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Clark releases internal poll showing strength (upon prompting)
As reported last week, we now know that the three DFL candidates for Congress in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional district will likely compete in an August primary to face Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) next fall. Tarryl Clark’s campaign has sent me a memo touting Clark’s fundraising success (with numbers to be released next week) and highlights…
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Reif Center release has height, width AND depth
Happy April Fool’s Day! I’m sure there are a lot of great gags out there, but my favorite so far is this press release from the Reif Center for the Performing Arts in Grand Rapids, Minnesota: Reif Arts Council President David Marty has announced that, effective immediately, ALL performances at the Reif Performing Arts Center…
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Gogebic Taconite cancels northern Wisconsin project
Citing dissatisfaction with a bill that would loosen environmental permitting, officials for Gogebic Taconite announced the cancellation of their plans to mine taconite near Ashland, Wisconsin. Gogebic Taconite CEO Bill Williams offered this brief statement: Senate rejection of the mining reforms in Assembly Bill 426 sends a clear message that Wisconsin will not welcome iron…
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The Range survives redistricting, but western battle looms
I’ve had a little time to review the new Minnesota legislative and congressional redistricting maps. If you read on, you’ll see what it means to the Iron Range and surrounding political universe. The congressional map is fairly simple. The districts largely retain their shape and constituencies. There are marginal changes in party index, some favoring…
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A ‘new normal’ for America’s economy?
Thought for the day: Is it possible that America’s 20th century strength (and the backbone of our success here in northern Minnesota’s steel and timber empire) was the nation’s forward-thinking and at times complete domination of the energy industry? Now that oil is becoming less reliable and plentiful as a commodity, we are struggling. Thus,…
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COLUMN: This old LEGO house
This is my Sunday column for the Feb. 12, 2012 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. This old LEGO houseBy Aaron J. Brown Parenthood doesn’t necessarily move in the phases described in child development books or, as they’re called in our house, “projectiles.” At the beginning is the spit-up, diapers and first steps-turned-thundering stampede. Then…
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Polymet delays environmental review in Range mine project
Also this week, Polymet has announced another delay in releasing its environmental review, a step in getting the necessary permits to mine copper and other minerals in northern Minnesota. The debate over nonferrous mining, or sulfide mining, continues to consume much of the region’s political energy. This news is perhaps welcome in that a more…
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Range reels as Magnetation considers other locations for plant
Yesterday, the Duluth News Tribune wrote about the reaction of some local leaders to the news that Iron Range-based Magnetation might locate its proposed taconite plant in Superior instead of near its scram mining operations in Itasca County. Give it a read. Notably, Rep. Tom Rukavina appears to be in open revolt. Yeah, after reading…
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Anzelc introduces bill demanding IRRRB loan transparency
Rep. Tom Anzelc (DFL-Balsam Township) has officially introduced a bill demanding more transparency in the loans given by the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) to private companies. The IRRRB is the unique state agency that governs mining production taxes paid by iron mines in lieu of local property taxes. The agency’s economic development…
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Beating the bumps in an Iron Range mining boom
I’ve recently advocated a sort of temperance in talk that boom times in mining are enough to propel the economy of Minnesota’s Iron Range forward. That’s not very fun, or very popular, or very important, I suppose, as the economy will react independently of what some blogger writes or what you see on your computer…
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Kicking our habit: The trouble with politics in our time
In the last couple years I’ve come to regard modern politics as a drug. You take the “politics opiate” for a reason you regard as good — the future of your country or community, issues close to your heart, a cause of some importance. But it doesn’t take long before you can find yourself in…
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Top MinnesotaBrown posts for 2011
As 2011 comes to a close I present this blog’s top posts for the year. After that I’ll share some of my personal favorites. I’m always fascinated at how different those two lists end up being. In fact, the top traffic list reads like some kind of comedy of errors in my ill-fated attempt to…
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Tepid St. Louis County mining resolution reflects need for new perspective
Another St. Louis County board meeting has led to a new blip in the debate over nonferrous mineral mining in northeastern Minnesota. The county board voted 4-3 Tuesday to back a rather tame nonferrous mineral mining resolution, according to a story in today’s Duluth News Tribune. Five hours of testimony and deliberation produced the following…
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Range roots rocker-turned-writer to play Kaleva Hall
Up on the north side of Virginia, Minnesota, along a stretch of road some still call the Finntown Flyway you’ll find an old temperance hall built by Finnish immigrants to impart future generations with music, literature and the power of the mind necessary to overcome demon liquor. Unfortunately, the fire water is still around, but…
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Good times roll on the Range, in theory
Another development on the growth of salvage mining operations on the Iron Range was reported today. Magnetation and a related company are teaming up to recover ore from an area near Chisholm. The St. Louis County Board is expected to approve the work at a meeting today, according to a story by the Duluth News…