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UPM-Blandin to temporarily idle Grand Rapids paper mill
The UPM-Blandin paper mill in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, will temporarily shut down. The idle is expected to last into May. WDIO reports that union officials believe it will be at least two weeks. Like the shutdowns of nearby iron mines, this shutdown is the result of lagging demand from the general slowdown in the world…
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Talkin’ Range history, communists & nonferrous mining, as one does
Last week I gave an e-mail interview to Ed Newman for his blog, which he published as “Dylan Town: MinnesotaBrown Talks About Life on the Iron Range and Its History, Past and Present.” It was an challenging exercise for me, as it combined several different aspects of topics I cover here at the blog. First,…
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Talking animals keep us from cracking up
Our son George circled March 20 on his calendar long before our current public health crisis. That was the day the new “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” game would be released for his Nintendo Switch. I must admit that I reacted to George’s palpable anticipation with a healthy dose of fatherly skepticism. “So, you’re an animal…
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New site lists Iron Range restaurants offering takeout option
It can be tricky figuring out which of your favorite restaurants are still offering takeout amid the COVID-19 public health crisis. One new website, Good to Go, lets local people know which Iron Range eateries offer food to go. The Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRRB) organized the list. Restaurant owners can…
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Keewatin Taconite to shut down by late May
Another Mesabi Iron Range taconite mine will shut down amid a growing economic recession. Today, workers at Keewatin Taconite learned that they would be laid off in waves over the next month. WDIO reports that the plant will be fully idled by the end of May until demand for ore picks up at some point…
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Sometimes it freezes in April
I walk every day, one of a few good habits that augment my shortcomings. Today, as I often do, I walked up the county road by my house toward the Prairie River. The river flooded its banks last week. It always does this time of year. I’ve seen it higher, but not by much. Acres…
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Cleveland Cliffs idles Northshore Mine until Aug. 15
Cleveland Cliffs announced today it would idle its Northshore Mining operations in Babbitt and Silver Bay until at least Aug. 15. This becomes the first mine shutdown announced since the economic recession caused by COVID-19. Cliffs will also shutter its Tilden Mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Cliffs recently completed its takeover of AK Steel, but…
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Former WNBA star to coach Mesabi Range mens basketball team
Despite the lack of sports I still watch ESPN every morning. Mostly it’s nice to have a break from the grim specter of pandemic news. But today I wasn’t expecting Sportscenter to provide breaking Iron Range sports news. Former WNBA player Tamara Moore will coach the Mesabi Range College men’s basketball team next year. This…
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Iron ships sail into economic storm
Economists study the market’s “invisible hand,” but when it comes to the economy Iron Rangers believe what we see. That’s because here in northern Minnesota economic indicators ride in iron ore cars pulled by diesel engines on steel rails. With our own eyes we see Minnesota’s iron mines operating despite the historic shuttering of the…
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New CEO, pilot plant highlight Prairie River Minerals activity
The iron ore industry forges ahead despite global economic recession. As evidence, one new northern Minnesota scram mining company will break ground later this month. Prairie River Minerals, LLC, told WDIO this week that it would begin constructing a pilot plant near Coleraine soon. The company will process old hematite stockpiles from earlier days of…
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Classical musical festival will now lead Iron Range Jewish cultural center
A happy Passover to all who celebrate. This high holiday of the Jewish faith often passes unacknowledged in northern Minnesota, but this was not always so. A vibrant Jewish population joined the pioneer communities of the Mesabi Iron Range. In fact, Jews were among the first people to arrive in many Range towns. These families…
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All workers are essential
My latest column for the Minnesota Reformer appears today. My topic is one part personal and one part political. Childcare providers like my mother are deemed essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis, but few like her are paid a living wage. Here’s an excerpt: My mom is a childcare provider in northern Minnesota. She’s started…
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Dig Deep tackles COVID-19 and what comes next
Last week, my friend Heidi Holtan hosted my other friend Chuck Marohn and me in a live Dig Deep conversation about COVID-19. It was the first time we’ve done the show from different places. The news ebbs and flows, good news mixed with the bad. As a nation we’re not yet free of collective response…
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John Prine sang the grief of losing places like mine
John Prine died Tuesday from complications of COVID-19. He had been critically ill with the disease for days following years of battling cancer. The singer-songwriter with his high gravelly voice was best known for brilliant working class lyrics brimming with pathos, humor, and sometimes uncomfortable honesty. As the New York Times pointed out, Bob Dylan…
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New urgency for rural broadband
My family and I live down a long dirt road in rural Itasca County. Mud season reminds us of the challenges of rural life and the thin tendon joining our home to civilization. This world seems even farther away during the coronavirus pandemic sweeping our nation and the world, but it’s still there. We still…