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Session to explore difficulty of covering Polymet
This Thursday at 5:30 p.m., I’ll be one of three panelists leading a discussion entitled “PolyMet: Reporting on Tough Community Issues” at a venue in west Duluth. This panel is part of a series of community discussions centered around journalism and storytelling for the “One River, Many Stories” project along the St. Louis River in Northeastern Minnesota.…
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UPDATE: Interesting races on St. Louis County board
St. Louis County is a huge swath of land in Northeastern Minnesota. The county includes the region’s largest city of Duluth, more than half of the Mesabi Iron Range, and much of the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area — along with miles and miles of woods, waters and small towns. Geographically St. Louis is the state’s largest…
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Remembering Duluth journalist Larry Fortner
Former Duluth News Tribune editor and longtime Northern Minnesota journalist Larry Fortner died early Wednesday from cancer. The Duluth News Tribune remembers Fortner in a Peter Passi front page story today. After work in Florida and Kentucky, Fortner found his way to Duluth, Minnesota in 1979. He would become editor of the DNT, going on…
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One River, Many Stories
Before the road. Before the rails. Before the timber cruisers or even the original people. All that connected what we now call the Mesabi Iron Range to the place we now call Duluth at the head of Lake Superior was a little southbound crick called the St. Louis River. It gets bigger than a crick, of course, but never all…
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Economic salvation is local
Duluth, Minnesota, is among several cities featured in a James Fallows story in the March 2016 edition of “The Atlantic,” entitled “How America is putting itself back together.” The Duluth angle is what got my attention, but the rest of the story is what I’d like to talk about today. Fallows lists Duluth alongside his story’s…
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Iron Range musher wins fourth Beargrease
Nathan Schroeder, a Warba native who lives near Chisholm, won his fourth John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon early this morning when his team crossed the finish line near Billys Bar in Rice Lake, just north of Duluth. Jason Campeau of Alberta finished second, while defending champion Ryan Anderson of Ray took third. Schroeder won in…
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New Quack City: giant rubber duck headed for Duluth
Tall Ships Duluth 2016 will be held Aug. 18-21 in the International Port of Duluth, Minnesota. Real, fully-functional wooden masted sailing ships that replicate historical vessels will dock at Duluth for tours, rides and historical interpretation. These are always huge events, drawing hundreds of thousands to Duluth at arguably the most beautiful time of year…
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GOPer Donna Bergstrom to seek SD 7 seat
We’ve heard about DFL candidates for the office, but today Donna Bergstrom joined the District 7 Senate race as a Republican. Erik Simonson and Sharla Gardner are the announced DFL candidates to succeed Sen. Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth) who is not seeking re-election. Here is her press release: Duluth, MN (January 27, 2016) – Donna Bergstrom…
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Liz Olson first to announce bid for open 7B seat
Liz Olson, a Duluth community organizer, has announced her candidacy for the open District 7B seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives. The district covers much of western and central Duluth. “I believe in a Minnesota that promises all of us a chance to live with dignity — A Minnesota that offers access to living…
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Bernie Sanders to campaign in Duluth
When I started this blog in 2006 it was much more dedicated to the daily tit-for-tat of national politics than it is now. I wrote an absolutely insane number of posts about the 2008 election, for instance. This year I’ve taken a more relaxed view of the national election. For one thing, I refused to…
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Emily Larson to be sworn in as Duluth mayor today
Today, Emily Larson will take the oath of office as the new mayor of Duluth, Minnesota. She becomes the first female mayor of this Great Lakes international port city and successor to popular outgoing mayor Don Ness. Here on the Iron Range I refer to this position as the “person we see disproportionately on the…
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Simonson tells supporters he plans Senate run
State Rep. Erik Simonson (DFL-Duluth) told supporters today in an e-mail that he plans to run for the State Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Roger Reinert. Reinert announced this morning he would not seek re-election. Simonson currently represents the 7B side of the district. This is the e-mail, which was forwarded to me: Friends, I…
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Duluth senator Reinert won’t run again
State Sen. Roger Reinert (DFL-Duluth) announced today he would not seek re-election in 2016. “2015 was amazing,” said Reinert in his statement. “I finished my first year of law school, was promoted to Lt. Commander in the Navy, and most importantly – got married. 2016 is the right time for the next chapter of life.” Reiner…
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Last chance to be Duluth’s next lift bridge operator
Applicants have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to apply for the highest-profile blue collar job in Duluth: Operator of the Aerial Lift Bridge. Pay starts at $42,444 per year and includes benefits. The gig involves pulling levers to make the bridge go up and pulling levers to make the bridge go down. That’s the fun part, probably what…
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New ship to haul last grain of 2015 from Duluth
The last international grain ship of 2015 will arrive at the Port of Duluth, Minnesota, Sunday night or early Monday morning, according to officials with the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. UPDATE: Due to high winds, the Federal Bering was forced to take shelter near the Apostle Islands. It is now expected Tuesday morning. The Federal Bering…