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Mining debate geared up for new political terrain
This winter, Minnesota’s state legislature will convene with divided leadership — Democratic-Farmer-Laborites, under Iron Range Sen. Tom Bakk as majority leader, still control the Senate; while Republicans, under Speaker-designate Rep. Kurt Daudt of Crown, have taken over the House. Gov. Mark Dayton, a DFLer, will remain in the executive office after a decisive re-election campaign. A…
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‘What’s left’ project nears goal with time running out
If you recall my column of Nov. 23, 2014, “What’s Left Unsaid,” I shared the personal story of my uncle’s suicide in order to explain my friend John Bauer’s “What’s Left” project. John lost his daughter Megan to depression last year and has found a way to channel his emotions into something hopeful. This multimedia art…
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Ya we talk ‘dat way, ‘specially up on da Raynch
The St. Paul Pioneer Press led its Sunday edition with an introspective look at a topic that is usually the first thing people notice about Minnesotans, but that Minnesotans pretend doesn’t exist: our accent. What struck me as interesting was that a significant portion of Andy Rathbun’s feature was dedicated not only to the Minnesota accent,…
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Young voices will chart Northern Minnesota’s future
When leaders in Northern Minnesota talk about the importance of our young people, the words often dressed in paternalistic tone. You get a sort of verbal head pat that would make most anyone blush or roll their eyes. In any case, the conversation is generally one-sided. Elected officials on the Iron Range, especially in local…
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LIVE from Walker: the Great Northern Radio Show
Great Northern Radio Show weekend is here! We’ll be broadcasting my Northern Minnesota-based traveling variety show live on Northern Community Radio from the Northern Lakes Casino in Walker, Minnesota this Saturday, Dec. 6 at 5 p.m. We might still have a few free tickets available by calling 800-662-5799 today (Friday). Arrive before 4:30 p.m. Saturday…
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Miltich’s ‘Live at the VFW’ is jazz with heart
I have to admit something rather upsetting to people I know. I … don’t … really … care for jazz. As a genre. A few bars into most jazz standards and I’m having flashbacks to my elementary music teacher trying to teach me syncopation with wood blocks. (tock tock TOCK tock tock tock TOCK tock). For me, jazz is…
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Billion dollar surplus could yield bipartisan fruit
On Thursday, the Minnesota Office of Management and Budget issued its revenue forecast for the next legislative biennium, showing a whopping $1 billion surplus. Fueled by the strong state economy and budget measures taken in the last biennium, this surplus will be the basis on which the next legislature will negotiate its new budget. This…
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To mine the moon
With news this week about risks to miners’ health and continuing controversy over new forms of mining in Northern Minnesota, one is left wondering where the mining action of the future will be found. Well, look no further. One British lunar researcher is suggesting that we might look to the sky for the next untapped mineral…
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Ely couple completes 2,000-mile canoe trip protest
Dave and Amy Freeman, two professional adventurers based in Ely and Grand Marais, just completed a 2,000-mile canoe trip through the Boundary Waters, out to the Atlantic Ocean and down to Washington, D.C. The reason for the trip was to highlight the natural beauty of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and deliver petitions opposing…
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Hibbing among medical cannabis dispensary sites
When Gov. Mark Dayton signed a medical marijuana bill into law after last year’s legislative session, it was not without controversy. Not only does a step toward more lenient cannabis laws ruffle some conservatives and law enforcement groups, but many legalization advocates found the bill far too restrictive to be useful. Nevertheless, many families are…
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Report: Evidence of discrimination at Greenway school
Earlier this week I wrote a piece about the need for empathy amid racial discord on the Iron Range, mentioning the story of Isaiah Gatimu, a former Greenway student who faced racially-motivated harassment and later took his own life. The Scenic Range News Forum obtained a copy of the report from the Minnesota Department of…
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Great Northern Radio Show will be live in Walker, Dec. 6
UPDATE: Jim Northrup is recovering from heart surgery and will not be able to join us in Walker on Saturday. We wish him the very best for a speedy recovery! Hard to believe, but we are about to do the 13th edition of my Great Northern Radio Show. We will defy the bad luck of that number…
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Answers like dust: miners’ health study closes with questions
Yesterday, researchers unveiled results of a $5 million University of Minnesota study exploring the connection between iron mining and the rare lung disease mesothelioma. What was billed as the final public forum about the study was held last night at the Hibbing Memorial Building. John Myers of the Duluth News Tribune had the story in…
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U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree arrives from Northern MN
The National Christmas Tree, which was harvested here in Northern Minnesota within the Chippewa National Forest, has reached its destination on the U.S. Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C. This tweet from Rep. Rick Nolan shows the scene: Our #christmastree is finally here all the way from Chippewa National Forest in #MN – looks great on…
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On the Range, Race and Healing
Race is one of the main variables of American life. This fact was written directly into our flawed Constitution more than two centuries ago, a truth demanding hard reckoning ever since. Sometimes it can be comfortable to pretend that race isn’t one of the main variables of life here in Northern Minnesota, however. This is an…