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OLA to release Excelsior Energy loan report
A while back, the Office of the Legislative Auditor confirmed it was reviewing specific complaints about $9.5 million in Iron Range Resources loans to Excelsior Energy for its Mesaba Energy Project, an expensive coal gasification plant that exists as part of a complex web of government grants, loans and regulatory exemptions. Several complaints over potential…
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The real story behind Iron Range mining taxes
Mike Jennings and the Hibbing Daily Tribune dig below the surface of the last week’s dust-up over the KSTP Ironworld story (by now I think KSTP has forgotten they even did the story). Read the story. What’s interesting about this is that Jennings compares how various states tax their mineral extraction. Minnesota’s model is rather…
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FiberNet’s Waterloo
Most of you know that I’m a big proponent of efforts to expand Internet speed and access on the Iron Range. I think it’s an initiative that has tremendous economic development benefits for this region. The FiberNet project has been trying to drum up support for a Range-wide municipal-owned high speed network. Thursday night, the…
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Obama campaign opens Duluth HQ
The Barack Obama campaign opens its Duluth headquarters this Saturday the 19th at 10 a.m. The new HQ is located right on the corner at 302 E Superior St, right across from the Sheraton Hotel. Campaign officials tell me Duluth City Councilors Tony Cuneo, Sharla Gardner, Roger Reinart will be speaking and that U.S. Rep.…
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Taconite Ridge wind farm almost at full power
Minnesota Power announces that the new Taconite Ridge wind energy farm on the Iron Range will soon be, hearkening my favorite line from Star Wars, fully operational. As you approach or leave Virginia and Mt. Iron from the west side take a look at these turbines. I think they’re freaking awesome. Turbines like these built…
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KSTP sticking to story
No surprise here. KSTP official defends story on Ironworld; no retraction They’re sticking with the factually incorrect and misleading story they ran July 7 that implied that state taxpayers were getting robbed by the existence of Ironworld, even though the facility was operating with the Iron Range’s own mining revenue and is now fiscally solvent…
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Al Gore and the way it’s gonna be
The best way to start a Friday is to angry up my coal and oil loving friends. Al Gore gave a speech yesterday. That sentence alone may send some running to the exits, but I happen to think Gore is enjoying the most important phase of his career. He correctly points out that with rising…
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Brown on the Air: Mississippi River Festival
The Mississippi River Festival, featuring music and fun of all kinds, will run all day Saturday along the banks of the Mighty Miss’ in Grand Rapids, just outside the KAXE studios. The Saturday morning program “Between You and Me” will focus on the topic of outdoor events and picnics in honor of the occasion. My…
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The online frontier
Today’s Business North has two high profile stories by Beth Bily that detail Internet projects based on or near the Iron Range. One details the Herculean challenges faced by the “reverse publication” initiative over at Hometown Focus. The other details the activities of the KAXE Community Web Project (which has contracted me to do training…
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Iron Range Resources board hung up on budget
The Iron Range Resources board met yesterday and remains stymied over the 2009 budget. A provisional budget was passed and there will be yet another meeting scheduled to resolve the matter. (Read today’s story from the Mesabi Daily News). At issue were the complaints of Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) who was critical of the concept…
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Cleveland Cliffs: "Mmm … coal"
According to today’s Duluth News-Tribune, one of the Iron Range’s well-known eastern iron mining overlords, Cleveland Cliffs, is merging with Appalachian coal mining company Alpha Natural Resources. The new company will be called Cliffs Natural Resources, becoming one of the nation’s largest mining companies. It might not be a bad idea to buy this new…
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Duluth, Range races set
Filing for state offices has closed. On the Iron Range and in Duluth, all races will have Republican, DFL and, in some cases, Independence Party candidates. No free rides this year. On the other hand, I don’t see any major barriers to re-election for the majority DFL candidates in this region. The only chance for…
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All Star Tuesday!
Check your calendars. It’s Drink Beer and Watch the All-Star Game Day. What? That’s not on your calendar? Get a new one. Expect scant reaction here to political news occurring this evening. Related posts: No related posts.
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All pucked up
Have you seen Norm Coleman’s new ad? He plays up how he brought hockey back to Minnesota back when he was Mayor of St. Paul. How bad is it when an incumbent’s best ad highlights something he did before he was elected to his current office the first time? Isn’t that kind of like when…
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Manageable U.S. Senate race wackiness
So, no Jesse this year. One poll shows an Al Franken lead, another shows Norm Coleman well ahead. So this Minnesota U.S. Senate race is just wacky. Not, uber-wacky, but a regular sort of smooth drinking wacky. And so we continue… Related posts: No related posts.