Monday, March 17

The Minnesota Gophers mens basketball team earned a spot in the N-C-double-A's Sweet-16 last night with a 76-to-57 victory over Temple. The Gophers now head to San Antonio, Texas...where they will take on the Clemson Tigers Thursday. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Wareham was in Kansas City for the opening rounds...and has a report on last night's victory.

The Twin Cities area is home to one of the few Irish bagpipe bands in the United States. the "Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band" was founded in 1962. Minnesota Public Radio's Kathleen Hallinan caught up with the band as members prepared for their biggest event of the year: the St. Patrick's Day parade in St. Paul.

Some might see it as the best job in the world, other the worst. The old fashioned preschool teacher is becoming more of a rarity as working parents increasingly turn to full time daycare for their children. There are still a few preschools out there, schools that teach children for just a few hours a day. Mary Kay Springstead has been teaching at just a school for the past ten years, and as Mary Stucky reports in this installmnet of our odd jobs series, Springstead says children need consistency, a chance to make friends and time to dream.

Lobbyist Barry Tilly discusses the Session including property tax reform, the stadium and welfare reform.

Dan Buettner discusses Mayaquest 3 from Guatamala where they are about to embark on a mule ride to an ancient ruin.

March 18, 1997

The Minnesota State Senate is thought to be more likely to support using taxpayer money for a new Twins stadium that the House. You couldn't tell that at last night's hearing before the Senate's Committee on Local and Metropolitan Government. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Collins reports.

The Minnesota River is expected to crest above flood stage this spring. St. Peter officials say they learned a lot from the last flood in 1993. They've developed a plan they hope will prevent some of the problems the city suffered during that flood. Minnesota Public Radio's Holly Nelson reports.

On Future Tense Jon Gordon reports on the Supreme Court and the Communications Decency Act. Greg Utecht oversees Eagan High School's use of technology in the classroom. He discusses how that district controls access to offensive sites on the Internet.

Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone discusses his bill to end politicans' reliance on money from special interest groups to run their campaigns. The bill would instead finance federal campaigns with public money.

Donna Fishman, co-director of the Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting, discusses the Kids Count report released today by the Children's Defense Fund which says the percentage of children born to teenagers in Minnesota is actually increasing.

March 19, 1997

Expansion of the Minneapolis Convention Center is on the legislature's plate again following the Governor's Veto of a convention center appropriation LAST year. The House Economic Development and International Trade Committee takes up the bill today. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.

Governor Carlson's crime package this year calls for creation of a boot camp for juveniles. Around the country, more and more states are building boot camps; in just over a decade, nearly every state has opened a camp for adults. Now, many states are opening camps for juveniles. Supporters say strict discipline and hard work will knock some sense into criminals. But research seems to indicate that boot camps don't work. They don't save money, and they don't rehabilitate criminals. Mainstreet Radio's Catherine Winter reports.

On Future Tense Jon Gordon talks with the publisher of Channel 4000 website.

The Department of Natural Resources is gearing up to enforce the new fishing regulations. Minnesota and Ojibway Indian officials will cooperate in enforcing the new regulations on 29 lakes in east-central Minnesota. Leo Hausman directs the enforcement division of the DNR. He discusses how the department is gearing up for the fishing season.

Public Safety Commissioner Don Davis discusses the potential for violence this spring as Native Americans begin exercising their treaty rights to spear and net fish on 29 lakes in east-central Minnesota.

Thursday, March 20, 1997

Minnesota eighth graders' mediocre performance on the state-wide math and reading tests caught people's attention at the state capitol yesterday. Lawmakers expressed disappointment in the scores, but they're already hard at work writing laws to require MORE state-wide standardized tests. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

The Defense of Marriage Act was revived by a house committee...Karen-Louise Boothe reports.

Leaders from Minnesota's Eleven Tribal Governments addressed a joint House/Senate Committee last night. It was the first time American Indian leaders were officially invited to the legislature to discuss the state of their tribes. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports

On Future Tense Jon Gordon reports that MICROSOFT is suing A MINNEAPOLIS MAN FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.

From San Antonio MPR's Bill Wareham previews tonight's basketball game between Minnesota and Clemson.

From St. Paul MPR's John Rabe previews today snowman burning.

Friday, March 21

A Senate Committee has dealt a blow to the Minnesota Twins effort to get a taxpayer paid stadium built for them. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Collins reports.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities board this week authorized the state's technical colleges to cut nearly two-hundred programs and lay off about ninety faculty members this fall. But, MnSCU officials say it's not as bleak as it seems. The board was required to approve tentative layoffs and potential cuts that may not happen. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Remember that heart-stopping game six of the 1991 World Series? Well, it now has some competition. Last night the Minnesota Gophers squeaked out a 90-to-84 double overtime victory over the Clemson Tigers int he semi-final of the Midwest Regional of the N-C-double-A Men's basketball tournament. Bill Wareham is in San Antonio with the Gophers and has a report.

School district officials from throughout the nation will be in Minneapolis next week to recruit Minnesota college students for teaching jobs. Students attending the Minnesota Education Career Fair will find they are much in demand. U-S Secretary of Education Richard Riley recently warned of a nationwide shortage of teachers. Minnesota has traditionally had a surplus of teachers, but some teaching skills are in especially high demand. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Mark Seeley provides weather insights live from sunny Florida.

Ed Lord discusses the fake bomb disaster drill that will be staged tomorrow at Fort Snelling.

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