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Major Range nurses’ strike could happen May 4-7
I was out of town when this was announced, but the Hibbing hospital nurses have set strike dates of May 4-7. The local members of the Minnesota Nurses Association authorized the strike April 15 against the Range Regional Medical Center over staffing levels, patient safety and opposition to the merger of sick days and vacation…
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Fire at Poor Gary’s in Biwabik
There was a structure fire at Poor Gary’s Pizza in Biwabik overnight. The new site Range News Now has the story. Related posts: No related posts.
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Short memory on gas prices prevents progress
It’s happening again. Gas prices are inching upward, approaching and soon to breach $4 a gallon with some experts saying that even higher prices are possible. Local, state and national media outlets are going to gas stations, sticking cameras and microphones into the faces of motorists to garner their opinion. People don’t like price increases.…
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COLUMN: Grow, baby, grow: a backyard beginning
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, April 24, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Happy Easter! Grow, baby, grow: a backyard beginningBy Aaron J. Brown For most of my life I’ve lived on one side of the yet unresolved battle between man and nature. Ever residing within the natural splendor of northern…
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No time for politics, a glimpse ahead to my summer of letters
As fires burn across this world, we endure. I have been posting a little less frequently than I’d like but about as often as I can afford right now. Life is busy and as many of you know I have young children and a real job (which is not this). I took some time off…
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Brown on the Air: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAXE!
On 91.7 KAXE‘s Saturday morning call-in and music show “Between You and Me” this week I’ll be joining the program’s theme of celebrating this large, unique public radio station’s 35th anniversary. In honor of the occasion I review the meaning of a year. As usual, I wax poetic with jokes. Kind of my deal these…
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Iron Range Maidens score another roller derby win
So the Iron Range has a roller derby team, the Iron Range Maidens, and they just sent me a press release. Such an occasion requires me to share the item with you in its entirety. I hope you agree. IRON RANGE MAIDENS WIN SECOND BOUT! The Iron Range Maidens competed in their second bout on…
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Officials: Maintenance work spark caused Soudan mine fire
A spark from maintenance work that left a smoldering ember on old timbers has been identified as the cause of the fire at the Soudan Underground Mine state park. It appears unlikely that the mine will open for tours this summer. There was no damage at the advanced physics laboratory located deep within the mine.…
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Nursing strike, fast internet, highway news, squad smashups, etc.
The news backlog has grown large so I’ll just link you to some stories about what’s going on around the Iron Range. Hibbing nurses authorized a strike at the town’s big regional hospital last Friday (Duluth News Tribune). Parties now enter a 10-day “cooling off” period while labor and management continue negotiations. At issue is…
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Yet unresolved Range pension issue coming into focus
I’m a few days behind on this, but it’s worth mentioning that a top official with the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation traveled to the Iron Range to reassure National Steel retirees who saw their pensions stripped down after the company declared bankruptcy in 2003. The PBGC pledge to fix the problem now enters its strongest…
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Essar moves ahead with Nashwauk plans
Business North leads today with an update on the Essar Steel project slated over the boneyard of the old Butler mine outside Nashwauk. Company officials explain the progress of what is supposed to become the first integrated mining and steelmaking facility on northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. Others, (including, as I now see, myself), are quoted…
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COLUMN: Old school without even trying
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, April 17, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Old school without even tryingBy Aaron J. Brown It happened, like many things, in Target. A good marketer can tell you that there’s an innate difference in the aesthetics between major retailers like Target and Wal-Mart. These cathedrals…
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Brown on the Air: ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING
The 91.7 KAXE Saturday morning call-in and talk show “Between You and Me” tries again with the “Even my friends don’t know” topic. Host Heidi Holtan is on the mend from her lost voice. Tune in from 10 a.m. to noon on 91.7 FM or streaming live at www.kaxe.org. I explained more last week, if…
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Range profile eyes political culture, trends of storied region
Session Weekly’s Nick Busse pens a profile of the Iron Range legislative delegation worth reading. Perhaps repetitive for political insiders, “Ranger in a Strange Land” is a great primer for those who have wondered about the mindset of the fabled Range Delegation, which held its annual “Ranger Party” in St. Paul last Tuesday. For me…
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Leave Marble Alone
When I described my feelings wandering around the Iron Range city of Marble last weekend in a recent post, my observations spurred some unexpected squabbling in the comments. Alert reader Tony used the opportunity to create this: I think this needs to go viral. The less context the better. Related posts: No related posts.