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Bridge outage snarls Canada’s main highway
Over the weekend the Nipigon Bridge in Ontario heaved amid extreme cold and high winds, closing what is essentially the only road across part of Canada. For a time it seemed likely that the closure would route trans-Canada traffic through Northern Minnesota on Highway 2. Today, however, Canadian officials were able to open one lane…
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Iron Range lessons from Mars
Every time NASA beams down new pictures from Mars we are reminded how much this desolate planet resembles an Iron Range taconite mine. The red landscape. Pits like craters. Dumps like dunes. Yet, every time commodities prices tumble in topsy-turvy global trade we are also reminded that economic survival here can seem just as difficult…
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FLASH: Minnesota cold in winter, especially outside
Minnesota is cold in the winter. Minnesota is the coldest state in the Lower 48 United States. Alaska is colder, but far away. Minnesota has a football team called the “Vikings.” The Vikings are named for the Nordic ancestry of many people here. Vikings were Scandinavian pirates who lived in cold places. They spent years sailing on cold waters. Eventually…
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The hope and woes of Iron Range special session
Before Friday, chances for a special session to address expiring unemployment benefits for laid-off Iron Range miners seemed bleak. Today, state leaders express more optimism. Nevertheless, with the clock ticking, legislative leaders have very little time to plan before some Iron Range miners will lose their benefits. At issue is the fact that Minnesota’s legislative session…
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Essar layoffs signal project hibernation
Around 3 o’clock Friday afternoon, the streets of Nashwauk were busier than usual, a dozen full sized pickups parked outside the town’s two bars, DeNucci’s and Wizards. The bars face each other at the last stop sign I see before heading past Essar Steel, north to my home in the woods of Itasca County on the western Iron Range. “That’s…
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Cold war bombs in the bogs of Northern MN
I came across a fascinating piece of Northern Minnesota history in this Doug Easthouse article “Bombing the Big Bog” in the Minnesota DNR publication, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. Northern Minnesota gets a lot of attention for its timber and minerals, but it’s also home to many thousand of acres of rich peat bogs. Some of these…
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Oracle breaks winds of change in 2016
The gas burner spews a flame of blue, red, orange and yellow into the ghostly white sphere above. I’m trying to type on an old manual typewriter, no easy task on a hot flying monstrosity operated by a muskrat. “Gnnaaaaagh!” shouts the muskrat. Steamy breath in cold air, his jaunty captain’s hat adding authority to…
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Radinovich to lead Nolan’s campaign
Last week, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan (D-MN8) announced that former State Rep. and IRRRB assistant commissioner Joe Radinovich would helm his re-election campaign in 2016. This move has been in the works for some time, but the announcement was held until Radinovich had made official his departure from an administrative position at the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation…
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MinnesotaBrown’s Top Posts of 2015
Each year, my top posts are usually a hodgepodge of Northern Minnesota interests. Sometimes, however, they present a real trend. That’s certainly the case this year as my posts about troubles in Northern Minnesota’s mining industry and related musings dominated my annual list. More on that below. Before we dive into the specifics, let me again…
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‘Microaggression’ top word of 2015
Before I begin, have you checked to see what you’re supposed to be outraged about today? See, it’s important to know, because the bulk of small talk in our times dwells on anger over etherial, untouchable matters. That might be a red cup at a coffee shop. The comments of a mayor in a small…
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My Christmas story in the Star Tribune
Merry Christmas, dear reader. I’m very proud to share this piece I wrote for the Star Tribune, which runs today as part of their “10,000 Takes” essay series. It’s a Christmas story, but much more than that. In fact, I’ve never written anything as personal as this piece, certainly not for a large publication. I’m a little…
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Gov. Dayton issues terms for Essar repayment
Today, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration released a letter sent to Madhu Vuppuluri, CEO of Essar Steel Minnesota, demanding the company accept repayment terms for about $66 million in state grants. Dayton gives the company until Dec. 30 to accept the terms of the repayment agreement in writing. Essar owes the grant money because it did not…
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Iron Range plight at heart of White House visit
On Tuesday, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough met privately in Virginia, Minnesota, with local officials, mining executives and Steelworkers. At issue was the major downturn in the American iron and steel industries related to a collapse in global prices. About 1,500 miners are laid off right now. One part of the problem is a glut…
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IRRRB OKs major Itasca broadband project
Today, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board approved a $1.25 million matching grant for the Paul Bunyan Communication broadband project in Itasca County. The funding secures a project that will connect 1,250 households, 3,500 people and up to 100 small businesses with service as fast as 1GB/second. The IRRRB vote was 7-1, with Sen.…
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U.S. places big tariffs on Chinese steel
The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that U.S. regulators have slapped huge tariffs on foreign steel in response to accusations that some countries are “dumping” their products on the American market. “Dumping” means that companies sell the steel for less than it costs them to make it. This is possible in countries that subsidize their steel industry…