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Important vote today will determine future of rural Range district
People are voting right now on the St. Louis County Schools referendum that will fund a consolidation and construction plan in this rural Iron Range-area district. District 2142 covers Albrook, Babbitt-Embarrass, Cherry, Cook, Cotton, Orr and Tower-Soudan, along with a vast swath of locations that once had schools many years ago but no longer do.…
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The return of my giant head on a tiny screen
At this approximate moment I am about to “address” a session on “hyperlocal” blogging at the Netroots Nation conference in the Twin Cities. I am not there; rather I recorded this opening statement and will be participating in the panel discussion via an audio connection. If you’re interested in the challenges facing local political and…
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Financial problems at the former Ironworld
Major news will be breaking today and Friday about serious financial problems at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm (formerly Ironworld). Several inside sources have relayed information to me independently, enough that this cannot be a secret. In addition to the name change, the Discovery Center has been going through an extended transition from state…
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Once more, with feeling
Maybe you heard about the Mesaba Energy Project Final Environmental Impact Statement released this week. Local newspaper readers were treated to this Bill Hanna Mesabi Daily News story in the Range’s largest newspapers. The company is still pretending like it doesn’t understand why the Administrative Law Judge’s, Public Utility Commission and even this very EIS…
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Steve Kelley: the MinnesotaBrown interview
Today we explore the Minnesota gubernatorial candidacy of Steve Kelley. My candidate series is now nearing completion. Previous posts have included (chronologically) Tom Bakk, Paul Thissen, Mark Dayton, Matt Entenza, John Marty, Susan Gaertner, Tom Rukavina and Margaret Anderson Kelliher. With St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman’s departure as an exploratory candidate, the last candidate in…
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Sertich the next Speaker?
With two Iron Rangers vying for governor it should be noted that the Ranger most likely to ascend to high office next year is State Rep. Tony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm). According to Zack at the well-regarded liberal blog MNPublius Sertich is the leading candidate to succeed Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher. Kelliher is also…
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Entenza wins Itasca County straw poll
I haven’t been blogging regularly because of a variety of writing projects. Otherwise I would have told you about last night’s DFL Expo in Grand Rapids which featured yet another forum for DFL candidates for governor. Though not all candidates were in attendance, seven of them did make the trek to Itasca Community College. I…
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Kelley interview rescheduled
My interview with Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Steve Kelley had to be rescheduled last Friday. I’ll post more this week when I have a new date and time. It shouldn’t take long. Related posts: No related posts.
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Range unemployment falls with state trend
Iron Range unemployment is down by about 1-2 percent. Related posts: No related posts.
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Rural northern school district faces extinction if bond fails
I’ll break radio silence again to share this press release from the St. Louis County School District from last week. It illustrates the plight of many rural Iron Range school districts, in this case one that has already consolidated many times over. The St. Louis County school system is just one of the many districts…
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Margaret Anderson Kelliher: the MinnesotaBrown interview
The governor interview train keeps on a’ rollin’ today with a post featuring Minnesota Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher. The interview took on special meaning as it happened the day before Kelliher filed paperwork last week to run for governor in 2010, moving herself into the field of active candidates. My candidate series…
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Anderson Kelliher post coming Monday
My interview post about Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the Minnesota Speaker of the House who this week filed papers to run for governor next year, will be up early Monday morning. I’ve learned that it’s better to take time to turn over the information before posting it, especially writing under the conditions I face. You wouldn’t…
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Tom Rukavina: the MinnesotaBrown interview
My semi-regular series of interviews with DFL gubernatorial candidates continues today with State Rep. Tom Rukavina. My previous posts have included Tom Bakk, Paul Thissen, Mark Dayton, Matt Entenza, John Marty and Susan Gaertner. I’ve got four more candidates to interview, including House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher who is speaking to me later this week.…
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Rukavina post Tuesday, Kelliher later this week
My interview post featuring State. Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Tom Rukavina should be done by Tuesday morning. On Wednesday I am meeting with House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, another possible candidate, during her visit to the Iron Range. These posts will inch me closer to the completion of my series on the DFL field in…
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More governor interviews coming
The blogging hiatus has been difficult but good. Work on the novel and other projects continues, but I will break radio silence a few more times this fall to complete my series of interview posts about candidates or potential candidates for governor. First up is a conversation with legendary Iron Range lawmaker Tom Rukavina whose…