Monday, February 15

An archeological dig on the St. Cloud State University campus is expected to be completed today. Since construction crews working on a new library uncovered a collection of bones two weeks ago, 24 graves have been discovered. They were identified as remains from an early cemetery that could have been established by some of the first New England settlers to move to central Minnesota. Professor Richard Rothaus has been overseeing the dig.

Members of the Minnesota House and Senate will sit down this week for what promises to be lengthy negotiations over tax rebates. Legislators in both chambers say they want to find a way to send the rebates to taxpayers as simply and efficiently as possible, but if past experience is any example, that's easier said than done. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste has the story.

Near Ely, Minnesota in an area where motorists have frequently encountered deer, there is a new road hazard: wolves. Over a five day period in January, four wolves were struck by cars just outside Ely. Fred Thunhorst is the Area Wildlife Supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources in Ely. He says that there are several reasons for the collisions.

It's been nearly two years since the flood of '97 washed through the Red River Valley, chasing thousands of people from Grand Forks and East Grand Forks and causing widespread destruction. For many, the flood is quickly sliding into history. The communities are busy rebuilding. but an alarming number of residents are now struggling with financial and emotional debt. Mental health workers say there is an epidemic of depression. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson reports.

After years battling severe weather, scab and low crop prices, many farmers in western Minnesota and the Dakotas are looking for a new way to make money off the land. Farmers along Interstate-29 believe they've found the answer: join forces with your neighbors and invest in a dairy. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann has this Mainstreet report.

The State Department of Children, Families and Learning plans to issue its new desegregation rule today, a controversial policy several years in the making. The new rule does away with 25 years of racial quotas, and tries to address trends such as "white flight," the desire for community schools and increased immigration into Minnesota's rural areas. Essentially, the state says separate can be equal. In so doing, many critics charge, the state with gutting its own mandate. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil has this report.

The Minnesota Senate's Health and Family Security Committee will hold a hearing today on a bill that would use some of the tobacco settlement money to create an endowment to fund tobacco education, medical research and developmental programs for children. The Ventura administration also has a tobacco endowment proposal. Joining us now to discuss that plan is Michael O'Keefe, who is leaving the McKnight Foundation to become the Commissioner of Human Services. The sponsor of the tobacco endowment bill in the Senate is Majority Leader Roger Moe and he joins us now.

A Minnesota Senate committee has approved a bill that would make it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of .08-percent, down from the current 1.0-percent. Similar efforts to lower the state's driving-while-intoxicated standard have died on the senate floor in recent years, but supporters say the measure may finally pass. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

Minnesotans had a chance to question Governor Jesse Ventura, and other state leaders, last night over issues of Education. The Minnesota Citizen's Forum was broadcast on KTCA-TV and Minnesota Public Radio. It was also covered by the Star-Tribune newspaper. All three media outlets were sponsors of the event. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen Louise Boothe reports.

As the Worldwide web grows as a visual medium with rich graphics and video, it becomes harder to use for people who are visually impaired or blind. While the situation has gotten worse over the years, Curtis Chong of the National Federation of the Blind says there is hope on the horizon.

Chris Farrell previews the week on Wall Street.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is getting an art collection worth $5 million from Norwest Bank Minnesota. The gift of 471 pieces of furniture and decorative arts is the largest corporate donation the museum has ever received. Christopher Monkhouse is the decorative arts curator at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and he joins us now.

The new president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP has a different leadership style than his predecessor. Rick Campbell wrested control of the civil rights organization in a close vote from Leola Seals. During her term, Seals and other NAACP members regularly confronted Minneapolis School Board members in meetings that led to shouting. Rick Campbell, by contrast, says he's a quiet leader. The NAACP has sued the state, charging Minneapolis and St. Paul schools do not provide an equal educational opportunity for black children. The suit is in mediation. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

The government's fraud case against Piper Jaffray got underway in a Minneapolis court room yesterday. The securities and Exchange commission is suing Piper and five current or former employees for their handling of a mutual fund whose value plunged because of investments in derivative securities. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.

Twenty Peace Corps volunteers are riding their bicycles cross-country to promote the cause of girls' education. The country they're riding across is the Ivory Coast in West Africa where girls often receive less schooling than boys. The bikers will stop in 17 villages to talk to residents about the importance of sending girls to school. Marianne Combs is a former reporter for Minnesota Public Radio and a Peace Corps volunteer in Ivory Coast. She says promoting education fits right in with the Peace Corps mission.

It's been less than six weeks since the new 651 area code became mandatory for St. Paul and its surrounding suburbs. And already, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is considering another area code for the Twin Cities. Last night the PUC held its first public hearing on the proposed changes. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

The desire for artistic expression is inherent in every human being. That's the view at the Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts which is opening a new play this weekend. Interact is the only place of it's kind in the country, offering people with mental and physical disabilities a chance to become artists. A Mind in Flames is about mental illness, written and performed by artists who know first hand what it's like to live with schizophrenia, depression, and paranoia. Mary Stucky reports.

Minnesota doesn't have enough district court judges to handle a fast growing caseload, according to State Supreme Court officials. The number of Minnesota court cases has increased by 41 percent over the last decade while the number of judges hearing those cases has grown only 11 percent. Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz is proposing the legislature approve money to hire 18 new judges.

The Minneapolis NAACP has come up with a proposal for settling its lawsuit over the quality of education in Minneapolis. The NAACP filed suit more than three years ago against the state, claiming that low funding and racial segregation deny Minneapolis public school students their constitutional right to an adequate education. Both sides are trying to reach a settlement with a mediator in order to avoid a court trial. Attorney John Shulman represents the Minneapolis NAACP.

Republicans and Democrats in the Minnesota House have agreed to use money from the state's tobacco settlement to pay for subsidized health care. In a unique show of bi-partisanship, lawmakers from both parties support a plan to eliminate the so-called "sick tax," and use tobacco money to fund Minnesota Care. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

State legislators have filled four seats on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. Meeting in joint session Thursday, members of the House and Senate selected two incumbents and two newcomers to the governing body of the U of M. Despite a three-month search, lawmakers from both parties are criticizing a process that produced few women or minority candidates. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

The Red Wing school district will have to cut $1 million out of its $20 million budget this year and faces similar cuts over the next several years. School board members say the financial troubles are a result of several factors: static student enrollment and flat state funding. School districts across the state are facing enrollment declines and may find themselves making similar cuts even as the governor and lawmakers work to provide more money for education. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe has this Mainstreet report.

The Minnesota Legislature is trying to make high speed police chases less dangerous. Yesterday, members of a Minnesota House committee approved a measure which more than doubles the pursuit training police must take. The measure also increases penalties for people who try to outrun the police. But the next House committee to hear the bill has questions about funding the measure. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

Some companies that provide free email, such as Hotmail and Yahoo, have begun beefing up security to prevent hackers from gaining access to peoples' accounts. A recent online commentary by security expert Ira Winkler prompted the new security measures. Winkler says people who design web sites and new Internet services have got to think more about security.

Governor Jesse Ventura flies off to Washington, D.C. tomorrow for a National Governors Conference. On Monday he'll speak at the National Press Club and then Tuesday he'll head to New York for a guest appearance on the David Letterman Show. Yesterday, Ventura visited Delano, Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste was with him there and will follow the Governor to Washington. He joins us in the studio this morning.

Meteorologist Mark Seeley talks about the weather and how deep frost can go.

MPR's Tom Crann previews some of the highlights of the upcoming classical music calendar.