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Steel-making shortfall spurs Essar scrutiny
It was supposed to be an innovative integrated steel mill. That remains the fundamental shortfall of the Essar Steel Minnesota project near Nashwauk on the western Mesabi Iron Range. Work continues, to be sure, but Essar Minnesota will initially open as a straight-forward taconite plant. Perhaps next summer. Perhaps later, depending on who you talk to. That’s the trouble.…
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Taking the Great Northern Radio Show back to school
On Sept. 19 I’m bringing my Great Northern Radio Show to Bemidji State University. From 5-7 p.m. Saturday we’ll broadcast live from the Bangsberg Theater. Audience members need to be in their seats by 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, free for kids and college students. Last I checked we’ve got a few seats left, so call today…
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Hear the House 3A DFL showdown
Tonight at 7, the four DFL candidates in the House District 3A special election will participate in a forum at Vermilion Community College. The forum will be aired live on WELY and recorded for rebroadcast on Ely TV. The four DFL candidates are Koochiching County Commissioner Rob Ecklund, Tofte business owner Bill Hansen, International Falls…
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Larson wins majority, Horton advances in Duluth mayor primary
Duluth city councilor Emily Larson won a large majority in Tuesday’s primary election. She and conservative boxing promoter Chuck Horton will advance to the Nov. 3 general election to replace popular outgoing Mayor Don Ness, who opted not to seek re-election. The Duluth News Tribune and WDIO teamed up to report election results and, near as I…
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‘Fantasy News Team’ draft for Duluth, Minn., TV market
A Duluth radio station is sponsoring a unique online poll that would “draft” the mid-sized media-market’s “Duluth TV Fantasy News Team.” Mix 108 is hosting the online balloting, which includes “positions” like anchor, meteorologist, sports anchor and reporter. Visitors can vote once per day. In looking at the list, I am reminded of how much turnover there has…
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U.S. Steel, union ‘taking break’ from heated negotiations
Following news of ArcelorMittal walking away from the table in union negotiations late last week, U.S. Steel and the United Steelworkers have announced a more amicable “break” in negotiations with a scheduled resumption in two weeks. Nevertheless, serious differences remain in a year in which mining companies are asking for concessions from the union amid…
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Duluth primary election is today
For my Duluth readers, the Zenith City of the Freshwater Seas holds its primary election for mayor and 5th District city council today. Eight candidates for mayor include: Thomas Cooper, John Howard Evans, Howie Hanson, Chuck Horton, Emily Larson, James Mattson, Robert D. Schieve, and John Socha. The top two vote-getters will advance. That’s a lot…
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Maid on the Iron Range: 11th Housekeeper Olympics today
Today in Mountain Iron, hotel housekeepers from around the Iron Range will compete for fun, pride and barbecued food in the 11th annual Iron Range Housekeeper Olympics. The event takes the everyday tasks of hotel staffers and turns them into sport. I suppose this could be considered the latter-day equivalent of the old logging competitions…
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Essar seeks 3-year deal to avoid paying back $67 million
It was no secret that Essar Steel would be requesting more time to meet the provisions of a state grant that provided critical early infrastructure to its huge new mine near Nashwauk, Minnesota. The company has until Oct. 1 — about two weeks from now — to produce value-added iron products as it originally proposed.…
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Linguist completes interviews exploring ‘Iron Range English’
To follow up on a story I wrote about in July, Dr. Sara Schmelzer Loss has completed her interviews of 30 Iron Rangers in her continuing research on the Iron Range dialect. She’ll now begin work to determine her findings on the state of our unique dialect. Schmelzer Loss, originally of Hibbing, is a visiting professor of…
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Senators seek $6 million tax break for mining companies
Last week, Ricardo Lopez of the Star Tribune reported on a $6 million mining company tax break scheme snuck into this year’s ill-fated tax bill by State Sens. David Tomassoni and Rod Skoe, both senior DFL committee chairs and members of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). A week later I am finally getting back…
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ArcelorMittal walks away from negotiations with Steelworkers
The United Steelworkers report that Arcelor Mittal has walked away from the negotiating table during the contentious contract talks that have weighed on Iron Range workers and families this month. The USW committee is returning home, where members will brief local miners in coming days, according to a USW statement. Workers at ArcelorMittal’s Minorca Mine in Mt.…
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Everybody to the primary in House 3A special
The local DFL will not hold an endorsing convention for the Sept. 29 primary in the House 3A special election to replace the late Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake). This settles an important question many had about the process spurred by the loss of the popular, moderate DFL lawmaker to cancer last month. That means Koochiching County…
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First day of buffering … buffering … buffering
For many districts across Minnesota, today is the first day of school for K-12 students. This is always an exciting time — for the kids, of course, but also for parents. So much hope and anxiety balled up in one occasion. With all the anticipation over locker combinations and seating arrangements, kids don’t share the…
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Big mix of candidates, intrigue in House 3A special election
Filing has closed for the Sept. 29 primary and Dec. 8 general election in the House District 3A special election to replace the late State Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake). Six candidates spanning the wide geographic and ideological spectrum that characterizes this enormous rural Northeastern Minnesota district will vie for one ticket to St. Paul. Early…