Monday, November 1

Gary Anderson kicked a 23-yard field goal in the closing seconds to give the Vikings a 23-20 victory over the Broncos yesterday in Denver. Receiver Cris Carter was the key player in the victory. He caught eight passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. The Vikings are now 4 and 4 on the season. Joining us now is Don Banks who covers the team for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Two St. Paul City council members running for re-election tomorrow, Dan Bostrom and Jay Benanav, can apparently put the finishing touches on their victory statements. They are running unopposed in their Fourth and Sixth Ward races. But for all the other St. Paul council candidates it's nail-biting time. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson summarizes the contests.

After months of debating the pros and cons of raising the St. Paul sales tax to build a new Minnesota Twins ballpark, St. Paul voters go to the polls tomorrow to register their opinions. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo examines how the discussion has evolved in the final days.

While Twin Cities residents have been debating stadium issues for months, St. Cloud area residents have been quietly grappling with a similar issue. Tomorrow residents will vote for or against a half cent sales tax increase to fund an events center and other amenities. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms has the story.

Governor Ventura leaves today on a ten-day trade mission to Japan. This isn't the first time a Minnesota governor has gone there, Governor Carlson visited Japan in 1992, but it is safe to say this is the first governor with some name-recognition among the Japanese. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

MPR's Chris Farrell reads the economic tea leaves.

Members of Congress are starting to hear from a sector in the agriculture business they haven't heard much from before - bankers. For the first time a task force of the American Bankers Association is taking a position on ag policy and recommending solutions to permanently lift farmers out of financial crisis mode. Minnesota Public Radio's Cara Hetland reports.

Commentator Tom Sinner, Jr., a former farmer who lives near Fargo and works for Catholic Family Service talks about international trade talks.

Republican presidential hopeful Steve Forbes has made a brief visit to Minnesota. Last night, Forbes outlined his conservative agenda during a campaign organizing event in Bloomington. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

In Tokyo right now its about 10:25 at night. Governor Jesse Ventura and his entourage arrived in that city about six hours ago. When the sun comes up, Ventura will begin his first full day in Japan. Though his trip is billed as a trade mission, he'll start out by sightseeing, in celebration of Japan's Culture Day. Former Vice President Walter Mondale was the U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1993 to 1996. He met with Ventura before the trip. Mondale says Ventura probably won't have to introduce himself very often.

Minneapolis-based Interact Theater, an nationally acclaimed company of performers with disabilities, may have to close its doors. The transportation company that's been bringing many of the cast and crew to the theater each day has pulled out, saying Interact can't pay enough. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky reports, Interact calls attention to what some call a larger transportation crisis for the disabled.

Minnesota Democrats are planning to introduce a package of legislation next session designed to protect consumer privacy. DFL leaders traveled around the state yesterday in an effort to position their party at the forefront of a growing citizen concern about privacy. Several Republicans say they too are interested in the issue, and they hope it doesn't turn into a partisan debate. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Voters will be casting ballots today on everything from city council and school board races, to the St. Paul stadium tax. This year, some of those ballots will be counted with experimental election-return systems, that will transmit the results electronically to government officials who will then report them to the public, in some cases, just minutes after a precinct's last ballot is cast. The new system will be used in Hennepin and Washington counties. Joining is now Minnesota's chief elections officer, Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer.

It looks like the Twins will not be moving to St. Paul. Voters in that city have overwhelming rejected a proposal to partially fund a new stadium by raising the city's sales tax. That leaves the future of the Twins in Minnesota in limbo. The team says it cannot compete in the Metrodome. Joining me now is Minneapolis mayor, Sharon Sayles-Belton.

Mayor Norm Coleman was the leading proponent of that proposal and he joins us now.

Election results in Duluth brought significant turnover among city council and school board members, with both bodies likely taking on a more labor-friendly and liberal tone. But labor-endorsed candidates did not sweep either body, and some extremely close votes had candidates pondering the mixed messages voters sent. Voters' intentions were clearer in the races for mayor and state legislature: Mayor Gary Doty easily won a third term, and DFLer Dale Swapinski won Willard Munger Senior's former legislative seat by a wide margin. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports.

St. Cloud area residents said no yesterday to a half percent sales tax increase for a proposed regional events center. The referendum was also tied to other regional amenities like park improvements and a remodeled regional library. Officials say they're now looking for ways to fund the library and parks. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.

St. Paul residents yesterday overwhelmingly rejected a sales tax increase to pay for a new Minnesota Twins ballpark in the city's downtown. After a summer of sometimes contentious debate, voters defeated the proposal 58 percent to 42 percent. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.

