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COLUMN: Iron Range political universe to change in 2012
This is my Sunday column for the June 3, 2012 Hibbing Daily Tribune. Iron Range political universe to change in 2012By Aaron J. Brown When my father turned 30 I said, “Dad, you’re eligible to run for the Senate!” My goodness, I was 7. That’s the kind of kid I was. But dad, a mechanic…
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Will new mining set northern Minnesota free?
On Thursday, a panel of state officials approved leases allowing companies to explore nonferrous mineral mining about 20,000 acres of land in northeastern Minnesota. Most of the land is near Ely and Isabella east and south of the Vermilion Range, far from existing taconite mines on the Mesabi Range. We talked about some of the…
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Just say Drano
Apparently there are these things called “Drano Bombs” that people can make and they are very dangerous. The Hibbing Daily Tribune reports: Do you know what happens when Drano, tin foil and a little water are put together in a plastic drink bottle and then capped shut? A dangerous chain reaction occurs, which could cause…
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In honor of a noble life ‘Shooting the Rapids’
Rough days for Itasca County newspapering. Longtime Grand Rapids Herald-Review editor and columnist Ken Hickman died Sunday at the age of 93. He had just retired from his regular column last December. It was a true community column, each paragraph dedicated to someone he talked to or something that happened that week. The Herald-Review published…
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Some welcome independent problem-solving for MN communities
Friend of this blog and fellow KAXE contributor Chuck Marohn is the director of Strong Towns, a sort of think tank/consulting agency that helps small towns adjust to the new world of the 21st century. Among other things, including running a pretty interesting blog, Strong Towns helps towns get by without hiring in-house developers or…
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Bob gets bling for being Bob
Christa Lawler of the Duluth News-Tribune has a nice story today about Bob Dylan receiving the Medal of Freedom from President Obama yesterday. She did interview me for the story, but I rather enjoy the quotes from Dylan’s high school bandmate LeRoy Hoikkala of Hibbing: “I’m proud of him,” Hoikkala said. “Everything he got, he…
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Zup’s re-opens, a grocery phoenix from the ashes
Zup’s Grocery Store in Babbitt along the eastern Mesabi, the community staple that burned down last year, has reopened (Fox 21). “Where there once was ash and fire now sits fresh fruits and veggies.” You got it. You got it.I can’t get used to this lifestyle. In addition to celebrating the return of Zup’s to…
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Prostitution scandal knocks newspaper group manager out of job
Todd Keute, the publisher of the Grand Rapids Herald-Review and regional manager of the Superior Publishing Company, is out of a job after his involvement in a prostitution scandal. Officials from SPC’s parent company American Consolidated Media made the announcement of Keute’s departure today. SPC operates nearly all of the small dailies and many of…
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Bob Dylan receives Medal of Freedom today
Today President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will recognize several recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Among them is Duluth-born and Hibbing-raised musician and poet Bob Dylan. The Medal of Freedom is the nation’s top civilian honor, conferred upon people determined to have made meritorious contributions to the interests of the United…
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COLUMN: New book helps close old cultural gap
This is my Sunday column for the May 27, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Anton Treuer appeared as a guest in the April 7 Bemidji edition of the Great Northern Radio Show. New book helps close old cultural gapBy Aaron J. Brown When I was preparing to do my radio show in Bemidji…
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On the Air: Remembering as we go
This week, it was lightly noted that Johnny Carson taped his final Tonight Show 20 years ago this past Monday. I was 12 the year Johnny signed off. We were living south of Eveleth, not far from Forbes — a little Iron Range rail location where the elementary school I attended 1st and 2nd grades…
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I talk northern Minnesota mining politics on MPR
If you missed it, here is the audio of my interview with Tom Weber on MPR’s The Daily Circuit this morning. We talked about northern Minnesota mining politics and economics. There’s always more to say, but this went OK. Related posts: No related posts.
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Before the Iron Range, there was iron Waynesboro
Hello to all the new readers who heard me on MPR this morning. Ahhh, who am I kidding? Hello, old readers. We’ve been talking about the way that mining affects communities, for better and worse. Here on the Iron Range it’s not hard to see the impact of mining, both in the changed landscape and…
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‘Mining Truth’ expands nonferrous debate to economics
Today, a collection of environmental groups launched a campaign called Mining Truth, an effort to engage conversation about the actual economic benefits of nonferrous mining in northeastern Minnesota. It appears to be the most substantial effort to date to discredit the economic claims of mining supporters and developers in the region. Aaron Klemz has a…
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Dylan Days 2012 begins in Bob’s hometown
Dylan Days 2012 kicks off Thursday in Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing. I’ve been involved with Dylan Days since 2001 but this is the first year I’ve stepped back a bit from some of the press work. I’ll be emceeing the literary event on Friday. Many of the press and social media activities have been…