-
Check out this trippy underground mine trampoline light show
The largest underground mine in the world was a slate mine in Wales that had been mined off and on since the Roman Empire. Mining there ended in the early 20th Century and the mine would gradually become a tourist attraction, not unlike northern Minnesota’s own Soudan Underground Mine State Park. But there’s no way…
-
Mt. Iron-Buhl explores Plan B: new school
An unpopular plan to build a large new high school for the Iron Range districts of Mountain Iron-Buhl, Eveleth-Gilbert and Virginia now abandoned, MI-B is considering building its own new school. This according to Jana Hollingsworth of the Duluth News-Tribune and other local media covering the district’s board meeting this week. One interesting feature here…
-
Duluth ‘best place to live’ in ‘Outside’ poll
Late Sunday night, Duluth, Minnesota, claimed victory in the “best outdoors town” online poll put on by “Outside” Magazine, defeating Provo, Utah, by about 12,000 votes. The contest has drawn a lot of attention in Duluth, and some good-natured chiding here at my blog. After all, what could an online magazine poll really mean for…
-
A reminder of the Finnish story in Northern MN
MPR NewsCut’s Bob Collins was on the Iron Range recently and stopped off along the back route at the Kalevala Hall near Kettle River. He’s got several pictures and observations in his post here. Having just been up in Ely for the Great Northern Radio Show, I had my Finnish roots on my mind when I…
-
To the Nether and back
Summer vacation is well underway, and not more than a few days into the annual ritual the boys had trod well-worn digital paths across the pretend universe of the video game Minecraft. They are obsessed with finding virtual ore to make tools, houses and various contraptions. Though the geology of Minecraft is a bit suspect…
-
The ‘bright lights’ of Great Northern Radio Show weekend
We’re headed up to Ely now, getting ready for Saturday’s big Great Northern Radio Show, broadcasting live 5-7 p.m. from the Vermilion Community College Theater. Find out how you can attend or listen here. I love show weekends. Love, love, love. Here’s where we’re going: June 8, 2014 Auroras on Burntside Lake near Ely, MN…
-
Duluth’s Glensheen Mansion as seen from the air
In case you’ve ever wondered what Duluth’s historic Glensheen Mansion looks like to seagulls and/or CIA drones, this remote-cam flyover video by Cory Fechner should give you a pretty good idea. Glensheen Mansion Aerial Fly Over from Cory Fechner on Vimeo. Seeing this place always reminds me that I could slide into being an eccentric…
-
Hibbing Taconite mine tours run June 19-Aug. 8
With all the talk about mining in Minnesota, maybe you’d like to see what a real northern Minnesota iron mine looks like in the year 2014. Never mind the picks and shovels, the technology and scope of today’s mining will surprise you if you haven’t seen it before. You can catch guided Hibbing Taconite mine tours in…
-
Oh, just vote Duluth already
I often chastise Iron Range leadership for wasting time arguing over meaningless resolutions about new forms of mining. So, how should I feel about the entire city of Duluth, in its comparatively stronger and more diverse economic position, spending an inordinate amount of time trying to win an online poll for “Best Outdoors Place to Live”…
-
‘Gems of Itasca,’ exploring the 1,000-lake county
A pair of filmmakers with backing from stakeholders around Itasca County has produced a series of short films about life in this northern Minnesota county where the western Iron Range spills into the woods and waters of more than 1,000 freshwater lakes. Called “Gems of Itasca,” the series selects various topics about life here. As…
-
FARGO REVIEW: Episode 9, ‘A Fox, A Rabbit, and A Cabbage’
The FX series “Fargo,” inspired by the 1996 Coen Brothers film, is based in northern Minnesota. As northern Minnesota’s leading pop culture, news, entertainment, iron mining and invasive species blog, MinnesotaBrown is here to review the show through Minnesota eyes. Now, to this week’s episode: Last week, “Fargo” jumped a year into the future, bringing…
-
Starting a new conversation about MN-8 and mining politics
I filed a post at my Up North blog at the Star Tribune this morning that you may wish to check out. The theme is contrasting the widely-circulated “narrative” about northern Minnesota mining politics (that mining will dictate the outcome of the Nolan/Mills race, or shape the outcome of statewide races) with what I see…
-
Whither army worms?
The warnings started last year. The big one. It’s coming. A year like that one year 10-15 years ago (no one remembers exactly). The year of the forest tent caterpillar. The year of the Army Worms. This native Minnesota insect is pretty in ones, interesting in tens, but disgusting in the thousands — which is…
-
June icebergs linger longer on Lake Superior
Contrary to appearances, this is not a Coors Light TV ad. This is real life. MPR and others are reporting the Wisconsin DNR’s discovery of more icebergs patrolling the frigid waters of Lake Superior, even well into the summer month of June. Lake Superior stays cold all year round, but usually the ice is completely…
-
Rural broadband forum coming to Iron Range
State Sen. Matt Schmidt (DFL-Red Wing), local State Sen. David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm) and others will hold an Iron Range informational meeting about the new rural broadband funding available after this last legislative session. The meeting will take place Thursday, June 12, at 4 p.m. at the Balkan Township Hall. Balkan is north of Chisholm on…