Monday, August 30

As the start of school approaches, companies that provide bus service are scrambling to make sure there are enough drivers for all the routes. Ryder Student Transportation is the area's largest bus contractor. Bruce Dischinger is the senior region manager for Ryder, and he's on the line now.

St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman often cites new ballparks in Denver, Baltimore, and Cleveland as a models for his plan to build a new stadium for the Minnesota Twins. In an attempt to judge the economic and social impact of the new facilities, delegations from St. Paul have already visited Denver and Baltimore. Later this week, they expect to complete their ballpark tours with a pilgrimage to Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo visited the facility and prepared this report.

The comfort level in many schools changed forever last April when 14 students and a teacher died in Colorado's Columbine High School. The school year ended last spring under a cloud of fear and confusion. Threats and rumors of violence disrupted the routines in many Minnesota schools. Most Minnesota students return to school this week, and school administrators say they're trying hard to assure parents their children will be safe. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Out at the Minnesota State Fair there are battalions of teenagers serving up pronto pups and scores of cub scouts tending parking lots. But among the thousands of state fair workers are lots of senior citizens. They are retired but happily showing up on the job during their "Golden Years." They reflect a growing number of older Americans choosing so-called post retirement employment. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik has a report.

Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell talks about the lessening impact of the Federal Reserve's interest rate adjustments.

Four Minnesota lawmakers spent yesterday in Nebraska getting a first-hand look at the nation's only unicameral Legislature. The delegation met with a former governor, as well as lawmakers and lobbyists. Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura has made a unicameral Legislature one of his goals. To get one, the House and Senate would have to approve putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot, and Minnesota voters would have to approve it. Representative Jim Rhodes of St. Louis Park was part of the delegation. He chairs the House committee on Government Operations, and he's on the line now.

Minnesota schools are having an increasingly hard time hiring good principals. Superintendents say fewer people are applying for principal jobs, and many of those applicants lack the experience needed to meet the growing demands of the job. It's a nationwide trend that some predict is reaching crisis proportions. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Minnesota senators Paul Wellstone and Rod Grams appeared together last night to discuss the state's farm crisis. The two participated in a Minnesota Citizens' Forum where they were joined by representatives of the Ventura administration. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Sarah Jane Olson is due back in Los Angeles County Superior Court this morning for a pretrial hearing on charges she conspired to blow up police cars in Los Angeles more than twenty years ago. Olson is the former fugitive "Kathleen Soliah." Her attorneys say prosecutors have no evidence she took part in the attempted bombings. And as her trial nears, they say there are no negotiations toward settling the charges with a plea bargain. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

Minnesota farmers are in the midst of a tough decision - what to do with this year's harvest. Mark Schultz is the Senior Vice President at North Star Commodity, a brokerage firm that provides information and analyses for farmers.

A big computer conversion at the University of Minnesota has caused some trouble in the financial aid office. A glitch in the new system has forced the University to delay up to $25 million in financial aid payments to students. The glitch has also delayed tuition billing. Craig Swan is the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, and he's on the line now.

The national decline in AIDS-related deaths has begun to level off, and some populations are seeing an increase in new infections. That's the news from Atlanta, where more than 2,000 doctors, scientists, and advocates are gathered this week for the first National HIV Prevention Conference. The Conference is organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 17 other sponsoring organizations. Dr. Keith Henry is the Director of the HIV program and Clinic at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. He's on the line now.

Minnesota schools begin a second year of classes this week under the graduation standards system, known as the Profile of Learning. The complex system of applied-learning requirements was expected to be dumped or dramatically altered during the legislative session, but neither happened. Now, school districts and teachers are expected to push ahead and make the Profile work. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire looked at how one district is coping and filed this report.

Sara Jane Olson, formerly Kathleen Soliah, was back in Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday, more than a month after being released from custody on $1million bail. Her case has been assigned to a trial court judge. Olson's attorneys say there have been no plea bargain negotiations. They say they expect the case will go to trial this fall. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

Peter Moore has compiled the poems read by his father, Dave Moore. His book is called, Gone Writing:The Poems of Moore on Sunday.

The Reform Party announced last night that its national convention next year will be held in Long Beach, California. That came as a surprise to Reform Party leaders in Minnesota who expected the convention to be held here. Outgoing Reform Party Chairman and Ross Perot ally Russ Verney said that one of the reasons some committee members decided against Minnesota was that "they didn't want to take a chance that Governor Jesse Ventura would overshadow the party's Presidential candidate." Richard McCluhan is the Minnesota Reform Party Chairman, and he's on the line now.

Senator Rod grams is now doing his tour of rural areas to get farmers to talk about the agricultural crisis. Yesterday he met with farmers in Willmar in Central Minnesota. Grams says he believes the Freedom to Farm Act will work if there are sufficient efforts made to open up foreign markets. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

In what could be a first in the nation attempt, federal officials may ask that Minnesota be declared a farm economic disaster area. At a meeting in North Mankato yesterday, the US Agriculture Department's State Emergency Board was told thousands of Minnesota farmers likely will be forced out of business in the next year because of low grain and livestock prices. USDA officials say a disaster declaration would serve as an alarm to the nation that farmers need help. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Steil reports.

Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone and North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan say Senate Democrats will push for major farm policy reform when Congress returns from its August recess next week. The two held a field hearing on the farm crisis at the state Capitol yesterday. Farmers talked about their desperate situation, and some offered fairly radical solutions. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.