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Tomassoni set to take helm of IRR board
As promised, here is that Mesabi Daily News story about State Sen. David Tomassoni taking over the helm of the Iron Range Resources board. Only one specific reference to “jobs” and no repetition of “jobs, jobs, jobs.” Maybe that cliche’s day has finally come? Tomassoni stressed that the board focus on infrastructure improvements amid the…
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Backroom battle looms over nonferrous mining on the Iron Range
Here is the continuation of Jon Collins series on lobbying from today’s Mesabi Daily News. I expect it will also run in the Hibbing Daily Tribune and Grand Rapids Herald-Review. This story focuses on the backroom battle lines being drawn over the issue of nonferrous mining on the Iron Range. Some of the most emotional…
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Legislative tour coming to the Iron Range
The legislature’s public forum tour will pass through the Iron Range this Friday. Topic #1: the crippling state budget and finding solutions that might be tenable. There’s a stop in Virginia and another in Grand Rapids. UPDATE: The Grand Rapids stop will be March 7. Related posts: No related posts.
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MDN editorial backs Anzelc Sunday liquor revenue bill
The Mesabi Daily News published a Monday editorial supporting Rep. Tom Anzelc’s bill that would allow Sunday liquor sales in Minnesota with revenue going to child social services. The MDN calls the bill “innovative.” I wrote about this topic yesterday. Some highlights from today’s MDN editorial: To his credit, Anzelc has offered a proposal for…
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Iron Range Resources Board kicks off new term this week
Some fodder from Sunday’s Mesabi Daily News: The Iron Range Resources Board convenes Wednesday in St. Paul for its first official meeting of the new term this week. On the docket, some financing for mining projects that might have some short term job creation benefits but that mostly involve capital improvements to local mines. Because…
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Anzelc’s Sunday liquor bill to fund children’s services getting attention
Jon Collins has a story in today’s Hibbing Daily Tribune and Mesabi Daily News about a bill by my friend Rep. Tom Anzelc (DFL-Balsam Township)* that would allow Sunday liquor in Minnesota with tax proceeds to be directed toward budget gaps in children’s social services. In tough times, funding for at risk kids must be…
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Environmental groups steps up attacks on new Range mining project
KBJR and Range 11 (Northland’s NewsCenter) is reporting on a group called Water Legacy and its efforts to stop the Polymet nonferrous mining project on the eastern Iron Range. The group cites human health risks from the type of mining proposed by PolyMet. I hear from St. Paul that this matter of nonferrous mining is…
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New wind project would create more Iron Range turbines
The Mesabi Daily News is reporting about a project that would add more wind turbines to the Iron Range landscape in Northern Minnesota. The Mountain Iron Economic Development Authority is behind the concept, which would build a series of turbines between Aurora and Giant’s Ridge and sell the power wholesale to local power companies. The…
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Chuck and Abe
Happy 200th birthday, Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln! It is likely that no two people born on the exact same day in history will ever shape history as much as these two men, born Feb. 12, 1809. I hold dim hope that German pop star Senna Guemmour and I might hold similar influence from our…
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Superior and the Iron Range: together at last
CORRECTION: When I wrote this I meant to say Bukoski’s Ironworld lecture was Saturday, Feb. 21, the week after his radio interview. A great working class writer, Anthony Bukoski, is going to be venturing north from his Superior, Wis., base to appear on the Iron Range next week. Bukoski writes short stories about the people…
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Despair, I shall name you Canisteo
Jon Collins, legislative correspondent for the Mesabi Daily News, Hibbing Daily Tribune, Grand Rapids Herald-Review and other northern newspapers, has a story today about the ongoing, never-dying, omnipresent, will-outlive-us-all problem of the retired Canisteo Mine Pit by Bovey. The pit has too much water, is considered a major flood risk and is currently causing all…
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Stimulus provides at least one thing for the Iron Range: hope
It could be argued that half the problem with the economy right now is mental. People (and businesses) are scared and letting their fear control their actions. That’s not to dismiss the very real recession and shaky financial system, but it seems fitting that the federal stimulus package is addressing the not-so-insignificant matter of hope…
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Hey chumps, don’t get your hopes up
I wrote Sunday about the heavy influence of lobbying in St. Paul after a Mesabi Daily News story detailed how lobbyists outnumber lawmakers 4-1 at the Capitol. I was about to write that one way to improve the state of affairs would be to encourage more citizen lobbying like what you see with “St. Louis…
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Ice storm lays an egg
Ice storm? I don’t think so. The temperature never fell below freezing these last couple days in Northern Minnesota, so the vaunted “Ice Storm” instead ended up being a little bit of rain and a lot of high talk. Nevertheless, Duluth schools canceled classes TWO DAYS IN A ROW. That’s not good for our street…
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Ice Living in Northern Minnesota
Life in northern Minnesota is great. Our cost of living is low and our communities are increasingly becoming modernized. The only problem is that there’s a bag in my car right now containing a snowsuit and giant boots in the event today’s ice storm drives my Ford Focus into the ditch where I would presumably…