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Cloutless, not clueless
Doug Grow has a good read over at MinnPost about the likelihood of rural Minnesota losing political clout in the state legislature after the 2010 Census spins into 2012 redistricting. Of particular note is Rep. Al Juhnke’s assessment that the next two years of legislative activity are going to become make or break for all…
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COLUMN: On the move, on our dime
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, June 13, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. On the move, on our dimeBy Aaron J. Brown It would appear that another Iron Range highway must move to accommodate mining activity. It’s the 21st century but I can’t help wondering if war with the Spaniards won’t…
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Highway motion
I just wrote a column about the rerouting of Iron Range Highway 53 for United Taconite’s mining operations south of Virginia, Minn. Bone up by reading Monday’s story from the Duluth News Tribune. The column will run Sunday in the Hibbing Daily Tribune, but ask yourself the question: how does this story compare to the…
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Another reason to love Range history: soccer version
If you’ve read my book “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range,” you know that I like making abstract, sometimes comical connections from history to the present. In that spirit, here is another reason I think northern Minnesota’s Iron Range can be a cool place sometimes. We all know the World Cup is coming up,…
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Challenges from the middle in open Duluth DFL races
There were a few interesting turns in the last day of candidate filing here in northern Minnesota. I’ve already mentioned the intrigue in Duluth with State Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon leaving office to run for Lt. Governor. State Rep. Roger Reinert rather quickly announced his bid for the seat and faced little opposition. Now it…
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Dylan Days: Sunday in Bob Dylan’s hometown
It’s all over folks. Dylan Days 2010 is in the history books. And while we didn’t see Bob Dylan himself, that’s OK. Plenty of great memories were created all the same. This morning there’s a farewell brunch at Zimmy’s, but for the most part the hundreds of visitors who stopped into Hibbing this weekend to…
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Dylan Days: Saturday in Bob Dylan’s hometown
Saturday is traditionally the biggest day of Dylan Days in Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. Hundreds of people are expected to be wandering the streets of the town and attending a wide range of events. Enjoy! Dylan Days Bus Tour 10:30 am – 2:30 pm. A fascinating guided tour of the Hibbing that inspired…
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Dylan Days: Friday in Bob Dylan’s hometown
Today is when Dylan Days 2010 really heats up with our major events. This year we’re experimenting with holding the literary event in the afternoon to catch the early arrivals for the night’s big songwriter contest. Please come out to see one or both, but we especially hope to build a crowd to support the…
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My Range alma mater now has just 24 graduating seniors, and other tales of woe
Some statistics from a recent regional high school graduation story in the Hibbing Daily Tribune:Cherry School: 24 seniorsNashwauk-Keewatin High School: 52 seniorsChisholm High School: 44 seniorsHibbing High School: 146 seniorsThe headline for the story was “Graduates abound” and these stats were included with information such as class colors, motto and song. For instance, Nashwauk-Keewatin’s senior…
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Dylan Days: Ongoing exhibits this week
I forgot to mention some of the ongoing events during Dylan Days this weekend. Hibbing Public Library Dylan Days Art Exhibition – entries from student artists in grades K-12 (ages 17 and under) plus the library’s Dylan Exhibit. Open Mon-Thur 9 a.m.–8 p.m. & Fri 9 a.m.– 5 p.m. Hibbing Historical Society Museum – check…
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More Duluth political intrigue
A few Minnesota politics notes to pass along: Duluth Mayor Don Ness endorsed Margaret Anderson Kelliher in the DFL primary battle for governor. With Duluth’s state senator Yvonne Prettner Solon having joined Mark Dayton’s ticket, this demonstrates a pretty powerful counterpunch for Kelliher in the 8th, showing that she will contest this ground. She made…
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Dylan Days: Thursday in Bob Dylan’s hometown
In reminding the world that this is a strange blog, that covers what I damn well please, let me remind all of you that today brings the first day of Dylan Days in Hibbing, Minnesota, an arts event celebrating not just the legend of Hibbing’s own Bobby Zimmerman, but also the hope spurred by the…
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Reinert to run for Duluth senate seat
State Rep. Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth) announced tonight he would file to run for the Minnesota State Senate District 7 seat tomorrow. This is the seat being vacated by Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon, who was recently selected to be Mark Dayton’s running mate in the Governor/Lt. Governor race. As I said earlier, Reinert is the prohibitive…
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Two names emerge for Duluth DFL senate slot
Yesterday I raised the question of who might run for the DFL nomination for state senate in District 7 now that Yvonne Prettner Solon is running for Lt. Gov. with Mark Dayton. This district is wholly enclosed within the city of Duluth and the person who holds that seat becomes a very important leader in…
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A DFL showdown-to-be in Lucky SD 7?
I have to go do some real stuff now but, howdy hey, Mark Dayton’s selection of State Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon as his running mate also opens up a state senate seat in the heart of Duluth, a DFL bastion with a pretty deep political bench. Use the comment thread to speculate or announce your…