Voters in St. Paul have rejected an attempt to eliminate about half the city's billboards. Fifty-three percent of voters said no to a measure that would have removed billboards from city streets and prohibited new signs. The billboard industry says the result shows people don't want to get rid of a legal form of advertising, but billboard opponents say they're not giving up. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

Two hundred and three of the state's 344 public school districts held elections Tuesday for school board seats, bond issues or tax levies. Voters made changes to the school boards in Minneapolis and St. Paul. And the state's third largest school district approved a huge bond issue for more school space. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

Governor Ventura started his first full day in Japan with a nod - or bow - to his wrestling background and he's also getting the first real sense of how well known he is Japan, and for what reasons. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

Even if you don't live in Bloomington, you may recognize one of the city council members elected there on Tuesday. Heather Harden co-anchored the news with Rod Grams at KMSP-TV, Channel 9 for several years. She left to become a financial advisor. Now she joins Senator Grams in the world of politics. Harden won a seat on the city council in her first attempt at elected office. She's on the line now.

Over two hundred mandolin players from North America and Europe are in Minneapolis today. They're attending the annual convention of the Classical Mandolin Society of America. The mandolin was a popular instrument in Minnesota at the turn of the century. At that time the state had dozens of mandolin orchestras, but they later disappeared. Now such orchestras are cropping up again, in places like Nashville, Atlanta, and San Diego. Jack El Hai formed the Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra in 1991. He's on the line now.

People in cities nationwide are debating the issue of urban sprawl. Some argue the way to ease traffic congestion is to build highways. Others say more and highways are destroying neighborhoods and it's time to try something new. In Saint Paul, city neighborhoods west of the state Capital are faced with a choice that reflects that larger debate. St. Paul city planners want to make a stretch of highway known as Ayd Mill Road into a connection to the regional freeway system. A group called Neighborhoods First! wants to dig up the road and turn it into a park. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.

Twin Cities Theatergoers were joined by a distinguished guest at the Guthrie Theater lab last night. Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Arthur Miller attended the opening of his latest play Mr Peter's Connections, in its first performance outside New York. Miller spoke to Guthrie Board members before the show.

A jury in Minneapolis convicted suspected murderer Donald Blom yesterday on a federal firearms violation. Blom now faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Minnesota Public Radio's Patty Marsicano reports.

A controversy over the cost of higher education caught up with Governor Ventura on the second day of his visit to Japan. The Board of MnSCU is considering closing down its Japan campus, citing the high cost of supporting a school with low enrollment. The possibility of a shut-down spurred students from the Japan campus to rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo to try to get Governor Ventura on their side. As Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports, they got Ventura's attention.

Next week, Honeywell is demonstrating new technology at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport. The technology will help planes land more often during bad weather. Even low cloud cover can slow the number of landings and cause delays for travelers. The new technology uses global positioning satellites that tell pilots if they get too close to other planes as they approach for landing. Joining us in the studio is Doctor Bill Corwin, Program Director at the Honeywell Technology Center.

Betty Wilson is one of Minnesota's longest serving and best known political reporters. She's covered the administrations of four Minnesota governors - Wendell Anderson, Al Quie, Rudy Perpich and Arne Carlson - for the Minneapolis Star and then the StarTribune newspaper. Today on Midday as part of the Voices of Minnesota series you'll hear a recent interview I recorded with Wilson. Here's an excerpt from that interview in which she evaluates our current Governor Jesse Ventura.

Deer hunters are always scheming how to outwit their nervous prey. Some perch for endless chilly hours hidden high up a tree. Others brazenly barge through the woods, to chase the skittish white-tails into a fellow hunter's target range. Some go so far as to douse themselves in doe urine. And a few will be turning to a small battery operated device that draws in the deer with the flick of a fake tail. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.

Today was Agriculture Day in Governor Ventura's trade mission to Japan. Ventura announced a new export deal for a farmer-owned pork packaging company from western Minnesota and hailed the contract as the best hope for family farmers who want to preserve their way of life. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.

He may not be wearing a cornstarch shirt, but Governor Ventura is planning to attend tonight's season opening game between the Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings. The 'Wolves and the Kings will play tonight and tomorrow night in the Tokyo Dome. The games were scheduled in Japan to promote basketball in one of the few places in the world where it isn't already popular. Brit Robson covers the Timberwolves for City Pages. He says it's clear why the 'Wolves were chosen to go on this trip.

The farm crisis has touched nearly every sector of agriculture in southern Minnesota but it may be hog producers who have suffered most. It was their fate to be caught between two profit destroying events: record low prices and wrenching structural changes which are transforming the hog industry. When prices collapsed a year ago some farmers began selling hogs and processed meat directly to consumers in hopes of getting a better price. The market has recovered a little this year but prices are still below the break-even point. Some farmers wonder if hogs will ever again be the profit center they were a few years ago. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Steil reports.

There is never a dull moment in the Minnesota arts world, and to give us ideas on how we might spend our free time in the coming days, here's Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts with the Word of Mouth arts roundup. St. Olaf is celebrating its 125th birthday this weekend. The liberal arts college has nearly 3,000 students and is known for its strong music and science programs. Ted Veesy is a math professor at St. Olaf, and co-chair of the 125th anniversary committee.

Meteorologist Mark Seeley discusses the unseasonably warm and dry weather.