Monday, October 18

Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz is expected decide today whether an effort to hold a recall election for Governor Ventura can proceed. Environmental activist Leslie Davis alleges that Ventura should be recalled because he is profiting from his election as Governor. This is the first test of a recall law that has been on the books since 1996. Senator Ember Reichgott Junge was the chief author of that legislation and she's on the line now.

A federal lawsuit filed in Minnesota seeks to eliminate federal subsidies for Christian Science nursing homes. Today a federal appeals court hears arguments in the case. Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano reports.

Officials at the Twin Cities Airport hope installation of a new material designed to stop planes from going off the end of the runway will be in place within a couple of weeks. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.

Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson hit a 48 yard field goal with seven seconds to go in the game yesterday to give the Lions a 25-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. It was Hanson's sixth field goal of the game. The Vikings are now 2-4 on the season. Don Banks covers the Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He says games that go down to the wire have been a pattern for Minnesota this year.

Mahtomedi teacher Brett Smith is the new Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Smith, who was chosen from eight finalists yesterday, teaches music at the O. H. Anderson Elementary School. He says getting kids excited about music isn't difficult.

MPR's Chris Farrell previews the tense times on Wall Street.

The city of St. Cloud is moving forward with a proposal to further regulate digging crews. City officials decided to get tough after workers hit dozens of natural gas lines this year. Last December a crew working for cable provider Seren Innovations hit a gas line in downtown St. Cloud, causing an explosion that killed four people and damaged several buildings. Other Minnesota cities are watching St. Cloud's effort. The proposal to keep closer tab on crews could become a statewide model. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post reports.

A new poll shows opposition to raising St. Paul's sales tax to pay for a new Minnesota Twins ballpark has softened slightly since early summer. However, ballpark supporters still have a significant challenge ahead of them. The survey, commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and KARE-11 TV shows St. Paul residents continue to oppose using tax dollars to fund a stadium nearly 2-1. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports. For complete poll results, visit us on-line at www.mpr.org.

MPR Sports Commentator Jay Weiner joined us to discuss the stadium poll. Weiner covers the stadium issue for the Star Tribune newspaper.

MPR economics commentator Chris Farrell joined us to discuss the Consumer Price Index, which was released this morning.

The Medical device industry is a vital engine for the Minnesota economy and products developed here are marketed around the world. But getting from concept to market takes a lot of money and great ideas fail as often as they succeed. The struggles and hopes of local entrepreneur Stan Obino highlight the issues facing this important industry. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.

There have been snow flurries in Northern Minnesota this week and with our below-normal temperatures lately there's no doubt winter will soon settle in. Winter in Minnesota may be enough to make you pack your bags and head south. But not if you want to do cold weather testing of automobiles and motor vehicle parts, then its a paradise - and now for Bemidji, a money maker. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Reha reports.

In less than two weeks St. Paul voters will pass judgment on Mayor Norm Coleman's plan to pay for a new Minnesota Twins ballpark with a half-percentage point increase in the city's sales tax. A poll released yesterday by Minnesota Public Radio, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and KARE-11 TV shows voter opposition remains high. But in an off-year election turn out is expected to be light, making the referendum's outcome unpredictable. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports on the strategies of both campaigns in the final days before the vote.

Joining us now is Dan Salomone, executive director of the Minnesota Taxpayers Association. Governor Jesse Ventura unveiled phase three of his Big Plan yesterday at an electronics firm in Pequot Lakes. The focus of phase three, called "Service Not Systems," is on simplifying government, promoting more citizen involvement, and reforming the tax system. Minnesota Public Radio's Helms reports.

A Baby Bell is making a big push into high-speed Internet. SBC communications, a provider of local telephone service to 13 states including Texas and California, plans to spend $6 billion to provide high-speed Internet access through so-called DSL service. About 77 million subscribers should have access to the service by 2002. Dwight Silverman is covering this story for the Houston chronicle. I asked him how SBC will spend the $6 billion.

A 19-year-old man from the Rochester area will receive an award at the White House today for his efforts to turn a Laundromat into a youth center. Jason Lupeituu is creating the center in Pine Island as part of his work with AmeriCorps, a government-sponsored program that places individuals in community service programs throughout the country. He and 21 other AmeriCorps workers will receive the award as part of the AmeriCorps celebration of its fifth anniversary this week. Jason says he got the idea to use the Laundromat when he was there doing laundry one night.

Twenty-five years ago today Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis was dedicated and an opening night concert was broadcast live on Minnesota Public Radio and across the country. Dennis Rooney hosted the program which featured interviews with people at the concert including Minneapolis Star Columnist Barbara Flanagan. Until that night, the Minnesota Orchestra had to play at various auditoriums around the Twin Cities. Architect Hugh Hardy, who designed Orchestra Hall, says the new building might not have been built if the Lycium Theatre had been a little bigger.

The man who brought big league baseball to Minnesota died today at the age of 87. Calvin Griffith died in his retirement home of Melbourne, FL, of kidney infection. Griffith started the Minnesota Twins when he moved his baseball team from Washington DC to the Twin Cities in 1961. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this look at his life.

Supporters and opponents of Mayor Norm Coleman's plan to build a new Minnesota Twins ballpark in downtown St. Paul faced off again last night during a city council discussion of the issue. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Southern Minnesota grain and livestock farmers appear to be weathering a two-year-old storm of bad economic news, but some bankers and lenders wonder how long they'll be able to hold on. At a state legislative hearing Wednesday in North Mankato, there was little good news for hard hit farmers. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Steil reports.

MPR sports commentator Jay Weiner was the Twins beat writer for the Star Tribune in the early '80s at the end of Griffith's tenure as owner. He says Calvin was quite a bit different than the kind of people who own teams today.

Former U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy has been the guest of honor this week during a series of local tributes. The 83-year-old McCarthy's return to his home state culminates tonight with a dinner at the governor's residence in St. Paul. McCarthy is probably best known for his 1968 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. It was a direct challenge to Hubert Humphrey and the policies of the Johnson administration, and many consider it a turning point in American politics.

As St. Paul voters consider whether to raise the city sales tax to bring big league baseball to town, they've heard a range of predictions about the possible economic benefits of a ballpark. Projecting future development is a subjective task, allowing critics and boosters of the stadium proposal to paint very different pictures. The impact of a half-percent sales tax increase might seem easier to quantify. But Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports even a citywide tax increase will affect various consumers and businesses differently.

Ten years ago today, Jacob Wetterling was abducted while riding his bike in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Neither he nor his abductor has been found. Now some of Jacob's friends from sixth grade have gotten together and produced a public service announcement that is running on television stations throughout the state. Alison Feigh wrote and produced the Wetterling PSA. She was a classmate of Jacob's in the sixth grade.

Well, your bodies may be at or on the way to work, but your minds are getting ready to launch the weekend. For some ideas we'll turn to Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts with the Word of Mouth arts Roundup. Meteorologist Mark Seeley discusses cold weather.