Monday, February 23

Growing consumer interest in organic food is convincing more Minnesota farmers to change their farming techniques. But small scale farming advocates say the trend may be too late in a state increasingly dominated by bigger farms dependent on chemicals for weed and pest control. Advocates of smaller farms say consumer tastes play a big role in determining what kind of farming the state will have in the future. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more.

Next Tuesday night, Republicans and Democrats hold precinct caucuses to elect delegates to this summer's party conventions. This week, Minnesota Public Radio is profiling the candidates vying for their endorsement for Governor. The race is drawing attention outside of Minnesota because the race includes several sons of famous fathers. NONE has a bigger name-- or is taking a bigger gamble now--than Attorney General Skip Humphrey. Minnesota Public Radio;s karen Louise boothe has the first in our series of profiles of gubernatorial candidates.

Recreational mushing is booming in Minnesota. The Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth and Alaska's Iditerod have increased the sport's visibility. Mushing trips for novices are one way sled dog owners can educate people about the sport and pay their bills. And as Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports, mushers are bringing dogsledding to a whole new audience.

On Future Tense: Carleton College in Northfield is tightening security on campus. Starting in April, its nine residence halls will be locked, and later so will academic buildings. But plain old keys won't get you inside. Instead, students at Carleton College will gain access to their dorms using something called "proximity cards." Carleton's Director of Residential Life, Marty Redmans, says proximity cards look like credit cards.

Last week, two Minnesota high school teachers made headlines for allegedly having sex with teenage students. According to the Minnesota Board of Teaching, roughly 15 to 20 teachers each year lose their licenses because of alleged sexual contact with students. That's a small percentage of the 55-thousand teachers employed in the state, but its still a great cause of concern. Jerry Caplan is with the Alpha Sex Offender treatment programs in Minneapolis and he joins us now.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan testifies before Congress this week. That often gives the financial markets a case of the jitters, but Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell says things are different this time.

Another work week is already underway at the State Capitol. Legislators expect this to be the week when MONEY finally takes center stage, as committee start making hard choices about spending priorities, and how much tax relief is enough. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste joins us from the Capitol.

Tuesday, February 24

A new Minnesota Public Radio-St. Paul Pioneer Press-Kare 11 TV poll shows Attorney General Skip Humphrey with the most support in the race for the DFL gubernatorial nomination and St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman with the most support on the Republican side. Among people polled who say they're likely to vote in the DFL primary, about a third said they'd vote for Humphrey, a third split among the other candidates, and a third are undecided. Among people likely to vote in the Republican primary, Coleman leads Lieutenant Governor Joanne Benson and conservative Allen Quist by 12 percentage points. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports.

Next Tuesday night, Republicans and Democrats hold precinct caucuses to elect delegates to this summer's party conventions. This week, Minnesota Public Radio is profiling the candidates vying for their endorsement. Today, Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste has a profile of Lieutennant Governor Joanne Benson.

The NAACP's legal fight to improve Minneapolis public schools is expanding. The organization filed its second lawsuit in the past two and a half years aimed at forcing changes in the state's largest urban district. The lawsuit comes as NAACP plan to demonstrate their concerns before the Minneapolis school board. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

The city of Duluth and its University of Minnesota Campus have announced plans to create what they call a $30 million dollar "technology village." The village will act as an incubator for high-tech businesses and as a branch of the UMD campus. Organizers say the collaboration will mean jobs for the area's computer science students...and a shot in the arm for downtown. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports from Duluth.

Fresh from his biggest diplomatic feat as U.N. chief, Kofi Annan will now try to persuade the Security Council to back his agreement with Iraq to avert a U.S.-led military strike over the issue of weapons inspections. Under the accord, Iraq would allow inspectors "immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access" to suspected weapons sites as required by past U.N. resolutions. President Clinton says he is willing to give the agreement a chance. Minnesota Senator Rod Grams sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He says he too, is cautiously optimistic that the Iraqi weapons crisis is over.

