6-week outdoor program teaches job skills
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Associated Press
14 hours ago
- Associated Press
How do you move a beloved Swedish church down the road? With prayer, engineering and some Eurovision
KIRUNA, Sweden (AP) — How do you move one of Sweden's most beloved wooden churches down the road? With a little bit of engineering, a lot of prayer — and some Eurovision for good luck. The Kiruna Church — called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish — and its belfry are being moved this week along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town's relocation. It's happening because the world's largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town. This week, thousands of visitors have descended upon Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost town at 200 kilometers (124 miles) above the Arctic Circle. It's home to roughly 23,000 inhabitants, including members of the Sami Indigenous people, spread over nearly 19,500 square kilometers (7,528 square feet). Lena Tjärnberg, the church's vicar, is set to kick off the move with a blessing on Tuesday morning. The journey is scheduled to end Wednesday afternoon. The church was a gift from the mining company In 2001, the Swedish people voted the wooden church the 'best building of all time, built before 1950' in a poll connected to the Ministry of Culture. Built on a hill so worshippers could overlook the rest of Kiruna, the Swedish Lutheran church was designed to emulate the Sami style as a gift from LKAB, the state-owned mining company. The Kiruna mine itself dates back to 1910 and the church was completed in 1912. Its neo-Gothic exterior is considered the town's most distinctive building and tourists regularly traveled there before it was closed a year ago to prepare for the relocation. It's set to reopen in the new location at the end of 2026. Tjärnberg said the final service in the old spot was bittersweet. 'The last day you go down the stairs and close the church door, you know it's going to be several years before you can open it — and in a new place,' she said. 'We don't know how it's going to feel to open the door.' The spectacle This week's move has turned into a two-day highly choreographed media spectacle, run by LKAB and featuring an appearance by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. Musical performances will include a set from KAJ, Sweden's 2025 Eurovision entry that was the bookies' favorite to win this year's contest but lost out to classically trained countertenor JJ of Austria. SVT, Sweden's national broadcaster, is capitalizing on the showcase and will livestream the move both days, billing it as 'The Great Church Walk' to play off its success with the spring showing of 'The Great Moose Migration' that has enthralled millions of viewers annually since 2019. Known for both the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights, Kiruna and the surrounding area is a major draw year-round for visitors to Swedish Lapland. The region also features the Aurora Sky Station, the Icehotel and Kebnekaise, the Nordic country's highest mountain. British tourists Anita and Don Haymes had already trekked to Kiruna twice before this year's trip. When they heard about the church's move, they changed their itinerary to ensure they'd be here for it. They took photographs of it propped up on beams and wheels this week before the move. 'It's an amazing feat that they are doing,' Anita Haymes said Sunday. 'It'll be interesting to see it moving, unbelievable.' But not everyone is thrilled about LKAB's extravaganza. Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen, chairman of one of the Sami reindeer herding organizations in Kiruna, said LKAB's plans for a new mine could threaten reindeer migration routes and imperil the livelihood of herders in the area. The mechanics behind the move The move of Kiruna's town center, including the church, has been in the works since 2004. As the mine expanded deeper underground, residents began seeing cracks in buildings and roads. In order to reach a new depth of 1,365 meters (4,478 feet) — and to prevent Kiruna from being swallowed up — officials began moving buildings to a new downtown at a safe distance from the mine. As of July, 25 buildings had been lifted up onto beams and wheeled east. Sixteen, including the church, remain. At approximately 40 meters (131 feet) wide with a weight of 672 metric tons (741 tons), the church required extra effort. Engineers widened a major road from 9 meters to 24 meters (30 to 79 feet) and dismantled a viaduct to make way for a new intersection. A driver, using a large control box, will pilot the church through the route as it travels roughly 12 hours over Tuesday and Wednesday — with a pause each day for fika, the traditional Swedish afternoon coffee break. It's expected to move at a varying pace between 0.5 and 1.5 kilometers per hour (0.31 and 0.93 miles per hour). Stefan Holmblad Johansson, LKAB's project manager for the move, would not say how much it has cost the mining company. ___ Associated Press journalist Pietro De Cristofaro in Kiruna, Sweden, contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
6-week outdoor program teaches job skills
The Outland Youth Employment Program gives Indigenous youth work experience and teaches real-life skills to help prepare for their career path.
