Monday, September 20

It's clear that this year is going to be a lot different than last year for the Minnesota Vikings. Yesterday's 22-17 loss to the Oakland Raiders at the Metrodome means after just two games the Vikings have already lost as many regular season games this year as they did all of last year. And place-kicker Gary Anderson who was perfect until the playoffs last year has missed four of the six field goals he has attempted so far this year. Pioneer Press reporter Don Banks covered the Vikings last year and he's with them again this year and he's on the line now.

There's another deadline looming for Minneapolis' troubled Block E. Developer Dan McCaffrey says he's close to finalizing the package the city wants for the prime Hennepin Avenue real estate. But if McCaffrey can't close the deal by October, city leaders say they'll start over in the ten-year-old effort to turn Hennepin avenue between Fifth and Seventh Streets into a magnet for visitors. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

The Minnesota Vikings stumbled yesterday, losing their home opener to the Oakland Raiders 22-17. Players and coaches seemed to shrug off the loss, but many fans were clearly upset by the team's performance. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch convened a meeting last week about racism and bigotry on the Internet. Hatch says he's considering legislation to target so-called 'hate speech,' at least that which incites violence. One of those testifying was Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

Governor Jesse Ventura has sent a letter to President Clinton asking for federal help to ease the dismal farm economy. The Governor is asking federal officials to consider both long-term and short-term solutions to the farm crisis. He wants immediate relief targeted to those most in need. But he also hopes lawmakers will consider changing federal estate tax laws, promoting alternative crops, and allowing the growth of hemp. State Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson is on the line now.

Back in 1993, Peter de Jager wrote an article for Computerworld Magazine, first describing the problem which is now universally known as the Y2K bug. Since then, billions of dollars have been spent fixing software so that computers keep working in the year 2000. de Jager has testified before Congress on the problem and served as a special advisor to the British Government. He is in Minnesota this week working with Norwest Bank on Y2K issues and he's on the line now.

The McKnight Foundation is giving $2 million for the renovation of the Washburn-Crosby mill complex on the Minneapolis riverfront. The Minnesota Historical Society plans to turn the old mill into a public education center and museum. In the late 1800's, the Washburn Crosby A Mill was at the center of the busiest milling district in the country. The mill was named a National Historic Landmark in 1983. Nina Archabal is the director of the Historical Society, and she's stopped by the studio this morning.

Minneapolis police are continuing their investigation into the murders of two boys who were shot to death on Sunday afternoon. The police are trying to determine if the killings are gang related. Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano reports.

El Salvador made daily headlines in the 1980s during the country's bloody 12-year civil war, especially the government's 'death squads'. Today, one former member of the country's notorious Treasury Police, Rene Hurtado, begins a three day deportation hearing in Bloomington. Hurtado gained attention for speaking out, in Minnesota and nation-wide, against US involvement in his country's civil war. Minnesota Public Radio's Lynette Nyman reports.

As possible presidential candidates from Donald Trump to Pat Buchanan to Lowell Weicker flirt with the Reform Party, Governor Ventura has become a force they must reckon with. Ventura has had discussions with all three, publicly pronouncing Trump and Weicker fit for the party nod, while dismissing Buchanan. When Ventura speaks, the media, political pundits and the public tend to listen - but will the Reform Party coalesce behind the candidate Ventura endorses? Many observers say while Ventura has a lot of clout, he hasn't demonstrated he's the unifying voice of the still-evolving party. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

A Senate committee hearing in Washington today focuses on a controversial pension plan that many large corporations have adopted or are considering. Recently IBM employees launched a campaign against the company's switch from a traditional defined-benefit plan which rewards long service, to a cash-balance plan favoring younger, more mobile workers. As Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports, IBM workers from Rochester testify at today's hearings bolstered by recent victories.

The accordion is seldom seen as cutting edge. For many it's an instrument deeply rooted in the past. But for a North Dakotan Family living just west of Bismarck the accordion is a passport to the future, which has taken its members all over the country, and now they are looking to make their fortune with their accordions at home. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Reha reports.

We're all digging a little deeper these days to gas up the car and grumbling about it. But researchers at the University of Minnesota say our out-of-pocket costs of owning and operating a vehicle, substantial as they are, are just part of the full cost. A new study being carried out by U researchers attempts to calculate the full cost and offer some suggestions for more equitable ways of funding road building in the Twin Cities. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.

