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August 19 - 23, 2002
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
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Monday, Aug. 19, 2002 |
PGA Championship is golf fan's paradise
There was a surprise winner at the PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Chaska. Rich Beem withstood a late charge by Tiger Woods yesterday to capture a major title that even Beem thought he had no chance of winning. The 31-year-old Texan won the Wannamaker trophy with a one stroke victory over Tiger Woods. About 40,000 fans were out watching the final day of competition. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with MPR's Eugene Cha for a fan's perspective on this year's PGA.
Twins fans worried about strike
Major League Baseball players have set a tentative strike date for the end of month.
The key issue is the owners' desire to impose a luxury tax on high-payroll teams. The union thinks taking away too much money from the high-spending teams would slow salary increases. Many Minnesota Twins fans say they're worried a strike could spell the end of the team. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms spoke with some fans before last night's game against the Boston Red Sox.
U.S. Senate and gubernatorial candidates at "Game Fair" in Anoka
Most of the major party endorsed candidates for U.S. Senate and governor made their way to a sportsmen's' show in Anoka called Game Fair over the weekend to talk about issues important to hunters. KFAN radio sponsored two forums, one for the senate candidates and one for the gubernatorial hopefuls. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
Learning how to investigate plane crashes
Airline pilots are learning to investigate plane crashes in a new course at the University of North Dakota. It is a cooperative venture between the University of North Dakota Aerospace School and the Airline Pilots Association. The unique program will take students out of the classroom to examine a crash site. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
Lanesboro having a tough summer
In Lanesboro, the summer tourism season is usually a busy time. The historic town, southeast of Rochester, is a destination spot for people who love to bike or paddle the Root River. But in April, fire destroyed three historic buildings. Arson charges put the blame on the former Lanesboro police chief. People in town say they feel betrayed by one of their own. And now, some say they are trying to survive what is been a slow summer season. Mainstreet Radio's Laurel Druley reports.
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Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2002 |
Refugees boost North Dakota's population
People in North Dakota are celebrating the new census numbers. The 2000 U.S. Census showed that for the first time in years the state did not lose people. In fact, the state's population grew by slightly less than one percent. The gain is attributed to an influx of refugees escaping persecution and civil war. The majority of these "new Americans" have settled in Fargo, North Dakota. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Reha reports.
Blind Minnesotans express concern about budget cuts
Blind Minnesotans packed a legislative committee hearing Monday to complain about state agency budget cuts. Legislators say State Services for the Blind took a disproportionate hit in the last round of budget cuts. Some lawmakers are also concerned about the Ventura administration's plans to eliminate a rent subsidy for a day care center near the Capitol. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
Protecting horses from West Nile virus
State health officials have asked Minnesota doctors to be on the lookout for human cases of the West Nile virus. No one in Minnesota has become ill, but officials are citing an intense outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus in birds and horses. Nearly 100 horses in Minnesota have now been diagnosed with the virus. Wright county, just northwest of the Twin Cities, has the largest number, followed by Murray county in southwest Minnesota. At least 23 of the horses have been destroyed, and six have died on their own from the illness.
Veterinarians at the University of Minnesota are treating several infected horses. The horses come from across the region, and often arrive at the clinic "down," or unable to stand on their own. I visited the hospital to speak with some of the attending physicians, including Dr. Abby Sage, who says it's hard to tell whether they've seen the peak in the number of infected horses.
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Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2002 |
Light rail transit delayed
Light rail transit officials say the projected state budget deficit has forced them to delay the start of light rail service in Minneapolis. Hiawatha Line officials say service won't start until April of 2004, four months later than projected. They say construction of the 11-and-a-half-mile-long line from downtown Minneapolis to the Mall of America is on time and within budget. But they say there's not enough money to begin service as early as they wanted. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
Selling out to ADM?
Farmers own nearly half the nation's ethanol plants. The plants boost corn prices by creating demand for corn. And by owning their own plants, farmers hope they can capture some of the profits traditionally reaped by commodity processing giants such as Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland. Now, just as the ethanol industry seems poised for a boom, the farmers who own Minnesota's oldest and largest ethanol plant are thinking of getting out. Stockholders in Marshall, Minnesota -based Minnesota Corn Processors are expected to vote next month on whether to sell their company to Archer Daniels Midland, the nation's largest ethanol producer. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.
Rains soak parts of Minnesota
It's a very wet Wednesday throughout western, central, and southern Minnesota. It has also been raining in Duluth and in the Twin Cities. Earlier this morning there were some flood watches and warnings. Doppler radar indicates as much as eight inches of rain has fallen in parts of western Minnesota. Weather observes, checking rain gauges, say six-and-a-half inches fell at Boyd, and more than six inches at Montevideo. Dan Effertz, with the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen, says the rain fell pretty much nonstop overnight.
Immigrants contributing to Northeast Minneapolis
Northeast Minneapolis is home to a growing international community. Although the area grew by just one percent over the past 10 years, Census 2000 figures show a significant quadrupling of immigrant populations. Many residents believe the new immigrants are changing the look of Northeast Minneapolis and its Central Avenue business district for the better. They say that just like the Eastern European immigrants before them, today's immigrants are dedicated to creating and maintaining safe and prosperous neighborhoods for their families. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
Cirque de Soleil comes to town
The traveling show Cirque du Soleil will perform its Twin Cities premier of the show Alegria later tonight in Minneapolis. Cirque du Soleil will be in town for four weeks and 37 performances. The artists, acrobats, and support staff for Alegria spent nine days unpacking and setting up their show. Minnesota Public Radio's Eugene Cha went to see the preparation, and he met with Jerry Nadal, Alegria's tour manager. Nadal says moving the show around the country is like moving a small village.
