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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Please recognize, support and utilize an important and valued city asset: the Cloquet Public Library. The library has been acknowledged by the Minnesota Department of Education as providing well above the minimum level of support for 2025. Should a library fall below the state-certified level, Minnesota law requires removal of the city from State Library Services funding formulas. This would greatly reduce the breadth and depth of library services available to Cloquet city and area residents. It has been a few years since the Cloquet Public...
My first year in Congress, 1965, was a watershed year. Among many noteworthy pieces of legislation, that was the year we passed the law creating Medicare and Medicaid. And I remember something crucial about it: When the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, Wilbur Mills, brought the legislation to the floor of the U.S. House, he said we needed to build bipartisan support. This wasn’t an obvious thing to ask. Many of us had been swept into office in the 1964 Democratic wave that a...
Have you read media headlines lately? There apparently has been a renaissance across Minnesota and the nation on the joy of sauna. It’s now “cool” to cleanse your body and spirit in a hot, Finnish-inspired sauna. Of course, many locals know that, for it has been tradition in Carlton County and northeastern Minnesota for more than 100 years. The Finns, when they immigrated to this region of the state, often started homesteads by building a sauna. I grew up in a house with no bathtub, just a sau...
With the surprise entry of Barnum into the Carlton School Board consolidation talks this week and the uproar that followed, it would seem that consolidation really is on the ballot in Carlton on Nov. 5. While there is no formal question for voters, there is a clear choice between the five candidates for Carlton School Board in terms of whether or not they support continuing consolidation talks with Wrenshall. Board members pretty much staked out their positions during Monday’s Carlton School Board meeting. Chairwoman and candidate Julianne E...
During one of my law enforcement ride-alongs, I heard an officer advise driver that “if you don’t want to give the State of Minnesota any more money, slow down.” This comment resonated with me. I surmise that most folks who speed and disregard other traffic controls are the “Law and Order” type. Yes, this includes local elected officials and legislators, who have blown right through controlled intersections. Since I became a school bus driver and returned to being an active first responder, my attention to driver behavior has increased...
My campaign sign was stolen last week. I had driven into Duluth to get the sign and I had to use my pick up as it was a fairly large sign. I placed it in a spot that was out of the way but in a spot where people could see it. It was not improperly placed on the road right-of-way. It was my land and my sign so I thought that I should be able to express my preference for the candidate of my choice without any concerns. Somebody else presumably with a difference of opinion from mine thought something other than I did. I wonder what that person...
Although a notice about the public accuracy test of voting equipment is published in the legal notices of the paper, I doubt that most people notice it. As a former election judge, I have done the testing myself in our township and I have had to ask people to come because rarely does anyone show up. For those who doubt the validity of an election, they should attend this testing and see for themselves how hard it would be to rig an election. It may be too late for this election since some of...
Two years ago Pete Radosevich and Jeff Dotseth participated in a debate. Pete gave a quality response providing background information and then explaining his answer. Dotseth didn’t seem to match such quality. Now it appears that Rep. Dotseth has chosen to not debate in Moose Lake, the only Carlton County candidate forum where the candidates would have sat in the same room. I wonder why. Does he not want to defend his performance in the state legislature? This might suggest it’s time for a change. If you have read Pete Radosevich’s colum...
“Use your words” is what my daughter would say to her infant son when he would act out. Good advice for politicians. We know them by their words and their deeds, private and public. Generally we don’t know the skinny on their deeds — the details of their votes or of their personal lives. They give us words about those. Or not. If the words are few or vague, they’re not leveling with us. I think it’s a mistake to consider politics a team sport, where you vote for your team, whether it’s right or wrong on the issues. But to vote on the issues, t...
I would like to endorse and recommend Ben Nilsen, Ryan Leonzal and Dan Solarz for Carlton school board. Our current board has done a good job of brainstorming, thinking outside the box and implementing new ideas in an attempt to increase enrollment. There are great things happening at the high school and elementary, but we need students to increase revenue. I feel consolidation with Wrenshall is the best option and the current board members have been unable to make any progress with this. The fact that the four-day school week was passed in...
In my opinion, Jeff Dotseth has been a poor representative for Minnesota House District 11A. In the midst of the recent flurry of news and debate around his domestic abuse history, I feel that his failures as a legislator are getting lost. As we head to vote, remember that Rep. Dotseth dropped the ball on legislation that was critical to funding for the Carlton County Justice Center. It is only the quick actions of county commissioners with help from Sen. Jason Rarick that salvaged that funding. I want a representative who understands how to...
endorse Sarah Plante Buhs for Carlton County commissioner. As the current president of the board for United Way of Carlton and Pine County Areas, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Sarah as executive director. Her dedication, commitment, and leadership in our community have continually impressed me. During her tenure at the United Way, Sarah has brought new programs to our area, such as the homeless youth program, addressing a critical need in our community. She has also worked tirelessly to enhance and improve existing programs,...
In regard to the interview of Carlton mayoral candidate Ann Gustafson, as the clerk for Twin Lakes Township, I would like to correct some misinformation contained in the Oct. 18 election guide. Gustafson stated that “Carlton has been great at maintaining infrastructure and collaborating with the county to get a new waterline to the Highway 210 corridor.” The corridor Gustafson is referring to is in Twin Lakes Township, and the infrastructure was designed by the township and funding for the infrastructure was due to the efforts of the Twin Lak...
