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Bullying, school shootings have northern MN history
Most of us trace our understanding of school shootings back to Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in 1998. I remember being a college freshman, watching the news in the cafeteria, having not fathomed that people would do a thing like that. It sparked a nationwide conversation on guns and the way kids treat each…
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A tale of two Marriage Equality Days
Today is the first day same-sex couples can legally marry in the state of Minnesota. For me, this is a happy day, particularly as I think of friends finally able to enjoy the legal benefits of long term committed relationships with the people they love. I spoke out against the anti-equality amendment last fall, and cheered…
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Northern MN ‘showboat’ tradition on Mighty Miss this weekend
You can still catch one of the coolest theater traditions of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, with this weekend’s closing performances of the Mississippi Melodie Showboat. Hometown Focus ran a lovely feature on the annual riverside music tradition in this northern town. You might recall that the boat sank last year. But don’t worry, they’ve got…
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Catch the Grand Rapids ‘Great Northern’ podcast
The last Great Northern Radio Show broadcast live from the Reif Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on June 29. And at last, we’ve got the podcast ready for you. Great Northern Radio Show — Saturday, June 29, 2013 — Grand Rapids, MN (PC: right click and “Save Link As” MAC: Ctrl-click and “Save Link As”…
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The colors of the Iron Range in summer
I took the above photo taking a walk on the Mesabi Trail between Grand Rapids and Coleraine. The reds, greens and blues of this kind of scene are my favorite colors, and you only see them on the Iron Range in summer. Someone sent me this lovely time lapse video of the Hull Rust Mine…
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Trampled by Turtles (@tbtduluth), Actual Wolf (@actualwolf) at Reif Center tonight
Tonight, Christina and I will be attending the Trampled by Turtles concert at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids. The Turtles are making their 10th anniversary tour around Minnesota, hitting venues where they got their start. Grand Rapids is the hometown of bassist Tim Saxhaug. Opening for TBT is Actual Wolf, whose frontman Eric Pollard…
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Unfortunate sign malfunction implies Unitarian damnation
Two weeks ago, the highway sign for the Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Unitarian Universalist Chapel on Highway 169 broke. Two weeks later, this is still what passing motorists see. Apparently MNDOT’s sign department has been infiltrated by hard-line Baptists. And the Unitarians are too nice to say anything. A divine statement? Well, I suppose we just…
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After Newtown: fast response in Grand Rapids, MN
This morning, we were working here at the house and my wife and I both got notification calls from the Grand Rapids (Minn.) School District. Law enforcement had contacted the superintendent about a potential danger at one of the schools in the district (not our kids’ school). Here is the notification we got from Superintendent…
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Longyear buys Grand Rapids site; marks West Range growth
More signs of economic growth on the western Mesabi: The Itasca Economic Development Corporation has found a buyer for its Itasca Eco Industrial Park in Grand Rapids. This was the former Ainsworth lumber plant that closed in 2008. J.M. Longyear, LLC, just bought the whole thing. GRAND RAPIDS, MN – On behalf of our board…