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All-Star week brings ‘Miracle Field,’ Kent Hrbek to Hibbing
On Wednesday, June 9, at 6 p.m., the Minnesota Twins will help unveil a new “Miracle Field” in Hibbing, Minnesota, as part of the weeklong run-up to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game July 15 at Target Field in St. Paul. The new ball field is located at Bennett Park on the north side of Hibbing,…
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On Duluth, Don Ness and keepin’ it fresh
This weekend, Duluth Mayor Don Ness told his Facebook followers that he was leaning against running for a third term as leader of northern Minnesota’s largest city. Ness is famous for making important statements and breaking news on social media; it’s one of the things that has made him so popular in a city once better…
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Financing trips up Range mine projects
Sometimes it feels like the entire leadership structure of the Iron Range is standing outside the offices of environmental regulators, waiting for a Willy Wonka-type figure to emerge, do a little flip, and announce whether or not we get to come inside where they keep the permits. But two recent stories about Range mine projects…
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Highway 53: So much to keep what we have
Planning continues for the Highway 53 reroute project between Eveleth and Virginia, Minnesota. For those just catching up, an iron mine is invoking a 50-year-old agreement that the state would move the highway when mining activity reached the ore reserves underneath. Highway 53, however, is one of the most important roads on the Iron Range.…
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Feature film ‘Strange Nature’ to be filmed in rural Itasca Co.
As many of you know, I live in the forests of rural Itasca County, Minnesota. It appears that the quiet summer splendor of my deep woods neighborhood will be disturbed, if only temporarily, by the filming of an original feature-length horror movie based on the true story of mutant frogs. “Strange Nature” by filmmaker Jim Ojala will…
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Trampled by Turtles preview new album in hometown show
Trampled by Turtles will unveil tracks from their new album “Wild Animals” at a show in Bayfront Park in TBT’s hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, this Saturday. Christa Lawler previewed the Duluth Trampled by Turtles concert and album in this Wednesday feature in the Duluth News Tribune. “Wild Animals” is due out July 15, though some…
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Talking MN-8, mining on AM950
On Wednesday, June 25, I did a fairly extensive interview on AM950’s Morning Grind in the Twin Cities with guest hosts Wilhelm Davis and CityPages’ Aaron Rupar. The topic: Northern Minnesota mining and Eighth District politics. You can listen or download the podcast; I’m in the second half hour. It’s a pretty good primer on issues like Essar,…
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Summer of the Iron Range selfie
Iron Range Tourism is putting on a unique contest this summer called “Get Your Selfie on the Iron Range.” Take a picture of yourself at an Iron Range tourism attraction and post it to the Iron Range Tourism FB or Instagram page (or e-mail it to them) and you’ll be eligible for a $500 prize.…
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Oberstar memorials held today, Friday
Today and tomorrow, June 26-27, memorials for the late Rep. Jim Oberstar will be held in Minneapolis, Duluth and Chisholm. I posted my thoughts on Jim last month. The press release information is here for those planning to cover or attend the events: Memorials for Congressman Jim Oberstar to be Held This Week Governor Dayton,…
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Hear Ely Great Northern Radio Show, support KAXE/KBXE
I took my Great Northern Radio Show up to Ely, Minnesota, on June 14 and had a wonderful time telling stories, making music and approximating humor. People seemed to like the show, which aired live on Northern Community Radio, and I’d argue that it was a pretty good calling card for what we do: explore the…
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End of the Range Artists Association
An Iron Range organization that has planned the art exhibit at the annual St. Louis County Fair and run camps and art education programs for decades is no more. The Range Artists Association voted to disband its 501(C)3 nonprofit organization last spring and is now in the process of vacating its Howard Street studio in…
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2,000 attend Iron Range ‘Save Our Steel’ Jobs rally
Going into Monday’s “Save Our Steel (SOS) Jobs” Rally outside the Miner’s Memorial Building in Virginia, Minnesota, I was unsure how well people would turn out given the nice weather and otherwise healthy taconite production the Range. Well, about 2,000 people showed, according to media estimates. That exceeded what I expected. This was a well-coordinated…
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Eveleth on Eveleth: the Range’s internet problem
Though most people there probably don’t know it, Eveleth, Minnesota, made The Atlantic magazine this week. Rose Eveleth, a tech writer for the venerated publication, wrote an interesting personal essay exploring how she came to know the town by virtue of it having the same name as her family. In essence, she got an e-mail…
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The Good & Bad of MN jobs data
This week the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) released new employment numbers. The news was good: The agency said the state has added 45,617 jobs in the past year, a growth rate of 1.6 percent, compared with a U.S. growth rate of 1.8 percent during that period. Since January 2011, the state has…
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IRRRB mulls 2015 budget, projects, school funds
This Monday the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board will consider its Fiscal Year 2015 budget at its regular meeting at the IRRRB headquarters south of Eveleth, Minnesota. Next year’s budget tallies in at almost $41 million, about $2.5 million less than this year. Major changes include a continued focus on shifting funds to K-12…