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Problems admitted in Range pension issue; important days ahead
As previously discussed, retired Iron Range miners from National Steel (now Keetac, under new management) have been through the wringer on their pensions after National folded in 2003. A specific group of miners receives pennies on the dollar, less than half the promised amount. Late last week the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, a federal organization…
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Range labor march slated today in Virginia, Minn.
The April weather in northern Minnesota has taken a February turn, with snow and cold blanketing the Iron Range. Nevertheless, programming is planned for this April 4 “Day of Action” traditionally reserved for community action in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. There are events all over the state, but the one that might interest…
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COLUMN: Today’s Range pioneers must break the circle
This is my weekly column from the Sunday, April 3, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Today’s Range pioneers must break the circle By Aaron J. Brown No position, no land, no political condition may be defended indefinitely. Always in history the walls fall, the barbarians throw open the gates. The same is true…
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Brown on the Air: UNWELCOME GUESTS!
My weekly contribution to this Saturday morning’s edition of “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE joins the rotating topic of “unwelcome guests.” Stories may focus on the obvious interlopers who might linger in your basement, or on the critters who sneak in or surround us. I’ll be revisiting the story of the flying squirrel…
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Gone with the thrift store
Here is another installation in my occasional series on Iron Range newspaper classifieds. This one is from the March 31 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune, the only paper I know that’s run an ad for a lost ring right next to an ad for a found ring. TO THE lady who bought “Gone with…
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Hibbing grad pens NY Times op/ed on value of education
In Wednesday’s New York Times, author Marie Myung-Ok Lee shares her experiences as a student at Hibbing High School 30 years ago. An essay on the often unheralded value of good teachers, this is a loving tribute to two teachers who made an enormous difference in her life. Though I’m separated from her experiences by…
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Google passes over Duluth for Kansas City, Kan.
Google has announced that it will build its experimental fiber internet network in Kansas City, Kansas, not in Duluth, Minnesota, or one of the 1,000 other cities that applied for consideration. Duluth, Topeka, Memphis, Grand Rapids, Mich., and a few others made serious bids for the project that included community support projects and publicity stunts.…
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Got them post-industrial small town blues
I’ve had a lot of demographic, socio-economic, political, cultural babble running through my brain this last week, as my posts have surely shown. Baseball season can’t come soon enough. Anyway, another way of looking at the woes of the Iron Range is to look at the troubles facing small towns generally. This March 23 “Why…
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Darren Danielson to succeed Dennis Anderson at WDIO
The Duluth News Tribune is reporting that Darren Danielson, co-host of public television’s Almanac North, will replace northern Minnesota TV news godfather Dennis Anderson at WDIO. Reading the story, it looks like those of us who like a little substance in our local newscast have a lot to like about this. Related posts: No related…
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Excelsior Energy IDed as key job creation policy failure
The Star Tribune ran a compelling and damning Sunday, March 27, news analysis piece on failed job creation policies in Minnesota. One of the projects singled out for particular scrutiny is Excelsior Energy’s Mesaba Energy Project, which I’ve characterized as a political patronage scheme run amok. (The Strib story by David Shaffer and Glenn Howatt…
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ChinaPlaneNewsBuildingPlaceCenter
Here are a couple more items to tag onto my list of local news links for the day: Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) has announced he’ll try to block the new ownership deal for Duluth-based Cirrus Aviation, saying that Chinese control of the company is a national security risk. Cirrus officials think that’s kind of dumb.…
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Hot battles, high times on the Iron Range
There’s a lot of Iron Range news going on these days. I’ve got more to post, but it’s a busy day. I’ve already written about the Capitol controversy over the GOP raid of an IRRRB economic development fund last week. This drama will continue all the way to the close of the session. MinnPost had…
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COLUMN: The numbers don’t lie
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, March 27, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. The numbers don’t lieBy Aaron J. Brown The 2010 U.S. Census released its report for the state of Minnesota earlier this month. The findings were not a surprise. Implications abound for those of us who live in northern…
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Brown on the Air: "SPRING?"
This week on KAXE’s “Between You and Me” I chip in an essay joining the Saturday morning show topic of “spring.” What spring? And I don’t just mean this in a small talk sort of way, like the guy at the gas station. I aim to explore the soul of Minnesotans, without, you know, getting…
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Chisholm boys, McDonald continue state run
This is a great story. The Chisholm Bluestreaks won their state boys basketball quarterfinal game yesterday, advancing to the semis this afternoon. Their coach, Bob McDonald, has been doing this 50 years and has more wins than any coach in Minnesota history. Demanding suits, ties, buzz cuts and no lip, McDonald guides a team from…