Most of us up here have a complaint or two about Minnesota. We grumble about the weather, the mosquitoes, or summer road construction. But there is a difference between grumbling about the place you …

There was big news in the steel industry this week, with the White House announcement that Mesabi Metallics was going to build the country’s largest steel plant ever somewhere in southeastern Iowa, …

A large, vibrant red leaf just went swirling by my head while I bask in the sun on my deck....the rich-toned Corinthian Bell wind chimes resonating a short distance away. I’ve been keeping busy …

We’re living in a time plagued by deep divisions. But I think most of us would agree, we’re in for some huge challenges ahead. Trouble is, there doesn’t appear any clear path forward. One that …

We’ve all heard the old saying… Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. But by the time the foolery gets to the third, fourth, or fifth go-round, you would hope voters finally get …

I send out a dozen postcards every week to our federal judges who insist on doing their jobs and protecting our constitution, and I would like to encourage your readers to do this as well. When you …

The cold weather heating season is just about upon us. Many people do not know of the increase in home heating oil that has occurred in the last couple months. Currently in Ely, the cost for 100 to …

Let’s fast forward to the day after the 2026 midterm elections here in Minnesota. The Republicans have gained control of not only the governor’s seat, but all statewide offices along with control …

I was in New York City on the day the two planes hit the twin towers, saw the smoke, smelled burning flesh, and comforted a neighbor who narrowly escaped one of the towers, guided by brave …

The last few weeks may ultimately come to be seen as the turning point when Americans— including a growing number of those whose livelihoods are at stake— began to recognize the existential …

I recently attended an Ojibwe jiisakaan or shake tent ceremony. There are parts of ceremony that are not mine to share, so I won’t. But I can share something I found myself thinking about …

While I do applaud Traci Marc and Fermilab for its eventual disclosure of some of the foggy mystery over the neutrino collector set to be deployed in Lake Vermilion, it seems curious that this has …

The Ely Public School District has a unique opportunity before it this November, one that could strengthen our schools by bringing additional state funding back to our community without increasing …

President Trump believes that solar energy is the “scam of the century” and that wind power is “ugly.”  He is using all his various powers to assure that all energy resources are …

Congress has abdicated its duty on gray wolves, and Minnesota’s DNR has stacked the deck against any hunting season. House Republicans have repeatedly passed bills to delist wolves and return …

Nearly 250 years ago, our nation signed a promissory note, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator, with certain unalienable …

When I was a boy in the 1960s, election night often meant a trip to the county courthouse with my father. Couriers brought the ballots in from precincts around the county, and the latest totals were …

Twenty-five years ago today, on Sept. 11, 2001, 3,000 people went to work, boarded planes, or simply went out for a normal day and never came home. The grief surrounding America’s worst terrorist …

I live near the west end of the Boundary Waters. My family’s favorite spot is the Little Indian Sioux River entry point off the Echo Trail. This has been a retreat for me since I first went there …

Privatizing incarceration for profit is the unstated reason for the acceleration of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. How many people are detained vs. how many are actually deported? Those …

In 2025, plagues were unleashed And darkness spread across the land Political appointees not fit to lead Assumed the mantles of command MAGA Republicans in Congress Purchased for Trump’s use A …

President Trump acts like a bull in a China shop, but on the world stage, instead of a China shop. He has no knowledge or sense of history. He operates on the spur of the moment and surrounds himself …

As I was wresting with what to write about this month, with so many compelling choices, but no strong leading. Trying to capture huge topics in 1,000 words is like trying to put my cats in the cat …

With the Nov. 3 general election now just two months away, voters in the St. Louis County School District , or ISD 2142, need to understand the implications of their vote on the district’s proposed …

Gov. Walz has given us a real choice to make in November. We know that the copper/nickel deposit here is huge in area but is very lean in content per ton of crude ore that would need to be blasted …