Monday, February 4

Morning Edition broadcasts live from the Twin Ports to learn about the area and explore what makes this part of Minnesota unique. Well, anyone who lives here will tell you that if there's one thing that's unique about Duluth, it's the weather. University of Minnesota Meteorologist and Climatologist Mark Seeley says there are two main reasons that the weather here is so unusual.

Duluth gets most of the attention, but of course, there is another city that makes up the Twin Ports. Superior is just across the bridge on the Wisconsin side of the bay. We asked Minnesota Public Radio reporter Bob Kelleher, who lives in Superior, to take us to a quintessential Superior spot. He chose the Anchor Bar. Located along notorious Tower Avenue, the Anchor Bar is a cozy little watering hole, overflowing with artifacts from the shipping industry. MORE

It's been a nice winter for people who hate to shovel snow. But it's been yet another a tough winter for people who sell snowmobiles and cross-country skis. And it's been hard on some other businesses. About a third of Minnesota's tourism happens during the winter. Towns in northern Minnesota aren't seeing the tourist traffic that they're used to. Chris Julin has this Mainstreet Radio report.

Governor Ventura is pushing the state's tourism industry as it struggles through it's worst six-month period in decades. Ventura was in Duluth last week for a tourism conference. Winter tourism and tourism in general are an important part of Northeastern Minnesota's economy. But Tony Barrett, an economist at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, says he doesn't think the Twin Ports can draw many more tourists than they already do.

If all had gone according to plan today would be day two of the John Beargrease Sled Marathon. But organizers had to postpone the race because there wasn't enough snow on the course. The race, which starts here in Duluth and runs along the north shore of Lake Superior, is now scheduled to begin March 3, assuming we get enough snow betweem now and then. Joining us now is Shell Ethan, a board member of the Beargrease race; she's also with the Duluth Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

No one was looking forward to the race more than Duluth musher John Stetson. He prepares for the Beargrease all year and also runs Stetson's Epic Adventures, where he takes visitors on sled-dog tours of the area. We recently stopped by his home where he lives with his wife and child and about 60 dogs. He says he's disappointed that the Beargrease had to be postponed. MULTIMEDIA TOUR

It's the second week of Session 2002, and the state's budget remains on center stage at the Capitol, where legislators got off to a flying start a week ago. Lawmakers have to close a projected nearly $2 billion budget shortfall, and Governor Jesse Ventura has urged them to act quickly. Joining us on the line is Minnesota Public Radio's Capitol bureau chief Laura McCallum.

It's been a bad year in Duluth for most winter sports. Snow mobilers and skiers have had a tough time finding enough snow. But the conditions have been pretty good for the sport of ice climbing. In fact, the frequent freeze and thaw cycles have added new textures and shapes to the ice, increasing the challenge. Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer visited Gooseberry Falls outside Duluth with Kaija Webster, director of the Outdoor Program at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Kiaja says ice climbing is similar to rock climbing. GO ICE CLIMBING WITH CATHY

Ice climbing is only one of many activities that gets people up here outside in the wintertime. Sam Cook writes about outdoor recreation for the Duluth-News Tribune and he joins me this morning in the studio.

Our live program here wouldn't be complete without talking about the focal point of this place... Lake Superior. There are all kinds of neat facts about the lake. It's the largest of the Great Lakes. It holds ten percent of the Earth's fresh water. Scientific data aside, there's something magical about Superior that can't be measured. It can only be felt. Duluth writer and poet Barton Sutter knows all about the magic of Superior. Sutter says looking at the Big Lake can make a person feel pretty small. LISTEN

As early as this week, the U.S. Senate may restart debate on a new bill for America's farmers. The Senate version of the farm bill is hundreds of pages long, but buried inside are a few dozen lines that could mean big changes for the nation's slaughterhouses. Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich reports. FULL STORY

For the past seven years, U.S. lamb producers have struggled. Low prices for wool and meat pushed many producers out of the business. Forty percent of all lamb consumed in the country is supplied by foreign producers. But in a time of economic distress the Dakota Lamb Growers cooperative is finding success. Mainstreet Radios Bob Reha reports.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has let stand a lower court ruling that binds the Minnesota Twins to the Metrodome for another season. The court order all but guarantees plans to eliminate the team will be put on hold for at least the coming year. The team is expressing some disappointment with the court's decision -- but the team's landlord and the team's fans are embracing the news. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports. FULL STORY

A young Minnesota architect raised in Nigeria and north Minneapolis has won a prestigious national award. The American Institute of Architects today named Mohammed Lawal, a partner in the Minneapolis-based KKE firm, one of four recipients of the national young architect award. The 35 year old's projects include inner city and suburban school designs and the renovation of his neighborhood library. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports. FULL STORY

The Sierra Club is suing the U.S. Forest Service. It wants the court to block aspen logging on the national forests in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The Sierra Club says the Forest Service allows too much clear-cutting of aspen. The suit says that's holding back regrowth of native pine and hardwood forests. The lawsuit is a sign of the times: American forests are in transition. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill has the first in a series of three reports on how things are changing in the Northwoods. FULL STORY

A report released today traces the welfare of newborns over the past 10 years. The report, which is based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, considers factors that help kids get off to a healthy start, such as prenatal care and low teen birth rates. It was produced by two research organizations -- Kids Count, and Child Trends. The results show Minnesota newborns get off to a good start, while the numbers are less impressive in Minneapolis. Diane Benjamin heads up the Kids Count project for the Children's Defense Fund in Minnesota, and she's on the line now.

