-
Range economic talk needs focus on future, not past
It’s been interesting reading the responses to my recent post about the Highway 53 bridge. On one hand, we have a question about an expensive bridge and its place in our infrastructure planning for the future. But really, like most things related to mining, it quickly becomes a litmus test on your perspective toward the…
-
GOP now floating proposal for special session
On Thursday, Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) seemed skeptical about a special session to extend unemployment for laid-off Iron Range miners. But yesterday, the Mesabi Daily News ran a story indicating there is, in fact, a Republican proposal for a special session. It hinges on a shorter extension for the benefits, and eliminates any discussion of addressing economic disparities in…
-
Hwy 53 bridge project forces city to borrow $3.4M
The Mesabi Daily News reports today that the city of Virginia, Minnesota, is forced to seek a $3.4 million loan to complete critical early work on the new Highway 53 bridge. The new bridge is part of a more than $240 million project to reroute Highway 53 at the behest of mining interests who demand access…
-
Colbert segment features Minnesota accent showdown
This was a very enjoyable Minnesota-centric web extra from the Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Comedian Maria Bamford from Duluth and writer Ariel Dumas from Long Lake flexed their Minnesota bonafieds in this “Late Show Accent-off: Minnesota Edition” showdown. Well worth a watch. Nice to see and hear all these authentic Minnesota references on national television. To…
-
Bernie Sanders to campaign in Duluth
When I started this blog in 2006 it was much more dedicated to the daily tit-for-tat of national politics than it is now. I wrote an absolutely insane number of posts about the 2008 election, for instance. This year I’ve taken a more relaxed view of the national election. For one thing, I refused to…
-
Special session for miners remains elusive
Gov. Mark Dayton and Minnesota legislative leaders met again Thursday, Jan. 21 to discuss a possible early special session, but again failed to agree to terms. Dayton’s proposed special session would address, among other things, an extension of unemployment benefits for Iron Range miners laid off during the ongoing mining downturn. Dayton, State Senate Majority…
-
From twilight darkness comes new dawn
Last weekend, Star Tribune columnist D.J. Tice penned a piece entitled “The long twilight struggle of the Iron Range.” Certainly aware he’d elicit grumbling from Iron Rangers, Tice’s argument was that the Iron Range has been in a managed decline for several decades. He asks why we debate paying for miners to stay unemployed in this region when…
-
Panama Canal expansion sails both ways
When President Theodore Roosevelt relentlessly advanced the digging of the Panama Canal more than 100 years ago they called him crazy. In the politics of the moment, it seemed like a long slog. Financial and political delays plagued the project. Workers died by the score, if not from malaria than from some other disease or…
-
Iron Range Rep. Carly Melin won’t seek re-election
Today State Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) announced that she would not seek re-election to the House of Representatives. Her announcement was a surprise to many, but those in politics knew the challenges she faced in balancing her job as a lawyer in Hibbing with a young family and legislative service. Melin won a special election to…
-
Laid-off miner sticks up for Range industry at SOTU
Iron Range Steelworker Dan Hill of Hibbing was the guest of Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) at President Obama’s final State of the Union address at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Tuesday. Hill is currently laid off from his job as a millwright at United Taconite in Eveleth. Hill spend the entire day meeting with officials…
-
Retailers reeling on East Range; Kmart to close
The Kmart store in the eastern Iron Range city of Virginia, Minnesota, will close in April, joining a host of other retailers in or near Virginia to close early this year. Kmart also closed stores in Superior, Wisconsin, and Ironwood, Michigan. The Mesabi Daily News reported last Sunday that the Hallmark store in the Thunderbird…
-
Iron Range kids, Jillian Rae make music with robots
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A roboticist, a trendy singing violin player and a bunch of kids walk into an Iron Range art gallery. No? OK, here goes. Troy Rogers is a composer, musical robot maker, and educator. He specializes in using robots to create unique musical and educational experiences. A Virginia, Minnesota, native of the…
-
Bridge outage snarls Canada’s main highway
Over the weekend the Nipigon Bridge in Ontario heaved amid extreme cold and high winds, closing what is essentially the only road across part of Canada. For a time it seemed likely that the closure would route trans-Canada traffic through Northern Minnesota on Highway 2. Today, however, Canadian officials were able to open one lane…
-
FLASH: Minnesota cold in winter, especially outside
Minnesota is cold in the winter. Minnesota is the coldest state in the Lower 48 United States. Alaska is colder, but far away. Minnesota has a football team called the “Vikings.” The Vikings are named for the Nordic ancestry of many people here. Vikings were Scandinavian pirates who lived in cold places. They spent years sailing on cold waters. Eventually…
-
The hope and woes of Iron Range special session
Before Friday, chances for a special session to address expiring unemployment benefits for laid-off Iron Range miners seemed bleak. Today, state leaders express more optimism. Nevertheless, with the clock ticking, legislative leaders have very little time to plan before some Iron Range miners will lose their benefits. At issue is the fact that Minnesota’s legislative session…