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Another ‘new’ mine in Iron Country
Steel Dynamics and Cleveland-Cliffs closed a land deal that will allow the Steel Dynamics iron nugget plant to begin construction on the East Range in the vicinity of the former LTV taconite plant. LTV’s demise in 2001 kicked off a mini-panic on the Iron Range that included other taconite plant shutdowns or closures and paved…
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Iron Rangers: a fickle weather lot
Like I said, we got our first big Iron Range snowfall this past weekend, about 8-12 inches. The previous week had been very cold so the first sheet of ice was forming on our lakes; however, most of the ice wasn’t thick enough for vehicles yet. Then came the snow. I now learn from many…
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First big snow
We white-knuckled it through the first big snow storm of the year last night. We averaged about 20 miles an hour from Hibbing out into the Itasca wilderness where we live. We made it, but it wasn’t easy. I was just informed, however, that we left our winter boots out in the car. Which means…
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Banana ethics
Bananas look funny, sound funny and they’re a three-dimensional euphemism for something naughty. (Have you ever noticed how a banana resembles a hot dog? Those have so many nitrates! OMG!). Meantime, old bananas are turned into a great source of alliteration (and carbs): banana bread. Banana bread is tasty and beloved, harkening Midwestern memories of…
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Moody Out
For those who follow TV news out of the Duluth market (Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin), some news. Edward Moody, the accomplished and odd-looking morning anchor for the Northland NewsCenter (Channels 3 and 6) is leaving for Rochester, N.Y. I don’t know who will replace Moody, but I expect the person will look just as strange,…
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Just the fax, ma’am
I cracked open my Franklin Covey planner pages for 2008 today. It’s time to include January in my “advance planning” section. The contact sheet you’re supposed to put in the front of your planner includes home and work numbers. But it also includes “Fax” instead of “Cell.” Get with it Franklin Covey. Who’s going to…
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This is not a corporate blog
Target Corp finds itself in a bit of trouble over a blogging controversy. Apparently college-age students who were in a program to earn free merchandise for promoting Target stores were advised to secretly blog and spread comments about the greatness of Target. The story is in the Star Tribune today. This kind of corporate advertising…
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Brown on the Air: Cookies!!!!
My radio essay for Saturday’s “Between You and Me” program (10 a.m. to noon on 91.7 KAXE) deals with the topic of cookies. Indeed, the whole show will talk about cookies, but I focus in on the grand poo-bah of cookies for my generation, Cookie Monster. You should tune in if only to hear me…
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Minnesota U.S. Senate race heats up on the Range
I see at MN Publius that State Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) has endorsed attorney Mike Ciresi for Minnesota’s upcoming U.S. Senate race. The editors at MN Publius believe this may portend future Ciresi endorsements from other Range legislators. It might, but this situation is indicative of the overall woes of this Senate race. Incumbent Norm…
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Savin’ some bucks; keepin’ it in the family
Check out Christina’s new blog, Northern Cheapskate. Unlike my undisciplined, eclectic blog, Christina focuses on a specific topic: living frugally in the north woods. She talks about her experiments in running our household more efficiently, money-saving ideas and resources for trimming the family budget. She’s a whiz at this stuff and her blog is clever,…
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Clear alternatives to Mesaba Project
More on the Excelsior story. Read an op/ed from the Duluth News-Tribune by Charlotte Neigh, the co-chair of Citizens Against the Mesaba Project (CAMP). Here is an excerpt: The Mesaba Project is planned for a site that is about as far as it could be from potential sequestration sites. Piping the carbon dioxide to western…
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Big picture shows glum future for Range coal gas plant scheme
There was a hearing last night about the Environmental Impact Statement by Excelsior Energy for its Mesaba Energy Project near Taconite. The project would be a $2.3 billion coal gasification power plant. I didn’t attend. Fact is, the EIS is a small part of the issue with this project. The TV news — WDIO in…
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The Pro-Breakfast Candidate
Toddler dialogue from this morning: TODDLER: Santa bring Cranky? (the Crane, from “Thomas and Friends”) ME: That depends, are you a good boy? TODDLER: Hmmm. ME: Are you a good boy or naughty? TODDLER: I like breakfast. Sounds like someone is preparing for a congressional campaign. Related posts: No related posts.
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A little idealism goes a long way
I don’t know how many people read this; 16 maybe? Anyway, I’m a political junkie and I’m just about OD’ed on coverage of next year’s presidential race. I could cite polls, electability estimates, and resumes, but I won’t. Just think about this: who could provide a spark of idealism in American citizens at a time…
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Local politics over power plant
This is a few days old, but look at this excerpt from the Hibbing Daily Tribune’s Nov. 23 coverage of a recent Nashwauk Public Utilities Commission meeting (Nashwauk is a small town on the Western Mesabi, for those new to the Range). In other matters, the PUC:• Approved sending a letter to Excelsior Energy indicating…