One third of all job applicants exaggerate or lie on their resumes according to recent surveys of recruiters. The consequences for employers and others can be quite serious. In Minnesota, a high school teacher who faked his college transcript to get a license was recently arrested for having sex with one of his students. Many employers don't do enough to check the credentials of prospective employees or they're afraid of asking questions that could land them in legal trouble. That's according to Edward C. Andler, author of The Complete Reference Checking Handbook and president of the Certified Reference Checking Company in St. Louis.

While Florida and California are being battered by deadly storms, the weather in Minnesota has been just as unusual... but much more benign. Temperatures that have stayed well into the 30s and 40s have caused most people to shed their winter coats. They're also prompting some plants to come out of dormancy a few weeks early this season. We talk with Deb Brown, extension horticulturalist at the University of Minnesota, about how to protect early buds.

On Future Tense: If you're in the market for a new computer, Dwight Silverman of the Houston Chronicle says you might want to wait until later this year.

Wednesday, February 25

Threats against a black Minneapolis police officer, Sargeant Alisa Clemons, are being investigated by the Hennepin County Sheriff's department. Clemons won re-instatement to her police job two years ago after an arbitrator ruled the city wrongly accused her of sending racist hate mail. Clemons' supporters see the new threats made against her last week as continuation of a campaign by people in the police department to force her out. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more.

The latest Minnesota Public Radio--St. Paul Pioneer Press--KARE-11 T.V. Poll, shows that Minnesotans overwhelmingly support SOME kind of military strike to force Saddam Hussein to allow U-N weapons inspections. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.

As precinct caucus night approaches, party loyalists are lining up behind their favorite gubernatorial candidates. Although no one has clearly emerged as a frontrunner in the crowded DFL race--caucus results will give us a more clear picture of how the campaigns are shaping up. This week, we're profiling EACH of the hopefuls. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

Most Minnesotans are probably unaware of the state's school-trust lands. There are two and a half million acres in the trust, mostly in northern Minnesota. It's the DNR's job to make money off those acres, through timber sales, mineral rights and the like. That money helps pay for public education. But a forthcoming report from the legislative auditor is likely to question the DNR's management of school lands. Leif Enger of Mainstreet Radio reports.

On Future Tense: When you type in a web address into your browers, that's called "pull" technology. But when information travels across the Internet and lands in your computer without you asking for it, that's "push." Last year there was relentless hyping of "push" services, such as the pointcast network, which delivers news, sports, advertisements and stock quotes to your computer. The Future Tense news analyst says we are in the midst of a "push" backlash.

In most places, hockey players don't have the best of reputations...at least in stereotype. Recent escapades by the U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team have not helped. But the picture's very different in St. Cloud...where the St. Cloud State University Huskies are not only getting points for being family-friendly and public-spirited but they're also scoring them on the ice. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.

A group of about 150 people protested at the Minneapolis School Board meeting last night. A number of parents told the Board the community schools system, which gives parents the option sending their children to a neighborhood school, is increasing segregation and hurting the education among students of color. School Board President Bill Green listened to the comments last night. He says the community schools system was started two years ago because busing was keeping parents from involved in the schools.

Thursday, February 26

The latest Minnesota Public Radio--St. Paul Pioneer Press--KARE-11 T.V. Poll, shows about HALF of Minnesota voters think Republican Senator Rod Grams is doing an execellent or good job and about HALF beleive Democrat Paul Wellstone is going an excellent or good job. But Wellstone has FEWER supporters when it comes to his potential presidential bid. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.

A new era in statewide testing begins today at schools throughout Minnesota. Three weeks ago, all 8th grade students in public schools took the state's basic skills tests in reading and math. Now state officials are conducting first-time tests to see how well third and fifth grade students are doing. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Next Tuesday night Republicans and Democrats hold precinct caucuses to elect delegates to this summer's party conventions. This week, Minnesota Public Radio is profiling candidates vying for their endorsement for Governor. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports on what is driving former state auditor--and retail store heir--Mark Dayton in HIS bid for the seat.

