News and Current Affairs Posts

Coal Train (Soultrane?)

Parked (?) train blocks view of Lake Superior

Parked (?) train blocks view of Lake Superior from http://duluthdailyphoto.vox.com/

I thought this was intended as a temporary winter seawall.

But Duluth Daily photo (above) and later the Duluth News Tribune had some good coverage of this that straightened me out, apparently these coal cars are just being stored on those tracks, even though they do sit in a storm prone spot. Now, DNT’s Brandon Stahl writes that the train will be moved to Leif Ericson Park.

“Precious Waters” – Minnesota’s Sulfide Mining Controversy

The short film “Precious Waters” which takes a hard look at the sulfide mining industry’s history of failed predictions and the potential impacts it will have on northeastern Minnesota will be showing in Duluth this week and next.

Thursday, December 3
Duluth League of Women Voters Forum
US EPA Conference Center
6200 Congdon Blvd, Duluth
Showing of Precious Waters at 6:30 p.m. followed by a panel discussion and audience questions

Monday, December 7
Teatro Zuccone
222 E. Superior St.
Movie showing at 7 p.m., followed by a panel of local speakers

Tuesday, December 8
Teatro Zuccone
222 E. Superior St.
Movie showing at 7 p.m.

The film is also available in it’s entirety for viewing online along with more info regarding this important topic at http://preciouswaters.org.

Northern Lights Express could cost $1 billion

From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

The proposed Northern Lights Express from Minneapolis to Duluth runs into complications after a MnDOT “worst-case” estimate comes in much higher than a more conservative estimate by rail supporters.

Little boy from Duluth finds E. T.

The Onion: Boy Finds Own Real-Life E.T.

More harsh online criticism of the Duluth News Tribune

Just when PDD had gone a full month without a post specifically targeting the local daily newspaper, Business North coughs this up for us to share:

DNT Web ‘deep’ linking challenged

Sex offender “roach motel”

The Minnesota Sex Offender Program has failed to rehabilitate a single patient. Each person enrolled costs the state $134,000 annually.

Yikes.

Winning bidder in DWI recliner auction says he can’t pay

As predicted …

The man who won an auction for a motorized recliner being sold on eBay has told the Proctor Police Department that he can’t pay for the chair, the city’s police chief said Tuesday.

Body Love, Size Acceptance & Health at Every Size

A Women’s Resource & Action Center Brown Bag Presented by Linda Gokee-Rindal

Wednesday, Nov. 18th 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Kirby Student Center 268

Sponsored by UMD Women’s Resource & Action Center, UMD Women’s Studies Department & UMD Health Services

Free and open to the public.

Contact info:
UMD Women’s Resource & Action Center
Kirby Student Center 266
[email protected]
218-726-6292
http://www.d.umn.edu/mlrc/wrac/

When the Weather Outside is Frightful: The Science Behind the Weather and How to Stay Safe

Thursday Nov. 12, 2009
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Great Lakes Aquarium
Cost: FREE

CleanBar – Sober Networking Event

clean_front

No Can Haz Drunken La-z-boy

Only a few hours left in the infamous motorized La-z-boy auction, and it’s nowhere to be found on ebay! Anyone know what happened to it?

Oh well. If I can’t have an infamous motorized La-z-boy, I can at least bid on this.

UMD Fall Sustainability Fair: Nov. 4

UMD Sustainability

UMD Office of Civic Engagement

UMD Fall Sustainability Fair
When: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 10-3
Where: UMD Kirby Student Center
What: Sustainability is the balance achieved when a society is able to provide for its own needs without compromising the needs of future generations. The bi-annual UMD Sustainability Fair has been established to highlight the progress of sustainability efforts within our community. The Fall 2009 Sustainability Fair will feature panel discussions and presentations focusing on the issue of food, in conjunction with the Superior Grown Food Summit which will be held at UMD on Saturday, Nov. 14. However, sustainability encompasses multiple, overlapping issues, including: education, energy, natural resources, government, economy, health, transportation and social justice. Public and private groups representing these facets will be present to showcase their progress.

Regarding Rod Raymond

Rod Raymond is a fitness instructor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He was investigated by UMD administrators this past summer and reprimanded for sexually harassing students. The issue became the hot topic in town last week when the Duluth News Tribune reported on it.

A post was made on this Web site last week regarding the issue, and a lot of people weighed in with comments. The person who made the post ultimately grew uncomfortable with it and decided to change the post and remove all the comments, except one.

Since then, PDD administrators have opted to not approve two other posts about the issue — one that didn’t seem to make any sense, and another that was purely mean spirited. A third post was automatically published, but was later removed because it was considered to be in poor taste.

This is a sensitive issue, but it’s also an important one. It is not the intention of PDD’s administrators to shut down all commentary about this. On the contrary, we encourage you to add your comments to this post. If you feel Mr. Raymond’s punishment was too light or that he was unfairly judged, by all means say so.

Just keep it productive, please. Don’t go all batshit loonball.

Honkers get together on Facebook

Surely this will come as no surprise, but there’s now a Facebook page for the Honking House.

Minnesota Supreme Court: Bong water is a controlled substance

In a split decision today, the Minnesota Supreme Court said possession of 25 grams or more of bong water that tests positive for a controlled substance can be prosecuted as a first-degree drug crime.