Introduce your self and provide her some story suggestions at 218-723-5320 or lbutterbrodt@duluthnews.com.
I’ll return to spending extra time on my power and mining beat, with the occasional story exterior of these matters. Stay in contact. You understand how to attain me.
Iron ore shipments down
In a 12 months the place three of the six Iron Range taconite mines and pellet crops had been shuttered — and a fourth curbed manufacturing — for a number of months due to the pandemic, it ought to come as no shock that fewer pellets had been shipped on the Great Lakes in 2020.
In 2020, a complete of 41.2 million tons of iron ore was moved on the Great Lakes, a 29.9% lower in contrast to 2019, in accordance to the Lake Carriers’ Association. Compared to the five-year common, it is down 21%.
Most of the mines restarted manufacturing by late summer season, however U.S. Steel’s Keetac in Keewatin was the final to come on-line in mid-December. If you recall, the company wanted to build up a supply of pellets earlier than the Soo Locks closed for the season final week.
And with that, December shipments of iron ore began to catch up to 2019 figures, down solely 3.8% in contrast to final 12 months.
Northforce service aims to connect college students, mentors
Northforce is launching a service to connect area college students with local professionals.
Student Connect aims to carry internships, job placements and volunteer alternatives to school, technical college and Okay-12 college students in Northeast Minnesota and Northwest Wisconsin.
“We designed Student Connect to meet the needs that have been clearly and repeatedly expressed by regional employers and our partners in workforce development and the education sector,” mentioned Elissa Hansen, president and CEO of Northspan, which runs Northforce. “COVID-19 adds a whole new layer of complexity, but these conversations have been evolving in the same direction for years, along with our plans for Student Connect.”
The program was initially going to characteristic on-campus occasions and on-location employer meet-and-greet occasions. The pandemic, nonetheless, is forcing this system to go digital on Zoom.
The welcome and launch occasion is scheduled for Feb. 16 at 4:30 p.m. on Zoom. More data and registration is on the market at northforce.org/student-connect.
Study highlights vaccine confidence
The key to getting handed this pandemic, to up shopper confidence and return to a reopened economic system, is getting folks vaccinated.
So, will your neighbors get vaccinated?
In St. Louis County, there is a 79.8% probability your neighbors will, according to survey data collected by Carnegie Mellon University’s Delphi Lab.
It’s a 73% probability throughout the remainder of the Northland.
The Twin Cities metro-area counties have the very best figures, with many above 80%. St. Louis County and Olmsted County — house of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester — are the 2 highest in Greater Minnesota at 79.8% and 82.7%.
Stearns County is the bottom within the state at 68%.
Jimmy Lovrien covers power and mining for the Duluth News Tribune. Contact him at 218-723-5332 or jlovrien@duluthnews.com.
