American Crystal workers vote on contract, Worthington man returns from fight in Libya, Occupy Iowa

Posted at 7:30 AM on November 1, 2011 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Union votes Tuesday on new American Crystal contract proposals
Union leaders have made clear they are not satisfied with the company's new proposals, saying that they aren't enough, but they will not recommend how the 1,300 locked out members should vote (Grand Forks Herald).

St. Louis County Board considers new mining operation on Iron Range
St. Louis County commissioners are expected to give their approval today to a new, $50 million mining operation at an old mine site near Chisholm (Duluth News Tribune).

Worthington man returns to native Libya to help fight Gaddafi regime
Awad Abdulrahman trained rebel forces to fire machine guns, guarded oil fields and ultimately saved his friends by throwing himself on a grenade. Abdulrahman returned to Worthington just 16 days before Gaddafi was captured and killed (Worthington Daily Globe).

In Foley, private eyes on the street
In Itasca County, Marble, population 700, disbanded its two-person department in 2007. The Sheriff's Office was understanding, but unhappy about taking over without any additional funding, Mayor David Lotti said.Itasca County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Gregg Deutsch said the office has had to prioritize calls as its budget has stretched thinner, too. "If it's not an emergency situation, it might be put on a back burner," he said. "We do what we can" (Star Tribune).

Our View: Money, not safety, wins in Foley
we question the logic and priorities of elected officials who choose to lower their community's public-safety presence (and overall image) instead of -- gasp -- raising taxes to do what's right (Saint Cloud Times).

Police prepare as concealed carry begins in Wisconsin
It may be Nov. 1, the first day of the state's new concealed-carry law, but if you pack heat in Wisconsin without a valid permit to carry, prepare to be arrested, police said Monday (Journal Sentinel).

National Park Service closing Coldwater Spring for redo
The 27-acre site between Fort Snelling and Minnehaha Park is closing so the park service can tear down a dozen dilapidated buildings and restore the land to its natural condition. The area contains Coldwater Spring, where soldiers camped while they were building Fort Snelling in the 1820s (Star Tribune).

Prices high as harvest nears the end
As harvest is wrapping up in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota ahead of normal schedules, farmers are receiving record or near-record prices for their crops. That's counter-cyclical to the more typical dive in prices as the crops come in (Grand Forks Herald).

Stillwater ends dispute with auditor over bridge money
Donation to lobbying group has been surrendered by city (Star Tribune).

Bachmann 'out of money and ideas' in Iowa, says former campaign manager
Michele Bachmann has "run out of money and ideas" and can no longer expect to win in Iowa, her former campaign manager told ABC News on Monday (ABC News).

Iowa protesters call for national help to 'occupy' presidential campaign HQs
Iowa activists are inviting caravans of protesters from across the country to help them "occupy" all the presidential campaign headquarters in Iowa - and to shut the offices down if they feel their message about corporate greed is not being heard (Des Moines Register).

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Remembering Tom Keith, Dayton: votes don't add up for Viking stadium, mining battle heats up in Wisc.

Posted at 3:40 PM on November 1, 2011 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

There are a number of memories of Tom Keith emerging after his passing this weekend. He was known nationally as the sound effects man on A Prairie Home Companion, and he also co-hosted The Morning Show on Minnesota Public Radio for 25 years.

Tom was one of radio's great clowns. He was serious about silliness and worked hard to get a moo exactlyright and the cluck too and the woof. His whinny was amazing -- noble, vulnerable, articulate. He did bagpipes, helicopters, mortars, common drunks, caribou (and elands and elk and wapiti), garbage trucks backing up, handsaws and hammers, and a beautiful vocalization of a man falling from a great height into piranha-infested waters -- Garison Keilor.

Midday looks back at the life and career Tom Keith.

Guests
Tim Russell: Cast member of A Prairie Home Companion
Sue Scott: Cast member of A Prairie Home Companion
Dale Connelly: New Director for KFAI. Co-host of The Morning Show
Mike Pengra: Producer for 'The Morning Show'
Garrison Keillor: Creator and host of A Prairie Home Companion

Tom Keith, a showman but not a showoff
Tom was not a prima donna or a showoff, which was ironic given that he had such showy talents. His name was known to millions as one of the last surviving radio sound men, but he was not terribly interested in increasing his profile (MPR News).

MN Today has an exhaustive collection of stories about Keith here.

Also on MN Today
Dayton: Arden Hills Vikings stadium tax plan won't work
In what appears to be a major blow to the chances of a new Vikings football stadium in Arden Hills, Gov. Mark Dayton this afternoon said the votes are not there in the Legislature to let Ramsey County go ahead with a sales tax increase without a public referendum (Big Story Blog).

Minnesota residents will have opportunity to name turkeys being sent to President Obama
Minnesota residents have an opportunity to submit name suggestions for a pair of turkeys that are being raised in order to be presented to President Obama later this month. The top names will be submitted to the White House to be considered for naming the 2011 National Thanksgiving Turkeys (Hometown Source).

Political climate, metal prices heat up mining applications
There's a lot of interest in prospecting for minerals in Wisconsin's Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.Three companies want to begin exploration there (Superior Telegram).

Worms ruining Minnesota forests
Many people don't realize that western Great Lakes region has no native earthworms, or that they can harm trees, plants and forests that developed for 10,000 years without earthworms (Duluth News Tribune).

Acme Comedy Co. celebrates 20 years of stand-up
Minneapolis, it turns out, is a very good town for comics. Given the brief life expectancy of comedy clubs, the fact that the Acme Comedy Co. on 1st Street in the North Loop is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week, and by all accounts is going stronger than ever, counts as no small accomplishment (MinnPost).