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 135 - 159 of 1237
George Bernard Shaw was riffing on Thomas Jefferson when he once wrote: “Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.” Are we deserving? There is one way you might answer that question this month. You can take part in an annual township meeting on March 12. Yes, national politics gets all the ire and fire these days, but don’t take your most-local government for granted. Townships are the epitome of democracy, the oldest form of representation in the country. At the annual meeting you can learn about the l... Full story
On Feb. 14, after a previous public hearing and discussion, the city council of Moose Lake voted to contract with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement protection for the residents of Moose Lake. It was not a decision made lightly. It was a vote to ensure that the residents of Moose Lake will be provided affordable, quality, consistent law enforcement protection. It will provide more coverage for less costs. Since that time I’ve noticed that some of the people quoted, who are in favor of keeping the Moose Lak... Full story
Patty and I would like to thank the moms and dads, grammas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, school officials, coaches and past coaches and the many boys basketball players from the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, past and present, for all the enjoyment you’ve given us for the many years we’ve followed you. We’ve gotten to know a lot of fine boys and we wish them all good luck in their future years. The seasons go by so fast. Good luck to you all. Doug and Pat Anderson, Barnum... Full story
We’re stuck with each other. All of us. All of us Trumpsters and all of us Biden-Buddies and everyone wishing there was some sane Other Option and all of us Christians and all us Muslims and all of us Jews and Palestinians and all of us short, fat idiots and all of us tall, lean geniuses and all of us Cops and all of us Robbers and all of us addicted to chemicals and all of us addicted to religion and exercise and gambling and shopping and eating and all of us Having and all of us Wanting and a... Full story
Wrenshall High School English teacher Ted Conover said students in his College in the Schools composition course were eager to add to local discourse. So they revised and shortened their long-form problem-solution essays on local issues into print-length editorials, and shared those with the Pine Knot News. Topics range from addressing issues in local schools, arts, athletics, all the way up to state funding and the Legislature — and we are sharing them with you this week and next. Enjoy these thought-provoking writings from Wrenshall. Book b... Full story
THUMBS UP to the Moose Lake city council for its unpopular but fiscally responsible decision to contract with Carlton County for its law enforcement needs. The months-long saga ended last week, in what many considered disappointing fashion, with a 3-2 vote. Choosing the Sheriff's Office to provide four deputies and a part-time clerk to cover the city meant dissolving the city's long-standing police force. But the force had dwindled to one, a result of disgruntled officers resigning and early... Full story
The Power of Karma By Juliauna Nygaard I believe in karma. I believe in good karma, but I also believe in bad karma. I believe the things we say and do will come back to us. I believe karma reflects on personal responsibility and ethical behavior. We are responsible for our own actions, and they can influence our own life’s trajectory. Our deeds, whether good or bad, will eventually return to us. Karma, like a boomerang, throws back what we give and teaches us many of life’s valuable lessons. Growing up, my parents always taught me the imp... Full story
I was mystified to read a revisionist history in the Pine Knot News op-ed article with local representatives offering a legislative session preview. Rep. Jeff Dotseth was actually taking credit for “delivering” $10 million for the Carlton County female offender and judicial facility. Carlton County taxpayers were supposed to receive $23 million, but Rep. Dotseth bungled the money, refusing to support the bill with the funding. Democrats had to ask Rep. Dave Lislegard from Aurora, not Dotseth, to sponsor the smaller amount primarily because our... Full story
Urban legends and conspiracy theories are sometimes difficult to overcome, especially when they are often repeated. This appears to be the case with the $10 million funding for the Carlton County female and judicial facility addressed in the bill HF 3101. According to bill tracker, on March 23, 11A’s Rep. Jeff Dotseth introduced the bill as chief author. On May 10, HF 3101 was again presented by Rep. Dotseth and amended to include Rep. Dave Lislegard as chief author. This move was initiated by concern that with the Democratic trifecta in power,... Full story
he Moose Lake City Council to disband the police department in the name of funding concerns. Many questions abound, foremost those of security to the populace of the surrounding citizens as well as conscientious use of the resulting “freed up” hundreds of thousands of dollars. I had the privilege, as a citizen of the Moose Lake area (I live in a township just outside), of attending the city council meeting in January at which the decision was debated. As an observer, I tallied the viewpoints of the citizens whom I saw: 10 of 13 in favor of kee... Full story
In regard to the “Sticky letter” article in the Feb. 9 edition of the Pine Knot News, the very next morning a U.S. Postal Service mail van pulled up to my house. The postmaster of the Saginaw post office stepped out of the van and introduced herself. She told me that she had learned about a letter being repeatedly delivered incorrectly to my address. She asked me if I still had the letter. I did, and I gave it to her. She said she was going to personally make sure the letter got delivered to the correct address. Well done, Pine Knot News. You... Full story
I attended the Minnesota Highway 33 meeting on Feb. 1 at the Cloquet Library. Here are some things I can say about the discussion. I heard someone say the roundabout at Washington Avenue and 14th Street doesn’t work. I live close to that intersection, and when it first opened up, I took a walk along the sidewalk to the intersection and stood there for 10 or 15 minutes to observe the traffic flow. I saw cars, trucks, buses, and the big semi-tractor trailers, with the trailer, traversing it without difficulty. It worked smoothly. I use this round... Full story
