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CONFIRMED: Complaint prompts legislative auditor to assess Iron Range coal gas project loan
Today, Brad White of the Office of the Legislative Auditor confirmed to me that his office is assessing a complaint that the $9.5 million loan by Iron Range Resources to Excelsior Energy for its coal gas Mesaba Energy Project was used inappropriately. After a month or more of assessment, White says the OLA will release…
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Franken weathers bad month like freight train full of rocks
… er, smart rocks. Something clever. I have to work on my blog headlines. There was a time there a few weeks ago when my favorite candidates, Barack Obama for president and Al Franken for Senate, were going through their respective former preacher and faux tax controversies at the same time. And, boy howdy, I…
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The important difference between wi-fi and high speed
A recent column from Mark Stencel of CQ Politics details the woes of major municipal Wi-Fi networks. The one in Philadelphia is currently going down in flames. I continue to advocate that northern Minnesota’s Iron Range must use its unique revenue and public governance structure to create a universal high speed internet network, whether that…
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Life of an Iron Range blogger, Part 2
I’m working on other projects this week, so instead of my normal posts I’m sharing a glimpse into some of the images that make up my life as an Iron Range blogger. When people think of the Range they might think of mines, rough-looking blue collar towns, piles of red dirt, pine trees and lakes.…
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Whitepine talks about steel wars
Paul at Whitepine, my east Range counterpart, is writing about the same modern-day steel baron wheeling and dealing that I have been talking about. His main argument is that we Iron Rangers need to have a backup plan because there’s a lot we don’t know about Essar and the Minnesota Steel project. I agree. Check…
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Life of an Iron Range blogger, Part 1
It’s officially summer in my world, which — unlike other teachers — means more work than ever. I have a book due June 16, a summer course starting next week and a legislative campaign committee to fire up. Therefore, this week and perhaps the next few weeks will be light on blogging. Instead I’ll be…
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Boondoggle vs. Audit
I may be slowing the blog for the next few weeks but I do have a couple stories that I’m following, including continued educated rumors that the expenditure of a $9.5 million Iron Range Resources loan to Excelsior Energy is being audited by the Office of the Legislative Auditor. I’m getting very plausible reports that…
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Grills, grills, grills!
This is my weekly Hibbing Daily Tribune column for Sunday, May 25, 2008. I archive my columns at my writing page. Grills, grills, grills! I think it’s safe to say that summer has arrived. I thought that a while ago but then we got eight feet of snow with sustained winds of about a billion…
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Dylan Days literary showcase today
Today at 2:30 p.m. I’ll be emceeing the Dylan Days Literary Showcase featuring the winners of the Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest, Toby Thompson and the world premiere of the first-ever Dylan Days One Act Playwright contest winner, Demetra Kareman’s “Lessons and Carols.” The event takes place at the Hibbing Community College Theatre. Admission is…
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Brown on the Air: Exercise (for real)
The “exercise” show scheduled for last week’s “Between You and Me” on 91.7 KAXE was postponed and will air, for real, this Saturday. My audio essay talks about exercise from an evolutionary standpoint, but don’t worry it’s not nearly that serious-sounding. Tune in between 10 a.m. and noon on 91.7 FM or streaming online at…
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Range high speed internet debate comes to Nashwauk
Once again, opponents line up to say we don’t need universal, affordable high speed internet on the Iron Range. They don’t want competition and are unwilling to provide the service themselves. I don’t care whether it’s FiberNet, Qwest or someone else — our leaders need to recognize that if the Iron Range doesn’t make a…
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‘Tangled Up in Ore: Bob Dylan and the Iron Range’
Dylan Days starts today. There’s plenty going on in Hibbing these next four days, but I’d like to point out the special Bob Dylan exhibit that opens today at Ironworld in nearby Chisholm. As Dylan Days co-chair, I played a role in the early stages of this project. But the hard work and vision came…
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Critical Greenway referendum fails
Greenway’s referendum failed after Tuesday’s votes were counted. My information comes second hand from someone in administration. I don’t have vote totals, but what I heard was the measure failed by about 200 votes out of about 1800 — roughly a ten-point defeat. (UPDATE: From the May 21 Grand Rapids Herald-Review, referendum fails 1170-898. That’s…
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Dylan Days opens Thursday, May 22
Dylan Days opens tomorrow and runs through Sunday in Bob Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. For those who don’t remember, I am one of the organizers of Dylan Days. I use this blog, perhaps inappropriately, to promote the event to the strange collection of political operatives, computer-owning Iron Rangers and Google searchers looking for articles…
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Rangers declare session successful
Better late than never; here’s Brady Silver’s roundup of the legislative session from an Iron Range perspective that ran in today’s Hibbing Daily Tribune. First hand accounts from my friend and colleague Rep. Tom Anzelc echo the sentiment that, while long and arduous, the session just plain went better than last time. Related posts: No…