To kick off 2017, we are looking back at some of The Ranger's top photos from 2016. This short video features photos of IRRRB business, community and workforce development projects and programs. Enjoy!

Watch The Ranger: A Year in Review.

Northeastern Minnesota’s taconite industry is back at full strength.

With United States Steel Corporation’s Dec. 29 announcement that its idled Keetac facility will restart in March, all six Iron Range taconite plants will be operating for the first time since May 2015.

“This is great news for Keetac’s workers, for the Range, and for all of Minnesota,” said Gov. Mark Dayton of the Keetac restart. 

A surge in unfairly traded steel imports coupled with low iron ore and steel prices, impacted Iron Range taconite facilities in 2015 and 2016.

Three of the six taconite facilities were at one time or another idled during the downturn. Thousands of miners and support industry employees were laid off during the idlings.

Northeastern Minnesota’s six taconite plants, Minntac Mine, Hibbing Taconite, United Taconite, Keetac, Northshore Mining Co., and Arcelor Mittal Minorca, have an annual capacity of about 40 million tons of iron ore pellets.

Total iron ore pellet production at the six facilities for 2016 is expected to be close to 30 million tons.

Three Iron Range iron unit producers, Magnetation, Mining Resources, and Mesabi Nugget, remain idled. 

Several new or expanded IRRRB community development programs in 2017 are targeted at improving quality of life in northeastern Minnesota communities.

Successful applicants to the new IRRRB Downtown Business and Corridor grant program will be announced in early January. The first-year pilot program provides grants of up to $50,000 to help reinvigorate downtowns throughout the agency's service area.

Funding to IRRRB’s Culture and Tourism grant program has been expanded for fiscal year 2017 in response to public input received at four Recharge the Range forums in 2016. A $150,000 application cycle took place in November. A second $150,000 application cycle is set for March 1-31.

The Culture and Tourism program offers non-profits grants of up to $20,000 for community arts and culture, tourism and recreational activities, marketing and promotion to new audiences, improvements to quality of life, and capital improvements.

The IRRRB Application Fund grant program is also expanded to two application cycles. The program provides funding assistance of $150 to $5,000 to communities, non-profits and collaborative organizations for grant writing in support of innovative economic growth projects. A second funding cycle is March 1-31.

Learn more about IRRRB grant programs.

Giants Ridge in Biwabik is participating in the World's Largest Ski & Snowboard Lesson on Friday, Jan. 6. This Guinness World Record Event will be held at 10 a.m. 

One half hour group ski and snowboard lesson will be offered for $10 per person. The event is open to those ages four and up. 

For lesson participants, there is a discounted $10 lift ticket price and a $10 ski or board rental available.

Pre-register by calling 218-865-8017. 

IRRRB publishes a print edition of The Ranger newsletter in the Mesabi Daily News, Hibbing Daily Tribune and Grand Rapids Herald-Review. 

Featured articles in the Jan. 1 issue were:

* The little city that could; Ely community pulling together to reinvigorate business district

* Looking ahead to a brighter future, a message from IRRRB Commissioner Mark Phillips

Read the print edition of The Ranger.