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I wasn’t going to talk about Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Assemblyman who represents Superior was tackled by police yesterday trying to get into the Wisconsin State Capitol. Other places in the world have much bigger problems than Wisconsin, or really just about anywhere in the United States. We have it pretty good. It’s possible this was just a misunderstanding. But erosion of civility…
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COLUMN: Pioneering Range leader speaks of history, hard times
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Some additional notes that didn’t make the cut for print are at the end. Pioneering Range leader speaks of history, hard timesBy Aaron J. Brown In 1978 women had been working at Iron Range mines for just a…
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Horses, race cars and slots, oh my!
Meeeeeeeantime, added to the IRRRB business last night was a land deal for a potential racino on the Iron Range. This particular racino ties in to an decade-old motorplex project that I covered at the Hibbing Daily Tribune. You take your casino, you wrap it up with car racing and then you add HORSE RACING.…
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A cruel joke on the people of the Range
History’s stage is both wide and deep. No entity with tendrils reaching as far into Iron Range political networks as Excelsior Energy can be expected to exit this stage quietly. The only question is whether the play itself is a comedy or a tragedy. I haven’t decided. This week saw two important developments regarding Excelsior…
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The partisan regional paradox of internet politics
This is a map depicting high speed internet availability and options in the United States. The green areas are places where high speed internet options are widely available. The less green you see, the fewer options and lower internet availability. You might know that I hype high speed internet as a potential economic development tool…
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Melin sworn in; appointed to IRRRB
State Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) was sworn in today at Hibbing City Hall. She joins the state House of Representatives already in session and restores the 72-62 GOP/DFL split established after last fall’s election. News today also came down that House Speaker Kurt Zellers appointed Melin to the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board. State.…
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Melin to be sworn in Tuesday in Hibbing
From the wires: Carly Melin to Take Oath of Office for the Minnesota House of Representatives at Hibbing City Hall on Tuesday, February 22nd at NOON. Hibbing- Carly Melin will be sworn into the Office of Minnesota House of Representatives this Tuesday, February 22nd. The swearing in ceremony will be at noon at the Hibbing…
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Melin in St. Paul, to take office early next week
I spoke with Rep.-elect Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) this morning on her way to St. Paul. She’ll spend the rest of this week setting up her new office and learning her committee assignments. She confirmed that she’ll be in the office triplex with Reps. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) and Tom Anzelc (DFL-Balsam) sharing the services of one…
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Carly Melin wins House 5B special election
Carly Melin, the progressive 25-year-old attorney who stunned a deep DFL primary field, won the District 5B special election Tuesday for the State House of Representatives in the heart of the Iron Range. Melin defeated Republican Paul Jacobson, a Hibbing juvenile counselor and minister, with 60 percent of the vote. Jacobson carried more than 35…
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LIVE BLOG: House 5B Special Election Night on the Range
9:34: Melin has a chance to pull 60 percent. Could be close. No less than 59 percent. 8:59: MinnesotaBrown projects DFLer Carly Melin to win District 5B House race with just under 60 percent. 8:51: Large, important bird has told me Melin wins Fredenberg. It’s all over. 8:50: Napkin math time. Might have big announcement…
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House 5B update: Election Day on the Iron Range
Today voters in House District 5B in northern Minnesota head to the polls to elect their next state representative, either DFLer Carly Melin, Republican Paul Jacobson or Independence Party candidate Cynthia Kafut-Hagen. The winner will replace former State Rep. Tony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm) who resigned to become Commissioner of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation last month.…
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MPR: "Iron Range youth are damned if they leave, damned if they come back"
Minnesota Public Radio features another of my commentaries today “Iron Range youth are damned if they leave, damned if they come back.” That headline ought to get your attention. I don’t mean literally damned, if that helps. Rather I’m talking about the sense of being emotionally uprooted when you leave a place like the Range…
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Watch another House 5B forum online
For those of you who missed the House 5B forum at Hibbing Community College you can watch a shorter debate from Friday night on WDSE Channel 8’s Almanac North program online (Show #1920). We’re still going to try to get the video uploaded on the other debate. Have I ever mentioned rural broadband as an…
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Cynthia Kafut-Hagen hopes Tuesday is Independence Day in Range special election
On Tuesday, voters head to the polls to weigh in on the House 5B Special Election to replace Rep. Tony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm) in one of the Iron Range’s most vital legislative districts. I offered all the candidates the opportunity to share campaign statements with my readers. DFLer Carly Melin and Republican Paul Jacobson both participated…
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Minnesota the city-state
Samuel Arbesman created this map showing the states most dominated by a single metropolitan area. He calls them “city-states.” Minnesota is the 11th most metro-dominated state, with 59 percent of its population located within the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Other states generally fall within the category of sparsely populated or dominated by several similarly sized…