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One way to follow the inauguration from a Northern Minnesota perspective
WDIO reporter Kim Johnson is covering Tuesday’s Obama inauguration for the Duluth ABC affiliate by traveling with Northlanders who are attending the ceremonies. She’s keeping a blog at the station’s website. I am also betting that any Facebook or MySpace friends you have in the D.C. metro area can probably give you a pretty good…
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Iron ore shipments show last year’s economic whiplash
The Duluth News Tribune reports today that December 2008 iron ore shipments out of the port of Duluth were down 42 percent from December 2007. This story shows the economic whiplash the Iron Range has seen in the last few months. Even though December was way down the boom of early 2008 was so big…
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I love you, Duluth!
Thanks to the many who came out to the Duluth Barnes and Noble last night for my reading and book signing. I saw a few familiar faces, but mostly a lot of new friends who have been following the blog and book. I sure appreciate everyone who showed up. If you couldn’t make it you…
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See me, hear me, but don’t touch me
Like my “Tommy” reference? I’ll see you tonight at the Duluth Barnes and Noble in the Miller Hill Mall for the first public reading/discussion of my new book “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.” The event starts at 6:30 with a brief talk and book signing to follow. I’ll be on hand to talk…
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Welcome Good Morning Northland viewers
I just got back to the Range from my early “Good Morning Northland” interview about my book “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.” It may have been four hours in the car for 20 minutes in the studio and two minutes on the air, but I’m sure it will all be worth it ……
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On transportation, punditry and vultures
By now you’ve probably heard the speculation that U.S. Rep Jim Oberstar is on President-elect Obama’s short list for Secretary of Transportation. The Mesabi Daily News welcomed the idea in a Monday editorial. This speculation has been around a long time. I wrote about a collection of potential succession candidates should Oberstar move over to…
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Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday! First book event in Duluth!
Like taconite, my “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range” book tour is heading for Duluth this week to get loaded. Ha! Just kidding. I don’t mix boozin’ and book sellin’ (Book writin’ … well, that’s different). We’ve had some fine book events here on the Iron Range, with more to come, but this Wednesday,…
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Norm’s Range plan, and why it’s half baked
As a former daily newspaper editor, who never once endorsed anyone for political office while editor (I don’t believe that newspaper endorsements are wise editorial policy), I have been watching with interest the ferocious attention paid the newspaper endorsements this 2008 election cycle. In the old days, when the assumption was that newspapers were liberal-leaning,…
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Testosterone Thursday in Range politics (more than usual)
Today, Democrats and Republicans alike will have a chance to say macho things and grunt. About damn time! Todd Palin, husband of Republican VP nominee and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is in Grand Rapids (click for story with times, etc.), Bemidji and Duluth today with his snowmobiling pal who is from Grand Rapids. If you…
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Get ‘Bushed’ in Duluth for fun
If you’re looking for some fun, left of center entertainment this weekend or over the next few weekends, check this out (From a Linda Hanson story in today’s DNT). Barton Sutter didn’t set out to write a play in verse about the Bush administration. It started with a poem, then another poem and another. “I…
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Extrapolating story from census data? Typical.
Today’s Duluth News-Tribune profiles the “typical Northlander.” Using census data, they’ve determined that the “typical Northlander” is a 29-year-old college educated female marketing professional. Oh, if only it were true! Many a modern Iron Range man tours downtown bars looking for just such a person, but — alas — success in this regard is rare,…
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Election Night salve: Dylan at the U
Where are you going to be on Election Night? Political types will no doubt gather at victory (and/or defeat) parties around the state. Perhaps some will silently observe the proceedings on their home television, allowing them to drop f-bombs or perform over-the-top celebratory acts as the electoral votes are projected. But there is also an…
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Duluth paper announces layoffs
The Duluth News-Tribune announced staff cuts months ago, but today finally announced the official layoffs. 8 jobs, including 4 full and 4 part time. As usual, they got the managing editor. Managing editors are like second lieutenants in a war movie. All glory, usually posthumous. Related posts: No related posts.
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What Reinert’s 7B win means
With Roger Reinert’s victory in the DFL primary for House District 7B, Duluth’s political structure has officially gone from one generation to the next. The city council and mayor’s races of almost two years ago coupled with this race show that Duluth’s DFL majority is looking past the “old guard” for new leadership. That’s not…
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LIVEBLOG: Duluth’s 7B showdown
This is the post I’ll keep updating tonight as results pour in from Duluth’s West Side for the only interesting legislative primary in northern Minnesota. For visual reference, I am grading papers in my basement lair in deep rural Itasca County (a place that, for the benefit of future foreign or robot invaders, should be…