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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This really happened ... On a bright, azure-sky Christmas day, 2003, my wife and I corralled the kids and the dog and strode out into the snowy landscape to find a good place to take a Christmas card photo. We'd fallen into the tradition of featuring just the kids in our annual photos because either Blythe or I would have to take the photo. And having just one parent in the photo would give the wrong impression. Eventually, we ended up at Spafford Park after unsuccessful attempts at Pinehurst,... Full story
We worked at the same place for six years, but in different areas, so hadn’t met. Plus, I lived in Cloquet and he lived in Superior. Then I decided to take up archery hunting and a co-worker said to me, “You should talk to Rick Brill, he is a big bow hunter.” That moment forever changed my life. It was 2006, and I sent Rick an email, not really expecting a whole lot. Before I knew it, he was at my office door wanting to help me get prepared to take up bow hunting. That was the beginning of the most treasured friendship I have ever had. Rick... Full story
It won’t be long before I can relax during the last few weeks of October, maybe get some yardwork done before the snow flies, clean the car, take a leisurely walk in the woods in our neighborhood. But for now, with a fourth-grader at home, fall means Halloween. It’s all-consuming in our house. Some of you may know Alexa, the internet-based voice-activated tool that’s become very popular in recent years. It’s like having the entire wealth of human knowledge at your disposal by simply asking.... Full story
The recent announcement that Community Memorial Hospital will close its Sunnyside Health Care Center came as a shock. The longtime nursing home serves some of our most vulnerable elders, and got high marks for doing so in a loving and compassionate manner. Being attached to the hospital was a plus — not only did it make emergency care more accessible, services such as occupational and physical therapy were only an elevator ride away. And ice cream at the Warming House was just down the hill. T... Full story
People keep asking me what I’m doing with my building in the West End. It’s the original Barr Brothers funeral parlor on the corner of Avenue C and Vine Street. Most recently, it was the home of Carol and Gene Risdon’s The Rock Place store. For months now, the windows have been boarded over and some exterior canopies have been removed. I have lots of ideas. We haven’t had a restaurant in the West End since the terrific Avenue C restaurant closed after less than a year in business. Whateve... Full story
I enjoyed reading your columns in the Sept. 29 issue of the Pine Knot celebrating National Newspaper Week. I value local newspaper reporting, that is why I subscribe to three local newspapers. As I listened to a radio program (the CBC’s “As It Happens”), I learned that northwest Canada and Alaska have lost three local newspapers over the last month: the Fort Nelson News, Alaska Highway News, and Dawson Creek Mirror. In December of 2022, the region lost the Anchorage Press. These were local and regional news sources that had many decades of pu... Full story
Drop a line The Pine Knot News encourages readers to participate on these pages. Let your voice be heard by following these basic guidelines: • Letters to the editor should be kept to under 300 words. Longer pieces may be considered for a guest commentary, which should be about 600 words. • If you write a guest commentary, be sure to include some background information and any expertise you may have to lend credibility to your piece. • Items dealing with local issues will take first priority. • Letters over the word limits will be edited... Full story
For many small-town residents, cemeteries host gatherings and remembrances that bring us together. On the western edge of Carlton County, on South Finn Road, the Lakeside Cemetery serves this purpose. It is well-managed by a team of elders, who keep track of plots and ensure that burials are properly situated and that headstones accurately record their inhabitants. We recently buried the ashes of my husband Rod's older brother Jim Walli (brother Jack's identical twin). Jim had served in Vietnam... Full story
Given everything that’s been taking place on Capitol Hill, I’d guess you missed the announcement a few months back that the House Civility Caucus has been revived. It would be hard to call this earth-shattering news, but it’s a notable measure of hope. The caucus first came into being in 2018, when two members of Congress from Columbus, Ohio — Democrat Joyce Beatty and Republican Steve Stivers — launched the group with the idea that disagreement is inevitable in politics, but being disagreea... Full story
I learned about monks during my time at Saint John’s University, a college near St. Cloud run by a Benedictine monastery. Being a monk is fascinating. They live a communal life, a true socialist society that actually works. One popular monk, Brother Willie, spent his evenings as the night watchman, with a toy “Sheriff” badge hanging off his overalls, checking doors and keeping an eye on things. Father Jerome was the abbott then, overseeing the university, prep school, liturgical press busin...
