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The year Santa came early on the Iron Range
Every Christmas I’ve known occurred in the same place, in pretty much the same way. We spend Christmas Eve south of Eveleth with the Browns. Christmas is in Keewatin with the Johnsons. It’s been this way since before I can remember, all through childhood and long after I left home and got married. When my…
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Gov. Dayton issues terms for Essar repayment
Today, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration released a letter sent to Madhu Vuppuluri, CEO of Essar Steel Minnesota, demanding the company accept repayment terms for about $66 million in state grants. Dayton gives the company until Dec. 30 to accept the terms of the repayment agreement in writing. Essar owes the grant money because it did not…
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Iron Range plight at heart of White House visit
On Tuesday, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough met privately in Virginia, Minnesota, with local officials, mining executives and Steelworkers. At issue was the major downturn in the American iron and steel industries related to a collapse in global prices. About 1,500 miners are laid off right now. One part of the problem is a glut…
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IRRRB OKs major Itasca broadband project
Today, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board approved a $1.25 million matching grant for the Paul Bunyan Communication broadband project in Itasca County. The funding secures a project that will connect 1,250 households, 3,500 people and up to 100 small businesses with service as fast as 1GB/second. The IRRRB vote was 7-1, with Sen.…
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U.S. places big tariffs on Chinese steel
The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that U.S. regulators have slapped huge tariffs on foreign steel in response to accusations that some countries are “dumping” their products on the American market. “Dumping” means that companies sell the steel for less than it costs them to make it. This is possible in countries that subsidize their steel industry…
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Essar pays back $6 million to IRRRB
The Mesabi Daily News reports that Essar Steel Minnesota has paid back $6 million owed to the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). The loan was part of the initial public financing for the project back in 2007. Though the agency was essentially calling the loan, Essar officials were the ones to tell the…
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Golden opportunity for broadband on the Iron Range
Many people reading this have access to reliable high-speed internet access for less than $60 a month. You use this bountiful bandwidth to work from home, communicate with family, attend college, or help kids with homework. But for people who live in rural townships throughout the Iron Range this service isn’t available. They pay twice…
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Steelworkers reach tentative deal with U.S. Steel
The bargaining team for the United Steelworkers announced Saturday they had reached a tentative agreement with U.S. Steel. Though the union is not yet releasing details, the Steelworkers’ statement indicates that terms of the contract deal are better than what was being offered over the summer. From the statement: As you know, our industry is…
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Iron Range recovery requires connection to bigger world
Another winter day turns white in the woods of Northern Minnesota. Snow to shovel yet. Over in the sleepy mining towns, some excitement. Last night, the city of Virginia opted not to ask the group holding clothing-optional parties at the Coates Hotel to just go away. Lots of debate. 4-3 vote. “We need to bring…
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White House chief of staff to visit Iron Range
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough is coming to the Iron Range on Tuesday, Dec. 22. He will meet with laid off miners, local officials and others affected by the ongoing downturn in the local economy. These factors have been caused by a glut of global steel supply and cheap foreign imports. I have…
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FARGO REVIEW: Season 2 Finale, ‘Palindrome’
The tenth episode and “Fargo” Season 2 finale, entitled “Palindrome” aired last night on FX. What follows is a Minnesota-centric review that contains spoilers. This year, “Fargo” takes us to Southwestern Minnesota in 1979, the same year I was born on the other side of the state. A small town family crime syndicate based in Fargo…
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A nod to Iron Range roots on every Greyhound Bus
A century ago, a pair of iron miners in Hibbing, Minnesota, began charging 15 cents for a ride on a seven-passenger Hupmobile from Hibbing to Alice Location. Alice, then a bedroom community for miners and their families, would later become the new townsite when Hibbing was moved to access the ore beneath the ground. From this inauspicious beginning, a…
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U.S. Steel, union to resume talks this week
The U.S. Steel Corporation and the United Steelworkers resume talks this week in Pittsburgh after a cooling off period. Union officials say the company has made a new offer and that they will review and discuss the offer at these new meetings. The union has said that U.S. Steel has been asking for serious concessions in…
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New ship to haul last grain of 2015 from Duluth
The last international grain ship of 2015 will arrive at the Port of Duluth, Minnesota, Sunday night or early Monday morning, according to officials with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. UPDATE: Due to high winds, the Federal Bering was forced to take shelter near the Apostle Islands. It is now expected Tuesday morning. The Federal Bering…
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RAMS hires Dicklich as state lobbyist
The Range Association of Municipalities and Schools (RAMS) hired former executive director Ron Dicklich as its state lobbyist this past week, according to Bill Hanna in the Mesabi Daily News. You might recall RAMS at the center of a controversy last spring when State. Sen. David Tomassoni was hired to succeed Dicklich as executive direct despite…