DULUTH — Northern Minnesota mineral deposits containing copper, nickel and titanium are getting another look.

In a news release earlier this month, Vancouver, Canada-based Green Bridge Metals Corporation said it had entered into an agreement with mineral exploration company Encampment Minerals Inc. to acquire up to an 80% interest in four projects between Boulder Lake and Babbitt.

The company said it will begin its own exploratory drill program within a year to further existing findings.

“We are pleased to have secured a rare portfolio of assets with clear mineralization in an underexplored world-class region within the Duluth Complex of Minnesota,” David Suda, CEO of Green Bridge Metals, said in the release. “We plan to advance these underexplored properties by leveraging historical exploration data by drilling in the coming 12 months.”

Previous exploratory drillings have shown the Boulder sites, approximately 15 miles north of Duluth on the north side of the Boulder Lake Reservoir, and Titac, a few miles farther north than that, are known to contain iron-titanium-vanadium mineralization as well as signs of copper-nickel mineralization.

(Forum News Service)

The Siphon-Wyman and Skibo sites southwest of Babbitt contain copper-nickel mineralization.

While iron ore mining has long been practiced in Minnesota, mining for non-ferrous minerals like copper, nickel and titanium has not been done before.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, exploratory drilling programs in the 1970s identified areas that could contain possible titanium oxide.

The four properties Green Bridge is eyeing are among the 13 bodies now known to contain ilmenite, an iron-titanium compound, that dot the western edge of the Duluth Complex, which formed when the Midcontinent Rift 1.1 billion years ago tried to pull North America apart, sending magma up and leaving behind deposits of copper, nickel and other metals.

Titanium is widely found but not widely mined. It has become increasingly more valuable as it’s used in metals to build submarines and ships, aircraft, spacecraft, automobile parts, prosthetics such as artificial hips, buildings and even sporting equipment. It is light, strong and corrosive-resistant.

But effectively processing ilmenite into a high-value titanium feedstock — separating titanium from all the other rocks — had long been a question.

(Forum News Service)

In 2017, however, the Natural Resources Research Institute of the University of Minnesota Duluth announced it had successfully processed some 10 tons of ilmenite from the Longnose deposit just northeast of Hoyt Lakes using a two-step process — once mechanically and then using a hydro-metallurgical process where acids leach the minerals out of the rock — into 99.8% pure titanium dioxide.

While Green Bridge said it is “focused on acquiring ‘battery metal’ rich mineral assets and the development” of the Minnesota properties, any potential mining is likely years away and would likely face steep opposition over environmental concerns.

Several key permits for NewRange Copper Nickel’s NorthMet Project near Hoyt Lakes and Babbitt have been revoked or on hold, and the federal government placed a 20-year pause on mining on federal land within the same watershed as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, halting Twin Metals’ planned underground copper-nickel mine.

A third project, Talon Metals’ proposed underground nickel mine in Aiktin County, is in the early stages of environmental review.

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INDIANAPOLIS — As of right now, the Vikings are preparing for Kirk Cousins to be their starting quarterback next season. That’s been the messaging this week with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell both expressing their desire to retain Cousins moving forward.

Still, the Vikings have also been doing their due diligence at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, sitting down with a number of top prospects with an eye toward the future.

This is a highly skilled class of rookie quarterbacks, with Caleb Williams of USC, Drake Maye of UNC, and Jayden Daniels of LSU possibly going No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, respectively, in the 2024 NFL Draft. Though the Vikings won’t be able to select any of those players without trading up, they could be in position to pounce on the next wave that includes J.J. McCarthy of Michigan, Michael Penix Jr. of Washington or Bo Nix of Oregon.

What are the Vikings looking for in their next quarterback? That’s a complex question layered with nuance.

“There’s so much that goes into it,” O’Connell said. “There’s a lot of great examples of players coming into our league with some of those foundational points and then adding the rest of them to their skill set to become the complete player that they are.”

The most challenging part of evaluating quarterbacks is the fact that there is so much variance across the league. Some teams place a premium on talent above anything else, for example, while other teams take more of a holistic approach to the evaluation.

