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Social issues make for tricky politics in MN-8
I hadn’t mentioned this earlier, but I talked to Catherine Rychart at MPR this week about social issues in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District race. In short, different congressional campaigns around the state are seeing very different reactions to the infusion of social issues — particularly Missouri GOP Senate nominee Todd Akin’s comments about rape and…
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Steelworker talks go to the wire; tune in Friday morning
We’re still waiting on word from Pittsburgh about the outcome of negotiations between the United Steelworkers and the three companies that operate taconite mines in northern Minnesota and Michigan. A deal may be reached today but would have to be ratified by membership, sight unseen, sometime before the Friday midnight deadline to avoid work stoppages…
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Swedish chef most likely Norwegian
Where I live, the Iron Range region of northern Minnesota, ethnic heritage is still kind of a big deal. The effect is fading with the generations, but you still get asked where your people came from and you best know the answer. My people came from, in order of blood percentage, Finland, Norway, Sweden, England…
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Steelworkers contract deadline nears, temp workers could be called in
Steelworkers at most Iron Range taconite plants await word from Pittsburgh where their union leaders are negotiating with Cliffs Natural Resources, U.S. Steel and Arcelor-Mittal, over a new contract. The current labor contract expires at midnight Friday. At least one major taconite producer, Cliffs, is preparing to bring in temporary workers if negotiations fail to…
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COLUMN: The blurring line between (218) and (612)
This is my Sunday column for the Aug. 26, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. The blurring line between (218) and (612)By Aaron J. Brown Growing up, we had a phone book back when that really meant something. That’s where the numbers were. You had to know your friend’s dad’s name. If a girl’s…
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Two ‘Great Northern’ alumni in Saturday Reif Center show
The Reif Center in Grand Rapids is holding the 3rd Annual Reif Top Ten Talent Search Saturday night at 7. This isn’t some random collection of wannabees, but rather a tested, auditioned group of 10 regional musicians, dancers and performers. I’m excited to see two performers from my Great Northern Radio Show in the mix.…
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Essar "about halfway finished" at Nashwauk plant site
Officials toured the new Essar Steel Minnesota site yesterday with the company’s India-based CEO. Essar says the project is about half complete. We western Iron Rangers have seen the enormous cranes from Highway 169, but the video from the tour shows what they’ve been up to. A whole lot of earth has been moved. Absent…
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That cop pusher is the dead deer sex guy!
So this story about a vehicle prowler who pushed down an off-duty police officer trying to detain him was no big deal. Hermantown Wal-Mart, right? Just another day. But guess what, it’s the dead deer molesting guy!* He’s back! Next up is the casino tour with the exercise ball popping sex guy. Welcome to the…
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Gauthier changes mind; opts to end campaign
Rep. Kerry Gauthier (DFL-Duluth) has now dropped his bid for re-election according to WDIO. He had earlier announced he would continue his campaign despite the sex scandal that caused many DFL and GOP leaders to call for his withdrawal or resignation. Gauthier appears to have changed his mind after a strong negative reaction to this…
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Gov. Dayton calls special session for Duluth area flood relief
Just announced, Gov. Mark Dayton has called a special session of the legislature for Friday at 2 p.m. to deal with flood relief for the Duluth area. There was some question about whether this would happen because of slow negotiations over the scope of the legislative agenda. Now it appears the efforts will go forward.…
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Gauthier announces he will continue campaign
Rep. Kerry Gauthier (DFL-Duluth) has announced to Northland’s News Center that he will seek re-election, despite widespread rebuke of his candidacy in the wake of a sex-scandal involving a 17-year-old boy at a rest stop. I don’t know at this time how he plans to address the incident itself or the fact that his House…
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Gauthier sex scandal hurls West Duluth into political anarchy
The situation in West Duluth keeps escalating. Rep. Kerry Gauthier, who last week admitted to having sex with a 17-year-old at a rest stop, has yet to address the media. Late last week he checked out of a Duluth hospital where he was observed for a couple days for breathing problems. Duluth city councilor Jay…
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Excelsior Energy gets fresh attention: permits, no customer.
Jennifer Austin at Northland’s News Center reports on Excelsior Energy’s Mesaba Energy Project. The PUC has allowed the permits already granted to stand while the developers search for a customer. Only Minnesota Power seems capable of making a deal happen and they are mum on the subject. MP and Excelsior have not played well together…
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Gauthier must address incident immediately
I haven’t been ignoring the Rep. Kerry Gauthier (DFL-Duluth) “rest stop incident” story. I just don’t know what to say about it. If what all involved parties describe is true, that Gauthier had sex with a 17-year-old at a rest stop, he should at minimum end his campaign for re-election, and he should probably resign…
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In 6B primary, Metsa followed a winning playbook
Here’s another Chris Saunders graphic showing the DFL primary results in the Minnesota State House District 6B primary last Tuesday. The results went like this: LORRIE JANATOPOULOS, 2590, 41.16% JASON METSA, 3396, 53.96% DAVE MEYER, 307, 4.88% You can see Lorrie Janatopoulos had support in the southern townships, while Jason Metsa carried the Range cities.…