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MN-8 DFLers on Almanac portend delicate chess match
Last Friday night the DFL candidates seeking to run against U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) appeared on TPT’s Almanac, the vaunted statewide public TV news magazine show.View the Almanac segment featuring MN-8 DFL candidates. The interview by hosts Cathy Wurzer and Eric Eskola began with a heavy focus on last week’s somewhat unsurprising announcement that…
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Cliffs predict stability at Minnesota mine properities
For all the drama about mining over in Wisconsin, Cliffs Natural Resources predicts stability and prosperity at its Minnesota iron ore properties for the next 2-3 years. Related posts: No related posts.
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A Twitter chat about Modern Life on the Iron Range
This Sunday afternoon I’ll be discussing my book “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range” on Twitter. (@minnesotabrown) “Overburden,” a humor/historical work of creative nonfiction, attempts to understand our unusual rust belt region as it crosses into a new era. The Twitter chat will occur from 2-4 p.m. Sunday on the hashtag #LPBooks. The talk…
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Do not ask the past about the future
I have more thoughts on my post from last night about Gogebic Taconite ending its plans to open an iron mine and processing plant in northern Wisconsin. Before any of that happened, I planned to write about this letter in the Wisconsin State Journal. A letter-writer had asked people who support mining in northern Wisconsin…
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Gogebic Taconite cancels northern Wisconsin project
Citing dissatisfaction with a bill that would loosen environmental permitting, officials for Gogebic Taconite announced the cancellation of their plans to mine taconite near Ashland, Wisconsin. Gogebic Taconite CEO Bill Williams offered this brief statement: Senate rejection of the mining reforms in Assembly Bill 426 sends a clear message that Wisconsin will not welcome iron…
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Cravaack reveals some surprises in Gilbert forum
Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) was on the Iron Range late last week and Saturday. He did a town hall forum in Gilbert Saturday morning, the account of which was recorded in a Sunday story in the Mesabi Daily News. It would appear that the forum was a mostly genial affair, owing in part to the…
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Minnesota spelling champ hails from the Range
Mesabi East 7th grader Emma Greenlee won the Minnesota Spelling Bee and will represent the state at the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. (the one they air on ESPN). The Mesabi Daily News has the story and will have more in tomorrow’s edition. Related posts: No related posts.
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New Lyric exhibit shares blue collar Range images, more
The Lyric Center for the Arts in Virginia, Minnesota, opens a new exhibit with a Saturday reception from noon to 2:30 p.m.”Paintings and Sketches by the Pros: Albin Zaverl and Bob Maki” shares the work of the venerable painter Zaverl and the sketch artist Maki. Both have worked most of their careers on the Iron…
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Brown on the Air: FAME and POLITICS
The topic of the Saturday morning talk and music show “Between You and Me” on KAXE will be “brush with fame.” Guest host John Bauer will be taking calls from people sharing their stories of meeting celebrities, athletes or other prominent public figures. I’ve produced a piece that details how my feelings have changed about…
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Cravaack to hold Gilbert town hall Saturday morning
From the wires: Cravaack Announces Gilbert Town Hall Washington, D.C. – On Saturday, March 3, U.S. Representative Chip Cravaack (MN-8) will host a town hall meeting in Gilbert, Minnesota. All town hall meetings are open to the public. “These town hall meetings are a great opportunity for me to hear directly from my constituents in…
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Activity commences in new northern districts
After the new maps came out several days ago I detailed the redistricting implications in northeastern Minnesota. Today I’m going to take a new look at those districts and the political situations unfolding there. I have never precisely defined the borders of this blog’s coverage area, but I have to draw the line somewhere for…
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The Lud Andolsek story, more than just hockey
Jayson Hron’s Historically Inclined has another fine post today about the early career of Chisholm’s Lud Andolsek, who emerged from Slovenian immigrant roots to build the sport of hockey in Minnesota, specifically the program at St. Cloud during the Great Depression years. Ostensibly this is a post about hockey and a guy who was good…
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Apparently Riverdance is still happening
Duluth schools, UMD, air travel and more are closed due to today’s blizzard. Many highways are impassible. Nevertheless, Riverdance, the celtic dance sensation, is a go. They are in Duluth. They have nothing else to do and must leave tomorrow. Chuggita Chuggita Chiggita Chuggita Chuggita Chiggita, Chunk Chuck Chick, ZING, WHUMP, (pause), Seamus, Seamus are…
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Winter’s Empire Strikes Back
We’ve made much of the lack of snow this winter. It’s still poised to be a well-below-average snow year here in northern Minnesota, and certainly a record warm season. Nevertheless, inexplicably (well, it being winter) it began snowing again last week. We got about 10 inches at our house over the weekend in Itasca County…
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Radinovich to run in open Cuyuna Range House seat
In my detailed discussion of northeastern Minnesota legislative redistricting last week I did not talk about the new Senate District 10 and House 10A and 10B races. This is the Brainerd Lakes/Cuyuna Range district. House 10B is now an open seat including all of Aitkin County and most of Crow Wing County. Today, the first…