Pressroom Podcast

This week’s guest is “vaguely well-known in a small part of the country.” His words not ours. On a visit to the big city Aaron Brown, voice of the Iron Range with his blog Minnesota Brown, talks with us about his journalism background, national media descending upon the Range during the political season, and his lifelong connection to the communities there.    We recorded this episode before the election, so there won’t be any politics on this episode. You’ll have to check out duluthnewstribune.com or his regional blog for election results.

During the month of September our guest created only a mason jar full of garbage. And it took her six days to make any trash at all. April Hepokoski, the mind behind the Zero Waste Duluth Facebook page, shares how her journey to sustainability began, what first steps she made in eliminating plastics, and what things we can do in our own lives beyond bringing reusable bags to the grocery store.  She also offers some zero waste insight for the upcoming holidays. You know, the season full of wrapping paper, ribbon, and bubble wrap. 

This week we have with us a famous face from Fox 21 News who recently landed in front of a national audience on NBC. Anchor Dan Hanger was involved with a moment of awkward banter during a newscast that caught the attention of Jimmy Fallon.   We talk about that moment, but that's just the tip of the iceberg in an episode full of insight into the television news business, Hanger's personal life and how he balances his two worlds.  Make sure you listen to the end because the "What we are into" segment goes off the rails. We're talking a total derailment and it's great. 

To some she is known as "the sticker artist," but local watercolor artist Sam Nielson is much more than that. After successfully starting her business and selling her art on Etsy.com, Nielson decided to become a full-time artist last spring. This week, Nielson shares what Duluth scenes inspire her to create new sketches, what it's been like to fully invest in her watercolor art and how her work appeals to a wide range of art lovers. 

This week we have with us a natural-born talk show host who has been interviewing people in front of a live studio audience since he was in high school. Recently, WDSE has picked up his show "Twin Ports Tonight." Andrew Kirov talks the writing process, pitching sketch ideas, what's funny and how he captures the "weirdness" of the Northland into a talk show meets Saturday Night Live type of local show.  He even gets into character for us as an Eveleth men's hockey league coach whose team is losing to Babbitt. 

One of Duluth's most visible - and busiest - artists Adam Swanson recently returned from an artist residency aboard the research vessel Falkor, where he captured images of science with art.  Swanson, who recently finished a giant owl mural in Duluth's Lincoln Park neighborhood, joins Christa Lawler and Barrett Chase on the podcast this week to talk about his recent assignment at sea and how that work re-energizes him once he returns to his home studio. 

It's not all ghosts and goblins, Duluth has a dark history all its own without needing to dive into stories of paranormal hauntings. Although those stories have their place, too. During the month of October, The Duluth Experience offers a Dark History tour which explores the city's lesser-known mysteries. Dave Grandmaison and Nick Schutz stop by this week to let us know what to expect on a tour and where their favorite spooky spot is in Duluth. 

Jake and Valerie Scott discovered the craft cider scene while living out east, and decided to bring it back to Duluth - where both graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth.  Before venturing into the cider business, the couple always enjoyed making beer together, they even made their own beer for their wedding.  On this week's episode, the couple share their origin story, the history behind their taproom, and most importantly what type of cider they will be making - it's nothing like that sweet, carbonated stuff you find in the store. 

Abigail Mlinar and Melissa LaTour, two of the people involved with creating Femn Fest, join us this week to discuss feminism - what common misconceptions people have about feminists - and what they have in store for year two of the festival. Billed as "an unapologetically feminist festival," the two-day event is made up of female-identifying performers, presenters, and business owners. The second annual Femn Fest is Sept. 21-22 at Sacred Heart Music Center in Duluth.

This week we have with us Alexandera Houchin who, in early July, was the female winner of the 2,745 mile Tour Divide - a bike race from Banff, Alberta, to the Mexican border. Alexandera, a senior at the University of Minnesota Duluth, tells us about the grueling race, which she completed in 23 days and three hours, and her anti-climatic finish. 