The Milwaukee Road Depot in downtown Minneapolis is finally getting a renovation. City officials will break ground on the project today. The old train depot was once a bustling transportation center but has been vacant for over twenty years. St. Paul-based developer CSM owns the property and will lead the $50 million renovation. Restaurants, hotels, and a public skating rink are all in the plans. Gary Holmes is president of CSM. He joined MPR's Bob Potter out at the old depot to talk about what the place used to look like, and why it's worth preserving.

Donald Blom will be arraigned for first degree murder in Carlton County court today. Blom confessed earlier this month to kidnapping and killing 19-year-old Katie Poirier after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors which allowed him to choose where he would serve his sentence. The plea bargain collapsed after Blom refused to plead guilty as he'd agreed, saying he wanted to wait for results of DNA analysis of bone fragments found at his Moose Lake cabin before entering a plea. Prosecutors say the deal is now off, but the situation has legal experts puzzling over whether the confession can still be used. Richard Frase is a professor of Criminal Law and Procedure at the University of Minnesota Law School, and he's on the line now.

Microsoft will announce today that it is suing five Minnesota companies for software piracy. The illegal duplication or sale of computer software strips companies of profits and can provide consumers with faulty products. Janice Block is a corporate attorney with Microsoft. She here in the studio now.

Three St. Paul boys ages 10, 11 and 13 were arrested yesterday for their suspected involvement in the rape of an eight-year-old girl. Four other boys who may have been involved in the incident cannot be charged with a crime because they are under the age of ten. Their age has lead to speculation about what will, or can, be done with the boys. Hennepin County has developed a program to handle young children who commit crimes. It's called "Delinquents Under Ten." Amy Klobachar is the Hennepin County Attorney, and she's on the line now to explain how it works.

Koch Petroleum Group has announced it will make a new, low sulphur gasoline for sale in the twin cities. Company officials say it will reduce tailpipe emissions 10 to 20 percent. That's the equivalent of taking 40,000 cars off the road in the metro area. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

Covering Governor Ventura has become a growing challenge for the Capitol press corps. The state's chief executive has shown an increasing willingness to bypass the reporters who cover him on a daily basis. The Governor hasn't granted interviews with most of the local media for months, and when he has they have been limited to specific topics. Observers say Ventura doesn't need Capitol press coverage like other politicians - he has a statewide weekly radio show and the ability to generate international news interest. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum has this report.

Minneapolis' waterfront could be the site of a whitewater rafting and kayaking park in a few years. Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources has published a study that says the Mississippi River through downtown Minneapolis is a suitable spot for the whitewater course. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports.

It's traditional at the end of the baseball season for teams to hold a Fan Appreciation Day and at tomorrow night's event at the Metrodome the Minnesota Twins should be especially appreciative to their loyal fans. The team went into this season with a low-budget inexperienced team that had virtually no chance of competing for the playoffs. It was an experiment designed to reduce financial losses and build for the future. Dave St. Peter is the Director of Communications for the Minnesota Twins, and he's on the line now.

Governor Jesse Ventura has added a Nevada brothel to the list of businesses he doesn't want his trade-mark name attached to. Ventura wrote about his experience with a prostitute at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch in his autobiography. Now his lawyer has sent a letter to the brothel asking that the governor's name be removed from an ad, along with the words, "I had sex at the Moonlight." Dennis Hof owns the brothel, and he's on the line now.

The wave of consolidation in banking has slowed since last year, when a flurry of mega mergers, including the pairing of Norwest and Wells Fargo, reshaped the industry landscape. At the time, many observers wondered whether US Bancorp, the twin cities' other major bank, would find a partner. The company has been snapping up smaller California banks, but hasn't made a big move. As Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports, banking industry analysts are pondering the possibility that US Bancorp would join up with Firstar of Milwaukee, a merger that would bring together the brothers Grundhofer.

Meterologist Mark Seeley is in the studio, for this week's weather news.

In just over a month St. Paul residents will deliver their verdict on Mayor Norm Coleman's plan to increase the city sales tax to help build a new open-air stadium for the Minnesota Twins. With time running down, opponents and supporters of the plan are waging campaigns to win hearts, minds, and votes. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Now, here's Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts with this week's Word of Mouth arts roundup.