39 percent. Coin flips are theoretically 50/50, and one of the famous almanacs has a 52-percent rating, so take all predictions with a grain of salt. Feb. 2 has long been an important day to many cultures because it falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Over time, the day became Candlemas, which marks t...
Candidate filings closed Jan. 24 for three spots on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation Business Committee. Only two people filed for RBC chairperson: Kevin Dupuis, Sr. (incumbent) and Bryan “Bear” Bosto. There will be no primary in that race because only two candidates filed, with the general election set for June 9. Both open RBC representative seats will go to a primary election, set for March 31. Five candidates filed for RBC District I (Cloquet) representative: Wal...
A double error from the state Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division led to confusion and concern in Floodwood, Moose Lake and several other communities in the region when they got messages to evacuate Wednesday. HSEM tests its Integrated Public Alert and Warning System weekly, but the message was distributed beyond the test environment. Further complicating the situation, the portion of the message saying “this is a test” was cut off. Communities in several counties received the message. There is no evacuation order in place, nor...
The Carlton school board will have a special meeting Monday to accept the resignation of middle school and high school principal Barry Wolff. Accepting the resignation would be retroactive to Feb. 3, when Wolff submitted it following his conviction on a driving while impaired charge Jan. 31 in Sherburne County court. Wolff was arrested and jailed in that county near St. Cloud in late December. He was charged and convicted on a misdemeanor, fourth-degree DWI. Wolff was named the principal last fall, replacing Barry Fischer, who took a job the...
Moose Lake Superintendent Robert Indihar announced that he will retire at the end of the school year, after 22 years with the school district. According to a story in the Moose Lake Star Gazette, Indihar thanked the board for their support over his time with the district, noting that Moose Lake has been a great place to raise a family and retire from. Indihar led the school district through the aftermath of the 2016 floods of the school at its former location, several referendum votes and ultimately the construction of the new school on the...
With income tax season now open, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced that over 200 sites will be offering free tax assistance for those filing income tax and property tax refund returns. Most sites are open through April 15. Carlton County sites include the following: • Cloquet Public Library, Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Appointments are preferred, call 218-499-8105. • Moose Lake Community Building, Thursdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., by appointment only. Call 218-485-8225. • Lakes and Pines Moose Lake, Tuesdays 3-7 p.m., by appoi...
Cloquet citizen Tim Krohn was on hand again Tuesday to accept another donation for the extension of the Pine Valley mountain bike trail. The donor this time was Minnesota Power. Chris Rousseau, Carlton grad and Minnesota Power manager of renewable operations, was there with a giant check for $2,500 for the trail. Cloquet Public Works director Caleb Peterson explained to the council that the original budget for the trail extension was $125,000. Krohn and other Pine Valley volunteers first...
The 2020 voting season starts Tuesday in Cloquet with a special election for the Ward 3 City Council seat vacated by Dakota Koski in July. Candidates Uriah Wilkinson and Chris Swanson are asking voters to elect them for a term effective through Dec. 31, 2022. Find out more about each candidate in the Q&A section below. The election is for residents of Ward 3 only, which lies between Highway 33 and 14th Street, and Doddridge Avenue and the St. Louis River in Cloquet. Polls will be open from 7... Full story
The Carlton County Republican Party invited a self-described refugee resettlement expert to conduct a meeting from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, according to organizer Bill Dian of Wrenshall. Dian said Ron Branstner, who has homes in Palm Springs, California and Eden Valley, Minnesota will conduct the meeting to inform Carlton County Republican members and the general public of his research on the refugee issue in America. “I’ve been studying this...
The Pine Knot News was recently recognized as among the very best newspapers in the state by the Minnesota Newspaper Association at its annual Better Newspaper Contest. Hundreds of papers from across the state, large and small, compete in a variety of categories from news to sports to advertising excellence. The Pine Knot won an unprecedented 15 awards just a year into its existence. The contest was judged by newspaper professionals in Indiana, part of MNA's rotating list of judges from midwest...