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Flash: Iron Range Stalin voters breaking for Clinton
I just love the crime section of the Grand Rapids (Minn.) Herald-Review. Most of the dailies up here on the Iron Range gloss over the small town crime, trimming out the details that make weekly and twice-weekly crime blotters more interesting. This is from Wednesday’s Herald-Review: The words, “Hillary for President,” were spray-painted in green…
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Drug bus visits Iron Range today; hauls propaganda, drugs
From Wednesday’s Hibbing Daily Tribune: HIBBING — Area residents who are uninsured or having difficulties financially have a way to connect with programs that provide prescription medicines at low or no cost. The “Help Is Here Express” Bus Tour will stop in Hibbing on Thursday, May 1. From 2 to 3 p.m., the bus will…
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Taking Requests: Range Retail Rumors
I’m working down my list of “Questions and Request” posts. This is Day 2 of the series. If you have a request, please let me know in the comments or by e-mail. Jeff writes: How about commenting on all of the rumors in Hibbing. Every time you turn around there is another rumor about Target,…
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Governor signs miners’ health study funding bill
This was out earlier, but I’ll make belated mention that Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a bill funding research about the cause of higher-than-average rates of a rare form of cancer in former Iron Ranger miners. As I’ve said, this will provide a whole lot of people a whole lot of answers about the risks of…
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Wide open spaces (will build to suit)
The Duluth News-Tribune reports today on the practice of public entities building speculative buildings on the Iron Range to attract business. The appeal, according to the stories sources (all governmental), is that these buildings are modern, attractive and can be customized at public expense for any company willing to sign a long term deal that…
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May 8 PUC meeting could reveal fate of Mesaba boondoggle
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will revisit the second phase of the Mesaba Energy Project Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Xcel at its May 8 meeting. Two major questions are to be answered. Will the PUC recognize Excelsior Energy’s proposed coal-gas power plant as a “least cost” innovative project AND will they set a deadline…
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Overheard at Senate District 3’s endorsing convention
Today, the Minnesota Senate District 3 Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party held its endorsing convention for House district’s 3A and 3B. Rep. Loren Solberg (DFL-Grand Rapids) and Rep. Tom Anzelc (DFL-Balsam Township), both incumbents, were endorsed for re-election. The biggest news of the day was the terrible weather that many believed would keep people away from the convention.…
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Controversial one-eared bear dies
Folks may remember the Christmas-time controversy of Solo the one-eared bear and her cubs who hibernated under a cabin near Tower. The DNR initially expressed an intent to kill the bears before a public outcry demanded her rescue. Gov. Tim Pawlenty pardoned the bears and the DNR instead sent them to a bear farm in…
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Range town PUC considers abandoning coal for alternatives
The head of Hibbing Public Utilities says the city should consider phasing out coal in its power generation, preferring instead renewable sources of energy or buying cheaper power from Minnesota Power. Mike Jennings has the story in today’s Hibbing Daily Tribune. … Jim Kochevar, the public utilities general manager, said Monday that some problems with…
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MinnesotaBrown featured in ‘Politics in Minnesota’ weekly report
My thanks to Politics in Minnesota and their morning report editor Peter Bartz-Gallagher for profiling me in the new Blogger Q&A feature in their Weekly Report. To be the first blogger included in this feature is an honor deserved more by some of the fancy big city bloggers out there but I wasn’t about to…
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Rangers polled on bitterness, result: bitterish
I suppose this was inevitable. Larry Oakes of the Star Tribune localized the two-week-old “bitter” comments of Sen. Barack Obama by interviewing Iron Rangers. You know, because Rangers get laid off a lot and like guns. Opinions about the comments (that Obama himself has expressed regret over wording poorly) vary widely based on who the…
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Smoking ban aftermath: Duluth bars holding on
The Duluth News-Tribune reported Saturday that a review of tax receipts has shown little change in the success of Duluth bars after the statewide smoking ban went into effect last year. Tax data collected by the city of Duluth suggests that the statewide smoking ban that went into effect six months ago has not had…
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Range women’s leadership initiative discussed in Star Tribune
Several weeks ago I wrote about a women’s leadership conference on the Iron Range sponsored by the White House Project. Well, the conference was held and the Star Tribune ran a commentary today that discusses the outcome. The whole idea is to get more women involved in the local political scene. I’m supportive because I…
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T-Paw warming up to Iron Range
It’s Iron Range reconciliation week at the governor’s office. Gov. Tim Pawlenty apologized for a recent verbal dust up with State. Rep. Tony Sertich on his radio program today. This comes the day after a reported compromise on funding for the Iron Range miners’ health study. Group hug, everyone. Let’s hug this out. Related posts:…
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Governor to sign Iron Range health study bill
I just got word from a source at the Capitol that Gov. Tim Pawlenty will sign a bill funding mesothelioma research for former and current Iron Range miners to determine if there is a link between this rare cancer and taconite fibers. Funding for the study will come from state sources and not from the…