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Pathos alert!
An interesting story on the status of Polymet on the East Range from today’s Mesabi Daily News. Here’s the rather literary opening graphs from the Bill Hanna piece: HOYT LAKES — The former LTV worker looked around the vastness of the crusher building, stunned by the eerie silence of a facility that she knew by…
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Itasca County rebuffs power boondoggle’s pipe request, for now
The denizens of my favorite mushrooming boondoggle, Excelsior Energy, were at the county board begging to be included in the planning for a natural gas pipeline to be built through state bonding funds for the Minnesota Steel project near Nashwauk. Excelsior wants to build its Mesaba Energy Project close to nearby Taconite and also needs…
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The awesome (old) new boat
People have been clamoring to see pictures of the boat after my column from Sunday (Well, my friend C.O. anyway). So here it is. It’s a meld of fixtures and a motor from a 1957 wooden speedboat and a 1962 fiberglass hull from a similar boat. The original 35 horse (though not really) motor is…
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Obama campaign doubles efforts on the Iron Range
It’s that special time of year when the national campaigns dispatch their people into the field for the fall push. The Republicans got a small notice in the papers and TV stations over the weekend by opening their John McCain office in Duluth, where Obama has had several staffers stationed most of the summer. Now…
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Range town’s PUC claims right to close meetings ("Guffaw!" replies newspaper)
The Nashwauk Public Utilities Commission has a legal judgment that they believe allows them to close meetings regarding the infrastructure for the proposed Minnesota Steel project in Nashwauk. The Hibbing Daily Tribune has the story. Really, really bad idea. This is a public policy issue, not a missile silo. (Or IS it?) Related posts: No…
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Bobby Aro highway named
The renaming of Highway 7 as the Bobby Aro Highway has been officially named in honor of the Iron Range polka legend who recorded a 1957 hit about the highway. Check out the story. I grew up on Highway 7. Related posts: No related posts.
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KSTP resorts to wrestling-style gimmicks
State Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virgina), the sentimental icon of the Iron Range legislative delegation, has turned down an invitation to debate former State Rep. and Taxpayers’ League conservative Phil Krinkie on KSTP, the station that aired last month’s ridiculously unfair story about Ironworld. Rukavina said his beef is with KSTP, not Krinkie. This story tells…
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Excelsior vows to fight on
Now that a couple days have gone by I’m starting to calm down about Thursday’s news about the PUC’s denial of Excelsior Energy’s mandated power purchase agreement with Xcel. The company’s outrageously optimistic reaction to this news, a serious setback for EE’s Mesaba Energy Project, is driving me nuts, but it’s really all they can…
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Coleman tours the Iron Range
A Republican contact has informed me that Sen. Norm Coleman will be in Hibbing on Tuesday for an 8 a.m. town hall meeting at the Hometown Restaurant (formerly Country Kitchen, because all things on the Iron Range used to be something else). The last time (also the first time) I interviewed Norm Coleman was during…
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Women for Obama event slated in Duluth
The Obama campaign is reaching out to women in several events across Minnesota this week. Up north, there will be a Women for Obama Kick-off gathering in Duluth on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at The Midi Restaurant in the Fitger’s Building at 600 East Superior Street. Doors open at 7 p.m. with a 7:30 start time.…
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Range journalism club to meet
Passing this along: Hey, Iron Rangers! Are you a writer (active or in your heart)?Get together with like-minded people forming a Community Journalism Club. Monday, August 25, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.Room C156Mesabi Range Community & Technical College1001 W. Chestnut StreetVirginia, MN 55792 The Community Journalism Club is designed for anyone interested in using the Internet…
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All 7B candidates share stage for first time
The Progressive Minnesota House 7B Forum last night nabbed some local TV and newspaper coverage. You’ll remember there are five DFL candidate’s for State Rep. Mike Jaros’s West Duluth legislative seat left open after Jaros retired suddenly two months ago. The Duluth News-Tribune story gives an overview. I saw the WDIO (Channel 10, ABC) coverage…
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Iron Range steel project again faces Iran problem
Oh, global economy. Why must you be so complicated? Let me start this locally and spread it out. LOCAL: Here on the Iron Range, people have enjoyed great hopes of a massive economic boost from a combined iron mine and steel plant near Nashwauk, a proposed project now known as Minnesota Steel. This idea has…
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Steelworkers settle with U.S. Steel
I meant to put this up earlier, but the Steelworkers have reached a tentative agreement for their contract with U.S. Steel, which owns the area’s top ore producer at MinnTac in Mt. Iron and KeeTac in Keewatin. The deal must be approved by union membership. U.S. Steel produces almost half the taconite pellets on the…
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Tonight … Tonight!
The brawl in the Hall … The 7B Seven Smackdown … West Side Gory! Call it what you will, the first forum of the hotly contested West Duluth House District 7B primary/open general election race is tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Duluth City Council chambers. While actual physical confrontation is unlikely, I expect many…