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Good times are best times to invest in Iron Range future
Times are good in the iron and steel industry. Here in Northern Minnesota, the mines on the Mesabi Iron Range now operate at full capacity. Prices for both iron ore and finished steel run high. But are the communities of the Iron Range and the mining companies operating here really prepared for the changes ahead?
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Essar sues state but misses deadline; Cliffs hungry for ore
Essar Steel is fighting back against state attempts to debar the company, but in doing so reveals it will miss another deadline on the long beleaguered iron ore project. Meantime, Cleveland-Cliffs hungrily seeks new ore reserves, reopening a mine in Michigan and waiting to develop its property near the Essar site.
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10-week sprint to special election for Iron Range school plan
On May 14, voters in Virginia, Eveleth and Gilbert will decide whether a new $181 million shared high school plan becomes reality.
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It’s time for Squatch Chat at Effie tavern
The legend of an elusive forest beast, more man than ape, spans cultures around the globe. We call him Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, Yeti or the Abominable Snowman. North American native peoples call him “Big Brother,” and think of him as a resident of another time or dimension, come to check on us. But you can’t…
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ESPN heads to Iron Range for feature on Jared Allen’s curling team
So there I am Sunday morning. Slept in, not quite accidentally. Watching ESPN to keep my blood pressure low. And then what should appear on my screen? Why, it was a hotel parking lot on the Mesabi Iron Range. Specifically, it was the AmericInn in Virginia, Minnesota. And then one strange second later I see…
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New Virginia/Eveleth-Gilbert high school plan gains major funding boost
Two rival Iron Range school districts will build a consolidated high school if voters approve a now greatly subsidized school levy. Last Friday, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board recommended to its state department a $100 million investment in a shared Virginia and Eveleth-Gilbert high school. Almost $5 million per year would space out…
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In Northern Minnesota, economic trends collide
The people of Northern Minnesota need the same things they did 100 years ago. Employment. Food. Medical care. Places to shop and seek entertainment. Yet, how we satisfy these needs changed considerably over the past century. Indeed, these fundamental functions of society continue to transform before us. Only two questions remain: 1) Will we accept…
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Lake Superior more than 80 percent iced over
We’ve reached the part of winter that either steels or breaks Minnesotans. No, it’s not *that* cold, but it’s cold. Yeah, we’re used to snow, but we’re *tired* of it. We don’t need a new snow blower. We need a psychologist. It’s been a colder and snowier winter than average; not the most wicked winter…
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All that cold and the dang bugs survived
You know the old trope. As the horror movie concludes, the virtuous teenagers are safe, the villain is dead, and the credits roll. But then, at the very end, the camera zooms back in on the death mask of the evil antagonist. Suddenly, glowing red eyes open wide. He lives! No one is safe and…
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Study shows rural ‘recreation counties’ holding population
In real terms, the biggest factor in most of the challenges facing Iron Range communities is population loss. The economic contraction of the late 1950s and 1980s sent people away from core Range communities. This impacted local businesses, school enrollments, housing values, and myriad other issues. There are other factors, more to consider, but basically…
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Hibbing Community College to name buildings
If you’re like me, you wonder how places got their names. There’s usually some story involved, even if it’s boring. At college you might have sat in a building named for some dusty old multisyllabic poo-bah from the past. A plaque in the lobby identified the crusty oldster, who we all assume forked over a…
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A crying sham
Not all pillows are for sleeping. Some are just for show. Some we wrap in shams. Some we just don’t know. We lay our heads on beds of lies.
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Hear the latest Great Northern Radio Show from Brainerd
Last weekend I brought my Great Northern Radio Show to the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd, Minnesota. Today I’m able to share a recording of the show for those of you who missed it live on Northern Community Radio.
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Regenerating hope in mining’s wake
Like a lot of kids who grew up on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range in the 1980s and ‘90s I saw plenty of reasons to leave. Many of my friends did. But I’m glad I found good reasons to stay. Many friends did that, too. That doesn’t mean, however, that our lives are easy or our…
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Rarick, GOP win special election in MN Senate Dist. 11
History shows that mighty campaigns die in the winter and all dynasties come to an end. State Rep. Jason Rarick (R-Pine City) defeated DFLer Stu Lourey in the Minnesota Senate District 11 special election Tuesday. Rarick racked up big numbers in his home House district and kept the vote close enough in the DFL-leaning northern…