Remembering September 11th
Details will be announced today for a statewide interfaith gathering at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul to mark the first anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The anniversary is three weeks from today, and we asked you to tell us how you will mark the day. Many of you called in with your own plans, as well as suggestions for the nation as a whole.
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Thursday, Aug. 22, 2002 |
Baseball players strike could affect Twins ballpark
If major league baseball players strike, the first-place Minnesota Twins could lose more than just a chance in the playoffs. The team could also lose help from the state to build a new ballpark. That's according to state senator Dean Johnson, who wrote a letter to Twins player-representative Denny Hocking, saying the public would lose any desire to help build a ballpark. The players have set August 30 as a strike date. Joining us on the line is state senator Dean Johnson (DFL - Willmar).
Weather effects on a chemical or biological terror attack
Worries about a chemical or biological terrorist attack are creating demand for a product that predicts where hazardous materials will disperse. Minnesota-based Meteorlogix created the product, called MX Insight for Homeland Defense. Bob Gordon is the CEO of Meteorlogix. He explained how the system works.
Judge says DFLers meet residency requirements after redistricting
A judicial referee has found that four DFL legislative candidates have met the residency requirements to qualify for office. Last week, GOP officials questioned whether the four -- including Assistant Senate Majority Leader John Hottinger -- had lived long enough in their new legislative districts to run for office. Republicans say the findings are inconsistent with the state constitution, but the Democratic candidates say they are pleased with the report. The issue now goes to the state Supreme Court for a final decision. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
Gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny airs first radio ads
Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny started running his first radio ads this week. Penny entered the governor's race at the end of June, long after the other major party candidates. He says he wants to get his message out before the clutter of advertising starts next month. In the latest in our series of Ad-Watch stories, Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum asks an analyst to review the ads.
State Fair opens
Tighter security is at the top of the list of what's new at the Minnesota State Fair. The annual 12-day fair opens this morning with many of the security adjustments that have become more common for public gatherings since the September 11th terrorist attacks. But fair officials and vendors say their biggest concern, as always, is the weather. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
56 years ago, concerns over polio canceled the State Fair
Fifty-six years ago this month, the Minnesota State Fair was cancelled. The reason was polio. Health officials worried large gatherings helped spread the disease. Polio was crippling thousands and there was no known cure or prevention. Through the l940's and early 50's polio struck 15,000 Minnesotans, 900 of them died. Many others were consigned to a life with braces and deformed limbs. That is until Elizabeth Kenny arrived. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
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Friday, Aug. 23, 2002 |
Minneapolis shooting leads to unrest
Dozens of people shouted at police and broke windows last night in north Minneapolis after an 11-year-old boy was shot in the arm by a bullet that ricocheted from a police officer's gun. The officer was shooting at a dog that attacked police who were trying to serve a search warrant on a house suspected of drug activity. Tensions peaked when Twin Cities news media arrived to cover the boy's shooting. The windows of a bus and several news vehicles were smashed, and one news van also was set on fire. Several reporters suffered minor injuries. Minnesota Public Radio reporter Brandt Williams lives in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred. He picks up the story when he first heard shots.
Focus on the Sixth District
Second District Mark Kennedy is running for re-election in a new district this year. Redistricting moved the freshman Republican into the newly configured 6th district. Fellow republicans called Kennedy a "giant killer" after he defeated DFLer David Minge in the 2000 election. His DFL opponent says Kennedy is just as vulnerable this year as Minge was in 2000. Stillwater attorney Janet Robert says the makeup of the new district favors her and her issues. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Somali money-transfer businesses cleared of suspicion
Two Minnesota money-transfer businesses that the federal government shut down last November are expected to have their assets restored and be removed from a United Nations sanctions list of suspected terrorists. Federal agents raided Aaran Money Wire Service and Global Services International last November because the Bush administration alleged they were aiding Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. Federal officials now say there's no evidence to connect them to Al-Qaeda. The Treasury Department has made a formal request to the United Nations Security Council to delist the two businesses and one of the business owners. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
Roseau residents look to state for flood relief
Residents of Roseau, Minnesota are still hoping that Governor Jesse Ventura will call a special session to provide money for the city, which flooded during early summer rainstorms. The state did provide $15 million soon after the disaster occurred, and the federal government also pitched in with assistance. But officials in Roseau say it hasn't been enough, and they are wondering why they're not being helped as much as other communities that suffered flood damage in the past. Joining us on the line is DFL State Senator Leroy Stumpf, from Thief River Falls.
Meteorologist Mark Seeley
University of Minnesota meteorologist Mark Seeley discusses Minnesota weather history, and looks at the weekend forecast.
A look at best places to work in Minnesota
"The Business Journal," based in Minneapolis, is out with its annual "Great Places to Work" edition. Journal researchers looked at numerous factors to determine which Minnesota companies provide the best overall environment for their employees. They considered small companies separately from large ones and chose a total of 19 winners, without ranking them. "The Business Journal" researcher Kim Johnson worked on the story. She says researchers looked at far more than just salaries.
Word of Mouth
Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts looks at art and artists around the state.
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