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Range colleges have new boss
Even though I am the boss of this blog, I am not the boss at the job that pays my bills. Dr. Sue Collins is on track to become the next president of the Northeast Higher Education District, which includes five community and technical colleges in or around the Iron Range. As I am an…
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Another blow to local news coverage in northern Minnesota
The Duluth News-Tribune, northern Minnesota’s largest newspaper, announced 10-15 percent job cuts in all its departments yesterday. This will mean cuts in the newsroom, further diminishing their ability to cover the paper’s large two-state readership area. Based on the recent departure of their Iron Range reporter, I infer this will mean reduced coverage of Iron…
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Wassomatta Tech?
As fans of Bullwinkle know, Minnesota is home to the fictional college “Wassomatta U,” where the famous moose received his education (and played football). Well, Bullwinkle’s fictional, highly theoretical children (mooselets?) might be headed off to Wassomatta Tech. During this election year, we’re bound to hear plenty of criticism and debate about the federal “No…
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Sounds like a summer blockbuster …
From a piece called “The Dude Vote” by Edward McLelland of Salon.com, by way of the Star Tribune. “I wish [Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama] could run together,” [blogger Thomas] Stodder swoons. “They’d be like one of those old 1970s cop shows — the crusty old seen-it-all guy who goes by his gut, partnered…
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Environmental groups cleared for legal action against Northshore Mining
For those who follow mining news in northern Minnesota, it appears that two environmental groups scored a win Wednesday in their efforts to bring legal action against Northshore Mining. Minnesota Public Radio reports. Related posts: No related posts.
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"Tobacco Monologues" panned by Health Dept., "show" to close immediately
Minnesota Public Radio is reporting that the state health department is shutting down the popular “theater exemption” loophole used by bars around the state to get around the new statewide workplace smoking ban recently. I wrote a column on the subject last week. My piece only received two responses, one negative from a bar owner…
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Seven weeks is a long damn time
Today is the political equivalent of Groundhog Day. The sewer rat saw his shadow, so now we have seven more weeks of bullshit. I need to take a break from worrying about the national presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton had a good night in Ohio, Rhode Island and the Texas primary. My guy, Barack Obama, won…
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Country life turned this driver soft in the city
Sorry, today was a blogging bust for me. I was in Duluth most of the day visiting my grandma in the hospital. She’s doing much better; recovering well from a near-fatal aortic aneurysm two weeks ago. She pulled out her own feeding tube two days ago and threatened to do the same with her chest…
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House bonding bill includes partial funds for key Range projects
The Minnesota House of Representatives’ proposed bonding bill includes money for the Essar Minnesota Steel plant near Nashwauk and to abate the flood risk at the Canisteo Pit near Bovey. I hear that the governor is sticking to his guns about the creation of the Vermilion State Park I mentioned yesterday, however, which means that…
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Vermilion state park plan lives
One of the odd things that happened last year is that Gov. Tim Pawlenty proposed something new for the Iron Range that the state and even some local leaders didn’t even ask for or especially want. Pawlenty suggested that the state buy land along Lake Vermilion from U.S. Steel to create a new state park.…
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Smoky theatrics at Minnesota bars
This is my weekly Hibbing Daily Tribune column for March 2, 2008. My columns are archived at my homepage. Smoky theatrics at Minnesota barsBy Aaron J. BrownChange isn’t easy, especially when addictive drugs and thousands of billable lobbying hours are involved. That’s why last year’s “Freedom to Breathe Act” took so long to become law…
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If you can’t smoke ’em, drink ’em
State Rep. Tom Rukavina is one of the great characters of the Iron Range. I mean great in that he personifies our unusual culture rather well and that his heart is usually in the right place, too. That said, he has a knack for randomly enhancing the Range’s longstanding reputation as a place of loud,…
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Brown on the Air: Souvenirs and ‘C is for Comfort Food’
I am a triple media threat this weekend. Jump back! Old Media (TV): I will be baking fudge bars using a recipe from Bob Dylan’s mom’s personal file on “C is for Comfort Food” on WDSE Channel 8 in Northern Minnesota from 1-4:30 p.m. this Saturday, March 1. I promise to tell you the story…
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The "Coleman Letters" controversy
By now, you may have read the news about Sen. Norm Coleman’s campaign distributing mass letters to the editor for supporters to submit to papers around Minnesota. (MPR, MNPublius, AP). The letters were criticizing Coleman opponent Al Franken, the leading Democrat. While encouraging supporters to write letters to the editor is common practice, the concept…
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Session battles cast eerie light
Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) lashed out harshly after the legislature overrode his veto of the transportation bill. Today, the Senate is expected to oust Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau from her dual role as Transportation Secretary by denying her long-delayed confirmation. The Senate’s bonding bill does not match the governor’s (the House’s bonding bill is expected…