Range Environmental Drilling (RED) acquired a new piece of advanced equipment through a loan guaranty with Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. The Hibbing-based, veteran-owned and operated company secured an AMS, Inc. brand PowerProbe machine that performs environmental and geotechnical direct push drilling in hard-to-manage job sites, such as uneven terrain and restricted spaces. Watch a video of the PowerProbe at work.

RED conducts environmental site investigations that require drilling up to 100 feet vertically into the ground. For example, if a gas station suspects an underground tank leak, RED drills at the site and supplies the soil samples for examination. Or drilling may be needed in an area to determine if the physical properties of the soil are suited for a new large-scale commercial structure. RED’s services are contracted by consulting, engineering and government agencies, and local clients include Northeast Technical Services (NTS), Braun Intertec and Barr Engineering.

The PowerProbe is a multi-functional powerhouse equipped with a 200 foot/pound direct push hammer, a 3,000 foot/pound auger head and an overhead winch. The machine can core through concrete and asphalt to allow access for the collection of intact continuous soil cores.

“The new equipment increased our operational efficiencies,” said Todd. “It requires only one person to operate it and doesn’t need a dedicated vehicle. It is mounted on its own platform and track making it compact enough to access confined spaces where we frequently have to drill.”

RED Owners Todd and Vicki Knuckey are Hibbing natives and founded the company in 2008. Prior to that, Todd was employed by NTS where he operated a drilling rig. He recognized the market need for environmental drilling services, founded his own company, and now performs work for NTS and many other organizations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. He has employees located in Hibbing, Minneapolis and Duluth to conduct drilling operations. Todd is also a 4-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

“Owning a small business in the agency’s service area gave us added financial strength to purchase modern equipment that is helping to grow and sustain our business,” said Todd.

Note: Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation provided RED a previous loan guaranty that also helped with an equipment purchase. Loan guaranties are available to qualifying businesses in the agency’s service area. Email Scott Sundvall or call him at 218-735-3015 for more information.

Dr. Brekke Hudelson, a dentist in northeastern Minnesota, recently received the second installment of a loan forgiveness grant as part of the Martha Mordini Rukavina Loan Forgiveness Program. Hudelson received a check for $30,000 from Dr. Michael Zakula, a director on the Minnesota Dental Foundation Board.   

Former St. Louis County Commissioner and State Representative Tom Rukavina was instrumental in making the loan forgiveness program a reality through state legislation passed in 2010 in conjunction with  Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. The program, which was named in honor of Rukavina’s late mother, Martha Mordini Rukavina, provides an incentive to attract dentists to practice in the Taconite Assistance Area (TAA), a designated dental shortage area in northeastern Minnesota.

This program, administered by the Minnesota Dental Foundation, provides funds to help repay qualified dental education loans if the recipient dentist agrees to practice dentistry full-time in the TAA for a period of at least five years. Recipients are compensated for outstanding educational debt at a rate of $30,000 per year for four years.

A native of Hibbing, Hudelson is the daughter of Carl and Diane Hudelson. She attended Vanderbilt University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2009 followed by a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine along with a Master of Public Health Degree from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in 2017. She also completed a general dentistry residency at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center in 2018.

Dr. Hudelson is practicing general dentistry in Hibbing with Dr. Jacob Smestad at North Star Dental Care.

Pictured at the check presentation are Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Commissioner Mark Phillips, Sen. David Tomassoni, Dr. Brekke Hudelson and Dr. Michael Zakula, director, Minnesota Dental Foundation Board.

Three area ATV clubs are collaborating to fully connect their trail systems. When completed in 2020, 1,000 miles of ATV trail will be linked and span across northeastern Minnesota, making it one of the largest interconnected trail systems in the nation.

Quad Cities ATV Club (Virginia, Eveleth, Gilbert, Mountain Iron), Prospector Trail Alliance (Ely, Babbitt, Embarrass, Tower, Soudan) and Voyageur Country ATV Club (Cook, Orr, Crane Lake) will soon be connected to one another and to the Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area in Gilbert which is also undergoing a major expansion. All of the trails will be environmentally permitted.

“Riders will be able to visit our region and spend a weekend or an entire weeklong vacation riding an extensive, rural, forested trail system,” said Harold Langowski, Ely city clerk. “The economic impact of this project could be a game-changer for the region’s tourism industry.”

According to a 2017 outdoor recreation study conducted by Outdoor Industry Association, Americans spend over $51 billion each year in outdoor recreation, which includes their expenditures related to their trips, gear, accessories and vehicles. $35 billion of the $51 billion is related to their trips. Consumer spending for off-roading surpasses that of both hunting and fishing. In Minnesota there are more than 304,000 ATVs currently registered for recreational use.

“Investments into outdoor recreation result in healthier communities and a healthier economy. Our trails and other outdoor amenities are often used as a business recruiting tool,” said Mark Phillips, Iron Range & Resources commissioner. “We are fortunate to live in a region that has beautiful natural landscapes that people are drawn to and want to experience.”

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation provided a Regional Trails grant to help pay for trail connector construction. For grant funding information email Jim Plummer or call him at 218-274-7006.

Note: The project received support from more than 18 other funding sources including the Federal Recreational Trail Program, Greater Minnesota Regional Parks & Trails Commission, Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, State of Minnesota Capital Bonding, St. Louis County, Crane Lake Township, Crane Lake Visitor & Tourism Bureau, Crane Lake Snowmobile Club, Voyageur Trail Society, Portage Snowmobile Club, Camp Five Township, Fall Lake Township, Morse Township, Portage Township, Trails End Resort, Lake Country Power, Ely-Winton Rod & Gun Club, Twin Metals, Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, Polaris, and private individuals.

The Hodgins-Berardo Arena in Coleraine upgraded its heaters and sound system, as well as made ADA accessibility improvements to an interior walkway/viewing deck and ice viewing windows. Considered a historic venue by the Vintage Minnesota Hockey organization, the indoor arena was built in 1962 and seats about 2,000 spectators. It is utilized for community youth recreation including figure skating, hockey and roller derby. It is also a hub for youth football, baseball and fast pitch softball which are played at the nearby Greenway Sports Complex in Bovey. The arena has a meeting room that may be rented for private functions as well as a community fitness center that are both open year round.

The arena and sports complex are owned and managed by Greenway Joint Recreation Association (GJRA) which is comprised of 11 government entities within the Greenway Independent School District. Cities include Bovey, Calumet, Coleraine, Grand Rapids, LaPrairie and Taconite. Townships are Greenway, Lawrence Lake, Marble, Nashwauk and Trout Lake.

The association’s mission is to provide quality public youth sports and sports facilities to residents of its service area. GRJA has levying authority to fund its mission and paid for a portion of the upgrades. Blandin Foundation provided a grant, and Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported this project with a Community Infrastructure grant.

“The youth and families of our communities rely on the arena and athletic programs for healthy recreation options and quality of life,” said Patrick Guyer, arena manager. “We are thankful for the grants that helped make the needed improvements to preserve a very important community resource.”