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100 years young, a new Iron Range century
Matt Nelson has a nice story in the Saturday, July 9 Hibbing Daily Tribune about a woman celebrating her 109th birthday in this Iron Range town (subscription link). Here’s a excerpt: Signie Burke has lived through two world wars, 19 U.S. presidents, and has been retired for 44 years. Hibbing’s oldest native celebrated her 109th…
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Futility loop: State shutdown halts filling of Range rumble stripes
A couple weeks ago I was talking to this guy who works in the St. Louis County highway department and he asks my opinion on the rumble stripes. Rumble stripes? Those are a thing? Well, now I see that they are a thing. This story has everything. Rumble stripes prevent deaths but make noise. Noise…
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The wild, wild western Range to be 2012 battleground
When the dust settled on Election Night 2010 many surprises highlighted the GOP victories in Minnesota. The biggest, of course, was Chip Cravaack’s defeat of Jim Oberstar in the northern 8th Congressional District. But tucked away among several legislative gains was Carolyn McElfatrick’s 2.5 percent win over Loren Solberg in State House District 3B, a…
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Hibbing nurses’ strike to begin Monday
Hibbing hospital nurses are slated to strike beginning on Monday. The nurses nearly went on strike earlier this year but pulled back when negotiations on their complaints about staffing levels and patient safety made progress. Those talks broke down, leading to a strike re-authorization in May. Now we again face a major strike at the…
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Gould first DFLer to announce for 3B
La Prairie City Councilor Joe Gould has announced his candidacy for House District 3B, the seat currently held by Rep. Carolyn McElfatrick (R-Grand Rapids). I will be covering House 3B the same way I’ve covered competitive races in 5B last winter and 7B years prior. Below is Gould’s press release: (July 6th, 2011) La Prairie,…
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Summer fun makes for light blogging
I’m easing back into regular blog updates after the July 4 weekend. Decent people would be outside this week, and I am trying to be decent. The state government is still shut down. Local economic development is still as stagnant as it is difficult to understand or describe. We have purchased tickets to see Thomas…
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Creatures stirring on Shutdown Eve
Lawmakers and Gov. Dayton are negotiating today to avoid a state shutdown which would occur at midnight without a budget deal. Most agree that a shutdown of some length is likely, but you can monitor the possibility of a deal at the Minnesota Public Radio “Shutdown Blog” or the Twitter #mnshutdown thread. Many of the…
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MN-8: An election that will shape northern Minnesota
My series on the 2012 campaign for Minnesota’s Eighth District congressional district seat is complete. Freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) will face off against one of several potential DFL challengers for a race that will say a lot about the demographics, politics and issues facing northern Minnesota’s future. If you missed the beginning, here are…
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MN-8: Other DFL contenders may break out of pack
We near the end of my MN-8 series with a look at several people either considering a run or being suggested as DFL candidates to challenge freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) in this northern Minnesota district. These posts are subjective analysis from one person, me, a former reporter and political observer from the region in…
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MN-8: Rick Nolan comeback bid shakes up race
Today my series on Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District continues with more posts about the DFLers running to unseat Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8). Today we meet the people considering a run, starting with the most active in the group, former U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan. At noon I’ll introduce several of the others, including some who might…
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MN-8: Clark moves north for run at Cravaack
Today my series on Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District continues with the first of several posts about the DFLers running to unseat Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8). Today I’m posting two items about the candidates who’ve announced. Jeff Anderson was this morning. Now we look at Tarryl Clark. Tarryl Clark is a fascinating figure in the unfolding…
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MN-8: Cravaack to hold second Range town hall in Ely
Adding some context for the MN-8 series I’m writing, Rep. Chip Cravaack will hold his second Iron Range town hall at Vermilion Community College in Ely Wednesday evening from 7-8 p.m. The college is on the north end of town off Camp Street. Cravaack’s first Range town hall was in Mt. Iron last month, where…
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MN-8: Jeff Anderson runs with Range roots, Duluth experience
Today my series on Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District continues with the first of several posts about the DFLers running to unseat Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8). Today I’ll post two items about the candidates who’ve announced, Jeff Anderson and Tarryl Clark. We begin in alphabetical order with Anderson. A Duluth city councilor, radio station ad manager,…
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COLUMN: Range towns should look inward for future possibilities
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, June 26, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Range towns should look inward for future possibilitiesBy Aaron J. Brown I’ve learned that a sound, compact wooden railroad design will yield many fun adventures for my boys. A poor design will collapse easily, requiring numerous repairs and…
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‘Iron Range Blast’ to rock the Twin Cities Saturday night
Half of the people who call themselves Iron Rangers actually live in the Twin Cities. If you’re reading this down in the Cities you should know about this Saturday night “Iron Range Blast” event at Cuzzy’s Bar and Grill in Minneapolis. Check it out, if only for the cool image shared here. A review of…