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Tony Sertich to step down as IRRRB commissioner
Later today, Tony Sertich, commissioner of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, is expected to announce he will step down before the second administration of Gov. Mark Dayton. Sertich will succeed the retiring Tom Renier as President of the Duluth-based Northland Foundation. The change means Gov. Dayton will need to appoint a new leader for the unique…
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What to Watch: Election 2014 in Northern Minnesota
UPDATE: The Election Day Live Blog is now fully operational. Minnesota voters are about to do something in a booth this Tuesday, Nov. 4. Or maybe not. Besides deciding which candidates to vote for, many voters are deciding whether or not to vote. Taken together, the temperament and turnout of people like you and me…
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A schoolhouse divided will not stand
Last week, the Nashwauk-Keewatin School Board voted to dissolve its shared services agreement with the Greenway School District on the western Mesabi Iron Range. Days later Greenway also backed away from most elements of the partnership. This marks the end of an experiment exposing many hard truths about the future of school and community collaboration on the Iron Range.…
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A story in data: Northern Minnesota’s next challenges
The Center for Rural Policy and Development issued its State of Rural Minnesota 2014 Report this week, including a number of compelling graphics about the current and projected economic status of Greater Minnesota counties. The report might prompt different conclusions based on who reads it, but since I write about Northern Minnesota, I see a…
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National Christmas tree to be cut this week in Northern MN
Today, somewhere near Walker, Minnesota, in the Chippewa National Forest, a mature 88-foot white spruce enjoys its last meal of sunlight and carbon dioxide before being cut tomorrow to live forever in the hearts of America as the nation’s 2014 Christmas tree. On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Minnesota’s Logger of the Year Jim Scheff of Marcell…
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Essar restarts construction of new west Range mine
Essar Steel has restarted construction on its new taconite mine and processing plant near Nashwauk, Minnesota. This according to a Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014 story in the Hibbing Daily Tribune. What’s not known is who is financing the India-based company’s sometimes beleaguered Iron Range project, or if the financing package will ultimately include another partner.…
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The politics of retribution on the Iron Range
This week, Robbie Feinberg of City Pages penned a long form story about the nonferrous mining debate in Northern Minnesota. He spent time with supporters and opponents of projects like PolyMet and Twin Metals to compose his story, which I’d recommend reading in its entirety. The story treads over some familiar ground, but also does…
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LIVE BLOG: VP Joe Biden at Hibbing Community College
Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Hibbing Community College on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range today, Oct. 23, 2014, in a “get out the vote” campaign rally for U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8). The event begins at about 2 p.m. I’ll provide live blog coverage here with the help of students at the college who were granted…
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DNR projects much smaller deer harvest
The Star Tribune reports that Minnesota DNR officials are projecting the lowest deer harvest in more than 30 years for the upcoming rifle deer hunting season. But that’s all part of the plan: By design, this year’s deer harvest will be one of the lowest we’ve seen in decades,” Leslie McInenly, big game program leader…
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Star Tribune eyes (noncontroversial) renaissance in Ely
What an interesting and exciting story in today’s Star Tribune. Pam Louwagie writes about a Missouri developer, a longtime summer resident in the Ely area, who has purchased a number of decaying buildings in downtown Ely with the goal of renovating and re-imagining their use for a modern town set amid the pines. Louwagie makes specific…
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Massive bridge likely as Highway 53 re-route solution
Iron Range residents will soon learn the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s final decision on the new route for Highway 53 between Eveleth and Virginia. The Highway 53 route is likely to be announced in November, but a MNDOT official is quoted by WDIO saying that the most likely outcome will be one of the state’s highest bridges across the…
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Rail delays prompt Hibbing Taconite to haul pellets by truck
Last week we talked about how rail delays were causing huge stockpiles of iron ore at Iron Range taconite mines. This afternoon it was announced that Hibbing Taconite, a Cliffs Natural Resources mine, has made the rather bold decision to begin hauling its pellets by truck to the Twin Ports. From the press release: HIBBING, MN –…
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In a small Iron Range town, the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ blinks shut
I can still hear the tinny speakers perched above Tommy Koskela Memorial Field at my alma mater of Cherry High School. A cassette tape pulsates the floppy, weather-worn woofers, creating the approximate sound of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger.” This was the sound of Friday nights in the fall through my teen years, both as a…
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Connect Itasca redoubles effort to expand rural broadband
UPDATE: Hear the Morning Show interview that I did with Itasca County manager Trish Klein and Northern Community Radio’s Scott Hall Tuesday about this topic. Itasca County’s efforts to bring broadband access to every resident continue despite an early setback. The initial goal is to gather survey responses from underserved residents. Early confusion made it difficult for many…
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Essar claims financing; Magnetation rolls pellets
It’s been a big week of economic news on the western Mesabi Iron Range. Late last week, Magnetation LLC, announced it was producing taconite pellets at its Indiana processing plant using iron ore concentrate recovered from Itasca County pits. “This first production marks another significant milestone in Magnetation’s history,” said Larry Lehtinen, CEO of Magnetation.…