Local leaders and policy makers are gathering in St. Paul today for a conference on workforce development. The group will discuss ways to help low-wage workers and improve the workforce at the same time. Elaine Ryan, the government affairs director for a Washington D.C.-based group that represents state and local human service agencies, will present the keynote address. She'll discuss how welfare reform has affected the workforce, and she's on the line now.

DFL Senator Julie Sabo is urging both sides of a disputed highway project to come to a compromise to save the Camp Coldwater Spring near the intersection of Highways 55 and 62. Sabo is the author of legislation passed last session protecting the spring. But the law has halted construction of a $16 million interchange. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure has more.

A bill that would bar telemarketers from calling people who put their phone numbers on a do-not-call list gets a hearing this morning at the Minnesota Capitol. The bill would create a state-administered list of people who don't want telemarketers to contact them. DFL representative Matt Entenza of St. Paul is the lead sponsor, and he's on the line now.

Walk in the woods in Minnesota today and chances are you will see a young forest. Much of the state was heavily logged in the early 20th century. The old-growth pines and hardwoods have been replaced by softwoods like aspen. Aspen has become a staple of the forest products industry: it's used for pulp, paper and particle board. But some people would like change that. In the second in our series of reports on changes in the Northwoods, Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill visits a logging site in Aitkin County, about 50 miles west of Duluth. Aitkin was the first county in the nation to have its lands certified as a well-managed forest. The certification is part of a conscious effort to encourage local forest-based industries. FULL STORY

The Fosston High School girls' basketball team is on quite a streak. This week, the team set a state record for consecutive wins with 70 games in a row. That surpassed the record set by the Edina boys from 1966 to 1968. And it's not over yet. Rochelle Horn coaches the Fosston Greyhounds, and she's on the line now.

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether paper mills should undergo environmental impact studies on their specific expansion projects. The arguments stem from a years-long legal battle over the State Pollution Control Agency's approval of a major Boise-Cascade expansion in northern Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.

St. Paul school district officials are struggling with a proposal to require the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms. Supporters say the pledge is an important tradition that belongs in schools; others claim it's a meaningless ritual. School board members gathered public input on the issue Wednesday night and found opinions deeply divided. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.

About two million Muslims from around the world are making their way to Mecca. They will congregate in the holy city located in the Saudi Arabian desert to perform one Islam's many important rituals -- the Hajj. MainStreet Radio's Laurel Druley talked to women making the pilgrimage from Rochester. FULL STORY

The Alabama businessman who wants to buy the Minnesota Twins got a first-hand look yesterday at a potential ballpark site in downtown Minneapolis. Donald Watkins has said if he buys the Twins he would build them a new stadium with private financing. Watkins is saying little about what progress he's making toward purchasing the team. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

Minnesota's timber industry is an economic powerhouse. The forest-products business is the third-largest manufacturing industry in the state. Pulp and paper mills dominate the industry. They cut a lot of aspen to produce paper and building materials like shipboard. Three-fourths of the wood cut in the state goes to these mills. Most of them are owned by multinational companies. In County, land managers are looking toward a future in which a different type of forest industry might gain some ground. We have the third in our series of reports on changes in the Northwoods. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill looks at Aitkin County's efforts to nurture new, locally-owned forest businesses.

Key lawmakers on transportation from the House and Senate will join together later today to announce legislation that would fund road and transit projects in Minnesota. Transportation was one of the few areas spared in Governor Ventura's budget proposal last month. The governor's plan wouldn't pump any new money into transportation, but neither would it cut services or projects. Ventura also proposes a 5-cent increase to the gas tax, with revenue going to the general fund. Republican Representative Tom Workman chairs the House Transportation Policy committee and will present the legislation later today. He says this bill moves beyond the Governor's proposal.

A bill that would make it easier for people to donate their organs after they die will be introduced in the state Senate today. Currently, Minnesotans can say on their driver's license or state ID cards that they want to donate, but the decision is ultimately made by a family member. If the new legislation were to pass, the driver's license designation would be legally binding. DFL Representative Phyllis Kahn from Minneapolis is the chief author of the bill, and she's on the line now.

At a time when many Minnesota businesses are already struggling because of the economic downturn, they now face the additional burden of paying a lot more for unemployment compensation insurance. Yesterday, the state reported that initial claims for jobless benefits in January rose 28 percent. That will create more strain on the already-depleted fund for jobless workers. Writer John Hootesteger examines the problems with the fund in an article published today in the journal CityBusiness.

St. Cloud will host its first film festival this weekend. A newly formed Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Allies group is sponsoring the free festival. The group hopes the series of films followed by discussions will educate the St. Cloud community about issues of sexuality. Festival organizers say it won't be an activist eventm but they hope it will help change some opinions in St. Cloud. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.

A significant snowfall with plenty of wind looks to be in store for the weekend. Mark Seeley gets us in the mood for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing will have fewer Minnesota employees by the end of the year. 3M says it is cutting 500 jobs at its plant on the East Side of Saint Paul. At the same time, the company announced a long-term plan to turn part of the plant into a research center. Officials say that conversion will send employment back up again in 2003. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.

The Guthrie Theater unveiled the design for its new three-stage complex on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. French architect Jean Nouvel blended the site's historical character with his own unique vision of the future to design what many say will be a landmark building. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
FULL STORY

The 2002 Winter Olympic Games get underway with the Opening Ceremonies tonight in Salt Lake City. Speedskater Amy Peterson of Maplewood will carry the flag for the United States team. She is one of a number of Minnesota athletes hoping to win a medal at the Games. MPR Sports Commentator and longtime Olympic observer Jay Weiner is in Salt Lake City to cover the Games and he joins us now. MINNESOTA AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS