Chisholm ISD developed a new classroom technology program. Students grades 4 through 12 of the Chisholm, Deer River and Mountain Iron-Buhl districts can connect virtually to teachers and curriculum offered in the Chisholm district. The program created uninterrupted, quality education for students who cannot attend a physical classroom due to distant learning requirements, medical reasons or other student and family barriers.

Ely Schools ISD is renovating its century old facilities on the preK-12 campus. The existing Industrial Arts Building located between Memorial High School and Washington Elementary School was demolished and replaced with a new building that will house advanced industrial technology classes and modern amenities. The campus was transformed from three separate buildings into one large connected structure. The new campus layout creates operational, technology, safety efficiencies and will serve approximately 600 students.

Eveleth-Gilbert and Virginia ISDs merged into one new Rock Ridge district and collaborated on the construction of a new shared school for grades 7-12 and new elementary schools. The new Career Academy will focus on project-based learning designed to prepare students for both college and careers. The 300,000-square-foot facility, which will include high-quality features and advanced technology, is scheduled to open in Fall 2023. In addition, Laurentian Elementary School in Eveleth welcomed its first students on Sept. 6, and North Star Elementary in Virginia will open in Fall 2024. (Aerial photo by Bill Bryson.)

Grand Rapids ISD constructed two new elementary schools that each serve about 750 kindergarten through fifth grade students. The construction of East Rapids Elementary and West Rapids Elementary and the remodel of Cohasset Elementary addressed space and parking lot/transportation issues in the district’s elementary schools.

Grand Rapids ISD led development of Next Career Pathways, an Itasca Area Schools Collaborative program that provides high school courses and experiences to prepare students for occupations in seven industries including: business, computer science, construction, education, health care, manufacturing and natural resources/agriculture. Approximately 1,000 students in eight area high schools within seven school districts have access to Next and can gain valuable real-world skills through courses that provide relevant hands-on experiences to help prepare for college and career.

Hibbing ISD built a 32,000-square-foot addition to Washington Elementary School that houses the Early Childhood and Head Start programs. The new Hibbing Early Learning Center serves 120 children total including 60 Early Childhood and 60 Head Start. Hibbing ISD and Arrowhead Head Start (a service provided by Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency) collaborated to merge their two independent programs into the new shared space.

“Schools impact not only the academic and future achievement of our youth, they also have significant impacts on the livability of our communities and health of our economy,” said Commissioner Mark Phillips, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. “Strong schools can help our region attract new residents and new businesses. Schools are often the top consideration when businesses and people are considering a relocation into a region.”

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation’s grants are funded through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry.

Fond du Lac Reservation is making improvements to its water system in order to continue providing clean safe drinking water and fire protection for approximately 90 households and 500 people within a portion of its tribal territory. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a $250,000 Community Infrastructure grant. Total project investment is over $1.2 million.

The project includes the addition of a new 60,000-gallon elevated water storage tower, two new wells, a water main distribution extension and a water treatment plant. The tower has been erected with preparatory and painting work forthcoming. The electrical and telecommunications work is underway for the water main distribution and water treatment plant. Full completion for the comprehensive project is anticipated this December.

The new water system was designed to reduce water contaminant levels, provide water for fire protection where none previously existed, and pave the way for potential future expansion of communities that are not currently served by public utilities.

“The water utilities project improves the quality of life for Fond du Lac Band members, which is a top priority of the tribal government,” said Jordan Vandal, Fond du Lac Reservation public works manager. “Modernizing our infrastructure systems helps us ensure that our homes and businesses have access to the best quality water.”

Fond du Lac received a combined total of $262,900 in grants from United States Environmental Protection Agency and Indian Health Service to help offset the total project cost. The project created approximately 35 construction jobs with 25% of the workers being Fond du Lac band members.

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (also referred to as Nagaajiwanaang) is a sovereign, federally recognized tribe whose people have lived in northeastern Minnesota for centuries. Portions of their reservation land is located within the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation service area.

“A pinnacle goal of our agency’s economic development is to help communities improve, replace and modernize their assets such as water systems and other infrastructure,” said Commissioner Mark Phillips, Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation. “The agency’s investment into Fond Du Lac helps the tribal government continue providing essential water and fire suppression services to its band members, families and businesses.”

For Community Infrastructure grant information email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010.

The Gene Nicolelli Greyhound Bus Museum completed an interior makeover that included improvements to the lobby, displays, signage and audio-visual technology. Existing artifacts from the museum’s collection were repurposed that were either poorly displayed or in storage. The repurposing gave new life and a modern look to the exhibits. The lobby was renovated to resemble a 1940s bus depot, with fresh paint and new items added such as benches, plant stands, large format photographs and lighting. New mannequins replaced older, outdated versions. Updated technology and digital monitors were added to improve the audio/visual experience, and a large vinyl image of historic Hibbing was added to the walls.

The renovation was led by Iron Range Tourism Bureau (IRTB) in partnership with the City of Hibbing and Hibbing Historical Society curator, Erica Zubich. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a $6,700 Culture & Tourism grant. Total project investment was $13,400.

