-
Freshman MN state rep seeks 1st grade class presidency
Here’s something adorable and yet just uncomfortable enough to qualify as funny. State Rep. Joe Radinovich (DFL-Crosby), newly elected from Minnesota’s Cuyuna Iron Range and Aitkin County, recently spoke to a McGregor first grade class. After receiving letters from the students after the visit, he recorded this video in which he announces his candidacy for…
-
Lyric Center celebrates ‘Range of the Arts’
Every year the Lyric Center for the Arts in Virgina, MN, hosts the “Range of the Arts” festival, a multi-day collection of workshops and gallery exhibits. Range of the Arts 2013 begins today. New this year is tomorrow night’s 6:30 p.m. live variety show at The Loft at 516 1/2 Chestnut Street. The event will…
-
By water and land; perils of a man-made landscape
Two big stories this past have shown that the mines and mining in general still hold a lot of sway over northern Minnesota, particularly when it comes to public infrastructure. First, Cliffs Natural Resources rejected the most popular proposal to re-route the vital Range artery of Highway 53. The Minnesota DOT had proposed building the…
-
The cancer of low expecations
Timothy Collins pens this essay for The Daily Yonder about the specter of low expectations found in rural high schools. While it is mostly a persuasion piece, with a flare for the dramatic, part of its effectiveness might be found in that those of us who know rural schools might feel some of the pressure…
-
A casual defense of the ‘Harlem Shake’
Last month, when Duluth Mayor Don Ness official killed the Gangnam Style meme, northern Minnesota’s response to a national trend came nearly a full year after its emergence. But one cannot help but notice that Gangnam’s successor, the Harlem Shake, has not only emerged, but peaked, filtered to the small markets and died out at…
-
‘Prairie Silence’ rings true across flatlands, woods or city
This is my Sunday column for the Feb. 24, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. I previewed this column with some additional thoughts last Monday. ‘Prairie Silence’ rings true across flatlands, woods or cityBy Aaron J. Brown Having grown up shadowed by the trees and modified hills of northern Minnesota’s Iron Range, I admit…
-
Duluth mayor gives big speech from nasty snowbank
Peppy longshoreman Duluth, Minn., Mayor Don Ness is trying something new this year, delivering his annual state of the city address by cable access video instead of in a glitzy ceremony. Doing it this way will cost less and allow more people to see the speech, Ness argues. The speech, which was recorded this week,…
-
Skol Uncouth Norsemen!
From “What if All the NFL Logos Were British” at Dave’s Art Locker by Dave Rappoccio. The Minnesota Vikings did draw the overseas game in London for next season. Perhaps a sniff of the Thames will remind them of the real vikings’ Scandinavian win streak. Related posts: No related posts.
-
Breaking the mold of northern Minnesota media
This morning Northern Community Radio begins its winter/spring fundraiser. As many of you know, KAXE, KBXE, and Northern Community Internet comprise a truly unique independent public media network, one that has supported me and my writing for many years. I don’t ask for donations here at my blog, but if you are a loyal reader…
-
Even great state of Mesabi can’t save Electoral College
You know how I love maps, so the recent hubbub over a map project by artist Neil Freeman caught my eye. Rather than try to figure out how to reform the bizarre, arguably archaic Electoral College method of electing the President of the United States, why don’t we just re-align our state borders to reflect…
-
Minnesota DFLers push Oberstar for SecTrans
Minnesota’s Democratic Congressional delegation, including five representatives and both senators, sent a letter to President Obama earlier this month, urging him to appoint former Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN8) as transportation secretary. Oberstar was a leading transportation expert in the Congress and former chair of the House Transportation Committee before his loss to Republican Chip Cravaack…
-
A very mining-y baby announcement
On Tuesday, WDIO-Duluth anchor and Iron Range reporter Renee Passal made a very clever announcement that she’ll be having a baby in August. She framed it in the tone and language of a “This Week in Mining” news segment. For those of us who grew up watching “the channel” (WDIO’s twin WIRT Channel 13 in…
-
Here comes the Bakk-mobile
If you learn politics on the Iron Range you grow to love verbal duels between Falstaff-like figures. That’s why I enjoyed this quote from State. Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston): “If you want to get on the Bakk-mobile, go ahead. I’m not getting on the Bakk-mobile.” That’s from Urmila Ramakrishnan’s story about an internal dispute among…
-
DEED commish talks Dayton budget tonight in Grand Rapids, MN
Tonight, Minnesota DEED commissioner Katie Clark Sieben will hold a forum to discuss Gov. Mark Dayton’s budget in an event sponsored by TakeAction Minnesota. Those interested in that process may wish to to check it out. Various forms of the budget are beginning to shape up at the legislature and that process will play out…
-
Range student tells MPR about life with Asperger’s
I’m very, very, very proud of my kid sister (a sophomore at Hibbing High School) Tori Brown who has today’s commentary at Minnesota Public Radio. She writes about the practical realities of having Asperger’s Syndrome as a high school student. She wrote this after talking to us about our son, who also has a form…