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Remembering Gwen Swanson
On Thursday I learned that my friend Gwen Swanson, a reporter during my tenure at the Hibbing Tribune, passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Just three weeks from diagnosis. Just 34 years old. She was one of those kind, gentle souls who put others first as a sort of reflexive instinct. Gwen’s last…
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One month out, MN-8 DFL contest remains a mystery
“It’s quiet.” “Yeah, too quiet.” We all know that movie cliche. This dialogue always comes before some sort of inevitable action sequence that we saw in the film’s trailer. And in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District it is most certainly quiet, too quiet, as the Aug. 14 DFL primary to challenge incumbent Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8)…
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Major opera production kicks off Range tour tonight
A casual drive through northern Minnesota’s Iron Range might give you the false impression that the Range is nothing but ATV shops and random industrial sprawl. Well, it is those things, but also more. People often overlook the artistic depth of the area, something illustrated by the number of opera houses and performance halls –…
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Famous people don’t say the most important things
It’s been quiet in my rustic environs. Too quiet. While I figure out why that is please read this fine post from my friend and Great Northern collaborator Matt Nelson. A journalist, he was asked by some kids if he got to interview any famous people. He writes this as a belated response. Famous people…
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From northern MN flood devestation: music & community
Yesterday Trampled by Turtles played a benefit show at Twin Ports Bridge Fest for victims of flood relief. The flooding in Duluth received a lot of attention, but it truly is a regional problem, illustrated by this June photo of flooding on Highway 210 in Jay Cooke State Park. More DNR flood photos are here.…
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Mt. Iron approves resolution opposing marriage amendment
I never got to follow up on this because of last week’s power outage, but if you missed it the Mountain Iron City Council last Monday approved a resolution opposing the marriage amendment on this November’s ballot. I had written about how the Iron Range region is a major battleground in this debate. Mountain Iron…
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Great Northern Radio Show Brainerd episode chuffs onto MP3
The downloadable MP3 of the Brainerd edition of my Great Northern Radio Show is now available at KAXE.org. Please give it a listen as it is probably our sharpest overall program. Certain sections are good while others are excellent, but the general mix is diverse and hits the harder edge we’ve been looking for. We…
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COLUMN: Poor man’s apocalypse
This is my Sunday column for the July 8, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. As you may have noticed last Monday night’s storm knocked out power throughout Itasca County where I live. We didn’t have power back until later in the week, so I’ve been slow to resume blogging because of the backlog…
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Operational capacity returns to MinnesotaBrown.com
I am happy to report that power is restored at MinnesotaBrown World Headquarters. It was a 67 hour outage for us, which is a tad longish. I wish I could say I have a notebook full of material to unload all at once but there is a lot to do around the house. I have…
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No power. No blog.
A large rural power outage that began Monday night in northern Minnesota has shut down MinnesotaBrown World Headquarters. Blogging will resume when possible. Related posts: No related posts.
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On the Range, marriage amendment a contentious issue
Minnesota Public Radio has done an excellent story about how the anti-gay marriage amendment is playing in the Iron Range’s largest city of Hibbing. MPR’s Sasha Aslanian did a marvelous job talking to people on both sides of the issue as they organize ahead of this fall’s big vote. In my experience no issue causes…
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COLUMN: Bugs of the Modern Democracy
This is my Sunday column for the July 1, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. I’ve rounded up Iron Range Fourth of July parades, street dances and fireworks displays here. Bugs of the Modern DemocracyBy Aaron J. Brown Two years ago I depicted an historical reenactment of the Continental Congress as it would have…
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Great Northern Radio Show rebroadcasts on July 1, July 4
It’s been a busy summer so I neglected to post an update on our broadcast of the Great Northern Radio Show from Central Lakes College in Brainerd on June 16. The show went very well, arguably our best effort yet, certainly a major step forward in pacing and production value. If you missed it, the…
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Duluth tourism numbers drag after historic floods
Duluth is struggling with a big drop in tourism after last week’s floods. The most popular tourist areas are largely cleaned up from the mess, but visitors haven’t returned at normal summer levels yet. Residential areas and streets were the worst hit. This is a great city and could use your support this summer. Related…
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Range labor politics web talk was on MPR today
I did a live video interview with Michael Olson at MPR’s Minnesota Today this afternoon talking about labor politics on the Iron Range. You can view the conversation here at MPR or below. Yes, that is MinnesotaBrown world headquarters. I put the white fedora on my coin jar to class up the dehumidifier for the…