I want to share why my husband, Jeff Dotseth, is the best choice to continue as our state representative. Jeff is a hardworking, dedicated man who truly cares about our community and the people he serves. His passion for helping others is what drove him to enter politics, and he puts his heart into it every day. Jeff is committed to making Minnesota safer, more affordable, and a great place to raise a family. Despite Democratic control, he has helped secure millions of dollars for our area by working across the aisle and thinking outside the...
My husband and I have known Caleb Dunlap since he was in the eighth grade. It has been amazing to see him grow throughout the years to become the accomplished young man he is today. We support him in his quest to become a Carlton County commissioner from District 1 because we believe his education and experience will serve him uniquely for this position. Caleb graduated from Cloquet High School and then went on to study at the University of California Los Angeles. After finishing college, he was hired by a successful West Coast company. At a me...
I wholeheartedly endorse Sarah Plante Buhs for Carlton County commissioner. As a retired state representative for District 11A, I have had the opportunity to witness Sarah’s dedication to public safety and remarkable leadership qualities. Sarah is a capable leader, diligent advocate, and trusted voice in our community, always putting the greater purpose above popular opinions. Her extensive career in public safety, healthcare, and community service exemplifies her unwavering dedication to our community’s well-being. Sarah’s proven track record...
I would like to lend my support to Sarah Plante-Buhs as she runs for Carlton County commissioner. In my capacity as executive director of the Cloquet Educational Foundation, I have found Sarah to be a great listener, open to collaboration and ready to tackle some of the most ambitious projects of the foundation. Sarah is a strategic thinker and strives to make a meaningful difference in the lives of her community, especially in the area of education. Make a plan to vote by Tuesday, Nov. 5 and consider Sarah Buhs as your candidate of choice for...
I encourage you to vote for Michelle Boyechko and Gary Peterson for Carlton County Soil & Water Conservation District supervisors. Gary Peterson, of Barnum, has served as school teacher, coach and county commissioner. He is a long time SWCD supporter and cooperator and has worked with the district to improve forest health and wildlife habitat on his lands. He intends to continue working on watershed and environmental issues at the local level. He will do his best to support and encourage rural, sustainable family farms. Michelle Boyechko, of...
I send this letter of support for Shawn Reed’s District Court Judge candidacy. I’ve practiced law with and against Shawn for almost 30 years, mostly as trial attorneys in the courtroom, which is where good judges learn their craft. I’ve tried cases against him and practiced law with him. His courtroom skills will translate superbly to a term on the bench. He has always been well-informed, well-advised, ethical and professional, which are all necessary qualities for an effective judge. I support his candidacy and, as indicated by the recen...
U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber sure knows how to vote “no.” In the last six years Pete has been in Congress, he has consistently voted “no” on legislation most Minnesotans care deeply about: affordable healthcare, lowering the cost of insulin, protecting Americans with pre-existing health conditions, preserving Social Security and Medicare, calling out fuel price gouging, expanding healthcare to veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxins during military service. When Pete votes yes, it is equally disastrous for Minnesotans. He supported...
Help. We’re looking for U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber from Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, last seen heading to Washington D.C. on the road he calls “our way of life.” Unfortunately, Pete Stauber has lost his direction representing the people of his district. Bringing important benefits to his district has been pretty hard for him because he likes to vote “no” to important legislation for his constituents. “No” to the Honoring Our PACT Act, the largest healthcare expansion bill in decades for veterans suffering from toxic burn pit exposure. ...
The most recent census has created an upheaval in election boundaries, leaving many of us scrambling to learn basic information on candidates in our newly aligned districts. To those who find themselves in Congressional District 8, where U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber is being challenged by Jen Schultz, I would like to share important information as a constituent who has been in the district for years. Stauber has been the congressman for Grand Rapids and Iron Range cities for the past six years. His performance in office has been so dismal that the...
When we started the Pine Knot News six years ago, people in the newspaper industry noticed. Admittedly, it was mostly shock — Who was crazy enough to start a brand-new paper? — mixed in with a flicker of hope. It all started after my previous employer, the Pine Journal, closed its office here and moved operations to Duluth. A group of us felt strongly that Cloquet and Carlton County needed a solidly local newspaper that actually cared enough to have an office here and a paper producing original...
Back on Oct. 7, the Carlton school board itself went to school. Members met for three hours with a representative of the Minnesota School Board Association to receive instruction on Minnesota law, school board rights and responsibilities, Robert's Rules of Order, and several other subjects pertaining to the proper function of a school board. Carlton schools are facing significant challenges, but all six of the people governing the schools still found time to work on making themselves better...
Our society is far removed from the Great Depression of the 1930s. Nevertheless, some government programs instituted to aid in the economic recovery left their marks on the northern communities of Minnesota. One of the most familiar is the Works Progress Administration, established in 1935 to employ millions of people to build public projects such as town halls, bridges, schools and park structures. These buildings and bridges are widely known, and the WPA letters are seen stamped somewhere on...
