Christa Lawler of the Duluth News-Tribune has a nice story today about Bob Dylan receiving the Medal of Freedom from President Obama yesterday. She did interview me for the story, but I rather enjoy the quotes from Dylan’s high school bandmate LeRoy Hoikkala of Hibbing: “I’m proud of him,” Hoikkala said. “Everything he got, he… Read More →
Meantime, Ely escapes raging fire
May 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
While I was sipping water and preparing to read the names at the Hibbing Community College graduation (congratulations graduates, by the way), on the other side of the region the Vermilion Range city of Ely was being evacuated from the path of a raging wildfire. This photo is from Wayne Erickson at the U.S. Forest… Read More →
Controversy nets Minnesota Zoo dolphins
May 17, 2012 by 1 Comment
There’s quite a tizzy brewing over the Minnesota Zoo’s decision to discontinue its dolphin exhibit after receiving state bonding funds last year to repair its dolphin tanks. You have to drain the tanks to fix them, and apparently the costs are too high to house the dolphins elsewhere during that time so they are just… Read More →
Minnesota Power to reduce more emissions at Boswell
May 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Minnesota Power will spend up to $400 million improving emissions by about 90 percent at another of its power generation units at the Clay Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset. The Duluth News Tribune reports the story, though I heard about this elsewhere today. The improvements were required to meet tightening state standards, but the investment… Read More →
Mining the space range
April 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment
This week we talked about scram mining, mining revenue politics and growing marijuana in abandoned old mines, but what of the future of mining? Mashable reports that a group of very wealthy, eccentric (which is rich person for “crazy”) entrepreneurs and adventurers are planning to mine asteroids. Oh, they’ve got a plan alright. I think… Read More →
Stuck, but operational
April 16, 2012 by 1 Comment
We have a winter storm warning here in Itasca and north central St. Louis counties. Most Range schools are cancelled. The community college didn’t cancel, but I can’t get out of my driveway so let’s call that an intervention by a higher authority. It’s a great day for a drill on how well this blog… Read More →
We’re going to … Twins. We’re going to … sigh
April 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I usually comment on the opening of the baseball season. It’s a time for hope and good feelings. But I was busy with the radio show this weekend and the Twins are awful, just awful. They are going to lose 100 games. Their pitching is bad and they have no offense. Their most expensive players… Read More →
A dying town fights back with awesomeness
April 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
My God in Heaven this is beautiful. A nine-minute YouTube video has cured me of my indifference toward Grand Rapids, Michigan. This film was apparently produced in response to a news story describing Grand Rapids, Mich., as a “dying town.” Not dead yet, as you can see. You know it’s good because all I can… Read More →
Talking live radio on live TV tonight
March 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I’ll be on WDSE-TV’s “The Playlist” tonight at 9 p.m. talking about our upcoming performance of the Great Northern Radio Show from Bemidji on April 7. This would be the variety show I produce, write and host with talent from around the region. The Playlist is a live arts and entertainment program by the Duluth… Read More →
COLUMN: From way up here the ants look like people
March 25, 2012 by 4 Comments
This is my Sunday column for the March 25, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. From way up here the ants look like peopleBy Aaron J. Brown I ran up the driveway from our lime green and white trailer house across County Highway 7 to the mailbox. Mom used to let me do this… Read More →