Asked for his most important qualities in a quarterback, O’Connell talked at length about the ability to process information and the ability to throw with accuracy. That makes sense considering his offense is predicated on diagnosing coverage quickly and delivering the ball on time.

It’s why he likes working with Cousins so much.

“You try to find those traits first and then go back and apply those traits to them doing certain things,” O’Connell said. “You’re just trying to piece together the best possible profile on the player.”

There’s also something to be said about player’s ability to create off schedule. As much as O’Connell values a quarterback who can drop back, stick his foot in the ground and rip the ball downfield, he understands the benefit of having somebody who can make something happen in a pinch.

“When the play doesn’t exactly go as planned, maybe a teammate struggles, ‘How does that person overcome context?’ ” Adofo-Mensah said. “That’s something we’re going to look for.”

The way a player carries himself off the field is another area to consider. The quarterback has to be a leader who can effortlessly command the respect of the locker room. Some of the formal interviews conducted at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis will go a long way in determining what the Vikings decide to do.

“You talk about somebody like Kirk and he sets an example with how he works,” Adofo-Mensah said. “He’s got a phrase: ‘It’s not a hobby.’ He lives every day that way. You need somebody at that position that embodies that for the team.”

It’s important to note that the Vikings are open minded with the way they evaluate the position. They understand that there isn’t a singular way of having success. Not at quarterback.

“I think what makes us unique as a coaching staff and as a football operation is we appreciate players for how they perform and how they get to their value,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We say, ‘You can be a starting quarterback and it’s not going to look the same.’ ”

Ultimately, if the Vikings decide to pull the trigger on a rookie quarterback in the coming months, O’Connell made it clear that he plans to do everything in his power to empower that player every day so he can reach his full potential.

“We’re in it with them from Day 1,” O’Connell said. “That’s how we have to look at it.”

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The Chicago Cubs announced one of their most important offseason decisions Monday, naming John Steinmiller, formerly with the Blackhawks, as their new senior director of media relations.

It’s not exactly bringing back Cody Bellinger, but it’s newsworthy, and that counts for something during this Cubs offseason, where President Jed Hoyer has been biding his time while waiting for the prices of free agents to drop.

At least the Rickettses aren’t messing around in this key position, which serves as the bridge between the local media and manager Craig Counsell and his players.

Steinmiller, who replaces veteran Jason Carr, has been in the business since 2005 when he began with the Milwaukee Brewers. His relationship with Counsell should serve him well, and he has a familiarity with most of the Chicago media, including me.

Steinmiller still took the job, which is commendable.

There may be no more thankless job than that of media relations for a professional sports team, especially a major market team like the Cubs. You’re dealing with managers who might be in a cranky mood after a crushing loss, players who decide to leave the clubhouse without talking to the media after hitting a game-winning home run, and writers constantly asking: “Is Jed talking today?”

The relationship between the media and athletes has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, with less access for reporters, fewer stars who feel the need to talk before or after games, and front-office executives who only deal with national writers at the expense of their beat writers.

The main responsibility of a media relations boss is to make sure the team always comes out in the best light, or if it’s a particularly controversial news story to perform some damage control. Steinmiller should be well-prepared after working for the Blackhawks, where damage control has become an art form in the last few years.

The last time I saw Steinmiller at a Blackhawks game, I accidentally stepped on the Blackhawks logo in the postgame locker room, which drew a much-deserved reprimand from one of his media relations assistants: “Hey, get off the logo!” Instead of a lifetime ban, I got off with a warning to watch my step.

Everyone deserves a second chance, though I’ve avoided the Blackhawks locker room since. Fortunately, the floor of the Cubs’ clubhouse is simply a weathered carpet without any logo, so there will be no worries about a repeat offense unless stepping on Clark the Cub counts.

Steinmiller also reminded me that day of the time I wrote in the Chicago Tribune that Counsell was “tragically unhip,” apparently making fun of the new Cubs manager back when he was running the Brewers. I couldn’t remember writing anything like that, but a quick Google search revealed Steinmiller’s memory was accurate.

