Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation

Scott Sundvall from our Business Development team is at Fabtech in Orlando, along with Andrew Stokes and Rally Hess from Hibbing Fabricators/Trison. Together they are representing the Arrowhead Manufacturers & Fabricators Association (AMFA), which helps to strengthen and grow the manufacturing industry in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Other local businesses at Fabtech this year (not pictured) are Revolv Manufacturing of Hoyt Lakes and Range Tool of Gilbert. Fabtech is North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event that draws over 30,000 buyers and manufacturers. This year’s event has been very successful with numerous promising leads. Northeastern Minnesota is a great place for manufacturing! IRRR is proud to join Hibbing Fabricators at Fabtech 2024 to advocate for AMFA and our region!

The Ranger: School trail project made possible with task force grant Field Township was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Northern St. Louis County Trails Task Force to develop the nature area at the North Woods School Forest. North Woods School is part of Independent School District 2142. The township and school together manage over 84 acres of land located north of Cook. The grant helped pay for land surveying work and development of rough trails geared towards older students. The nature area compliments the school’s science, technology, arts, environmental studies and physical fitness classes. "The teachers have a lot of great ideas for using the outdoor classroom and even have classes geared towards that," said Pat Chapman, Field Township clerk. "The shop class is making signs identifying trees and plants in English and the Ojibwe language. There is a lot of potential for this to be a great learning environment plus a place of refreshing and solitude." Read the full article: https://bit.ly/4gZt8Dj

The Ranger: Culture & Tourism grant supports Broadway in the Boundary Waters Northern Lakes Arts Association (NLAA) brought Broadway to the Boundary Waters this past summer, marking the program’s second year in the Ely area. There were three musicals, two youth theatre camps and nine concerts. Professionals from across the country took part in the productions and camps alongside local artists. IRRR supported the project with a $10,000 Culture & Tourism grant. Total project investment was $92,645. During the summer, the program served 5,550 individuals through the shows, camps and free concerts in the park. An estimated 50 youth participants worked and trained alongside professionals. There were also talent and technician job opportunities filled by local artists. Read the full article: https://bit.ly/4gZt8Dj

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) Commissioner Ida Rukavina delivered remarks at the Range Transitional Housing (RTH) Emergency Housing for Families grand opening and ribbon-cutting event today in Virginia. The event celebrated the completion of a $2.2 million facility in Virginia that will house families in need. IRRR supported the project with a $400,000 Community Infrastructure grant. The project was made possible through a multi-organizational partnership between IRRR, Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency, the city of Virginia, St. Louis County and other entities. RTH constructed a building with two adjoining houses to allow for emergency housing for families. Each house will include both a three-bedroom and a two-bedroom apartment.

Indigenous Peoples Day: Today we recognize Indigenous Peoples Day, which was previously observed as Columbus Day. This change stems from honest reflections on the past, confronting the damage caused by colonization and honoring the lasting impact of Indigenous communities on our culture and the world today. The traditional knowledge shared by Indigenous communities has shaped our culture and continues to influence and uplift our world. Indigenous Peoples Day was first suggested in 1977 during the Geneva United Nations Conference. Jimmie Durham, an artist and civil rights activist, called for an end to the myths surrounding Columbus and colonization. Indigenous Peoples Day celebrates tradition, connection and life. Minnesota is located on ancestral and contemporary lands that have been called home by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. There are currently 11 separate sovereign Tribal Nations in Minnesota - four Dakota and seven Ojibwe - and a rich Native American history going back 10,000 years that includes the Ho-Chunk, Oto, Hidatsa, Arikara, A’aninin, Cree, Blackfeet, Assiniboine, and the Sac and Fox tribes. There is also a robust and resilient urban Native American community made up of citizens of Tribal Nations from across the country. Four Native American Tribal Nations are located within IRRR's service area: Grand Portage and portions of Bois Forte, Fond Du Lac and Leech Lake. Indigenous Peoples Day serves as an important time to learn and reflect on the history and experiences of Indigenous peoples to ensure greater understanding, increase access and opportunity and acknowledge the many contributions made by Indigenous people. Image: Star quilt, Gwen Westerman (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate), 2014.

The Ranger: Small business success: BER grant helps Chisholm Laundry Small business owners Jeff and Alena Baker purchased Chisholm Laundry earlier this year, remodeled the facility and added new state-of-the-art commercial laundry machines. The laundromat originally opened in 1995 and is located in Chisholm’s downtown area. IRRR supported the project with a Business Energy Retrofit (BER) grant that helped pay for the new laundry machines. The Bakers made plumbing and electrical upgrades to the facility. They added top and front single load washers, triple load washers, 30-pound capacity dryers, a change machine, drink and snack vending machines, free Wi-Fi, TV and a public restroom. Read the full article: https://bit.ly/4gZt8Dj

KeKe Stephenson, research analyst and Jason Janisch, climate and energy policy advisor represented IRRR at the Gateway to Solar Conference in Minneapolis earlier this week. Hosted by the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA), it is the Midwest's biggest solar and storage conference. Each year solar installers and developers, manufacturers, distributors, financiers, engineers, utilities, job trainers, trade unions, non-profits, government agencies and more gather for quality networking and education. At the conference, MiningMinnesota Executive Director Julie Lucas spoke to over 600 attendees about the relationship between clean energy and mining. #GatewayToSolar

Gain peace of mind and protect your family, organizations and personal information online with these simple actions: 1. Turn on multi-factor authentication 2. Update your software 3. Think before clicking on unknown links 4. Use strong passwords Use these simple steps to protect you and your family: https://bit.ly/4eBPngO #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth, #SecureOurWorld, #CyberSafeMN

Last Friday, we had the pleasure of attending the Northern Minnesota Film Summit, which was part of the North Star Story Summit held in beautiful downtown Duluth. Shari Marshik, executive director of the Upper Midwest Film Office, shared insights on various production projects taking place in the region and discussed the ongoing evolution of the content creation industry, along with what we can anticipate in 2025 and beyond. Melodie Bahan, deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film, provided an update on the state of the film industry, emphasizing efforts to enhance Minnesota's appeal to filmmakers and content creators.

The Laurentian Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual awards gala on Oct. 4 at the Iron Trail Motors Event Center in Virginia. Pictured are Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation employees Whitney Ridlon, Stacey Scholz, Jason Janisch, KeKe Stephenson and Deputy Commissioner Al Becicka, along with Mayor Larry Cuffe of Virginia. Congratulations to all of the nominees and award winners! ??