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January 26 - 30, 2004
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
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Monday, Jan. 26, 2004 |
Anoka County is in the running for Vikings stadium
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Stadium Screening Committee is meeting later today, just one week before it is due to make a recommendation to the Legislature. The committee has narrowed down the options for a new Vikings stadium to sites in Eden Prairie and Blaine. If the Blaine site is chosen, that city and Anoka County would contribute up to $240 million. Joining us on the line is Steve Novak, Anoka County division manager for government service and the county's lead person on the stadium project.
Group near Cloquet honors Scottish tradition
It's January, so people around the world are taking a wee dram and toasting the memory of Robert Burns. He's Scotland's most famous poet. Yesterday was the 245th anniversary of his birth. This week is the time for "Burns Dinners." People gather for a meal of haggis and other Scottish food, and read Robert Burns poems. Up near Cloquet, eight folks got together last night for a Burns Dinner at the farm of Daina and Joel Rosen. We dropped in for a visit.
Heavy snow hits parts of Minnesota
Four to six inches of snow is expected in the Twin Cities today. The Minnesota Department of Transportation says all 184 snow plows are working right now and will continue plowing throughout the day. Meanwhile, a heavy snow warning is in effect for today and this evening in the Duluth area where lots of snow has already fallen. Roman Berdes is a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Duluth. He says this is the biggest snowstorm to hit that area in several years.
Monday Markets
Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell discusses the latest economic news.
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Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2004 |
Pawlenty's stadium committee struggles with funding issues
After a month of public testimony and debate, Gov. Tim Pawlenty's 20-person Stadium Screening Committee still shows signs of division over crucial issues of how to fund new facilities for the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. The two teams are seeking legislative support for new stadiums that they say will boost revenues and help them remain competitive. But a longstanding unease over using public dollars for professional sports could spoil any chance of finding consensus. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports.
Good crowds showing up for St. Paul ice palace
We're expecting colder temperature behind the winter storm that dumped as much as 25 inches of snow in parts of our region. That's appropriate weather for the St. Paul Winter Carnival, and a nice backdrop for the ice palace. Carnival officials say they are pleased with the crowds that have turned out so far in downtown St. Paul to see the ice palace. Shannon Pierce, the palace operations manager, says through the first four days, an estimated 200,000 people walked through the ice palace.
Access to dental care a problem for poor people
Dental care is a vital but sometimes overlooked part of health care. Finding a dentist can be tough. Patients out number dentists by a wide margin. In Minnesota the numbers work out to about 1600 patients per dentist. It's even tougher to find a dentist if you're poor and live in a rural area. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Reha reports.
Cargill making changes to its fertilizer unit
Minnesota-based Cargill, one of the largest privately held companies in the nation, is taking its fertilizer unit and combining it with another firm, IMC Global. The fertilizer unit, Cargill Crop Nutrition, is about five to ten percent of Cargill's overall business. Greg Gordon is the vice president of Cargill Fertilizer Incorporated in Tampa, Florida.
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Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2004 |
Governor pushes death penalty again
Gov. Tim Pawlenty is asking legislators to let Minnesota voters decide whether the state should re-introduce capital punishment in certain murder cases. Pawlenty first floated the idea last month after a repeat Minnesota sex offender was connected to the disappearance of college student Dru Sjodin. Pawlenty says, with proper safeguards, the death penalty would provide an ultimate punishment for the state's worst offenders. Opponents say the governor is moving the state in the wrong direction. And as Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports, lawmakers of both parties have strong reservations.
Autopsy to be done on state lottery director
An autopsy will be performed today on the body of Minnesota Lottery Director George Andersen. Andersen, who was 53, was found dead outside his home in Hugo yesterday morning. Authorities say he appears to have killed himself with a knife. Andersen has run the state lottery since it began in 1990. His death came a day after he met with legislative auditors examining the lottery's operations. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
Organizing workers is difficult say unions
At one time, nearly half of American workers were union members: now it is more like one-in-eight. Union membership has dropped in part because so many manufacturing jobs have been shifted overseas. This week, a new Mainstreet Radio series investigates the "State of the Unions." Labor leaders say it is harder to organize workers than it used to be. They say the laws about forming unions are tilted in favor of employers. So they are trying some different ways of organizing. In our first story, Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports on one approach being used at a non-profit organization in Duluth.
Small towns moving to keep airline service
Grand Rapids is about to lose commercial air service. Northwest Airlines blames continuing losses. Other rural communities are looking for creative ways to retain air service or to increase their commercial connections. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.
