Scientists with the Voyageurs Wolf Project study the behavior of wolves in Northern Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park. One recent social media post shows how wolves maintain their territory. As you see above, collared wolves from different packs move a great deal in pursuit of prey. But they almost never encroach on the territory of neighboring… Read More →
Prominent indy TV festival coming to Duluth
December 11, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Next October Duluth will host the Independent TV Festival. This gathering of independent television producers, directors and writers routinely connects major TV and streaming distributors with new projects. On Monday, the ITV Festival announced it would move from Vermont to Northern Minnesota. It’s a major coup for the arts scene in our region. The Oct… Read More →
Driving culture impacts Minnesota’s carbon footprint
December 10, 2018 by 4 Comments
If a cancer cell knew it was a cancer cell, would it change its behavior? Knowing that it will eventually kill its host, and thus itself, would it arrest its own growth? Would the cancer cell deny itself the satisfaction of its most pressing instinct for its own good? I’ve turned this question over in… Read More →
The fallacy of sunk costs on the Iron Range
December 9, 2018 by 1 Comment
“You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em; know when to walk away, and when to run. ~Kenny Rogers, “The Gambler” Observe the haphazard dashes of spray paint on plywood signs along the roads of the Iron Range. They tell you what people think their stuff is worth. “$2,000 or… Read More →
Around the world in 108 MHz
December 5, 2018 by 2 Comments
Despite many proclamations of its impending demise, radio lives on. In part, the medium survives because it has integrated with the internet. When I broadcast my Great Northern Radio Show last month, I heard from listeners in Alaska, Italy, Spain and beyond. And yet I still think of the casual listener driving across Northern Minnesota,… Read More →
Therapist with Hibbing roots highlighted for suicide prevention efforts
December 4, 2018 by 1 Comment
For the fourth straight year, human life expectancy in the United States declined. This has relatively little to do with longevity. After all, more people are living longer. But rather it has everything to do with how many people we lose to depression and addiction each year. The Huffington Post published a long form essay… Read More →
Event seeks Range voices on sustainable future
December 3, 2018 by 7 Comments
There aren’t many blogs about the Iron Range. You’re reading one of them. That means that if you google “Mesabi Iron Range” you find me. With this cool but largely unprofitable fact comes great responsibility. For instance, people e-mail me and want to know why the Iron Range is the way it is, how it… Read More →
Holiday spirit can be overinflated
December 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment
It’s time for the holidays. Christmas, yes, and all that comes with it. It’s not really a holiday anymore so much as an economic and cultural event. Like the Roaring 20s, but for our credit card bill. Or like the Great Depression, but in reference to our actual depression. It’s not like the good old… Read More →
The story behind tariffs, steel and the Iron Range
November 30, 2018 by 6 Comments
Eight months ago, President Trump’s administration slapped significant tariffs on several classes of foreign products, including steel. These tariffs have been at the center of speculation over America’s economy, global trade and politics ever since. The conventional wisdom here on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range is that the tariffs have been good for us. Sure, they… Read More →
Mining gold near Togo? The rush is … on hold
November 29, 2018 by Leave a Comment
So I binge watched “Deadwood” recently. I know, I know. No one wants to hear what I’m watching on TV. We’re all busy watching one of 9,000 shows on 50 different platforms, having independent experiences that confine us all to our own small community of strangers. Or we’re not watching TV at all because we’re… Read More →
