Ralph Doty
Columnist Ralph Doty writes every other week for the Duluth Budgeteer News. E-mail him at rdoty71963@aol.com.Contact
Bite-sized news from beyond the Twin Ports (Christmas week) 
An assortment of news items from places other than the Twin Ports
State health ranking drops by two
Minnesota slips from second healthiest state to fourth.
UMD loses another hockey radio voice
Wholesale personnel and programming changes in the Twin Ports radio market continued this week. Midwest Communications Inc. of Green Bay — owner of six Duluth radio stations — announced Monday that Bruce Ciskie, voice of UMD men’s hockey games and sports director for three of its AM stations, was let go.
RELATED CONTENTWDIO-TV dominates local news
WDIO-TV Channel 10 continues to dominate local weekday newscasts, according to Nielsen Media Research. In its May “book” — the last of four viewer surveys for the 2007-08 television season — WDIO had more viewers of its local newscasts than the other three Twin Ports commercial stations, KBJR Channel 6, KDLH Channel 3 and KQDS Channel 21.
RELATED CONTENTChannel 10 leads local newscasts
WDIO Channel 10 is the overall winner in the local news sweepstakes, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Stryker Bay cleanup is a dream come true
The first time Sid Mason of Duluth saw the “goop,” as he calls it — more than 10 years ago — it was bubbling in Stryker Bay, located along the St. Louis River in West Duluth.
RELATED CONTENTDixon not worried about referendum efforts
Duluthians gathering signatures to force a referendum on the school district’s recently adopted long-range facilities plan might be disappointed to learn that their efforts are probably in vain.
RELATED CONTENTCharter Commission votes on changes
A controversial proposal to reduce membership of the city council to seven from nine is in trouble. The Duluth Charter Commission voted Wednesday night to table the measure, sponsored by Commissioner and former police chief Eli Miletich.
RELATED CONTENT‘Sorry, no chocolate chips at this table’
Marathon races aren’t what they used to be. Technology has taken over many aspects of the races, and there is now little chance that human error will mess things up for runners.
RELATED CONTENTColumns
Ralph Doty: The original Ponzi, financial priorities and more
Today, hundreds of suspected Ponzi schemes are being investigated in this so-called world economy. And, yet, few people actually know much about the man whose name is synonymous with pyramid schemes.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Who is the governor kidding (and more)?
An array of thoughts on Gov. Pawlenty is a hypocrite, old-time radio and letters from readers.
Ralph Doty: Mayor Ness gets his first Budgeteer report card
During the past two weeks, I held in-depth interviews with six Duluthians about Ness’ discharge of his duties: a business person, retired businessman and former Minnesota legislator, former mayor of Duluth, local union leader and two police officers.
Ralph Doty: ‘Life of Riley’ creator was one of last radio pioneers
I had never heard of Irving Belcher until I read in the obituary section of the New York Times that he died last week at the age of 94.
I'd like Mr. Obama in office now, please (ONLINE EXCLUSIVE)
Duluth will get a budget present in 2010. ... Some senior citizens on Medicare are hypocrites. ... Waiting until Jan. 20 to install our new President is unwise — and there's no modern reason to do it. A potpourri of thoughts from Budgeteer columnist Ralph Doty.
Ralph Doty: Local gasoline rates: monkey see, monkey do?
This week we heard a familiar story: Gasoline prices in the Duluth area are among the highest in the state.
Ralph Doty: A few last-minute thoughts on Tuesday’s election
The president proposes, Congress disposes.
Ralph Doty: An attitude adjustment and Daffy Duck
If awards are ever handed out for the most inane, insulting, moronic, simple-minded, asinine, absurd, harebrained, mindless, unintelligent, worthless political ads, I’ll nominate the television commercials of Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and his DFL opponent, comedian Al Franken.
Ralph Doty: Lessons learned from the battle of the airwaves
My most recent columns suggested that Twin Ports’ radio listeners would be better served if Duluth’s only commercial news/talk stations presented politically balanced programming.
RELATED CONTENTRalph Doty: Readers weigh in on radio station politics
Today, Budgeteer readers take over this space as they respond to my suggestion that there is a serious imbalance of political views on KDAL-AM (610) and WDSM-AM (710), the two most prominent commercial news/talk radio stations in the Twin Ports. The column they responded to is linked below, as is General Manager Ron Stone's rebuttal to that column.
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