-
Anzelc’s IRRRB daylight idea fails, for now
The news roundup from yesterday’s IRRRB meeting includes some valuable observations. The Duluth News Tribune‘s Peter Passi reports separately on the cuts to the mining production tax rebate program, with money diverted to public works projects. Passi also reported on Rep. Tom Anzelc’s motion for IRRRB support of legislation he’s drafting to repeal a 2008…
-
Local food showcase slated Nov. 1 in Grand Rapids
One of the trends you’ve seen build in recent years is the idea of local food production and consumption, an idea centered around sustainable life. Here in northern Minnesota that used to be called “surviving the winter” and nearly everyone did it. The practice fell out of favor with the advent of the Twinkie, only…
-
Range board trims mine tax rebate, rebuffs transparency plea
I’ve gleaned two bits of news from today’s Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board meeting. First, the iron mining production tax refund (money paid back to mines after taxes for capital projects) was cut in half amid the record mining profits of the last year. The money kept will be dedicated to public works projects…
-
COLUMN: Detroit state of mind
This is my Sunday column for the Oct. 16, 2011 Hibbing Daily Tribune. I wrote it before the Tigers lost to the Texas Rangers yesterday, but what can you do? Detroit state of mindBy Aaron J. Brown With the dismal conclusion to the Minnesota Twins baseball season, coupled with the dismal beginning of the Minnesota…
-
Silicon Energy opens Range facility
The company Silicon Energy opens its doors at its new Mountain Iron location this morning at 10 a.m. for an open house. The company produces a new, durable sort of commercial and residential solar panels. Though Silicon Energy is a smaller company it’s exciting to see such production on the Iron Range. 10 a.m. to…
-
Fanning kicks off campaign, joining Clark, Anderson and Nolan in DFL MN-8 race
On Sunday, Daniel Fanning kicked off his DFL campaign for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He joins Tarryl Clark, Jeff Anderson and Rick Nolan in the race to challenge U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) as the first DFL nominee in MN-8 not named Jim Oberstar since 1974. Last week Fanning, an…
-
Go west, young miner!
Today’s Duluth News Tribune explains a proposed new taconite plant between Coleraine and Grand Rapids. That’s right, I said Grand Rapids, the historic non-mining western edge of the Iron Range. Magnetation, a scram mining operation that’s worked along the western Mesabi iron formation, mostly near Keewatin and now Taconite, Minn., is looking ahead to its…
-
NY Times highlights Range air service debate
The plight of the Range Regional Airport and the federal Essential Air Service program made the New York Times today. The Times featured an interview with Hibbing Mayor Rick Cannata and City Councilor Patty Shafer. The region’s U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) is a central player in a budget cut process that could limit flights…
-
Remembering Ron Ciochetto
Ron Ciochetto was first in line at my first book signing in 2008. He was a dedicated reader of this blog and a good guy. He passed away over the weekend after a long illness. A retired miner and Vietnam vet, Ciochetto was like a lot of guys you see on the Iron Range. But…
-
Farewell September, October looks interesting
This hasn’t been a great week for blog content but I will give you a hint at some of the things I’m working on. Naturally, Item #1 has been the Great Northern Radio Show coming up Saturday, Oct. 15 on the stage of Hibbing Community College and live on 91.7 KAXE. I’m also working on…
-
Babbitt, reeling from fire, makes plans
The people of the Iron Range town of Babbitt are figuring out what to do after the devastating fire that took Zup’s Grocery, the drug store and damaged several other downtown businesses last weekend. Northland’s NewsCenter had a story, which I am sharing because of their handy embed capabilities. Related posts: No related posts.
-
My TEDx talk, Courage: Northern Minnesota’s Untapped Resource
This is my talk from last week’s TEDx 1,000 Lakes Conference at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids. Enjoy! UPDATE: You can watch the whole conference, speech by speech, here. There were some great talks that day. I’ll post more with some context in the near future. Related posts: No related posts.
-
Babbitt fire destroys Zup’s grocery, other businesses
A fire destroyed Zup’s grocery store in the eastern Iron Range city of Babbitt early this morning. A drug store was also destoryed and other nearby downtown businesses were damaged. This is a terrible blow for this small Range town, essentially devestating the business community there. WDIO has the story and links to pictures. Range…
-
MN-8 seems destined for lively DFL primary
The 2012 election in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional district could become the more significant contest in the region’s political decade. The conservative swing seen in the 2010 election of Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) could be solidified with his re-election. Or the GOP trend could be repelled with the election of a DFL challenger. Still more, this…
-
Cougars go east
Fans of my column about the Black Hills/Connecticut cougar a couple weeks ago might appreciate that this summer another cougar was spotted heading east in view of trail cams across northern Minnesota and northern Michigan. The plot thickens! Related posts: No related posts.