Ely’s State Theater to relight iconic marquee

The towns of the Iron Range stretch along a 135 mile line, each at one time a shining beacon of what a bustling industrial city would look like if it were instead a network of small towns. Like the fortunes of a Rust Belt city, the small towns of the Iron Range have mostly suffered… Read More →

Loggers, classic cars and blueberries, oh my!

We now wind into the “flurry of activity before we realize the leaves are already changing” part of our Northern Minnesota summer. It’s hot and time moves fast. On the western Mesabi, Grand Rapids holds its annual Weekend of Wheels car show and swap meet, an event I always find preferable to the county fairs. My… Read More →

Tuesday is last chance to file for many offices

Tuesday, May 31, brings the last day to file for local, state and federal offices in Minnesota. While there are some interesting legislative and county races shaping up across Northern Minnesota in 2016 (I’ll have more on those Wednesday), something else stood out to me. City council races on the Iron Range are fairly quiet. In… Read More →

Dayton faces criticism, stands ground on Range

Gov. Mark Dayton was on the Iron Range Friday defending his decision to deny permission for Twin Metals to drill on public lands near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Technically, there were two meetings, both held at the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) headquarters in Eveleth. The Range Association of Municipalities and Schools (RAMS)… Read More →

Ely pitches new Electric Paddle

I don’t know what it is about April 1 in Ely, Minnesota, but it always seems like strange news emerges from this hub of the Vermilion Iron Range and gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area on this date. Today, officials in Ely took to the wires to tout the brand new Ely Electric Paddle. Last year… Read More →

Dayton coming North, definitely not a vacation

The Mesabi Daily News reports this morning that Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will make public appearances in Eveleth on Friday. The governor will talk to local officials and the public about his recent decision to block new drilling on public lands for the Twin Metals project, a controversial copper nickel mining proposal near Ely. Gov…. Read More →

Dayton vows no state land for Twin Metals

On Monday, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton took a stand against allowing Twin Metals to access public land for its proposed copper nickel mine near Ely and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. From Gov. Dayton’s letter: I have grave concerns about the use of state surface lands for mining related activities in close proximity to the Boundary… Read More →

New vision for Range future

Life was hard for people who lived along Minnesota’s iron ranges 100 years ago. Working conditions in the mines were dangerous. Women had few rights. Nevertheless, it’s remarkable how much aspiration and hope these people delivered to future generations. Just read what they put on the walls. Found in the Keewatin City Council chambers are… Read More →

ANALYSIS: Rob Ecklund wins 3A race

Rob Ecklund was elected State Representative for Minnesota House District 3A Tuesday by a wide margin. The Koochiching County Commissioner and Boise Cascade union paper worker earned 64 percent of the vote to Republican Roger Skraba’s 19 percent and independent Kelsey Johnson’s 16 percent. Ecklund carried 80 of 83 precincts, losing a pair of small… Read More →

LIVE BLOG: MN House 3A Special Election today

Today voters head to the polls in Minnesota District 3A. This district is the state’s largest geographic House seat sprawling across Koochiching, northern and eastern St. Louis, most of Lake and all of Cook counties. This is a special election to replace the late Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake), who died last summer. Polls will… Read More →