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My micro-mining argument in The Daily Yonder
I’m in the Daily Yonder today talking about the microscopic realities of the mining debate in northern Minnesota. Here’s a taste from my story “Tiny molecules, big fight over wild rice”: The reason for all these emotions over tiny molecules isn’t because of numbers, or even, for most people, science: it’s a cultural battle. Will…
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Times a’ Changin’ in Bob Dylan’s hometown
When Robert Zimmerman left Hibbing in 1959, it’s unlikely he or his hometown would predict these facts: That a “space theatre” named for a prominent local grocer would be constructed a few blocks from the Zimmerman home … because, you know, men walked on the moon; That the Zimmerman home would one day be on…
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Schmit leads on MN rural broadband
I don’t like to fawn too much over elected officials, even the ones who are my friends. But OMG I’m in full senator crush mode over State Sen. Matt Schmit (DFL-Red Wing) and his recent interview with Brian Lampert in MinnPost about the vital role of rural broadband in Minnesota’s future. Schmit was one of the…
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Range lawmaker, family key to medical marijuana win
This piece is cross-posted with my Up North Report blog at the Star Tribune. Yesterday, House and Senate leaders announced they had a deal to allow medical marijuana in Minnesota. Gov. Mark Dayton announced he would sign the bill, which allows for two major medical marijuana producers to be created in Minnesota, and eight locations…
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Costco considers Duluth for 2016 expansion
UPDATE: Duluth officials are denying this report. A commercial development blog in Duluth reports that the city is on the retail giant Costco’s list for potential new markets in 2016. CDinDuluth says: Unfamiliar with Costco? We don’t blame you as there are no locations in Northern Minnesota and they’re relatively new to the Minnesota market.…
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Northern MN projects thrive in bonding bill deal
House and Senate DFL leaders announced yesterday they had agreed on a $846 million state bonding bill package, though there remain questions about whether they have the Republican votes needed to pass the bill. Gov. Mark Dayton has yet to weigh in on the deal as well. Blois Olson posted an informative spreadsheet showing the projects included…
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Grand Rapids city sales tax headed for ballot
Citizens from the far western Mesabi Range town of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, will vote on whether the city will seek a $0.01 Grand Rapids city sales tax when they cast their general election ballots this fall. The Grand Rapids City Council unanimously approved the ballot measure at a recent meeting. The only northern Minnesota city with a…
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FARGO REVIEW: Episode 5, “The Six Ungraspables”
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: Fargo’s Episode 5: “The Six Ungraspables” briefly takes us back to…
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Look out, kids, HERE COMES SATURN!
So, what if the planet Saturn took a hard turn and headed straight for the sun. You know, all random like. What if it passed right by Earth? This video from “yeti dynamics” was my lunchtime entertainment today and I encourage you to use this for that five minute block of time where you want…
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Jim Oberstar: a memory held up by union steel
My Sunday newspaper column for May 11, 2014 was excerpted from the post I wrote after the passing of Jim Oberstar on Saturday, May 3. I am republishing that post today. Early Saturday morning former Congressman Jim Oberstar died peacefully in his sleep at his Maryland home at the age of 79. The news of…
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Don’t give me that look; a MN fishing opener plea
Near my house there’s a place called the Twin Bridges. As advertised, it’s a pair of small bridges along Itasca County Highway 336 spanning a winding section of the Prairie River right where it feeds into Crooked Lake. It’s known locally as a place where, shortly after ice-out, you can angle for fish emerging from their icy winter…
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SS James L. Oberstar hails namesake in Duluth harbor
Yesterday, mourners commemorated the late Rep. Jim Oberstar at his funeral in Potomac, Maryland. Meanwhile, in Oberstar’s native northern Minnesota a maritime tribute took place in the Port of Duluth. The James L. Oberstar, an iron ore freighter named for the venerated Iron Range political leader, made its first entrance into Duluth for the season.…
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Essar Steel secures funds to finish Nashwauk project
This item is cross-posted with my Up North Report blog at StarTribune.com. The Star Tribune’s Dee Depass reports that Essar Steel has secured $450 million in new private financing, and is injecting $300 million of its own money into finishing its long-awaited Nashwauk taconite plant. Here on the ground north of Nashwauk, the project has…
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Upper Midwest adds color to bars vs. groceries data
Not much to add here, other than this is a map comparing the number of bars to the number of grocery stores in locations around the United States. Most of the time you find more grocery stories than bars. In the states of Wisconsin and Illinois, and here on the Iron Range of northern Minnesota,…
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Climate change lands Hibbing on front of NY Times
Hibbing, Minnesota, usually only makes the New York Times in stories about its hometown son Bob Dylan or, once every decade or so, for being a hardscrabble mining town on the rocks. So how exciting to see the town on the front page of the New York Times for something else: increasing average temperatures since…