To update my earlier report, the House 3A Special Election to fill the seat vacated by the untimely death of State Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake) will now be held Dec. 8, with a primary on Sept. 22 29, according to sources familiar with the situation. The Governor will likely issue his call for the special… Read More →
DFLers already running in 3A special election
August 17, 2015 by 5 Comments
Though official word on the special election has yet to be announced, DFL candidates have already emerged in the House 3A race to succeed the late State Rep. David Dill. UPDATE: A supporter tells me that Ely City Councilor Heidi Omerza, current president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, is also considering a run for State Representative in this… Read More →
Iron Range-area lawmaker dies of cancer
August 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment
State Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake) died Saturday after battling a rare cancer. He was 60. He had been ill most of the year, but took a turn for the worse this summer. As we reported last week, Dill lived in Crane Lake near Orr but spent a good deal of his time operating a fly-in… Read More →
Range-area lawmaker Dill faces serious cancer
July 30, 2015 by 1 Comment
Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake) is gravely ill and receiving cancer treatment at the Mayo Clinic. The Tower Timberjay reported the news first, followed by the Duluth News Tribune and other media outlets. Dill and his family have not yet released a public statement explaining the situation, but several area officials have confirmed the serious… Read More →
Range business, gov’t leaders call for summit
June 29, 2015 by 48 Comments
In Sunday’s paper, the Mesabi Daily News published a story about the fact that Minnesota Power (Allete) executive Al Hodnick, former State Sen. Doug Johnson and IRRRB Commissioner Mark Phillips were joining to call for an Iron Range economic summit. From the Bill Hanna story: Hodnik wants an Iron Range economic summit soon to provide… Read More →
Northern MN art teacher crowned Miss Minnesota
June 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment
A Northern Minnesota high school art teacher was crowned Miss Minnesota last Saturday and will now use her campaign for the Miss America crown to highlight education issues. Rachel Latuff is the art teacher at North Woods High School serving Cook and Orr. You can catch the whole story in this Tom Klein article from the hometown… Read More →
IRRRB mulls $33 million 2016 budget
May 18, 2015 by 2 Comments
Even though the legislative session may go to the wire tonight at midnight, Iron Range lawmakers — who comprise the statutory Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board — will meet Tuesday morning in St. Paul to hash out the agency’s $33 million FY 2016 budget. “I am pleased that over half of the proposed budget… Read More →
Fishing for end to MN legislative session
May 11, 2015 by 1 Comment
Last weekend brought the opener of the Minnesota walleye and northern fishing season, one of our northern state’s most cherished traditions. Each Opening Day our state’s governor is expected to navigate the cold waters of a lake on a borrowed boat to catch a walleye regardless of his or her skill or interest in doing so. In… Read More →
Rukavina, Hujanen face off in marquee local race
August 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment
I was out of town when last week’s Primary Election results came rolling in. I’m back and it’s time to analyze some of the more interesting races. I’ll start with the race for St. Louis County District 6 Commissioner, where longtime Iron Range State Rep. Tom Rukavina of Pike Township seeks a return to elected office…. Read More →
‘Timberjay law’ makes gov’t contracts public
May 29, 2014 by 1 Comment
Gov. Mark Dayton signed into law a bill that would make public all government contracts, applying the Minnesota Data Practices Act to private businesses. They’re calling it the “Timberjay Law.” Here’s why: Recently, the Timberjay newspaper in Cook, Tower and Ely had sued to make public an $80 million public school contract agreement between the… Read More →
