Brady Slater

Cloquet

Journalist at Pine Knot News

Articles

Carlton County reports data breach

1 week ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

Carlton County reported a data breach in its public health department, determining in an online report on April 25 that “there was unauthorized access and acquisition of personal information, including protected health information.” The investigative report concluded: “Carlton County has determined that the data contains the following types of information mostly related to individuals who received services from (Public Health and Human Services) and/or their household members: name, address,...
Cloquet poet's second book finds him looking back

1 week ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

Gregory Opstad likes how one of his mentors, former Duluth poet laureate Sheila Packa, discusses "making a poem" as opposed to writing one. "Sometimes it feels that way," Opstad said, "like I'm building a cabinet."It's the precision of "finding exactly the right word" that drives him as a poet. He finds comfort in the craft. "It's like if you're a woodworker and run your hands across it and go, 'Oh, I've got to sand that and fix that,'" he said.
Garbage hauling future gets clearer

1 week ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

A solution for the future of where to haul most of Carlton County’s municipal solid waste became clearer this week, following the announcement of a 10-year agreement between St. Louis County and the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District in Duluth to dispose of the district waste at the county landfill in Virginia. The move will bring Carlton County into a similar agreement. St. Louis County approved a contract with WLSSD to begin in July 2026.
Carlton County reports April data breach

1 week ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

Carlton County reported a data breach in its public health department, determining in an online report on April 25 that “there was unauthorized access and acquisition of personal information, including protected health information.” The investigative report concluded: “Carlton County has determined that the data contains the following types of information mostly related to individuals who received services from (Public Health and Human Services) and/or their household members: name, address,...
Poet's second book finds him looking back

1 week ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

Gregory Opstad likes how one of his mentors, former Duluth poet laureate Sheila Packa, discusses "making a poem" as opposed to writing one. "Sometimes it feels that way," Opstad said, "like I'm building a cabinet."It's the precision of "finding exactly the right word" that drives him as a poet. He finds comfort in the craft. "It's like if you're a woodworker and run your hands across it and go, 'Oh, I've got to sand that and fix that,'" he said.
Board aiming for some stability

2 weeks ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

Reeling from the sudden resignation of its superintendent following an investigation last month — and required by state law to have one — the Carlton school board found some footing during a special meeting Tuesday. The board agreed to contract for the bare minimum of superintendent services for the remainder of the school year, buying time before a more permanent solution.
Cleaning house

3 weeks ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

Coming May 5, the independent hospital in Cloquet will be more capable of keeping up with its growing surgical business. Community Memorial Hospital gave the newspaper a sneak peek last week at the new central sterile processing department - where surgical instruments and devices will be cleaned and sterilized prior to being used in procedures. "Last month we did 270 procedures," said director of surgical services Justin Gulden about March's surgical output.
Schools wait on federal edict

4 weeks ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

School officials surveyed locally say they will adhere to state advice when it comes to a federal government directive to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in publicly funded K-12 schools. Leaders with Cloquet, Wrenshall and Esko schools say they have not signed or returned a compliance order from the U.S. Department of Education, which extended a deadline for compliance to April 24, lest districts face a loss of federal funding, which supports programs such as special education.
Update given on use of opioid money

1 month ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

Year 3 of a $3.69 million opioid settlement was the topic of an annual update Tuesday at the county board meeting in Carlton. The settlement is being paid out across 18 years by multiple pharmaceutical manufacturers and providers, including Walmart and CVS, said Carlton County health educator Ali Bachinski, who explained that the class action settlements are in place in states and counties across the country.
Residents weigh in on school merger

1 month ago | pineknotnews.com | Brady Slater

Goodwill between the Carlton and Wrenshall school districts ruled the day Wednesday during a joint session of the two school boards as they work toward consolidation into one district. The listening session drew fewer members of the public than total board members (12), but the attendees were vocal and seemed to reflect a general consensus in favor of making consolidation, at long last, a reality.