News and Current Affairs Posts

Merging in construction zones on I-35

Jul 21, 2010 41 Comments

I know previously someone started up a conversation about the proper use of the merge lanes on I-35, but I am unable to find that posting.

I now have been honked at, given the finger, had one woman actually move her car to block me and then just sit in the left lane blocking traffic, because I’ve properly used the left lane for merging and have zipped past all those who have chosen to sit and creep along in the right lane.  My husband has actually had cars swerve out at him as he’s passed, which is now making me nervous to even attempt to use the merge lane.

Have any of the local news stations talked about this? It’d be sweet if they’d all remind people that those of us who actually use the left lane and merge at the appropriate point are the one’s doing the correct thing.


News and Current Affairs

St. Louis County Primary Election 2010 Sample Ballot

Jul 21, 2010 5 Comments

Some notes on the Aug. 10 Primary Election:

* This is an election in which you have to choose a party. You can’t, for example, vote for a Republican governor and a DFL congressman. On the partisan side of the ballot you have to vote for the same party in all races. That’s how it works, whether you like it or not.

* Your party choices are Republican, Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Independence. Yes, there are some candidates representing other parties — Constitution, Green, Ecology Democracy, Resource and Grassroots — but those candidates do not have any opposition within their parties and therefore move on to the General Election automatically.

* If you live in Duluth, you won’t see the County Commissioner races that are listed on the sample ballot — those are for districts outside of Duluth. Pretty much all of the Duluth-relevant nonpartisan county races have only two or one candidate, so you won’t get to vote on them until November. The exception is the Sixth District Court Judge 11 race, which has eight candidates.

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News and Current Affairs, Politics

No Bad Apples

Jul 19, 2010 18 Comments

Members of RWDSU-UFCW Local 220 in Williamson, NY, have been trying to negotiate a contract with Mott’s, a subsidiary of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. The company is looking to slash wages by as much as $1.50 an hour for each and every employee, and is trying to take away the workers’ pension plan. There is no economic necessity for what the company is seeking to do. It is a profitable, growing company.

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News and Current Affairs, Politics

Robert Plant Covering Low

Jul 15, 2010 6 Comments

Music, News and Current Affairs

River Walk West development seeks city land on trail in Riverside neighborhood

Jul 10, 2010 10 Comments

The view looking out to the St. Louis River from land the could become part of the River Walk West development.

On the Duluth City Council agenda for a first reading on July 12 is an ordinance authorizing the sale of city property in the upper Riverside neighborhood between Spirit Mountain and the U.S. Forestry Department’s Superior National Forest headquarters.

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News and Current Affairs

Exhibit by writer/photographer Brenda Paro opens Friday

Jul 08, 2010 No Comments

Duluth writer and photographer Brenda Paro is presenting new work at the Washington Gallery beginning Friday, July 9. Subtle Cargoes is an exhibit of complex photographic collages paired with poetry, presented using a variety of printing techniques and materials.

The opening reception takes place Friday, July 9 from 6 to 8 pm at Washington Gallery; the exhibit will also be open every Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm (or by appointment) through July 25. Washington Gallery is located at 315 N. Lake Ave. in Duluth. For more information visit brendaparo.com, or call Paro at (402) 740-5122.


Art, News and Current Affairs, Photos

Bemidji Beaver Returned

Jul 07, 2010 10 Comments


The Bemidji City Council voted on Tuesday to return the beaver sculpture which had been removed from display over concern that decorations on it resembled a pudendum. DNT story here


News and Current Affairs

Tornado Warning in Duluth?

Jul 07, 2010 22 Comments

Today is the first Wednesday of the month, and that’s when the emergency sirens are routinely tested, but today’s drill was a little unusual. The siren went off three times, and the middle siren was followed by a “tornado warning” and instructions to “take cover.”

I guess the snafu two weeks ago wasn’t an isolated incident.


News and Current Affairs

Knee High By The…..

Jul 04, 2010 4 Comments

Happy 4 July.


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors, Photos

Dial 715 for Superior

Jun 29, 2010 16 Comments

Beginning July 17, Duluthians must dial area code 715 to call Superior. The good old days are over.

Starting Aug. 14, some new numbers in the 715 area code will be issued area code 534. What are local calls now will still be local calls, but you’ll have to dial the extra numbers, so it’s pretty much the end of the world as we know it.


News and Current Affairs ,

Tornado Warning

Jun 21, 2010 No Comments

http://www.noaa.gov


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors , ,

Six-story Jesus Struck by Lightning

Jun 16, 2010 10 Comments

How did this story not make the PDD headlines?


News and Current Affairs

NorShor sale to DEDA official

Jun 15, 2010 3 Comments

From the news release:

The path is now clear for the historic NorShor Theater to again become a focal point for Duluth arts and entertainment activities with the Duluth Economic Development Authority’s completed purchase of the NorShor Theater, Temple Opera building, and Norshor Annex.

Today, Mayor Don Ness announced that DEDA closed on the purchase of the buildings from Eric Ringsred and said plans are already underway to reestablish the NorShor Theater as an important part of the downtown waterfront district.

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News and Current Affairs

Is tonight Ladies Night at your favorite bar? Dept. of Human Rights would like to know.

Jun 09, 2010 16 Comments

I’m not naming names here, but I know of at least one bar in Duluth that has Ladies Night specials.

Minnesota Daily is reporting that free and discounted drink specials which apply specifically to women may be a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

“Gender-based pricing violates the Human Rights Act,” says Minnesota Dept. of Human Rights Commissioner James Kirkpatrick.

Five Twin Cities bars are being investigated.


News and Current Affairs

Raw milk is either going to kill us or make us live forever, according to experts

Jun 08, 2010 19 Comments

Apparently, according to the Minnesota Dept. of Health, if raw milk from one dairy farm in Minnesota is contaminated with E. Coli, then raw milk in general presents a serious health risk.

And apparently, according to a dairy farm accused of having contaminated milk, there’s no way it could be their fault, even though five people have been hospitalized and the same strain of E. coli found in several animals at the farm in question has been found in the sick people.

Sure, it’s possible that the dairy industry somehow has manipulated the Dept. of Health into scaring people off raw milk from family farmers — after all, it did a good job scaring Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle last month. But isn’t it possible that one farm can screw up without an entire product being considered dangerous?

And let’s not even get into whether raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk or not, since even that seems to be a major debate, with both sides telling us the other milk is going to kill us.

Anyway, we might as well have the regular people who don’t know anything spout off about it on PDD. So, is raw milk going to kill us or make us live forever? Or is it just as dangerous as other food products and probably not much more nutritious, but comes from a nice little farm where the cows are treated well and that’s good enough?


News and Current Affairs