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Inside N.E. Minnesota 2012 Legislative Election Results
It was frustrating to see little or no reporting of election results on the western Mesabi among the bigger Grand Rapids and Hibbing papers. The weekly Scenic Range News Forum actually did more than the two larger papers combined. The Grand Rapids Herald-Review ran some numbers a week later (and only the numbers that came…
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See MDN interview of Iron Range Rep.-elect Metsa
Of the major Iron Range newspapers, the only one investing in regular political coverage is the Mesabi Daily News. And it’s cool to see them try some new things here, by posting a YouTube video of editor Bill Hanna interviewing Rep.-elect Jason Metsa (DFL-Virginia). It was disappointing to see very little newspaper coverage of the…
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Cravaack talks fiscal cliff, uncertain future in MinnPost
Outgoing Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) gives an interesting interview with Devin Henry of MinnPost. He is gracious to election winner, Rep.-elect Rick Nolan (D-MN8), but isn’t prepared to say what he’ll do next. Seems like an awful lot is up in the air. He also comments on the current “fiscal cliff” negotiations that he’ll be…
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"Ruk Roast" to honor, pillory iconic Range lawmaker
On Monday evening, Iron Range community members, leaders and state politicos will join to roast retiring Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Pike Township), an icon of recent Iron Range politics. Donations will be collected to establish a Tom Rukavina scholarship at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College in Virginia, Minnesota. I expect stories aplenty, as Rukavina left…
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Mesabi Symphony Orchestra ‘pops up’ this Saturday in Hibbing
Looking for something to do on the Range this weekend? (Other than see Daniel Day-Lewis play Abraham Lincoln, which is what I’ll be doing). There’ll be some fun classical music performed at the Iron Range’s finest theater venue. The Mesabi Symphony Orchestra is celebrating 35 years of bringing classical music to the people of northeastern…
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Nolan win restores DFL, but MN-8 will keep wild edge
As you know by now, Rep.-elect Rick Nolan (D-MN8) ousted Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) in last week’s election, ending the longest, most expensive Congressional race in northern Minnesota history. I’d been saying before the election that only Tuesday’s results could shed light on the district’s new political make-up after demographic shifts and redistricting ushered in…
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Others to aid Range violence victims amid funding cuts
In the wake of news that Range Women’s Advocates is facing serious funding cuts, other groups are stepping up to ensure that families in crisis can still receive the help they need. If you know someone affected by this story, please pass along this information: Advocates for Family Peace (AFFP) has been serving families experiencing…
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Essar affirms plans for 2013 Iron Range taconite production
Essar Steel Minnesota is still eying 2013 taconite production on the Iron Range and will work through the winter on construction of its plant near Nashwauk. I spoke with Essar spokesman Kevin Kangas today after my post last night about the Anacostia and Pacific Railroad’s decision to pursue other options for the engines it had…
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Range Women’s Advocates to lose staff after state grant loss
State funding cuts from recent years are still impacting communities across the state. In northern Minnesota, Range Women’s Advocates — a nonprofit that helps victims of domestic abuse — learned this week it would not receive a necessary $500,000 grant. This will cause RWA half its workforce, and place a large caseload of clients in…
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The remarkable change of our times
It’s hard to see history through the lens of the present. So it’s easy to see last week’s election results and the preceding years of national political bickering as a continuation of more of the same-old, same-old. Washington Post writer and blogger Ezra Klein, however, sees it differently, and his observations are eye-opening. In the…
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Choo-choo choose to watch this train video
On the subject of trains, maybe Essar Steel can get a deal on this engine. Related posts: No related posts.
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Iron Range’s Essar project ‘on track’ but needs trains
(This post now contains some additions and a correction from Essar, which are indicated in italics below) Someone call Sir Topham Hatt on the Island of Sodor. A new Iron Range mining project is in great need of some “really useful engines.” At a recent meeting of the Itasca County Regional Rail Authority, officials revealed…
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With election over, northern Minnesota must win future
With the election behind us, we can now expel the fantasy that the results on their own will fix the economic challenges facing northern Minnesota. What we do have is a fresh opportunity to reorganize our region’s strategy. And really, leadership can come from anyone. Tuesday’s winners have a role, sure, but so do community…
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Northern Minnesota split shows how amendments went down
Early in the election season I had a conversation with a local organizer for Minnesotans United for All Families, the group fighting the proposed Marriage Amendment that failed Tuesday. Her task was to convince voters on the socially conservative Iron Range to vote against the amendment despite polls showing it running very strong in northern…
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DFL wins big in northern Minnesota
Rick Nolan cruised to a surprisingly strong victory over Rep. Chip Cravaack in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional district. DFLers swept all but a couple northern Minnesota legislative seats, including a sweep of the SD5 “incumb-off” races and key pickups elsewhere. The DFL won the State House and State Senate by convincing margins, bringing a dramatically new…