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Scenes from the commute
For the last few weeks of fantastic weather here in northern Minnesota I’ve been meaning to take my camera to catch a particular shot of an old tractor that I see on my 30 minute commute into the big city of Hibbing. The sun rises right behind the ancient machine as it rusts away in…
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Range unemployment falls with state trend
Iron Range unemployment is down by about 1-2 percent. Related posts: No related posts.
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Rural northern school district faces extinction if bond fails
I’ll break radio silence again to share this press release from the St. Louis County School District from last week. It illustrates the plight of many rural Iron Range school districts, in this case one that has already consolidated many times over. The St. Louis County school system is just one of the many districts…
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Brown on the Air: RANGE NEWS 9/17/09
Though blogging has been slow lately (I have two big writing projects in the works) I have made some comments on recent good news in the Iron Range mining economy and will be sharing more of that analysis on the radio tomorrow. You can hear me on the KAXE Morning Show with Scott Hall at…
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KeeTac is back
Here’s good news from the Iron Range. U.S. Steel’s Keewatin Taconite will resume production after nearly a year of an indefinite shutdown. Of northern Minnesota’s six taconite mining operations, KeeTac was the one that worried many insiders. Now five of six plants will be operating nearly at capacity within a few weeks. Hibbing Taconite is…
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COLUMN: "The toys indicator"
This is my column for the Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. The toys indicatorBy Aaron J. Brown So some of the mines, not all of the mines (including none of the mines closest to Hibbing) are back to work here on northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. We are supposed to feel…
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COLUMN: "The Beatles behind us"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece ran Aug. 29 on KAXE’s “Between You and Me.” The Beatles behind usBy Aaron J. Brown On Sept. 9, 2009, the complete audio catalogue of The Beatles will be re-released with digitally re-mastered…
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Brown on the Air: THE BEATLES!
My regular contribution to 91.7 KAXE‘s Saturday morning program “Between You and Me” will join in this week’s topic of The Beatles. Fab Four fans Maggie Montgomery and Jennifer Poenix will be guest hosting the program while host/producer Heidi Holtan continues to hunt bears in the final frontier. My piece talks about the Beatles, sure,…
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Margaret Anderson Kelliher: the MinnesotaBrown interview
The governor interview train keeps on a’ rollin’ today with a post featuring Minnesota Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher. The interview took on special meaning as it happened the day before Kelliher filed paperwork last week to run for governor in 2010, moving herself into the field of active candidates. My candidate series…
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Anderson Kelliher post coming Monday
My interview post about Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the Minnesota Speaker of the House who this week filed papers to run for governor next year, will be up early Monday morning. I’ve learned that it’s better to take time to turn over the information before posting it, especially writing under the conditions I face. You wouldn’t…
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Tom Rukavina: the MinnesotaBrown interview
My semi-regular series of interviews with DFL gubernatorial candidates continues today with State Rep. Tom Rukavina. My previous posts have included Tom Bakk, Paul Thissen, Mark Dayton, Matt Entenza, John Marty and Susan Gaertner. I’ve got four more candidates to interview, including House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher who is speaking to me later this week.…
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MinnPost republishes Rolfzen column
MinnPost kindly republished my column about B.J. Rolfzen as part of its Community Voices segment. Thanks to them! And check out MinnPost if you haven’t yet. It’s a great collection of writers publishing an online media site about Minnesota news and views. They need support! Related posts: No related posts.
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Rukavina post Tuesday, Kelliher later this week
My interview post featuring State. Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Tom Rukavina should be done by Tuesday morning. On Wednesday I am meeting with House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, another possible candidate, during her visit to the Iron Range. These posts will inch me closer to the completion of my series on the DFL field in…
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COLUMN: A legacy of words and dreams
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Relevant disclosures: Tom Anzelc is a personal friend and I run his campaigns. I am also a co-organizer of Dylan Days. A legacy of words and dreamsBy Aaron J. Brown I share a unique experience with many, if…
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More governor interviews coming
The blogging hiatus has been difficult but good. Work on the novel and other projects continues, but I will break radio silence a few more times this fall to complete my series of interview posts about candidates or potential candidates for governor. First up is a conversation with legendary Iron Range lawmaker Tom Rukavina whose…