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Mining disaster-themed Halloween attraction bad idea
An Appalachian amusement park has taken down references to a Halloween attraction with a mining disaster theme called “Miners’ Revenge.” This according to the Daily Yonder. The controversy happened at King’s Dominion in the state of Virginia. As you’d predict, a lot of people who lost family in mining disasters, including some recently, thought the…
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Tamarack tinge to autumn’s last act
I don’t know why, but every year I briefly forget the way tamarack trees change color in the fall. “Oh, wait. That’s right!” Tamaracks are larches, one of the few coniferous trees which change color and shed their needles every year. Perhaps that’s why it’s always a surprise when the tamarack’s dark green needles turn…
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Ely guide who bushwhacked Quetico, BWCA tells tale
Jason Zabokrtsky emerged from an 80-plus-mile “bushwhack” of Quetico and the BWCA over the weekend. He’ll be doing a live chat with Minnesota Public Radio this morning describing his experience and taking questions. The Ely guide and outfitter Zabokrtsky closed his field journal with this statement: I am grateful for the spirit of adventure that…
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Earth’s surly bonds stretch thin
Northern Minnesota’s iron ranges hold special distinction in American history, but for reasons more than ore. I was down in Crosby preparing for a show last week. There I learned America’s Space Race, the technological marathon that spurred developments like computers and the Internet, got its unassuming start in a Cuyuna Range mine pit The…
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Trampled by Turtles cut live album, out Nov. 12
It’s been a while since we talked about those traveling troubadours, northern Minnesota’s old timey Strike Force, the ones known as Trampled by Turtles. The progressive bluegrass band is out with a live album “First Avenue” out Nov. 12 (preorder here). Trampled by Turtles are putting on a contest for free concert tickets in honor…
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MPR International Falls series shows Paper Town woes
Holy moly, how have I been missing this fantastic series from MPR’s Ground Level about the struggles facing International Falls, Minnesota, after Boise Cascade announced a big layoff and sale this year. From the layoffs, to economic development in a one-industry town, to geographic remoteness, so many of these issues relate to communities throughout northern…
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Celebrating 30 years of public radio Phenology
Tonight at 6:30, KAXE/KBXE Northern Community Radio celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Phenology Show with John Latimer. Now, maybe you’re some kinda cat who doesn’t listen to the Phenology Show on this marvelous independent public radio station (the station, by the way, that distributes my radio show as well). Or maybe you were like…
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Ely man ‘Bushwhacks the Boundary Waters’
UPDATE III: From Ely Outfitting Company and Boundary Waters Guide Service: Post by Ely Outfitting Company and Boundary Waters Guide Service. UPDATE II: Marshall Helmberger of the Timberjay reported on this morning’s KAXE Morning Show that Zabokrtsky is nearing Ely and that friends plan to welcome him home sometime today. UPDATE: As expected, Jason Zabokrtsky’s…
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Nolan in the news for Obamacare roll-out criticisms
U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) is in the national news again today, calling for President Obama to fire someone over the bungled roll-out of the Obamacare website. There’s plenty of speculation on Obamacare to go around, though most agree that the federal exchange website was not ready for prime time and is the primary reason…
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Dave Karr, Sam Miltich to play Grand Rapids tonight
Jazzman Dave Karr has been making music for more than 60 years, most of that time in Minnesota. Karr, an esteemed saxophonist and composer, got his start in his native New York City, cutting his teeth alongside Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, the guy who every band teacher in the country simultaneously tells trumpet students…
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Mt. Iron Wal-Mart Supercenter to hire 300 next year
Construction continues on the new Mt. Iron Wal-Mart Supercenter, with the Mesabi Daily News reporting today that the company plans to hire 300 employees later in 2014. “We’re not hiring for the Mountain Iron store right now,” said Walmart spokeswoman Rachel Wall in a phone interview. She said that hirings for employees are not done…
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Northern Minnesota mining on Al Jazeera America
Your intrepid regional writer will be doing something quite new this evening. Tonight, at 6:30 CST, I’ll be a guest on “The Stream” on the new national cable network Al Jazeera America. You might know Qatar-based AlJazeera as a Middle Eastern news network but they’ve been expanding into an international news service for years, including…
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This duck hunt just got real
Hey, remember that old Nintendo game “Duck Hunt?” Remember how after you’ve hunted for a few levels some guy from Wisconsin who loves ducks pops up and starts shooting at you? No? Oh, wait. That actually happened this weekend. Don’t worry it was just “a .410, what’s that gonna do?” Related posts: No related posts.
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Beargrease sled dog race back on after ‘peaceful coup’
The 2014 John Beargrease Sled Dog race is on again after new volunteers staged what the Duluth News Tribune calls a “peaceful coup,” replacing the board of directors that had canceled the race just last week. From the DNT: “There’s a huge upswell of people willing to help and keep it going,” said musher John…
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Northern Minnesota forests face existential change
This Star Tribune feature “Saving the great north woods” from this past Sunday is a must-read. It parallels the same line of thinking I used in writing my Sunday column “Now entering the Minnesota century,” only with more scientific explanation and expert testimony. Essentially, if you stop arguing whether or not climate change is happening…