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A college journalist and the last interview of Gus Hall
Last week, I was the keynote speaker for the June meeting of the Finnish Americans and Friends club in Hibbing. I wish I could say it was because they were super impressed with my 1/8 Finnish heritage. Alas, that was not so. Rather, they wanted to know about an interview I conducted when I was…
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MN Power’s natural gas plant shows changing industry
Last week, Minnesota Power announced it would build a new natural gas power plant in Superior with Wisconsin-based Dairyland Power Cooperative as a partner. From a Brooks Johnson story in the Duluth News Tribune: “It’s really about giving customers affordable, reliable, less carbon-intensive energy,” Julie Pierce, Minnesota Power vice president of strategy and planning, told the…
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Hibbing Dylan Project plans lyrical monument to Bob
On Sunday, the Hibbing Daily Tribune reported on the Hibbing Dylan Project’s plan for a Bob Dylan monument on the grounds of Hibbing High School. The school board gave its blessing for the group to complete fundraising for the project. The proposed monument would be a curved wall facing a bronzed chair on the west lawn of the…
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Silicon Energy gone, new company moves in
Another vaunted Iron Range economic development project has quietly fizzled out. The Duluth News Tribune reported last week that Silicon Energy, a producer of solar panels, finally pulled out of its taxpayer-subsidized plant in Mt. Iron. This doesn’t come as a big surprise. Iron Range leaders have long murmured about the starts and stops of…
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The heat is on; the lawn is long
Last week a viral online image showed a man in Alberta, Canada mowing his lawn as a sizable tornado spun across the sprawling horizon behind him. “I was keeping an eye on it,” said Theunis Wessels of Three Hills, a small town on the Alberta plains. Though the picture made the tornado look close, it…
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Leah Phifer explores DFL challenge to Nolan in MN-8
Rick Nolan might have ended his exploration of a gubernatorial run, but he returns to his Eighth District congressional race to find some intrigue. Leah Phifer, a FBI counterterrorism analyst from Isanti, announced Friday she would explore a run for the DFL nomination in MN-8. She’s making her decision in a unique way: a motorcycle tour…
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What next for rural broadband?
State Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL-International Falls) lives about as far from St. Paul as you can get. After the end of the legislative session he returned to his home just outside town, wondering if the governor would sign the bills or call lawmakers back. Here’s what he wrote on Facebook: I received the info today on…
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Minnesota marks ‘Get Outdoors Day’ with free state park access
Looking for a cheap road trip? Or maybe you live near a state park you’ve always wanted to check out. If so, tomorrow is your day. This Saturday, June 10, 2017 all 75 Minnesota state parks will offer free admission in celebration of National “Get Outdoors” Day. In addition, many of the parks scheduled special…
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FARGO, Season 3: “Who Rules the Land of Denial”
The FX series “Fargo” takes viewers on a “true crime” adventure through the snow-swept landscape of Minnesota. Based on the Coen Brothers Academy Award winning film “Fargo,” each season of the TV series explores a new story cast from the themes of innocence lost, human failings, and the redemptive power of goodness. Northern Minnesota author Aaron J. Brown…
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Listen to audio of Dylan’s Nobel Prize lecture
Late last year, Bob Dylan issued his official acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Today, the Nobel committee released an audio recording of his lecture, a requirement for accepting the prize. It was already a compelling set of words, but it’s interesting to hear them in Dylan’s unique voice. The audio recording is on…
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A dad’s triumphant return to baseball ignominy
Something holy emanates from the crack of a baseball bat against a stitched leather ball. Doesn’t matter if the bat is aluminum or wood. That sound represents the unlikely collision of two round objects hurled toward each other by competing athletes. Ball and bat. Pitcher and hitter. Thunder and lightning. Two forces deeply connected, yet apart.…
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Rick Nolan opts against run for governor
U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) announced today he would not seek the DFL nomination for Minnesota governor. He will instead focus on his work in Congress and another run in his swing district. “After much thought and consideration with my wife Mary, friends, and family, I have decided not to run for governor of Minnesota,” said…
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Iron Range marks World Sauna Day ‘Sssssss’aturday
Saturday is World Sauna Day, an international holiday to celebrate the relaxing spiritual steam bath invented in the Nordic nation of Finland. This year, Finland also celebrates 100 years of independence from Russia and Sweden. Both holidays find their place on Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range, where large concentrations of Finnish immigrants, including some of my ancestors, arrived during the economic…
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Great Northern Radio Show cruises home to Grand Rapids
Lately, I’ve been thinking about Mr. Rogers. If you’ve never heard of him, or seen his groundbreaking children’s show, that’d be reasonable. It’s getting a little old now. But some of you might have seen the recording of his testimony defending federal funding of public broadcasting back in 1969. Others might have seen the viral story…
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‘Underground Optimist’ celebrates Ely
Last weekend, a new magazine appeared in Ely, Minnesota. Titled “Underground Optimist,” the publication is the creation of three Ely residents who want people in the area to see what’s going well in far northern St. Louis County. Kara Polyner, Greg Cramer and Rachel Colber all moved to Ely for love of a small community with a lot…