EVELETH — The advisory board of the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation will move to appoint a new chair after the resignation of Sen. Justin Eichorn.
Eichorn resigned from the Minnesota Senate on Thursday, March 20, hours before his first scheduled court appearance for a federal felony charge of soliciting a person under 18 for paid sex. He had been appointed chair of the board on Feb. 25, with Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely, elected vice chair. Eichorn had already been removed from the list of board members on the IRRR's website as of midday Thursday.
The Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Advisory Board consists of the state senators and representatives elected from districts in which one-third or more of the residents reside within the agency's service area. One additional state senator is appointed by the Majority Leader of the senate.
The IRRR is a state economic development agency that reinvests local taconite production taxes back into northeastern Minnesota businesses and communities in an effort to strengthen and diversify the economy. All expenditures and projects made by the commissioner are first submitted to IRRR Advisory Board. The service area encompasses 13,000 square miles in northeastern Minnesota, including 53 cities, 134 townships, portions of four tribal nations and 15 school districts.
In addition to Skraba, the board includes: Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis; Rep. Ben Davis, R-Mission Township; Sen. Robert Farnsworth, R-Hibbing; Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown; Rep. Spencer Igo, R-Wabana Township; and Rep. Cal Warwas, R-Clinton Township.
According to a news release, Skraba initiated the call for a special meeting to reorganize the board and select a new chair. Additional information about the meeting will be provided at a later time, according to the IRRR.
-
Plus: the candidate filing period for non-primary elections opened July 14, 2026; and the Grand Rapids Area Library recently made a $30,000 fundraising goal. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEExtreme fire conditions caused some of the 17 wildfires burning in the Superior National Forest to rapidly spread July 13-14, 2026. -
Lorie Shaull/Special to KAXEThe library matched the anonymous matching donation for $30,000 it received in June 2026. A larger fundraising goal is aimed at increasing public hours in 2027. -
Contributed/University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering CenterDue to smoke from Boundary Waters wildfires, the MPCA issued air quality alerts for large parts of Minnesota. The alert lasts until at least Friday, July 16, 2026. -
And: An Aitkin peat processor fined for air pollution control violations.
-
Contributed/National Weather Service Forecast Office DuluthWhile it is expected to cool off slightly on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, temperatures will stay high enough that additional heat advisories may be put in place. -
Contributed/via InciWebNearly 9,000 acres are estimated to be burning in the BWCA as of July 13, 2026, and the closure is for public safety. The Boundary Waters is not expected to fully reopen this summer. -
Lorie Shaull/Special to KAXESevere drought is present in at least 11% of Minnesota and another 18% is in moderate drought. The drought conditions are mostly seen in Northern Minnesota. -
Contributed/RDNE Stock project via PexelsPrairie Pines Childcare Center, the Northland Foundation and the Northwest Minnesota Foundation were awarded grants from the state Department of Employment and Economic Development. -
Even with green plants and recent rainfall, large portions of the Northland are classified as in moderate or severe drought.
