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State economic picture steady, except up North
Minnesota is a geographically and economically diverse state. It’s often remarkable when I travel from my home here in the North to the Twin Cities how different the very fabric of society and the economy feels. The two worlds seem like they don’t require one another to survive. That’s not really true, of course. The state…
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Legislative Auditor: Does the IRRRB work?
On Friday, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor will release a major report on the effectiveness of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB). Though not a subject of much conversation on the street, this report has been long awaited by members of the region’s political class. Some dread what it might say,…
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No spring for you
The Northern Minnesota tradition of briefly allowing hope to enter your heart despite knowledge that disappointment lies ahead carries on. Today, a significant winter storm is settling over our corner of the world. Lots of heavy wet snow, putting added pressure on tree branches, power lines and our fragile psyches. There are many school cancellations.…
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Deal to extend benefits for miners is done
A longstanding worry of many unemployed miners on the Iron Range and their families is being resolved today. Today, the House Ways and Means committee passed a bill that would offer up to 26 weeks of additional unemployment benefits for Iron Range miners affected by a downturn in the steel industry. It would also include…
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Every man a king; one man an emperor
Spring air refreshes our winter-weary lungs, yet most of that delicious smell comes from rot. Such is the nature of change. Here in 2016 the political winds gust and swirl with unusual gusto, an El Niño year at the ballot box. Three out of the five candidates with any hope of a major party nomination…
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Iron Range miners get cartoon treatment
The debate over how to extend jobless benefits for Iron Range miners has reached its pinnacle form: the editorial cartoon. There aren’t many editorial cartoons being produced these days. Newspapers don’t pay people to do them anymore. But Steve Sack at the Minneapolis Star Tribune is still drawing. Sack’s latest cartoon depicts the debate over a jobless…
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70-pound carp lashes back at Dayton over speech
When Gov. Mark Dayton delivered his State of the State address on Wednesday, many would rightly have focused on the policies or political nuance. I am unable to let go of one section of Dayton’s speech: Minnesota has a proud history of tackling environmental problems and finding effective solutions. When I was a boy in the…
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Kelsey Johnson named president of mining group
On Thursday, the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota Board of Directors named Kelsey Johnson its next president. Johnson is an experienced lobbyist and recent Iron Range legislative candidate who grew up in Gnesen Township. The Iron Mining Association is the primary lobby for Minnesota’s iron mining industry. Member companies, including major Iron Range taconite producers, pay…
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Dayton leads speech with Range jobless benefits
Gov. Mark Dayton delivered his annual State of the State address before the Minnesota legislature last night. Like many such addresses, he highlighted his top priorities for the next few months, including investments in transportation and broadband infrastructure and investments in communities suffering from economic hardship. Leading Dayton’s speech, however, was a call on state…
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Gonzo iron ore price surge confuses market
Just over three weeks ago, global iron ore prices were trudging along in the doldrums just as they had since last year. Below $50/ton, iron ore costs more to mine here on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range than it’s worth. In simplest terms, that’s why this region’s mines have struggled since the spring of 2015. As 2016 began there was talk of…
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Feelin’ the flow of ‘hair’-brained MN tradition
Ice hockey demonstrates the unexpected combination of beauty, speed and finesse with sharp blades, hard sticks and unrelenting violence. The sport has been extremely popular in Minnesota since its widespread adoption in Canada and the United States. And why not? Minnesotans have access to endless amounts of ice and don’t like to talk about our feelings. Hockey takes care of…
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Iron Range jobless woes hit St. Paul gridlock
The Minnesota legislature prepares to convene Tuesday for a shorter-than-usual 2016 session. Lawmakers will travel to the capitol for three months of deal-making and not-so-subtle electioneering. Here on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range, many families are preparing for a very different sort of spring. A sharp downturn in the iron ore mining business led to almost 2,000 mine layoffs last year.…
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New vision for Range future
Life was hard for people who lived along Minnesota’s iron ranges 100 years ago. Working conditions in the mines were dangerous. Women had few rights. Nevertheless, it’s remarkable how much aspiration and hope these people delivered to future generations. Just read what they put on the walls. Found in the Keewatin City Council chambers are…
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State approves PolyMet environmental review
Never has the word “adequate” been such a hot topic. Today, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced that the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed PolyMet mine near Hoyt Lakes was adequate. “The environmental review process is about describing the potential environmental effects of the proposed NorthMet project,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr…
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Blows to Chinese steel offer hope to Range miners
This week, twin blows to the Chinese steel industry offer hope, at least temporarily, to the struggling American steel and iron mining industries. Yesterday, the U.S. Commerce Department announced it was planning to impose a 266 percent tariff on Chinese and other foreign steel due in response to the longstanding practice of “dumping.” China’s steel industry…