It was never our guest's intention to own a pig farm, but things kept falling into place for him and his family to keep going. Matt Weik of YKer Acres joins Christa Lawler and Brooks Johnson on the podcast this week to talk about their recent move to a new farm in Carlton and how the farm-to-table business model best suits them and the Duluth restaurants they supply.  Weik also shares some insight on life on the farm and how tough it was when one of their very first sows, Minnie, passed away last week. "My good friend and I have talked about this a lot and he says, 'If it's not hard then you shouldn't be doing it.' And I totally agree with him on that," Weik said. 

This week we have with us a local business owner who looked at a vacant liquor store and saw a good place to spend his retirement. Bob Dobrow of Zenith Bookstore - which sells new and used titles - has been operating the popular West Duluth shop for about a year. Dobrow, who accumulated over 15,000 books before opening the shop, tells us how the stars aligned to make his dreams of owning a bookstore a reality. He also shares what new books and events are coming up this month. 

Long time local DJ, perhaps the longest-running FM DJ in the city limits, Christine Dean joins Christa Lawler and Barrett Chase on the podcast this week. Dean is music director, webmaster, and host of KUMD's Music Throughout the Day and Live from Studio A, which includes interviews and in-studio sessions.  Dean shares her favorite behind-the-scenes stories from interviewing and recording with local bands in the studio, some of which made the liner notes in Volume 1 of KUMD's Live from Studio A album. 

In 2015, Jared Munch spent 50 days circumnavigating Lake Superior on a stand-up paddle board. More recently, he performed the first SUP descent of the Steel River Loop in Northern Ontario.   Jared shares what life has been like since paddling around Lake Superior, how he got interested in whitewater stand-up paddle boarding and what other adventures he has in mind. 

Maybe you've seen Troy Rogers pushing his music-making robots along the Lakewalk in Duluth: silver suit, gas mask, teddy bear affixed to his torso. Rogers, who performs as Robot Riskshaw, started as a composer - then he began incorporating robots into his work. 

Shamanic healer, writer, and friend of nature Sarah Bamford Seidelmann returns to the podcast this time to tell us about her new book "The Book of Beasties: Your A-to-Z Guide to the Illuminating Wisdom of Spirit Animals." Sarah shares how her core beastie ("everything from a bumbled bee to a bear to a dragon") and guest beasties have helped her learn more about herself. She also walks us through an exercise to allow a beastie to come forward during the podcast. 

News Tribune reporter Jimmy Lovrien and his college roommate recently tackled 200 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail in 10 days.  Why 10 days? That's all the PTO the young professionals could take off of work.  Jimmy tells us about the grueling task of hiking from sun up to sun down, the wildlife sighting along the way, and how long it takes for a pair of socks to crust over. 

She's been called Duluth's favorite runner. Two-time Olympian and 1996 Duluth East graduate returned to her hometown earlier this month to run the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. She stopped by our studio a few days before the race and talked with News Tribune sports reporter Louie St. George III and features editor Beverly Godfrey about such diverse topics as body image, doping, her serious dog allergy and the fake Spotify playlist that bears her name.

Candace LaCosse’s journey to learn how to make handcrafted shoes and leather products took her from Duluth to South Korea to Grand Marais to the East Coast, and back to Duluth again. Today she is the owner and operator of Hemlocks Leatherworks, located in the Lincoln Park Craft District. News Tribune reporter Christa Lawler and features editor Beverly Godfrey sat down with LaCosse to dig into that journey, and to discuss where our clothing comes from, the ethics of leatherworking and the re-emergence of handcrafted goods.  

Grandma’s Marathon was started in 1977 by the North Shore Striders — a group known to sometimes paint their own mile markers straight onto the road. Scott Keenan was there at the beginning, when the restaurant was secured as a sponsor and the big names in a relatively young sport started spreading the word about the course that runs from near Two Harbors to Canal Park. Keenan retired as race director five years ago, but told tales of the early days — and gave a shout out to a racer who never got her proper due — in this edition of Pressroom Podcast hosted by reporters Christa Lawler and Jon Nowacki.