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Great Northern ‘goin’ up the country’ for Nov. 7 barn show
The blog will be entering another “hot idle” for the same reason as last time. I’ve got a show to write. On Saturday, Nov. 7, my Great Northern Radio Show will broadcast live from Larson’s Barn outside McGregor, Minnesota. The show airs 5-7 p.m. on Northern Community Radio and its northern translators. To be clear, we…
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Responding to the Cuyuna call
For months now, Aaron Hautala of the Cuyuna Cycle Crew down by Crosby and Ironton had been trying to get me to do a story on the changes related to their efforts to attract outdoor recreational visitors to these old iron mining towns. From mountain bikes to Yurts, paddle boards to SCUBA divers, the place has a…
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Warm greetings from Minnesota’s northern hellscape
All through yesterday friends and neighbors collectively set ablaze my social media feed with a link to an article entitled “These Are the 10 Worst Places to Live in Minnesota,” posted on a website called RoadSnacks.net. To save you the suspense, Nick James of RoadSnacks.net lists the worst cities are as follows: Cambridge Brainerd Grand…
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Cuyuna cycling group sets goal of ‘3 days of riding’
We’ve written before about the Cuyuna Iron Range’s tremendous success rebranding itself for fat tire mountain biking instead of just as a “former mining region.” Late last week, the Cuyuna Bike Crew — the organization created to organize and advocate for mountain bikers and trails — announced its comprehensive plan. While the plan is replete…
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Loving and loathing where we’re from
If you’re interested in the survival and development of small towns and rural places, you’d be well served to follow my friend Chuck Marohn, CEO of the nonprofit Strong Towns, a firm helping smaller cities make good decisions with their money. Chuck’s a big advocate of the notion that many expensive infrastructure investments that small…
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The Undefeated Rick Nolan: Analyzing Election 2014
On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan deployed the vaunted ground game of Minnesota’s quirky Democratic-Farmer-Labor party and a passionate closing message to eke out the toughest election of his career. Nolan’s years in Congress bookend an entire generation, serving first from 1975 to 1981 — then later returning in 2012. Though the political map surrounding his home in the Crosby area has…
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Wall Street Journal profiles MN-8 from Wall Street POV
After being featured on National Public Radio after Joe Biden’s visit, and other national media outlets, Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District campaign continues to turn heads. Kristina Peterson and Dante Chinni of the Wall Street Journal profiled the district in this Oct. 30 piece “Democrats Lose Their Grip on Voters with Keys to the House.” The…
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Great Northern Radio Show to rebroadcast Park Rapids show
UPDATE: You can now download the podcast here. This Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. you can hear the rebroadcast of my Great Northern Radio Show, which aired live last Saturday night from Armory Square in downtown Park Rapids, Minnesota. The show will air on Northern Community Radio, including 91.7 KAXE (Grand Rapids and…
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Northern Minnesota restaurants lead per capita
It’s no secret that tourism is big business in Northern Minnesota. The hospitality and recreation industries employ thousands, while the ebb and flow of tourists are a big part of life here in the North Woods. I often write about Northern Minnesota’s economy, and how its actual composition compares with the idealized one usually discussed in the media. Mining, for…
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Great Northern Radio Show in Park Rapids on 9/27
If you’ve wondered why posting has sluffed off some here at the Iron Range’s fastest-growing news and culture blog there is good reason. I’ve been writing the latest edition of the Great Northern Radio Show while balancing my usual mix of writing, teaching and cloak-and-dagger projects. I’m happy to announce that the script is done…
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Hibbing, Duluth, Brainerd among new Dunkin’ Donuts locales
UPDATE: Grand Rapids, MN is also on the list of new locations. A Hinckley, Minn., couple is developing seven new Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Northern Minnesota, including Duluth, Hibbing and Brainerd. That according to this Paul Walsh article in today’s Star Tribune. [New franchisee Brian] Weidendorf said the Duluth locale will be in a remodeled…
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Cuyuna Range mining talk hails old ghosts
What would you do if an old girlfriend or boyfriend called? Would you take them back? What if you haven’t talked in 10 years. Or 20? Try 50. This is the discussion going on in Northern Minnesota these days and it isn’t about love; it’s about mining. There were three active iron mining ranges in Northern Minnesota through…
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Joe Radinovich heating aid bill first to pass 2014 legislature
The 2014 legislature got off to a mostly useful and bipartisan start with emergency legislation to fund home heating assistance programs. The bill, carried by Rep. Joe Radinovich (DFL-Crosby), comes amid what has become a crisis of short fuel supplies, rising costs and enormous heating demand amid one of the coldest winters in recent memory.…
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NWS: Brainerd blast was likely a meteor strike
Windows and knickknacks rattled across the Brainerd area last Friday night. Then, an explosion. What was it? A meteorologist with the National Weather Service suspects the cause of a sonic boom and small blast near Brainerd late last week was probably a meteor. Meteors are rare in these parts and, unless someone finds the small chunk…
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Forum Communication to buy Brainerd newspaper
Forum Communication, the company that owns the Fargo Forum and Duluth News Tribune, has purchased the Brainerd newspaper, the Dispatch. Forum has been expanding its reach into Minnesota after buying the DNT a couple years ago. Like most newspaper companies, it is known for cutting costs, striving for higher profits. It’s also known for stepping…