The museum opened in 1989 in the Hibbing Municipal Building under the name Greyhound Bus Origin Center. Former Hibbing city councilor and local grocer Gene Nicolelli was the inspiration behind it. He discovered a commemorative plaque in the abandoned local Greyhound Terminal honoring Hibbing as the birthplace of America’s bus industry. Nicolelli explored the company’s history and almost single-handedly raised money to build the museum. He acquired Greyhound collective memorabilia, souvenirs, company uniforms, documents, objects, advertising materials and buses. The museum was renamed in his honor after his passing in 2014.

The museum tells the story of the Greyhound Lines company and its contribution to the World War II efforts. Greyhound’s first route began in Hibbing in 1914. The company remains the largest intercity bus service in North America and serves thousands of destinations. The museum offers guests access to 17 historical buses, pictorial displays, hundreds of artifacts and memorabilia, audio visual presentations plus a movie of the “Greyhound Story: From Hibbing to Everywhere.”

“Greyhound Bus Museum welcomes thousands of visitors from across the nation each summer,” said IRTB Executive Director Beth Pierce. “The renovation enhanced the exhibits and improved the storytelling ability of the museum. The improvements to the lobby helped create a guest experience of being in an actual 1940s bus depot.”

The museum is open mid-May through September, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“We are very grateful for the support from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation,” said Pierce. “The Culture & Tourism grant was key to completing the project and offering regional tourists and local residents a meaningful and valuable cultural and historical experience.”

For Culture & Tourism grant information email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022.

Upper Midwest Film Office (UMFO) received a $100,000 Development Partnership grant to support its operations and grow the film industry in northeastern Minnesota. The nonprofit organization works to advance the media creation economy in the region by connecting filmmakers and content creators to cast, crew and businesses. Total project investment was $357,482. Other funding partners include Blandin Foundation, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and St. Louis County.

The grant helped UMFO create a predicted $1.5 million in economic impacts to the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation service area by the end of 2022. The group assisted five production  projects that already had a combined local spend of $275,000. The full-length feature film “Cash for Gold” began production in Chisholm earlier this year. Portions of the half-hour episodic comedy “Canusa Street” were also filmed in Chisholm, along with scenes from a thriller "Her Stepsister.” 

Pictured above: Scouting for a New Project: Producer Riki McManus tours city of Chisholm and St. Louis County.

Two new film-related businesses were established including Lost Forty Studio in Chisholm and Quatre Vent post-production studio in Hibbing. Other peripheral businesses have opened or expanded. To assist filmmakers and promote local businesses and workers, UMFO maintains databases of over 280 service businesses and over 200 potential crew workers.

The organization hosted two workshops earlier this year at Minnesota North College – Mesabi Range for people interested in learning about job opportunities in the film industry: “Hair & Makeup for Film 3-Day On Set Experience” and "3-Day On Set Film Making." (Pictured.)

“The last year has been extremely productive as we’ve worked to further promote the region within the larger film industry,” said Shari Marshik, UMFO executive director. “We’ve held workshops to cultivate local talent and film crew. We’ve made presentations at several of the local chambers of commerce to educate area businesses on opportunities. And we are working to connect with four of the area’s Native American tribes to better understand how we can engage band member storytellers.”

Pictured above: Participants stop at the Hull Rust Mine View on an Iron Range locations tour during the Catalyst Content Festival in 2021. 

The next workshop is Oct. 21-23 in Chisholm. It is designed for people to learn the basics of being a professional production assistant, the most common entry-level position on a film crew. Participants will work alongside working professional filmmakers in the making of a short film. Participants will learn how the various departments such as Grip & Electric, Sound, Camera and Art work together and how best to assist in those departments. (Pictured is the crew at a prior workshop in Chisholm.)

Learn more about the workshop.

Learn more about UMFO.

Note: Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation provided $105,000 in Workforce Development grants to cultivate and train local workers to support the film industry, and $500,000 to the UMFO Iron Range Regional Production Rebate Program.

The Rural Voice series will launch in late September with three town halls moderated by Minnesota Public Radio's Kerri Miller. One of the town halls, focusing on workforce readiness, will be held at Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm.

“When you bring citizens together who are deeply committed to their communities, you unleash dynamic conversations and creative problem solving,” Miller said. “These town halls will be lively and exciting.”

Below are details regarding the Chisholm town hall:

Growing Good Gigs: Educating & Training a Creative Rural Workforce

• Wednesday, Sept. 21.
• Minnesota Discovery Center, 1005 Discovery Drive, Chisholm. 
• Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
• Discussion from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. followed by a reception.
• No cost to attend, but registration required. 

Register for Growing Good Gigs.

Additional town halls will be held in St. Joseph and Cannon Falls.

Learn more about the series.

The Rural Voice series was developed by three Minnesota Initiative Foundations (Initiative Foundation, Northland Foundation and Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation) that serve Greater Minnesota along with Compeer Financial.