News and Current Affairs Posts

Relax, kick back, and get a DWI

Oct 21, 2009 22 Comments

Proctor La-Z-Boy

Okay, this one’s bound to go viral.

“According to the criminal complaint, Anderson drove his motorized chair into a vehicle parked near a Proctor bar. Anderson told police he was traveling from the Keyboard Lounge after consuming approximately eight or nine beers. His blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.29 percent, more than three times the legal limit to drive.”

…

“Anderson had to forfeit his motorized chair to Proctor police, who plan to auction it with other forfeited items, Foucault said.”

Duluth News Tribune : La-Z-Boy crash leads to DWI in Proctor


News and Current Affairs ,

Explosives in a car behind the Twins Bar?

Oct 19, 2009 20 Comments

Duluth Police have three city blocks on lock down and employees at SMDC have been asked to stay inside and cannot go home. I heard there was explosives found in a car behind the Twins Bar. Anyone know what’s going?

[Update] Some dumb ass was “transporting” some dynamite in his car for a “friend” and then got cold feet. He then pulled over and called the police.


News and Current Affairs , , ,

Oct. 17 Twin Ports Anti-War Protest

Oct 15, 2009 5 Comments

Oct. 17 Duluth Anti-War March & Rally
NATIONAL DAY OF LOCAL ACTIONS TO END THE WARS

Saturday, October 17 is a national day of local actions against the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around the country over 40 cities and towns will be holding protests, among them will be Duluth, Minnesota.

To give local citizens an opportunity to demonstrate their opposition to the ongoing wars this country is waging, we’ll be holding a march and rally in downtown Duluth starting at noon. We’ll be assembling at the Clayton, Jackson & McGhie Memorial at the corner of 2nd Ave. E. & E. 1st Street. From there we’ll march to the Duluth Federal Building.

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News and Current Affairs

Is Duluth “anti-growth”?

Oct 13, 2009 51 Comments

On his DNT blog, Buzz Duluth, Brandon Stahl interviewed St. Scholastica Econ Professor Tony Barrett about the city council’s frequent talk regarding “expanding the tax base,” and what that actually means. In the post, Barrett explains that the only direct way that the council can expand the tax base is to attract new business “through subsidies or TIFs,” or through zoning changes, or “to eliminate steps” involved with business development.

Barrett then goes on to explain that Duluthians are often resistant to this kind of growth.

“Every community has certain groups that oppose growth; environmentalists who don’t want to see trees cut down, or less green space… people who fear that growth is going to require higher taxes,” he said. “Duluth has a strong element of people who just don’t want Duluth to change. They like it the way it is. That’s why they didn’t move away to the Twin Cities, maybe get a better job. Duluth, of all the communities I’ve lived in, has the strongest anti-growth sentiment. And I think it’s really our culture of people liking Duluth just the way it is.”

The comments, of course, blame the DFL and “environmentalists.” But in light of the recent Honking House fiasco, the Lakewalk townhomes, and the debate over the reorganization of Duluth’s schools, it seems that the conflict in opinions is far more complex than some would like to admit.

So what do you think?


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Peace Cabaret

Oct 13, 2009 1 Comment

Mississippi Civil Rights Project Fundraiser: Music and Performance

Carmody Irish Pub, 308 E. Superior St, Duluth, Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 7:30-10 pm
Peace Cabaret: Welcome by Claudie Washington. Barton Sutter, Rabbi Amy Bernstein, Mary Cameron, David Comer, Portia Johnson, and Claire Kirch read short pieces by Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Fannie Lou Hamer, Stokely Carmichael, Sojourner Truth, and Barbara Jordan. Jazz by Perfectini.

This November, photographer/activist Sue Sojourner is returning again to Holmes County after working there in the Civil Rights Movement for five years in the 1960s. This time the Oral History Center of the University of Southern Mississippi-Hattiesburg is holding a gathering for the surviving veterans of that Movement. The event uses a workbook Sue created on the Holmes Movement History as a memory catalyst. It will be a unique local-community-led oral history documentation project.

This fundraiser will help defray travel costs to Mississippi. It will also help Sue finish her memoir and catalog her historical collections for transfer to two archival institutions.