While writing a Cubs-Brewers series preview in August 2018, I wrote of the competing managers: ”Hipster Joe Maddon matches wits with the tragically unhip Craig Counsell.” Oof. I have no reason to believe Counsell is unhip, tragically or otherwise. The Tribune regrets the error.

Counsell has been around for a long time. He probably doesn’t need any assistance from Steinmiller on how to deal with the Chicago baseball media, which is much larger — and a bit snarkier — than our peers in Milwaukee, except for the Marquee Sports Network, the Cubs-owned outlet that treated former manager David Ross like he was part of the network and thus blameless during the team’s end-of-season collapse.

Hoyer obviously saw otherwise and made the right call on replacing Ross with Counsell, whose $40 million contract is the largest of any manager in MLB history.

Counsell seems to have a quirky sense of humor, which will likely be necessary as he begins the long grind when spring training starts in two weeks in Mesa, Ariz. As former manager Lou Piniella said in spring training 2007: “This is no push-button operation, I can tell you that.”

After an uneventful start to the offseason, the Cubs have made a couple of big moves since the calendar turned, signing Japanese starter Shota Imanaga and reliever Héctor Neris. Everyone still expects Hoyer to re-sign Bellinger, but until he’s in camp it’s mere guesswork.

“Anyone can do a deal,” Hoyer told fans at the Cubs Convention. “Anyone can say yes to an agent’s asking price. If you do that, you’re going to run out of money really quickly.”

I doubt the Rickettses will ever run out of money, no matter how much they give Bellinger or anyone else. But if Hoyer signs Bellinger at a bargain price, his strategy will have worked and most fans will be satisfied. If Bellinger signs elsewhere, the Cubs could be looking at another 80-win season.

Everything really hinges on one decision.

The 2024 season is almost here, but there’s still time to make a move or two. Hopefully Hoyer gives his new media relations director something to do as Steinmiller begins his new job on Feb. 5.

Those press releases don’t write themselves.

()

Minnesota United’s sporting staff had to work around a small construction zone within its offices inside the National Sports Center in Blaine on Thursday.

That’s because new Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad is literally having walls torn down, having a contractor remove the drywall between the Loons’ first-team and academy operations.

Given that four of the five substitutions MNUFC used in the season-opening win at Austin FC on Saturday were under 24 years old, El-Ahmad’s influence is starting to be seen on the field as well.

El-Ahmad spoke on-the-record with reporters for the first time  on Thursday. The key points centered on last week’s hiring of permanent head coach Eric Ramsay, El-Ahmad’s vision for the club and how they will approach building the roster.

Huge net cast for head coach

MNUFC had more than 100 candidates for the head-coaching position, from assistants to high-level coaches, both foreign and domestic, El-Ahmad shared. Through an extensive and difficult process, the wide-ranging field was narrowed down to a handful of candidates in the past few weeks.

El-Ahmad said the club used different key performance indicators (KPIs) to rank candidates. Interviews extended to CEO Shari Ballard and others.

“Some of (the candidates) weren’t available, some couldn’t come, some are too expensive,” EL-Ahmad said. “It just the combination of things that ultimately then just narrows it all down.”

In his previous role at Barnsley in England, El-Ahmad was familiar with Ramsay during his time as Manchester United assistant coach.

“We thought that Eric was best suited in terms of intelligence,” El-Ahmad told reporters. “His approach to football aligns with the way I look at it, and where we want Minnesota to go. His experience for managing and being in the highest level possible in football (the English Premier League). Both to learn from some of the coaches that he’s been around, but also connecting and managing players from Cristiano Ronaldo to Casimiro.”

El-Ahmad discussed how he and Ramsay’s values align and how Ramsay’s ability to speak multiple languages, including Spanish and French, added to his attributes.

El-Ahmad has routinely mentioned four tenants for how he and MNUFC will operate: “Be a good person, be positive, be professional and be transparent at all times.”

