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When a small town wins big
One of the best breaks I ever got was growing up in the tight-knit, hard-working community of Cherry, Minnesota. It’s not that Cherry is anything special to look at. The township is composed of scrub brush, trees and hayfields. The people work as miners, nurses and truck drivers — similar to a lot of folks…
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New book reimagines America’s folk history
What causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall? If you didn’t know, you might worry that these life-giving events could suddenly stop. That’s why many ancient myths formed, and why humans keep making myths in modern times. The amount we don’t know only grows as we open new realms of knowledge. Myths…
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To build and rebuild
When I was young, I could spend a whole afternoon building a city of blocks, filling its streets with Matchbox cars. But if my mom asked me to spend one hour cleaning my room, I’d declare bankruptcy. I don’t have time for THAT! We like to build things, or have them built for us, but…
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What’s black and white and gray all over? New cars
Prince sang about a little red Corvette. Bruce Springsteen told of a pink Cadillac. It’s hard to picture a ’57 Chevy that isn’t that perfect shade of blue. Chances are, the car of your dreams rolls through your mind in living color. Nobody fantasizes about a white Toyota Camry, even though — statistically speaking —…
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The tyranny of ordinary objects
Kids love balloons. Why not? They’re balls that float. I remember how helium balloons from the circus seemed like they could fly to the moon. The ones filled with dad’s cigarette smoke didn’t exactly float, but they were still fun. My parents bought us a whole bag of balloons once. I struggled to blow hard…
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Racing for solutions in rural EMS crisis
A financial crisis threatens rural emergency medical services across the country, especially right here in our own back yard. Increased attention to the issue in recent months has yet to improve the situation. But, at last, more leaders at every level of government are beginning to act. Their efforts will determine whether regions like ours…
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‘Crossing the Divide’ with big ideas
Every day we awaken to a choice. Will today be a day for hope, vision and big ideas? Or will we stick to what we usually do? Most of the time, we choose the latter. That’s OK. Often, we have work. Other days, we are tired and need a break. But if we go too…
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Skeptical Iron Rangers warm to electric vehicles in Ely
Last week, I drove an electric car for the first time. My review of the Tesla Model X can be summarized not in words, but rather as a sound: “eeeEEEAAAGH!” That’s the approximate noise my son Doug and I made after we accelerated from 0 to an undisclosed speed on the streets of Ely, Minnesota.…
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Chalamet lights up Dylan’s old stage
Northern Minnesota is cool. Literally. We’re known for our cold weather. But in terms of social cachet, we are not cool. We handle attention and celebrities about as well as we do hugs. Which is to say, rarely and awkwardly. But drama students in Hibbing recently helped our region take a bold step forward in…
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In nobody we trust
Polls show that we Americans trust almost nothing. Not government, the media or corporations. Not political parties, doctors or scientists. We don’t even trust our own side of any given argument. Then again, who trusts polls? How would we know? Every day, people take to social media complaining of broken trust with their partners, friends…
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U.S. Steel sale a cause for concern, also curiosity
On the Mesabi Range, we spend lifetimes hoping for change before complaining when it happens. We’re like a dog that can’t decide whether to give back the ball for another throw or to keep gnawing on it. For two generations, steel industry stakeholders lamented a lack of investment in U.S. Steel’s mines and mills. Instead,…
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Western myths, morality mark latest season of ‘Fargo’
Today I’m writing about the TV show, “Fargo.” I do so knowing that this is a prestige cable series that most people don’t watch, based on a movie that tends to infuriate Minnesotans as much as entertain them. (Mostly on account of the funny accents that trigger our defensiveness, don’t ya know). The original 1996…
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Anxiety in store for 2024
The text message comes from my childhood phone number. How? First of all, no one *texts* from a land line in the Sax-Zim Bog. That’s just not possible. Second, what are the chances someone with our old number would want to text me? “Time for a Zoom?” reads the message. There’s a link. Against my…
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Year’s top words signal massive change
Why do people seem so unsettled even as measurable data shows an improving economy and wondrous new technology? Well, the world’s on fire, both literally and figuratively. Culture and politics factor in, too. It’s hard to rest easy when we’re constantly agitated. American society seems perpetually disappointed that we aren’t getting what’s shown in the…
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The dark days of light
In winter, I turn my garden bean arch into a light arch. I run strings of white lights along each metal wire of the cattle panel. Then, when I am sad, I stand under the lights. This has been happening more often. After all, this is a sad season in sad times. I do not…