News and Current Affairs ,

Duluth’s western middle school plans

Oct 13, 2009 10 Comments

DuluthWesternMiddleSchool3498

Check out the plans for Duluth’s western middle school. Click here to see the PDF file.


News and Current Affairs

Looks like Superior is one-up on Duluth today…

Oct 12, 2009 2 Comments

… that is, unless Duluth has produced any Nobel laureates (has it? Does anyone know?)

Superior native Oliver Williamson shares this year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences…. stories here and here.


News and Current Affairs

Happy Leif Erikson Day

Oct 09, 2009 4 Comments

Leif Erikson Park Google-leif-erikson

I just thought it would be good to pay some respect to Mr.  Leif Erikson on his day.  Or is it Ericson?

I will stick with his nickname “Leif the Lucky” that’s catchier anyway. Either way he was a great explorer and discovered this great continent 500 years before Mr. Columbus and was way cooler. Get out and celebrate and have a beer for your favorite Norse explorer.

And screw you Google, why no respect for Leif the Lucky? O’well we will give him the Google love he deserves here.

Send your love to Leif and comment how much he means to you on this Leif Erikson Day 2009.


History, News and Current Affairs

Rally and Ride for Climate Protection Oct 24

Oct 07, 2009 1 Comment

Join Mayor Don Ness, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and hundreds of others in Duluth on October 24 as we celebrate pedal power and take action against global warming.

Rally and Ride (or Walk) for Climate Protection

Saturday, October 24 / International Day of Climate Action

3:00pm: Gather on Harbor Dr behind the DECC for a mini-rally and big group bike ride through Canal Park – costumes and noisemakers encouraged. No bike? There will also be a pedestrian march, complete with brass band.

4:00pm: Climate teach-in (details TBA).

In December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen to craft a new global treaty to cut greenhouse gas emissions. While many climate scientists are calling for immediate action to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million or less (we’re now at about 385ppm), the treaty currently on the table doesn’t pass that test.

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News and Current Affairs, Random

Go Twins!

Oct 04, 2009 1 Comment

The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers are tied for the American League Central Division Championship. The Tigers defeated the Chicago White Sox 5-3 today, and the Twins topped the Kansas City Royals 13-4.

The tie-breaking Twins/Tigers game will be on Tuesday, 4 p.m., at the Metrodome, about 17 hours after the Viking/Packer game ends. Quite a back-to-back lineup.


News and Current Affairs, Sports

Research

Oct 02, 2009 1 Comment

Ig Noble Awards

The 2009 Ig Nobel Prizes have been announced!

– Cows who have names give more milk than cows that are nameless.

– A brassiere that, in an emergency, can be quickly converted into a pair of gas masks.

– Whether it is better to be smashed over the head with a full bottle of beer or with an empty bottle.


News and Current Affairs

Iran will allow Swiss access to detained hikers

Sep 29, 2009 1 Comment

Associated Press story via KARE 11 TV.


News and Current Affairs

Duluth Honking House Hearing

Sep 28, 2009 32 Comments

HonkingHouse489572

Did anyone go to tonight’s Duluth City Council meeting to watch the show as the council debated potential parking restrictions on Skyline Parkway near the infamous Honking House? (Back story found on this post, including a link for the even further back story.)

Or did you all stay home and ironically watch part two of Ken Burns’ documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea?

The council voted unanimously against the two resolutions.

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News and Current Affairs

Minnesota North Shore Fall Colors Report 2009

Sep 27, 2009 No Comments

This year’s fall colors are a bit behind due to warmer than normal weather, but should start to peak in the next few weeks. Typically the peak happens sooner if you go inland from the shore. The colors right on or near the shores of Lake Superior tend to peak a little bit later.

See Minnesota DNR’s Fall Color Finder for more info.


News and Current Affairs, Outdoors, Random

New Duluth DECC arena making progress

Sep 26, 2009 6 Comments
  • Scheduled to open Dec. 30, 2010. Grand opening celebration Dec. 31, 2010, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra will perform.
  • Will seat 6,600 for men’s and women’s hockey and more than 8,500 for concerts.
  • Cost: $80 million
    50% Minnesota state funding; 1% city food and beverage tax increase will fund 27%; 12% UMD and 11% DECC.
  • Learn more here: http://arena.decc.org/
Duluth DECC

Duluth DECC

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News and Current Affairs