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Iron Range Rep. Tom Anzelc fights cancer
Today my friend State Rep. Tom Anzelc announced he has prostate cancer. He found out after the election. It’s a tough disease, but Tom and his doctors are optimistic and have a treatment plan. His main challenge right now is the fatigue that comes from treatment. With an important session coming up, he’ll be balancing…
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Iris Kolodji and friends to play two shows on the Range
One of the side benefits of hosting the Great Northern Radio Show on Northern Community Radio is meeting some of the best musicians in Minnesota. We highlight original music that tells the story of this place. We also provide an outlet for young, up-and-coming artists. It’d be an honor to know that one of them…
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New Minnesota legislature about to convene (LIVE)
The Uptake is providing live coverage of the pomp and circumstance of the convening of the Minnesota State Legislature today. Here’s the House feed: Watch live streaming video from theuptake at livestream.com You can follow the Senate feed here. Yesterday, responding to Don Ness’s “Gangnam Style” moves, I stoked a Twitter feud in which an…
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Legacy Fund delivers $700,000 to Mesabi Trail
The Mesabi Trail will receive northern Minnesota’s largest grant from the Minnesota Legacy Fund’s Parks and Trails program, in the form of $700,000 for improvements and development. This trail will one day extend from Grand Rapids to Ely along the iron formation of the Mesabi Range. About 115 miles are now complete, with some remaining…
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Duluth mayor Don Ness does Gangnam Style
I suppose I could complain that infectious sounds of Korean pop rocker Psy’s “Gangnam Style” are only now reaching the shores of Lake Superior. This was, after all, the top internet sensation of 2012 and new holder of the all-time YouTube record. So many parodies have surfaced that another surely could not be needed. But…
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Local News: The Musical
Here’s what they do for traffic reporting at WKRC in Cincinnati. This is how I want to see WDIO-Duluth’s “This Week in Mining” from now on. I’m talking to you, Renee Passal. (Clip via Mashable) Related posts: No related posts.
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Nolan appears on "Face the Nation"
U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) made his first national TV appearance after being sworn in this week. He joins other lawmakers in a discussion of major issues before the Congress on this morning’s edition of “Face the Nation.” I thought he came across well in this appearance, though I’ll leave it for you to decide…
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COLUMN: The Oracle is keen on 2013
This is my Sunday column for the Jan. 6, 2013 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. The predictions column is part of an old New Year’s tradition of mine, which also includes my annual “top words” column and “top posts” item. The Oracle is keen on 2013By Aaron J. Brown My hands burn on the…
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A great loss in Minnesota journalism
Larry Oakes, a reporter and editor for the Star Tribune, has died after a long battle with depression. Oakes was probably the best working journalist in northern Minnesota. I offer my deepest condolences to his family. He will be greatly missed. His reporting was fearless and important. As someone who’s experienced depression throughout my family,…
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Minnesota DNR to investigate moose population losses
WDIO reports that the Minnesota DNR is researching why moose population numbers have dropped so much in the past year. It occurs to me that I forgot to include this graphic in my annual list of top traffic and favorite posts from 2012. I spent a whole morning on it some time ago. Anyway, I…
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After Newtown: fast response in Grand Rapids, MN
This morning, we were working here at the house and my wife and I both got notification calls from the Grand Rapids (Minn.) School District. Law enforcement had contacted the superintendent about a potential danger at one of the schools in the district (not our kids’ school). Here is the notification we got from Superintendent…
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Downton Abbey in Downtown Duluth
Hey, Aaron, do you watch Downton Abbey? No, I’m afraid I don’t. You should. It’s really good. It’s about old stuff and history and elegance and England and such. You like that stuff. I do like that stuff. It’s about power dynamics and such. You like that. Yes, I do. It’s on Channel 8. You…
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Twin Cities public TV sends in the Turtles to debut new show
The Lowertown Line, a new show by TPT’s Minnesota Original public television project, made its debut this week. (I saw this on MinnPost). It is, by appearances, Minnesota’s answer to PBS’s Austin City Limits, where I and many have long mined new original music for my iPod. TPT certainly seems to have ambitions to find…
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Our century, the teenager
My Twitter thought on the new year and the state of our politics: Our century is a teenager now. These will be the hard years. #2013 #fb— Aaron Brown (@minnesotabrown) January 1, 2013 Nevertheless, teenagers often grow up. People will figure this out, in time. You can catch more gems like this, occasionally and with…
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BREAKING: Squash named Duluth vegetable of the year
Squash celebrate historic win in Duluth vegetable election, also revealing the segregation that pervades squash community. BREAKING: Duluth citizens elect squash “Vegetable of 2012.” Kale has been defeated. Repeat, KALE DOWN. SELL SELL! DEVELOPING… CORRECTION: We’ve been informed that kale was subject to Duluth vegetable of the year term limits. Kale was vegetable of the…