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Remembering Duluth journalist Larry Fortner
Former Duluth News Tribune editor and longtime Northern Minnesota journalist Larry Fortner died early Wednesday from cancer. The Duluth News Tribune remembers Fortner in a Peter Passi front page story today. After work in Florida and Kentucky, Fortner found his way to Duluth, Minnesota in 1979. He would become editor of the DNT, going on…
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Economic salvation is local
Duluth, Minnesota, is among several cities featured in a James Fallows story in the March 2016 edition of “The Atlantic,” entitled “How America is putting itself back together.” The Duluth angle is what got my attention, but the rest of the story is what I’d like to talk about today. Fallows lists Duluth alongside his story’s…
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New Quack City: giant rubber duck headed for Duluth
Tall Ships Duluth 2016 will be held Aug. 18-21 in the International Port of Duluth, Minnesota. Real, fully-functional wooden masted sailing ships that replicate historical vessels will dock at Duluth for tours, rides and historical interpretation. These are always huge events, drawing hundreds of thousands to Duluth at arguably the most beautiful time of year…
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GOPer Donna Bergstrom to seek SD 7 seat
We’ve heard about DFL candidates for the office, but today Donna Bergstrom joined the District 7 Senate race as a Republican. Erik Simonson and Sharla Gardner are the announced DFL candidates to succeed Sen. Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth) who is not seeking re-election. Here is her press release: Duluth, MN (January 27, 2016) – Donna Bergstrom…
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Liz Olson first to announce bid for open 7B seat
Liz Olson, a Duluth community organizer, has announced her candidacy for the open District 7B seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The district covers much of western and central Duluth. “I believe in a Minnesota that promises all of us a chance to live with dignity — A Minnesota that offers access to living…
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Former councilor Gardner to seek SD7 seat
Former Duluth city councilor Sharla Gardner announced this week she would seek the DFL endorsement for the Minnesota Senate District 7 seat being vacated by Sen. Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth). Gardner left office just last week after not seeking re-election last year. Reinert announced he would not seek re-election last Sunday. Shortly afterward, State Rep. Erik Simonson,…
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Emily Larson to be sworn in as Duluth mayor today
Today, Emily Larson will take the oath of office as the new mayor of Duluth, Minnesota. She becomes the first female mayor of this Great Lakes international port city and successor to popular outgoing mayor Don Ness. Here on the Iron Range I refer to this position as the “person we see disproportionately on the…
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Last chance to be Duluth’s next lift bridge operator
Applicants have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to apply for the highest-profile blue collar job in Duluth: Operator of the Aerial Lift Bridge. Pay starts at $42,444 per year and includes benefits. The gig involves pulling levers to make the bridge go up and pulling levers to make the bridge go down. That’s the fun part, probably what…
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New ship to haul last grain of 2015 from Duluth
The last international grain ship of 2015 will arrive at the Port of Duluth, Minnesota, Sunday night or early Monday morning, according to officials with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. UPDATE: Due to high winds, the Federal Bering was forced to take shelter near the Apostle Islands. It is now expected Tuesday morning. The Federal Bering…
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How does a cool mayor leave office? With free concert
Duluth Mayor Don Ness will leave office this January after two successful terms as leader of Northern Minnesota’s biggest city during a time of economic diversification and growth. Before Mayor-elect Emily Larson takes the oath, however, Ness will give one more mayoral address. Not at city hall. Not at some hotel conference room, either. Ness…
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Emily Larson is Duluth’s next mayor
Emily Larson cruised to a victory in Tuesday’s election for Mayor of Duluth with more than 70 percent of the vote. With her defeat of Chuck Horton, she will become the first woman to lead the Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas. Voters selected Elissa Hanson and Noah Hobbs as the next at-large city councilors,…
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Pro-Horton song warns of Duluth’s potholed heroinscape
We haven’t discussed the Duluth Mayor’s race in a while, partly because city council president Emily Larson is so widely expected to rout boxing trainer and drug counselor Chuck Horton next Tuesday. But Horton’s supporters aren’t letting up, as evidenced by the most jaw-dropping local political media I’ve experienced in a very long time: Behold,…
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How mean is Lake Superior?
Last week, Lake Superior Magazine ran an interesting infographic story titled “How Big is Lake Superior?” (Big). The centerpiece was a news graphic showing the outline of Lake Superior placed over the eastern sea board, a span stretching from Baltimore to Boston. The rest of the story talked about how much water was in Lake Superior.…
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Developer considers Duluth Armory renovation
The Duluth News Tribune reported last week that a new developer is considering purchasing the Duluth Armory for redevelopment as a cultural center and concert venue. From the story by Peter Passi: The Armory Arts and Music Center, a local group of people working to save the building on London Road between 13th and 14th…
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Larson wins majority, Horton advances in Duluth mayor primary
Duluth city councilor Emily Larson won a large majority in Tuesday’s primary election. She and conservative boxing promoter Chuck Horton will advance to the Nov. 3 general election to replace popular outgoing Mayor Don Ness, who opted not to seek re-election. The Duluth News Tribune and WDIO teamed up to report election results and, near as I…