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Report details serious problems at IRRRB
Today, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor released its report exploring the organization, authority, effectiveness and transparency of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). The OLA found that the IRRRB “has not adequately overseen the loans and grants it awards for economic development.” The report also dings the agency for its operation…
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State economic picture steady, except up North
Minnesota is a geographically and economically diverse state. It’s often remarkable when I travel from my home here in the North to the Twin Cities how different the very fabric of society and the economy feels. The two worlds seem like they don’t require one another to survive. That’s not really true, of course. The state…
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Legislative Auditor: Does the IRRRB work?
On Friday, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor will release a major report on the effectiveness of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). Though not a subject of much conversation on the street, this report has been long awaited by members of the region’s political class. Some dread what it might say,…
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Adam Levy in Grand Rapids postponed
UPDATE: The panel discussion and concert by Adam Levy are being postponed due to the winter storm today. They will be rescheduled. Adam Levy, front man for the Honeydogs, will do two special events today with Northern Community Radio in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Both are deeply personal. From the NCR release: Adam Levy’s new solo…
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No spring for you
The Northern Minnesota tradition of briefly allowing hope to enter your heart despite knowledge that disappointment lies ahead carries on. Today, a significant winter storm is settling over our corner of the world. Lots of heavy wet snow, putting added pressure on tree branches, power lines and our fragile psyches. There are many school cancellations.…
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Deal to extend benefits for miners is done
A longstanding worry of many unemployed miners on the Iron Range and their families is being resolved today. Today, the House Ways and Means committee passed a bill that would offer up to 26 weeks of additional unemployment benefits for Iron Range miners affected by a downturn in the steel industry. It would also include…
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Hibbing must right discrimination wrongs
What follows is more of an editorial, but one forwarded to advance a discussion. One of the most baffling stories on the Iron Range this year has been the sprawling saga of a Hibbing High School administrator found to have engaged in inappropriate and discriminatory behavior with female students. Last year, the administrator was fired…
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Cliffs to reopen Northshore Mining in May
Cliffs Natural Resources announced today it plans to reopen Northshore Mining in Babbitt and Silver Bay by May 15. About 540 people work for Northshore Mining, most of whom have been laid off since last year. “The avalanche of unfairly traded steel hitting the U.S. since last year negatively affected our clients’ production levels and,…
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Every man a king; one man an emperor
Spring air refreshes our winter-weary lungs, yet most of that delicious smell comes from rot. Such is the nature of change. Here in 2016 the political winds gust and swirl with unusual gusto, an El Niño year at the ballot box. Three out of the five candidates with any hope of a major party nomination…
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Duluth’s Gaelynn Lea inspires with NPR concert
Last week, Duluth musician Gaelynn Lea won the annual NPR Tiny Desk concert series contest for emerging artists. This week, she flew to Washington to perform at the famous tiny desk where NPR music writers once stashed piles of music. The desk now hosts countless musicians, both famous and up-and-coming. It’s a beautiful performance, which…
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Iron Range miners get cartoon treatment
The debate over how to extend jobless benefits for Iron Range miners has reached its pinnacle form: the editorial cartoon. There aren’t many editorial cartoons being produced these days. Newspapers don’t pay people to do them anymore. But Steve Sack at the Minneapolis Star Tribune is still drawing. Sack’s latest cartoon depicts the debate over a jobless…
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70-pound carp lashes back at Dayton over speech
When Gov. Mark Dayton delivered his State of the State address on Wednesday, many would rightly have focused on the policies or political nuance. I am unable to let go of one section of Dayton’s speech: Minnesota has a proud history of tackling environmental problems and finding effective solutions. When I was a boy in the…
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Kelsey Johnson named president of mining group
On Thursday, the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota Board of Directors named Kelsey Johnson its next president. Johnson is an experienced lobbyist and recent Iron Range legislative candidate who grew up in Gnesen Township. The Iron Mining Association is the primary lobby for Minnesota’s iron mining industry. Member companies, including major Iron Range taconite producers, pay…
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Dayton leads speech with Range jobless benefits
Gov. Mark Dayton delivered his annual State of the State address before the Minnesota legislature last night. Like many such addresses, he highlighted his top priorities for the next few months, including investments in transportation and broadband infrastructure and investments in communities suffering from economic hardship. Leading Dayton’s speech, however, was a call on state…
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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…