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A century later, Range towns seeks to regain energy independence
In old North Hibbing of 1913, the village hired a man to shoot spent horses before dumping the carcasses in a pen full of ravenous hogs. Nevertheless, the most controversial municipal function in the history of Hibbing might be its public utilities department. In recent decades, contention over the power plant arises from failing infrastructure…
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Community builds strength to save health facility
In building fitness, our greatest obstacle is often ourselves. That’s true in building community, too. Here on the Iron Range, people aren’t shy about what they want. On social media, people demand more chain restaurants. Sports complexes seem to beget calls for even more sports complexes. These are the desirable outcroppings of healthy communities, the…
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Life is a dangerous activity
They say that cars might one day drive themselves, but could they eat a sandwich at the same time? I don’t think so. We drive using mental patterns so engrained that some can do it half asleep or thinking about something else entirely. These memory grooves run so deep that, years later, wracked with dementia,…
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Ode to the minivan
I can always tell when new parents are about to say the thing they’ve dreaded their whole lives. They hesitate. The pause grows longer. The couple glances glumly at one another. “So …” he says, trailing off. “Yeah,” she adds, aimlessly. “We’ve been shopping for a new vehicle.” “We’re thinking about one of those three-row…
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The woman who lifted up those who were low
When I was 21 years old I was named the editor of the erstwhile Hibbing Daily Tribune, which has since merged into the Mesabi Tribune newspaper you read today. How does a 21-year old get to be a daily newspaper editor? That’s a good question that lots of people had at the time. After the…
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Snacks, dogs and rock ‘n’ roll
Music festivals are to the music-loving introvert what a seed catalogue is to the over-enthusiastic gardener. They seem like a good idea months in advance of what will actually become hard work. And, like any hard work, the results are worth it. (Though, usually, not until well after the fact). Last weekend, my wife Christina…
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Subterranean home septic system blues
Guess what, everyone? We put in a poo. That’s not a typo. Indeed, we did *not* install a heated in-ground pool. That is, unless you consider an underground reservoir where you should never, ever swim to be the same thing. No, we put in a new septic system. People like to use the term “adulting”…
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Carp 2.0: Mmm, they’re palatable
Technically speaking, you’re not supposed to eat pets. But there are work-arounds. For instance, you can reclassify your pet. That’s not my pet. That’s a chicken. I know I’ve been talking cute to the chicken for some time now. But it’s NOT a pet. It’s food. Cultural taboos prevent us from eating cats and dogs.…
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Climbing fatherhood mountain
I’m not much of a camper. In the winter I like warm beds; in the summer, cool air. I want all the kitchen stuff to be in the kitchen, not stacked like some Russian nesting doll and then wrapped in a mesh bag with a drawstring. Furthermore, I want to enter and exit my sleeping…
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The old ways are over
Everybody gets a little older each day. String a few days together and you get a lot older. As I begin my trot through middle age I’m breaking all sorts of promises I once made to myself. “Who cares about watching birds?” Well, now I do. I love birds. Can’t get enough birds. “Don’t talk…
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A ghost in the woods
I have a friend who’s into mushrooms. Not those mushrooms. Well, sometimes those mushrooms. But mostly the kind you eat. This is how we ended up going for a hike that became a walk that became a slow meander off the trail while scanning the underbrush for fungi. I learned about some mushrooms you…
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Primary colors in late summer hues
This Tuesday, Aug. 9, voters head to the polls for Minnesota’s primary election. The results will winnow down several races so that we have an easier time picking the least objectionable candidates come Nov. 8. Though there are a few interesting partisan races I’ll talk about in a moment, I’d first like to acknowledge what…
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The best and worst of times on the Range
It’s the best of times; it’s the worst of times. And, if you’re reading northern Minnesota news these days, both times seem to be happening at once. The unemployment rate hovers around historic lows. Gas prices, which spiked to record highs earlier this summer, are coming back down. Some were heartened by a new partnership…
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With great technology comes great responsibility
The other day I sat in a fast food restaurant listening to the gentle din of humanity. At one booth, a young mother struggled with a toddler. The scene brought back somewhat recent memories for me and my wife. An older woman stopped at this woman’s table to give unsolicited advice. My eyes widened, however,…
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Steel wheels turn for iron mining future
Late last month, U.S. Steel announced a $150 million direct-reduced iron pellet production facility on the Mesabi Iron Range. The news made statewide television, radio and newspapers. Unions and elected officials lauded the development. As well they should. This project will stabilize our local iron ore industry, still the largest source of economic activity in…