El-Ahmad shared dinners with Ramsay in England last week. “He’s really excited,” El-Ahmad shared.

Challenge with Ramsay

At age 32, Ramsay will be the youngest head coach in MLS and will take over a first team for the first time in a new-to-him league.

El-Ahmad, however, doesn’t see that as a “challenge.”

“I think it’s all potential; I don’t see it as a challenge,” El-Ahmad said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for him to put in place all the things that he’s experienced and learned. And it’s also not just Eric. He’s got a great supportive staff, whether it’s me, (interim head coach Cameron Knowles), all the people around. Again, I’ve said it from our first meeting, this is a collaborative effort. And Eric is just a good addition to this.”

A youthful coach was not a prerequisite for the job, El-Ahmad said. He said the primary factor was “quality.”

“I don’t see him being too young (as) an issue,” El-Ahmad said. “I actually didn’t really think about: ‘I want a coach that’s 30 or 40 or 50.’ I just want the best person possible.”

Knowles is a candidate to remain on Ramsay’s coaching staff as an assistant, while Ramsay will bring in one assistant from outside the club.

“It’s a collaborative decision,” Knowles said. “In the past, the way I do it is the head coach has the ability to bring one staff member, which will be the case this time as well.”

Knowles would bring an understanding of MLS and his existing relationship with players, while the other to-be-named assistant will be expected to bring his own complimentary attributes.

What is El-Ahmad’s vision of MNUFC?

“I want us to be brave,” El-Ahmad said. “I want us to show a bit of belief in what we’re doing. And yes, we will adapt pending who we play, where we play, but people should know that this is Minnesota United.

“… I think alignment from top to bottom, from owners all the way to academy,” El-Ahmad added. “I think if you would walk in (to the offices), I just tore down a wall that was separating academy to the first team. That was gone.”

The Austin match showed the high-pressing style El-Ahmad has brought to the club, a style that Knowles implemented and Ramsay will continue to use.

El-Ahmad said that an energetic, high-pressing tactic was picked based on his assessment of the Loons and Minnesota.

“It’s not necessarily my preferred (style) generally,” El-Ahmad clarified. “It’s when I go into clubs, I look at it each club has a kind of its own organism. I look at the geographic location, I look at the fact that we’re four seasons, I look at our fans … the history of Minnesota, you have an (iron ore) state. And I also analyze the players that we had.

“There’s also quite a lot of data when you look of sustainable success. There’s certain metrics. It’s also the opportunity or type of players that we can attract where we are. So it kind of tends to be more of a Liverpool/(Tottenham) way of playing versus a (Manchester) City.”

Peek into transfer windows

In the winter, the Loons have brought in a handful of younger, reserve players on bargain deals. Come summer, MNUFC is expected to go bigger with roster flexibility, including one vacant Designated Player and Under-22 Initiative spots.

“First and foremost, we need to look at how we scout and recruit and align it, not just kind of potentially go for ad hoc signings,” El-Ahmad said. “But I think we’re all really focused on the players that we have.

“I think once Eric comes and everything kind of settles a little bit more around the first team, we’ll assess and then tackle the summer when it comes.”

Minnesota United’s identity will factor into which players the club pursues going forward.

“Who are we as a club? What do we want to represent? The style of play?” El-Ahmad asked. “As we’re putting those pieces in place, we will have specific KPIs of how we recruit, certain type of players, whether it’s more technical analogies, what we call a squad balance: X amount of youth or X amount of older players, as those things fall in place. I think we will be a competitive team.”

Briefly

El-Ahmad said MNUFC is planning to add staff to fill video, analysis and data needs. … Hank Stebbins was the interim technical director before El-Ahmad’s arrival. Stebbins remains on staff. … El-Ahmad did not definitively address whether MNUFC will have its first team play in the U.S. Open Cup this spring. … As El-Ahmad has gotten to know players and staff, he asked them for restaurant recommendations. He now has a list of 55 spots and already has gone to Colita and Smack Shack. Some players mentioned Olive Garden. El-Ahmad will pass on that suggestion.

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