A Portrait of a Veteran, plus Philville Records and Duluth Elects A New Mayor

Kimberly Mitchell’s life would be far different if not for an American serviceman, and she’s dedicated much of her career to helping veterans. Adopted from an orphanage in Da Nang, Vietnam, by an Airman and raised in Solon Springs, she is now a senior advisor in the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs after a career in the Navy and as an aide to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. She’s also the subject of a portrait by former President George W. Bush in his “Out of Many, One; Portraits of American Immigrants” series. In an encore presentation from 2021 for Veterans Day, Mitchell speaks about her life and the president-turned-artist with “Simply Superior” host Robin Washington on Friday, Nov. 10, at 10 a.m.

Plus: Marquette, Michigan and Eau Claire, Wisconsin may not seem likely places for a record label, but those cities are the founding location and current home of Philville Records — via an intermediate domicile in Ventura, California. Co-founder Matthew Sayles manages the Americana label in between his own performances with legends like Merle Haggard and Dwight Yoakam, plus local talents Raymond Little, Wyatt Thompson and Clancy Ward. He joins them on the stage of Wussow’s Concert Cafe in Duluth on Nov. 11, and shares the stories behind their music with Washington ahead of the performance.

Also: Duluth elected a new mayor and other city officials this week. Duluth News Tribune Executive Editor Rick Lubbers reviews the results of Duluth’s hotly contested election season and the election of Mayor-elect Roger Reinert.