On Sept. 4, Labor Day, my 160-acre Nemadji Creek tree farm was in the direct path of the Carlton County Road 11 wildfire. Because of the quick and effective response, the damage to my woodlands was minimal and none of my pine and spruce plantations were burned. Over the subsequent days, I was in close contact with county law enforcement, and volunteer and professional firefighters from the local to the state level. At times there were up to 67 pairs of boots on the ground or in the air. I want to express my sincere thanks to those on the scene... Full story
Autumn has been my favorite month since I was a child. I loved the bursts of orange and yellow. Raking up the leaves in our small Minneapolis yard. Piling them to jump in with neighbor kids. Putting on our tweener (between seasons) jackets. Feeling the chill on my cheeks. Anticipating the applesauce and cider my mom and dad were cooking up in the kitchen. And looking forward to seeing my schoolmates again. We're living on the crest of a glacial hill, with a moraine sloping down toward the west,... Full story
The Court of Appeals met in Duluth recently, and I was lucky to watch it and attend a reception afterwards, meeting all three of the Court of Appeal judges hearing the cases. One of the cases involved the old Kozy Bar building in Duluth, as a group backed by one-time owner Eric Ringsred sued the city of Duluth, which had issued a demolition permit to have the building torn down. Regardless of how you feel about that eyesore in downtown Duluth or how much you miss having a beer and an argument... Full story
I am writing to express my concern about a request by Ken Maki to have land rezoned from residential to highway commercial in the Sunnyside area behind Sunnyside Auto and Gordy’s Hi-Hat and Warming House. He wants to build a building large enough to house four dump trucks, according to Al Cottingham, the city zoning administrator. I have been his longtime neighbor for several decades without any issues. However, he has had two dump trucks parked at his home in recent years, which have been particularly disruptive to my son’s young family. The... Full story
This week, and every week, newspapers are for you. Americans have more media options than ever. We are inundated with stories, memes, videos and promotions 24 hours a day. Most of us are on social media, which is built to provide an endless feed of content to keep us glued to our screens. And unfortunately, misinformation is prevalent and much of that content isn’t fact-checked, verified or professionally produced. The result is that we’re not always shown what we need to know, or the information that is most likely to impact our lives. Tha... Full story
I’m disturbed by the attorney general in Texas. Recently, he was acquitted by the Texas legislature on corruption charges, even though every Texan who cares knows the man is corrupt. In fact, even the legislature who declined to convict him knows he’s guilty. So why did they acquit? Politics. Then, New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat, was indicted (again!) on corruption charges, and while a good number of his fellow party members are encouraging him to resign, his reaction has been to... Full story
The U.S. is on the brink of a government shutdown due to a handful of right wing extremists who are holding the country hostage. These extremists, all Republicans and ironically known as the Freedom Caucus, claim they will not vote to approve the 2024 federal budget due to their opposition to the growing federal debt. Really? According to the Associated Press, a shutdown would furlough millions of federal employees, leave active military without pay, disrupt air travel and cut off vital safety net services. It would definitely affect some of... Full story
After local police raided the office of the Marion County Record in Kansas and the home of its owners, creating a national outcry that was entirely justified, the question was asked in newspaper offices around the country, and sometimes in their pages: “Could this happen here?” It’s more likely in some places than others, depending on the nature of the paper, the town, its leaders and the police. In the Record’s case, the accountability journalism that publisher Eric Meyer practiced and taught in Milwaukee hasn’t gone down well with some powe...
We here at the Pine Knot News hear from readers every day about how they cherish a local newspaper that covers what’s going on right here in Carlton County. We never take those sentiments lightly and pride ourselves on offering a newspaper in print and online that puts the community first. It includes having an office here and being on the ground every day exploring what’s happening in your own backyard. Newspapers are important. And you, dear readers, are not alone. As we celebrate National Newspaper Week Oct. 1-7, digest these recent fin... Full story
A solemn but dubious audience of students heard it. “Newspapers are dead. In 10 years, they’ll be gone altogether.” We’ve all heard the grim assessment. But it didn’t come this year, when corporate greed downsized far too many newsrooms. It didn’t come 15 years ago, when social media began to cocoon us into echo chambers that let us hear only what we believe. It didn’t come 30 years ago, at the dawn of the Internet letting us browse multiple sources of information. It didn’t come 45 years ago, when cable news channels began giving us talki... Full story
Farmers in Carlton County and across the state face an environmental threat that could affect their business and lead to a loss of livelihood. At a recent meeting of the Carlton County chapter of the Minnesota Farmers Union, local farmer and agricultural scientist Joshua Stamper warned that discovery of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as "forever chemicals" or PFAs, found in soil or farm products, including dairy, meats, fruits, vegetables, and forage, can lead to disastrous...
The Cloquet Public Library is a City of Cloquet department and is funded by the tax dollars of our community members. We currently have 13 library staff members running the library. We are also supported by many more people behind the scenes, including the people who make up the Friends of the Cloquet Public Library. The Friends of the Library supports many areas, including coordinating library book sales, assisting library staff with shelving books, taking care of the outdoor garden areas,... Full story
School kids seem to always create a language of their own, mostly, I assume, so they can communicate with each other without their parents knowing what they are talking about. But when a kid goes to the effort to learn German, he just may have an ulterior motive. In this case, that motive was to be able to join Cloquet high school German teacher Cara Jago, known as "Frau Yago" to her students, on her biannual trip to Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany for three weeks, immersing themselves with... Full story
For those trying to get a foothold of understanding on the issues that have arisen over a new law regarding use of restraint by police officers hired by Minnesota schools, good luck. Whether it is mere posturing or naked politics that are muddying the waters, the losers in this debate are students at the schools and the parents who want to be sure everyone at school is safe when it comes to conflicts. We did a lot of searching for information on the exact issue that has some police departments pulling officers out of schools because they say... Full story
They’re called “homes” for a reason. It’s where we live. Eat. Sleep. It’s where we keep our most precious possessions; it’s where we raise our kids. No one wants to leave their homes. Even after a wonderful, relaxing vacation, what do people always say? “It was a great vacation, but it’s good to be home.” I know I do. When I meet with older clients about estate planning, one of their biggest concerns is how they can stay at home as long as possible. It’s not just old people. Other seniors feel... Full story