Business Journals
4 days ago
- Business Journals
2025 Top of the List - Bolton & Menk: Committed to Communities Across the Twin Cities
Our commitment to communities began in 1949, serving the needs of Southern Minnesota's municipal clients. As we continue to grow in both numbers and experience, our dedication to building trust and ensuring a true partnership with our clients remains the same. Our goal is to help communities make progress by listening to what people want, finding the best solutions for their needs, and treating them right. Today, Bolton & Menk has more than 1,000 multiregional employees including more than 500 team members throughout seven Twin Cities Metro locations. Our dedication to our clients shines through in the work we provide. We are committed to cultivating and delivering exceptional community infrastructure solutions in the Twin Cities area through the following projects, and many more. The transformation of the former Kmart site on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis marks a significant step in community revitalization for the Twin Cities. Once a barrier that severed a key urban corridor, the site is now being redeveloped into a vibrant, mixed-use area that reconnects neighborhoods and reflects the city's diverse cultural identity. Bolton & Menk played a central role in crafting the New Nicollet redevelopment framework, guiding the vision for a walkable district with public spaces, housing, and locally-owned businesses. The project includes plans for 500–600 rental units, both market-rate and affordable, alongside a new park, pedestrian promenades, and community gathering spaces. Extensive public engagement shaped the design, ensuring the development meets local needs and celebrates the area's resilience and creativity. This initiative restores a vital urban link and fosters economic opportunity, social connection, and environmental sustainability in the heart of Minneapolis. The Downtown Highway 41 Improvements project in Chaska, exemplifies transformative infrastructure that balances regional mobility with local community needs. Spearheaded by the City of Chaska in partnership with Carver County and MnDOT, and led by Bolton & Menk, the project converted a four-lane highway into a safer, more accessible three-lane corridor with expanded pedestrian zones, enhanced streetscape features, and a trail underpass connecting regional trails. Completed in August 2024, the $23 million initiative reduced traffic crashes by 34 percent, improved walkability, and preserved historic and cultural resources, including Indigenous burial sites. Through extensive public engagement and innovative construction management, the project revitalized downtown Chaska and also laid the groundwork for future mixed-use development and public space enhancements, serving as a model for collaborative, community-centered transportation planning. The Albertville Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Biosolids Improvements project, led by Bolton & Menk, represents a major advancement in sustainable infrastructure for the Metro area. Faced with aging equipment and the need to decommission invasive reed beds, the City of Albertville partnered with Bolton & Menk to modernize its biosolids management system. Through innovative engineering and pilot testing, the team selected screw press technology capable of efficiently dewatering sludge while minimizing energy use and accommodating future growth. This upgrade enhances environmental health and operational efficiency and also supports long-term community resilience by ensuring scalable, cost-effective wastewater treatment. The project reflects a broader commitment to sustainability and public well-being across the region. Bolton & Menk's Low Salt Initiative is a forward-thinking response to the growing threat of chloride pollution in Minnesota's freshwater systems. Recognizing that just one teaspoon of salt can permanently contaminate five gallons of water, the firm developed Low Salt Design—a source reduction strategy that improves the performance of saltable surfaces to reduce the need for winter salt application. In collaboration with cities like Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Hopkins, Richfield, and Minnetonka, and the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, Bolton & Menk piloted innovative design and training methods to enhance winter safety while minimizing environmental impact. These efforts protect local water resources and empower communities with tools and knowledge to implement sustainable infrastructure practices, ultimately reducing long-term maintenance costs and supporting healthier ecosystems across the metro. We promise every client two things: we'll work hard for you, and we'll do a good job. We take a personal interest in the work being done around us and do our part to build a better quality of life for all. At the end of the day, we believe all people should live in safe, sustainable, and beautiful communities.
