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Makers unite for Iron Range Makerspace
Some of you might recall my Oct. 11 column “Tinkers, Thinkers and 3-D Printers,” in which I suggested one way to diversify the Iron Range economy was to develop homegrown inventions and entrepreneurship. In that piece, I talked about “maker spaces,” places where dues-paying members would have access to sophisticated building, welding and milling equipment along with 3-D printers.…
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Is this the 1980s again on the Iron Range?
I grew up in the 1980s on a junkyard just a few miles south of Eveleth Taconite. Growing up on a junkyard is probably the best way to understand the things humans build, sell, use and discard. So let’s consider a new car. I’ve only ever bought one brand new car fresh off the lot. It…
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Political theater ensures people keep ‘driving through’ Range
It’s been a busy week and will be a busy weekend, so I can’t get too wound up about highway politics on the Mesabi Iron Range. After all, I’ve probably said enough in recent months about State Highway 53 and St. Louis County Highway 5, both of which are on the move to accommodate mining…
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Naked parties expose awkward moment for Iron Range city
This morning the city public safety committee met in Virginia, Minnesota. On the agenda: naked parties. Specifically, what can be done about naked parties held in city limits? (Spoiler: It’s not clear). The issue stemmed from an awkward exchange at last week’s city council meeting. If you’re looking for a little light office cubicle viewing, by all means advance to 24:15…
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Don Ness, Teague Alexy take book tour to Iron Range
On Wednesday, Oct. 21, Duluth mayor Don Ness and musician Teague Alexy will bring their shared book tour across the Mesabi Iron Range. Ness’s book is “Hillsider: Snapshots of a Curious Political Journey,” a self-published creative memoir combining essays, stories and photographs by the popular outgoing mayor of the Zenith City. Alexy’s book is “The New Folklore:…
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Looking down on the Laurentian Divide
As we see the autumn leaves of the Iron Range reach peak colors, already beginning to fall in my corner of Itasca County, enjoy this recent video by Above the Range, a YouTube channel dedicated to aerial footage of Northern Minnesota scenery. See it here: The Laurentian Divide is the geographical “rock” (no pun intended) of…
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‘End is Near’ for Iron Range mine view
With peak fall colors upon us, this weekend offers a historic opportunity for travelers to Northern Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range. “Mineview in the Sky” is a scenic overlook situated upon a mine dump between Eveleth and Virginia. Due to proposed new mining by Cliffs’ United Taconite plant which is forcing the relocation of Highway 53, “Mineview in the Sky” will…
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Feds OK environmental review on Highway 53 project
Federal regulators have approved the environmental review for the Highway 53 relocation project on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range. The state seeks to move the existing road — a vital north-south artery for the whole region — to accommodate an old agreement with mining interests who wish to extract iron ore beneath the current road. The…
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U.S. Steel, ArcelorMittal back to table with Steelworkers
Next Monday U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal will resume negotiations with the United Steelworkers of America over labor contracts at Mesabi Iron Range mines. Cliffs Natural Resources is also negotiating with Steelworkers over contracts at its mines. All of the Minnesota’s 4,500-some miners are affected by these talks. U.S. Steel took a break from talks nine days ago to allow…
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Climate change’s local impact subject of talk tonight
Climate change is the kind of issue that generates predictable political reactions. That’s why it’s good sometimes to change the tone, localize the story and talk in practical terms about the scientific observations people are making. For instance, our forests are changing. Trees that once thrived here are being replaced by trees that once did…
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ArcelorMittal walks away from negotiations with Steelworkers
The United Steelworkers report that Arcelor Mittal has walked away from the negotiating table during the contentious contract talks that have weighed on Iron Range workers and families this month. The USW committee is returning home, where members will brief local miners in coming days, according to a USW statement. Workers at ArcelorMittal’s Minorca Mine in Mt.…
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Blazing trails to sustainable Iron Range economy
To quote a line from William Blake, “Expect poison from the standing water.” True of water. True of spirit. True of Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range. The kind of poison I’m talking about comes from hopelessness. Our Iron Range economy has suffered in recent months, years and decades. We have watched young people leave, and worse…
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Firm hiring Iron Range replacement workers
Iron Range labor supporters were angered yesterday when the Mesabi Daily News ran a classified ad for a firm hiring replacement workers with experience in a “metal manufacturing and processing facility.” Applicants were warned that “this is a labor dispute situation — employees will be transported across a picket line.” Given the tenuous nature of negotiations between…
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Sept. 5 ‘We are the Range’ concert at Olcott Park
On Saturday, Sept. 5, Iron Range musicians will unite for “We Are the Range,” a benefit concert for area food shelves, at Olcott Park in Virginia from 1-9 p.m. Admission is free, but everyone is asked to bring non-perishable food or financial donations. It’s a good lineup, with a quintessential Range sound. Headlining will be…
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Highway 53 to the Danger Zone
Right now preparations are underway to reroute Highway 53, Northeastern Minnesota’s north-south corridor, to accommodate a nearly 50-year-old agreement with mining interests. The Cliffs-run United Taconite has put in notice that it wants to mine the area under the current highway, requiring a new one. Engineers say the new Highway 53 will track further east out…