The central figure in Minnesota's high-profile tobacco trial is Ramsey County District Judge Kenneth Fitzpatrick, who determines the trial's pace and the evidence jurors will see. Observers now have a good sense of what effect his judicial style is having on the trial. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

On Future Tense: High-tech firms are teling Congress that more foreign computer professionals ought to be allowed in the country. The industry says it needs help filling thousands of open positions, and relaxing immigration rules would help. Harris Miller, Director of the Information Technology Association of America, says there's a growing awareness of what he says is a severe worker shortage.

The new state revenue forecast is due out tomorrow and the expectation is that the budget surplus will rise to 1.8 billion dollars. Lobbyist Judy Cook of the Minnesota Retail Merchants Association keeps close tabs on the activity at the Capitol. She was at the Senate Tax Committee meeting last night and says the budget surplus was a hot topic of conversation.

Author Alex Kotlowitz discusses his new book The Other Side of the River about a racially torn community in Michigan.

Attorney Greg Wersal discusses his challenge to the recently enacted law which prohibits judicial candidates from getting party endorsement.

Friday, February 27

A new Minnesota Public Radio/Pioneer-Press/Kare Eleven poll indicates most Minnesotans would favor steps to control the state's increasing wolf population. But those polled indicate they would not support a wolf hunting season. The federal government is in the process of removing the wolf from the endangered species list, and public attitudes will play a role in formulating a state management plan for the animals. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports from Duluth.

Minnesota convicts are about to make a six million dollar difference in the state's schools by breaking up old computers. Inmates at the state prisons in Lino Lakes and Stillwater are cannibalising, rebuilding and upgrading thousands of used, computers which will end up at schools throughout Minnesota. Statewide, there are now about seven students for each computer in the schools. Organizers of the Computers For Schools project say they hope to lower that ratio to five to one. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Next Tuesday night, Republicans and Democrats hold precinct caucuses to elect delegates to this summer's party conventions. This week, Minnesota Public Radio is profiling the candidates vying for their endorsement for Governor. State politics reporter Eric Jansen interviewed DFL candidate John Marty, a fourth-term state senator who lost a bid for governor four years ago.

The state Senate has passed a tax bill that would lower taxes for some Minnesotans, but Republicans say in a year with a huge surplus, the tax relief doesnt go anywhere near far enough. MPRs Eric Jansen reports from the capitol.

Suggest to most adults that what they really need is to spend a couple of hours playing with a puppet, and you are not likely to get a favorable reaction. But that's just what many of us need according to the Galumph Performance Troupe. In its latest project the company gives each audience member a puppet, and a chance to rediscover their childlike creativity. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky attended a recent performance of "Tales from Tumtumerau."

On Future Tense: Over objections of many of the nation's governors, President Clinton is backing legislative to impose a five year moratorium on new taxes on products bought over the Internet. Speaking in San Francisco, Clinton said new taxes would stifle Internet commerce.

The Minnesota History Center has a new exhibit called "Our Gathering Places: African-Americans in Minnesota." In preparation for that exhibit the Historical Society recorded a number of interviews with black Minnesotans, particularly people who had been involved with barbershops or beauty parlors. This month we've been playing excerpts from some of those interviews. This morning, in our last installment, we'll hear from two Twin Cities residents. Harry Davis eventually became chairman of the Minneapolis School Board. He grew up in Minneapolis during the Depression. Dorothea Mockabee grew up in St. Paul. Her father owned a barbershop on Rondo Avenue in the section of the city where most black people lived.

The basin of the Amazon river is home to the world's richest assortment of life - including some 20 million different species. In fact, it's estimated the Amazon contains one quarter of all the plants on Earth. Scientists believe the region's incredible biodiversity can be tapped to find cures for diseases modern medicine has been unable to conquer. For 15 years, ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin has worked with shamans from South and Central American tribes to learn more about the medicinal use of native plants and animals. He and his work are featured in the new Oscar-nominated IMAX movie "Amazon" which opens today at the Minnesota Zoo.

Mark Seeley on warm weather, slush in the forecast.

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