-
Don’t cross check the lion (and other Chicago images)
OK, so I know I failed to offer more Iron Ranger “On the Road” tales from my Chicago trip last weekend. I got mired in conference business and then on the last day I spent 12 hours at O’Hare International Airport fighting for passage back to my native land here in northern Minnesota. More on…
-
COLUMN: On the move, on our dime
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, June 13, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. On the move, on our dimeBy Aaron J. Brown It would appear that another Iron Range highway must move to accommodate mining activity. It’s the 21st century but I can’t help wondering if war with the Spaniards won’t…
-
COLUMN: Away without kids
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, May 16, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Away without kidsBy Aaron J. Brown My current stage in life, a father of three young boys, frightens those without children. This phase provides, after all, a lot of screaming and fluids coupled with a perpetual thundering sound…
-
At DFL convention the Range yells a mighty Yalp
I’ve spent a day decompressing from my service as a delegate to the DFL state convention in Duluth this weekend (or, if you are not of that political ilk, I was instead gathering among the Bear People). Margaret Anderson Kelliher won party backing for the office of governor. That’s well known. From my standpoint, the…
-
My first Iron Range economic post for MinnEcon
Today I pull another media crossover/convergence/synergy gambit with this inaugural contribution to the MinnEcon blog by Minnesota Public Radio. I’ll be offering occasional video and text reports on the Iron Range economy as it relates to the state economy as a whole. This first one talks about how the Range economy is emerging from a…
-
COLUMN: "Fiber and Steel"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, April 4, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. Fiber and SteelBy Aaron J. Brown I’m going to talk about the Iron Range economy today but it’s not really about the economy, is it? It’s about us. From the workplaces and bars, coffee klatches and school functions,…
-
Another delay gives the Range some time to think
Several outlets, including the Duluth News-Tribune, report delays to the Essar Steel Minnesota plant outside Nashwauk on northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. Essar has cleared the site but because of changes to the original plan the company now must refile its Environmental Impact Statement to amend its permits. Overly optimistic predictions of production in 2011 are…
-
Tour the Scenic Range, explore the issues of our times
Last week I began an exciting new endeavor that marries this fancy, 21st century blog with a small town weekly newspaper. (Or, as the kids say, we’re going to hook up somewhat regularly for the foreseeable future). Electrons and ink! Quaint small town meeting notices and snark from around the globe! Every month I’ll be…
-
Cravaack reaches across the crevasse (formerly known as aisle)
So I’m just sitting there, being me (like I always do), and I get a phone call. It’s Chip Cravaack. He’s a pilot. But he’s not just a pilot; he’s running for the GOP endorsement for Congress in Minnesota’s 8th district. And he wants to talk to me, and my readers. First of all, reader…
-
COLUMN: "World’s a ‘Twitter’ over year’s top words"
This is my column for the Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece also aired as my weekly contribution to “Between You and Me” yesterday on 91.7 KAXE. World’s a ‘Twitter’ over year’s top wordsBy Aaron J. Brown If you don’t know what Twitter is, how it…
-
COLUMN: "Notes from November"
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. It represents the rare “notes” column on my part, in which I invoke the spirit of an elderly weekly newspaper editor to write about all sorts of things in seemingly random order. Notes from NovemberBy Aaron J. Brown…
-
COLUMN: "The toys indicator"
This is my column for the Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. The toys indicatorBy Aaron J. Brown So some of the mines, not all of the mines (including none of the mines closest to Hibbing) are back to work here on northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. We are supposed to feel…
-
COLUMN: ‘Blinded by berries’
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. A version of this piece ran on an edition of KAXE’s “Between You and Me” program. Blinded by berriesBy Aaron J. Brown So I’ve been picking raspberries lately. I moved out to the country a few years ago…
-
COLUMN: ‘The gap holding back our kids, our economy’
This is my weekly column for the Sunday, July 26 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. It expands on some of the topics I was talking about last week. I expect this will be more like the beginning of the debate than the end. The gap holding back our kids, our economyBy Aaron J. Brown…
-
A mine or a mill? Both? Let’s make sure
I’ve been holding onto this for a couple days trying to find time to write about it. Check out this June 27 story from the Sault Star (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) about Essar’s Algoma steel facility. The Algoma CEO explains Essar’s long range strategy in North America, including its plans for Essar Minnesota in Nashwauk.…