-
Simon enters DFL race for SOS, firming the field
Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-Hopkins) announced today he would seek the DFL nomination for Secretary of State, joining fellow Rep. Debra Hillstrom and former Rep. Jeremy Kalin. Rachel Larson Bohman opted to end her campaign, leaving these three as the current DFL field. Republicans Rep. Joyce Peppin, former Rep. Kent Kaiser, 2010 nominee Dan Severson and…
-
Bullying, school shootings have northern MN history
Most of us trace our understanding of school shootings back to Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in 1998. I remember being a college freshman, watching the news in the cafeteria, having not fathomed that people would do a thing like that. It sparked a nationwide conversation on guns and the way kids treat each…
-
‘Northern Train’ features strong lineup of original musicians
The Third Annual Northern Train Music Festival is slated for Sunday, Aug. 11 at the Mont du Lac Ski and Recreation Area outside Superior, Wisconsin. In addition to a cool train logo (I’m a sucker for train logos) the event features some of the region’s best original musicians, including several who have appeared on the…
-
Dylan sculpture in Duluth falls well short of goal
Last week, the Kickstarter project to fund the Bob Dylan sculpture in downtown Duluth fell well short of its $159,000 goal. Sculptor Tom Page, of Cohasset, is going back to the drawing board to consider a “Plan B” for bringing the image to life. I honestly thought the project would draw more backing, what with…
-
Tamburitzan show slated for Iron Range on Aug. 11
This looks cool. The Duquesne University Tamburitzans will perform at the Minnesota Discovery Center (nee Ironworld) on Sunday, Aug. 11 from 2-4 p.m. This eastern European folk music is practically a soundtrack of Iron Range history, and Duquensne — from the steel town outside Pittsburgh — is one of the best purveyors of the craft.…
-
The developing social contract of a new generation
This is my Sunday column for the Aug. 4, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. The developing social contract of a new generationBy Aaron J. Brown When I graduated from high school in 1998, my classmates and I walked out of the Cherry High School gym and formed a receiving line to shake hands…
-
Minnesota Power to meet renewable goal 10 years early
Duluth-based Minnesota Power, one of the state’s big energy producers and employers, will hit the renewable energy goal set by state environmental law 10 years early, according to the Strib’s David Shaffer. Minnesota Power still operates several coal fired plants in northern Minnesota, but has made great headway in both reducing emissions at those plants…
-
Star Tribune: Essar’s Iron Range project delayed a year
Dee DePass of the Star Tribune reports that Essar Steel Minnesota’s project in Nashwauk has experienced the financing delays local observers have long suspected. Essar is set back a year. Essar Steel Minnesota will delay the opening of its Nashwauk taconite plant until the second half of 2014, officials confirmed Thursday. The plant, 90 miles…
-
August prompts end-of-summer self-assessment
In random order, summer projects I’m officially giving up on: Landscaping (next year) Clearing weeds in the lake (next year) Getting a dock (see transmission, below) Staining the deck (fall maybe) Writing a novel (don’t worry, never even started) Summer projects I will complete: Paying for the transmission (Oh ya, dere’s all kinda metal shavings…
-
A tale of two Marriage Equality Days
Today is the first day same-sex couples can legally marry in the state of Minnesota. For me, this is a happy day, particularly as I think of friends finally able to enjoy the legal benefits of long term committed relationships with the people they love. I spoke out against the anti-equality amendment last fall, and cheered…
-
Remembering Great Lakes’ worst labor movement tragedy
The 1913 funeral procession in South Range, Michigan. More than 73 people died, including more than 60 children. A few days ago, the 100th anniversary of a tremendous strike and one of the labor movement’s greatest American tragedies — and some still say mass-murders — was marked in northern Michigan’s Copper Country. Beginning July 23,…
-
Blinking thing tells you when you can run stop sign
WDIO St. Louis County in northeastern Minnesota is considering a new blinking sign for rural intersections that would warn motorists when a vehicle is approaching from the crossing highway. They’ve been testing the sign already. WDIO has the story. He said about 25 percent of serious crashes in Saint Louis County happen at rural intersections…
-
Ancient campsite points to earliest humans in Minnesota
Karen Carr, image depicting ancient bison, mammoths. I found this Tom Meersman Star Tribune story to be quite interesting. Scientists discovered an ancient campsite along the Minnesota River at Chanhassen, MN. Eight thousand years ago, Minnesota was a different place — dryer and less forested. In fact, the only true forests at that time were…
-
Range filmmaker featured on Buzzfeed for indie film tips
Promotional still from “Pollywogs.” Last month I shared the story of Hibbing native Karl Jacob’s independent film “Pollywogs” making its debut at the LA Film Festival. The movie was filmed on the Iron Range. Jacob recently published an article on BuzzFeed entitled “10 Easy(ish) Steps To Making The Indie Movie of Your Dreams.” The list…
-
Hibbing native jazz singer Evingson featured on NPR
Jazz singer Connie Evingson was featured on last week’s “Weekend Edition” on NPR, giving a charming interview about her music and upbringing on Minnesota’s Iron Range. Evingson was raised just down the street from Bob Dylan’s boyhood home in Hibbing, Minnesota. She’s played a number of shows on the Iron Range over the years. The…