Mining

A measure in the Minnesota Legislature would give recently laid-off miners on the Iron Range the same extra 26 weeks of benefits that miners laid off last year received.

The area is located in the Rainy River Watershed, next to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and contains deposits of copper, nickel and cobalt.

Three warehouses in Hibbing store core from over 20,000 holes drilled throughout Minnesota, keeping a "natural record" of the state's geology — but the DNR is running out of room.

Over 250 people attended the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's public meeting. Permits could be issued as soon as April, with the mine aiming to open in June.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will host an informational open house for the mine's air, water and wetlands permits, one of the last regulatory steps for the company.

The Trump administration determined the Biden administration did not properly notify Congress when it implemented a 20-year mining ban in the Superior National Forest.

KAXE covered natural disasters, federal funding chaos, Eichorn's arrest and resignation, mining permits and wild rice, library budget cuts, sheriffs teaming with ICE and more.

The company offered a behind-the-scenes look at its new mine on Nov. 18, 2025, including the state's largest mining trucks.

North Star Manganese CEO Rick Sandri presented the findings Nov. 12, 2025, to the Emily City Council and an overflow crowd of people at Emily City Hall.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources miscalculated mining revenue distributions, disbursing money that should have gone to a statewide education fund.