I’m writing on behalf of Rep. Jeff Dotseth’s bid for reelection as representing Minnesota House District 11A in the state legislature. Jeff has firmly stood behind and represented the values of voters in our district. Unlike the ruling party in St. Paul, Jeff advocated to control state spending. He fought to return the $17.5 billion budget surplus to the pockets of the taxpayers. Instead, the Democrat-controlled legislature voted to increase state spending by a significant amount, eliminating the surplus. As a business owner, Jeff knows the... Full story
The Feeling of Family By Merissa Witte When I was younger my dad would play bands on the radio like Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses. I’d sit there in the car with my siblings trying to figure out who the band was and what song of theirs it was. Truth is I never really knew the names of the bands; I just loved listening to music with my siblings and Dad. When I was about 10, I remember one Christmas where we were at my aunt and uncle’s house, playing “Apples to Apples.” It was my grandpa’s turn and the card was “something chewy.” Well,... Full story
Following the Cloquet City Council meeting Tuesday, a few of us were standing around talking about the Highway 33 public meeting last week. And one of the complaints — among many — was the lack of public notice about the meeting. How are we supposed to know, one person asked. “We had it in the newspaper,” I told her. She doesn’t get the paper. Granted, we didn’t run a giant story, but the notice was there on Page 3 of the Jan. 26 issue, with all the details a person would need to attend the... Full story
When politicians meddle with nature, trouble can happen. But people, such as Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife manager Kelly Straka, seem to be a voice of reason when it comes to managing the population of Minnesota wildlife. As a hunter and a wildlife expert, I feel she can be trusted when she states wolves are not the only reason for the decline in deer populations. Over the course of a couple centuries, the wolf population in the United States declined from the millions to mere hundreds. The last survivors in the... Full story
The “Go big, or get out” mantra has dominated U.S. agriculture for decades. It is getting push-back from small and medium-sized farmers in the Lake Superior regions of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the public response is remarkable. At the Lake Superior Sustainable Farming Association annual meeting last weekend, executive director Julie Allen reported that its major annual activity, the September Harvest Festival in Duluth’s Bayfront Festival Park, was another huge success, attracting over... Full story
The Pine Knot News asked the two members of the Minnesota Legislature who represent the area to offer their views on the session that begins on Monday, Feb. 12. The often head-spinning budget session of 2023 had both Republicans, Sen. Jason Rarick and Rep. Jeff Dotseth, questioning the spending decisions of Democrats, who control the House and Senate in the current biennium. That control includes Democrat Gov. Tim Walz. State lawmakers' primary job following an election year is to create a... Full story
Pine Knot News columnist Steve Korby was curious about the Carlton County reaction to former Minnersota Twin Joe Mauer’s induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, which was announced last week. So he asked. Catch his reaction to the news on Page 11. Howie Hanson, gifted Lumberjacks shortstop and publisher of Duluth’s Howie’s Blog: “First ballot is surprising. But Mauer respected the game throughout and will continue to be a legendary ambassador for baseball.” Keith Basney, Cloquet graduate and now Arizona resident: “Mauer Ha... Full story
As a former director, I have often been asked about the status of the Cloquet Forestry Center. I am not in the loop but did recently receive a copy of the University of Minnesota’s annual report, “View of the Woods,” which includes information on the forestry center. The following is taken from that report: “A focused working group of Fond du Lac and U of M representatives have been diving deeper into the details of possible collaborative research and outreach opportunities as we look into the future. This technical working group has been ch... Full story
We live in the land of more than 10,000 lakes and 6,000 rivers and streams. Fresh clean water sustains our way of life from the systems in our homes, to the farmers who grow our food, to the outdoor recreation opportunities on or near our waterways. It is easy to take all of this for granted. Even though we experienced a record snowfall season last winter, our precipitation pattern left us very dry throughout the summer months. Our garden in Carlton County needed watering often, as did the... Full story
The phrase is simple enough, and surely heard often these days. We are Minnesotans, afterall. We like to talk about the weather. But for some reason, the phrase just doesn’t resonate like it might in other years. Of course, the last time we had a weather spell like what we saw in December, none of us were alive. It was 1877 — 147 years ago. We’re quite sure the same phrase was bandied about back then, too. Right now, it is quite gloomy-looking outside the Pine News windows. The weather app says it’s 35 out, but feels like 36. There is drizzle... Full story
It’s said that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting a different result. Regardless, this will be my last “Harry’s Gang” column for a while, because I have decided to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 11A, which encompasses all of Carlton County and a small part of Pine & St. Louis counties. Again. There is no legal restriction preventing me from continuing this column. The First Amendment guarantees that the press is free fr... Full story
I use my computer all day at school. Then I do homework on my device until I nod off. I overuse screen time. Experts say we should use our devices for under two hours and 30 minutes, and here is why. As an adult, your phone is essential for communication with other adults and your children (who need constant reminders). Your children also benefit from screen time in multiple ways. They can gain communication skills. If you let your children use educational apps, they learn academic skills to help them in school. Numerous negative effects... Full story
Although Donald Trump won the Republican caucus in Iowa, it was the lowest voter turnout in years with only 14 percent of registered voters, according to David Muir of ABC News. Weather may have contributed. However, this means 86 percent failed to participate in the caucus, leaving one to believe there are many undecided voters who will wait until November to cast their votes, depending on one of the many lawsuits yet to be decided against Trump. As a voter who has lived through 14 presidents, I believe there has been too much drama during... Full story
