Carlton County, Dontcha Know: Digging into data, Capitol-worthy art, a hall of fame coach and more

An exterior view of the M Health Fairview Dome at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota — An exterior view of the M Health Fairview Dome at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. Members of the Esko Dome Club are in the preliminary stages of exploring whether a similar structure could be built to cater to youth sports events in Thomson Township.

By Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten

May 12, 2023 at 8:00 AM

CLOQUET — Bring on the sunshine! I hope you were able to soak up some rays yesterday — the warmth sure felt magical!

We've got some fascinating stories for you this week, including this one about a Cromwell woman who has been trying to find the owner of a wedding ring set she found in the Burning Tree Plaza parking lot in 2021.

Here's what else we've been working on:

Beyond the numbers

woman standing outside near school — Haley Kachinske, of Esko, the data information specialist and homelessness liaison for the Cloquet School District, stands near the Garfield School on Tuesday, May 9, in Cloquet. Kachinske explained how asking families about their housing situation in an online formed changed the number of students considered homeless in the district.

The number of students considered homeless in the Cloquet School District has risen significantly in recent years. Haley Kachinske, pictured above, the district's student data systems information specialist and homeless student liaison, said the increase is largely due to a change in the way families report their housing situations.

“These numbers have always been there; it’s just a matter of identifying the kids. I don’t doubt that we should’ve been at this number all along,” she said.

Learn more about the process to identify homeless students and resources the district connects them to in the story by reporter Jake Przytarski.

Capitol honor

Watercolor featuring eight scenes involving water, including shorelines and waterfalls. — Barnum High School junior Olivia Dammer's piece titled "Postcards from the North" won the 2023 Congressional Art Competition for Minnesota's 8th Congressional District. It will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year.

Barnum student Olivia Dammer's piece "Postcards from the North," pictured above, was the Minnesota 8th District winner in the Congressional Art Competition. I caught up with Dammer to learn more about the piece and her reaction to finding out she won.

HOF-bound

3348835+09mar16_0204.jpg — Esko boys basketball coach Mike Devney talks to several of his players during practice.

Former Esko and Carlton boys basketball coach Mike Devney, pictured above, will be inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in October.

In other sports news:

Carlton County athletes are excited to continue playing soccer this summer with the Superior City FC men's and women's teams.
CEC's Patrick Dunaiski and Lucas Rauner will play junior hockey next season.

A few more stories to check out:

The Esko Dome Club is exploring whether it would be feasible to build an indoor youth sports facility in Thomson Township.
The Wrenshall School Board has narrowed its superintendent search to three finalists, who participated in public interviews on Monday, May 8.
And in this week's Community Education Corner, Vicki Radzak gives us the lowdown on some of Moose Lake Community Education's summer offerings.

Editor's note: Carlton County, Dontcha Know is a newsletter I publish every Friday morning. Please consider subscribing — it's free — and hits your inbox just once a week. You can sign up here.