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Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004 |
CEOs form group on state's economic health
A group of high profile CEOs has joined together to address concerns about the Twin Cities' long term economic health. The group called the Itasca Project holds its fourth meeting this morning, and includes the chief executives of 3M, Northwest Airlines and other Fortune 500 firms. Some Twin Cities policy experts hope the group heralds a renaissance of civic engagement in the Twin Cities. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin reports.
An early ride on the LRT
Wednesday's cold weather and bracing wind chills did not stop the Hiawatha light rail line from leaving a south Minneapolis station. The media were given a preview of the Minnesota's first light rail service. Partial service does not begin for the fare paying public until April 3, 2004. Riders discovered cold station platforms and warm cars on their trip yesterday. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
PSL part of stadium lingo
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Stadium Screening Committee meets today. The group is expected to provide a report to the governor on Monday, advising him on site and finance options for new Twins and Vikings stadiums. To follow the politics of the stadium debate you have to be familiar with the unique lingo that is used. No one, who is trying to get a stadium built, would use an ugly word like taxes. Instead, you will hear terms like "user fees" or "funding sources." A new stadium doesn't make a team more profitable. Instead, it creates new "revenue streams." Star Tribune writer Jay Weiner is fluent in the language of stadium politics. He says he has been hearing a new one this year. It's actually three letters: "PSL" which stands for "personal seat license."
State of the Unions in North Dakota
Minnesota and North Dakota are a study in contrast. Minnesota has a strong organized labor movement. North Dakota has strongholds of organized labor, but is often thought of as an anti-union state. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Reha has the next segment in our series "State of the Unions."
Revisiting the Hormel strike 20 years later
Almost 20 years after a strike at Hormel meat packing plant divided the town of Austin, some parts of the community are still angry. On a hot August day in 1985 more than 1,000 workers filed out of the Hormel plant. Members of local P-9 were protesting shrinking wages and plant safety problems. The strike drew national attention after Gov. Rudy Perpich called out the National Guard to protect workers who wanted to cross the picket line. The strike later collapsed after the International union decertified the union local P-9 . Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally spoke with two former strikers who remember that time like it was yesterday.
Hat exhibit at "Crowns" play at Guthrie
When it is this cold outside, a hat is a necessity, not necessarily a fashion statement. There are those who beg to differ, who think a hat is an art form no matter the weather. The current production at the Guthrie Theatre, called "Crowns", examines the lives of African American women through personal stories about their hats. That production has just been extended through Valentine's Day, February 14th. There is a colorful display of portrait sized photos of Twin Cities women and their hats in the Guthrie's lobby. The showing is called "Twin Cities Hattitude", and the photographer is Walter Griffin, who admits to having quite a thing about hats.
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Friday, Jan. 30, 2004 |
MPR Poll: presidential contest might be close in Minnesota
Minnesota voters say if the presidential election were held today, Democratic Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts would have the best chance to beat George W. Bush in the state. A new Mason-Dixon poll sponsored by Minnesota Public Radio and the St. Paul Pioneer Press sheds light on voter opinions on President Bush, the Democratic candidates for president, and the war on terrorism. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
Temperatures plunge across Minnesota
For the second day in a row, temperatures across our region are not expected to get above zero. Right now in the Twin Cities, it is 22 below, and it looks like this will be the coldest day we've had in over five years. With the mild winters we've experienced the last few years, we wanted to know how folks are coping with the return of a typical Minnesota cold wave. Minnesota Public Radio's Toni Randolph checked in yesterday with the bundled masses around the state.
Panel recommends two stadiums, but no state funding
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Stadium Screening Committee has finalized its recommendations for funding new facilities for the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. The plans avoid using any state revenues, but suggest a broad mix of local and regional taxes to help fund the effort. In a decision that's likely to spark controversy at the Legislature, the panel is recommending that any new levies not be subject to approval by a direct, popular vote. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
Minnesota prisons filled to capacity
State corrections officials say Minnesota's prison system is bursting at the seams. The state's 10 correctional facilities have fewer than 75 empty beds, at a time when the prison population is increasing rapidly. Gov. Tim Pawlenty is asking the Legislature to approve borrowing nearly $95 million to expand two state prisons to address the space crunch. Most of the money would go to the prison in Faribault. Corrections officials say expanding the medium-security prison there would make it cheaper to run and safer for inmates and prison staff.
It's been a cold January
University of Minnesota Meteorologist Mark Seeley discusses the cold January.
New approach to selling cars could come to Minnesota
A new approach to selling cars may be coming to the Twin Cities. A landowner in Woodbury has announced plans to develop Minnesota's first auto mall in that suburb. The 57-acre project would arrange seven car dealerships around a small lake, with some walking trails, a restaurant, and a rock path to test SUVs. The idea is to create a better car-buying experience. Sam Black covered the story for this week's edition of The Business Journal. He's on the line now.
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