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August 2 - 6, 2004
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Monday, Aug. 2, 2004 |
DFL mayor of St. Paul supports Bush re-election
St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly, a life-long DFLer, is boarding a plane today, and touring the state with Republicans who support President George W. Bush. Mayor Kelly came out yesterday in support of the president's re-election campaign. Kelly's announcement comes just three days after the Democratic Party nominated Sen. John Kerry for president. Kelly's tour around the state in support of the president's re-election brings him, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and Republican State House Speaker Steve Sviggum to Rochester and Duluth. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly.
Whooping cough cases up in North Dakota
There appears to be a significant increase in the number of whooping cough or pertussis cases in Wisconsin and North Dakota. In Wisconsin, 856 cases of whooping cough have been reported, and state health officials are warning summer schools and camps to watch for kids showing signs of the illness. Health officials in North Dakota are taking precautions to prevent the spread of whooping cough. So far this year, that state has seen almost 200 cases of the disease, compared to just nine cases seen in 2002. MeritCare Hospital in Fargo is restricting visits to some areas of the hospital. Other North Dakota hospitals and clinics are asking visitors to stay away, if they are feeling sick. Joining us on the line is Larry Shireley, the North Dakota epidemiologist.
Congress trying to restore Section 8 money
There's a new development that may affect the country's largest housing welfare program. Congress has shifted housing funds in an effort to restore Section 8 money. Earlier this year, federal officials cut Section 8. The program supplies housing for poor people. The unexpected cut set off a storm of protest. Local housing officials are still dealing with the ripple effects. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
Light rail causing parking headaches
Transit officials hope the addition of hundreds of park-and-ride spots along the new LRT line in the coming months will ease what has become a competition between some local residents and rail riders for street parking. Some residents say LRT commuters are jamming what had been quiet side streets, snatching up all of the parking spaces and forcing them to park blocks away from their homes. Minnesota Pubic Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
Land trust preserves Maiden Rock
Later this morning, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, and various other officials, will celebrate the preservation of one of Wisconsin's best known sites along the Mississippi River. The West Wisconsin Land Trust purchased the legendary Maiden Rock Bluff recently for more than $1 million. The bluff and some 248 acres of land, right across the river from Lake City, Minnesota was owned by a nearby family for nearly one hundred years.
Legend has it that a Dakota indian maiden lept to her death from the bluff, rather than marry a man she didn't love. A man who knows all about that story and the land itself is Rick Gauger, the executive director of the West Wisconsin Land Trust based in Menomonie.
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Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2004 |
Ramsey County Commissioner sparks debate on smoking ban
Smoking bans are on the agenda for the Ramsey County Board today when it meets to discuss two proposals. County Commissioner Rafael Ortega is expected to offer one ban that includes all bars and restaurants, and another that would exempt some bars. Ramsey County takes up the issue just as the city of St. Paul debates two proposals similar to Ortega's. The cities of Bloomington, and Minneapolis have recently passed smoking bans that cover all their bars and restaurants. Joining us on the line is Ramsey County Commissioner Rafael Ortega.
Minnesota river clean up runs into problems
The effort to clean up the Minnesota River is running into some unpleasant realities. Some of the river's problems may be unfixable. Take the high bluffs that flank parts of the Minnesota and its tributaries. They routinely send tons of soil sliding into the water. Engineers could stabilize the banks, but there's not enough money available. Muddy water hurts both plant and fish life. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil took a canoe trip down the Le Sueur River to view the problem first hand.
Brazilian martial art a hit with some in Twin Cities
A martial art born at least four centuries ago in Brazil is catching on big across the U.S., including Minnesota. Capoeira combines acrobatics, dance, music and culture. Capoeira enthusiasts call it a strategy game like chess or checkers played with your body. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Feidt has the story.
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Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004 |
Bush visits Mankato and Le Sueur
A rock quarry where summer concerts are held in Mankato, Minnesota will be the setting later today for a campaign appearance by President Bush. Before his stop in Mankato, the president plans to visit a farm in Le Sueur, where he's expected to talk about the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers to stop farming environmentally sensitive land. Joining us on the line to talk about the president's visit is Steven Schier, political science professor at Carleton College.
Candidates questioned at Farmfest
Several hundred people who gathered for a congressional debate at Farmfest got a preview of the fall election campaign. Candidates from several Minnesota congressional districts tackled everything from rural education to ethanol during yesterday's forum. Some of the sharpest opinions concerned U.S. trade policy. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports.
Pawlenty finds money for Northstar
Gov. Tim Pawlenty yesterday announced a plan to kick-start the Northstar commuter rail line, a project that has not received legislative approval. Pawlenty plans to use several sources of money to begin the first phase of the project. Northstar supporters are thrilled, but legislators who oppose the project say Pawlenty is doing an end-run around the Legislature. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
Luis Palau speaks about his upcoming christian festival
You have probably seen the billboards and lawn signs around the region, touting this weekend's Twin Cities Festival, featuring Dr. Luis Palau. The Christian based gathering, with rock bands, a skate boarding park, and demonstrations of extreme sports, is expected to draw about 250,000 people to the Minnesota State Capitol grounds. It's being sponsored by some 850 churches, a number of high profile corporate leaders and companies, including the Star Tribune. The focus is on bringing people, especially young people, to Jesus Christ. Dr. Palau is internationally known around the world for his evangelism, and is a protégé of Billy Graham. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Dr. Luis Palau.
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Thursday, Aug. 5, 2004 |
Farmers and hunters turn out for Bush speech
Minnesota is becoming familiar territory for President George W. Bush. Yesterday afternoon, the president made his 10th visit to the state since taking office. The purpose of the trip was two-fold. At a stop in Le Sueur, he announced plans to expand a popular federal initiative called the Conservation Reserve Program. It pays farmers to take highly erodible land out of crop production. Later in the afternoon, he led a re-election rally in Mankato, where he encouraged several thousand supporters to get out the vote. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports.
Impact of smoking bans in cities that already have them
As more counties and cities consider smoking bans for bars and restaurants, the economic impact of a ban is one of the most hotly debated issues. Opponents argue that a ban will cut into business as smokers head to communities that allow them to light up. Advocates of the restrictions counter that smoke-free environments will attract customers. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports on what's happened in Minnesota communities that have already banned smoking.
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Friday, Aug. 6, 2004 |
Supreme Court upholds Met Council's power to control growth
The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld the Metropolitan Council's power to control the pace of development in the Twin Cities area. The court ruled that the Met Council has the authority to require the city of Lake Elmo to connect to the regional sewer system. Lake Elmo officials had challenged the authority of the Met Council saying the sewer connection would spur development at a faster pace than they would like. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Peter Bell, Chairman of Metropolitan Council.
Christian festival has precedent in Minnesota
This weekend, about 200,000 people are expected to attend an evangelical Christian festival at the State Capitol. It is geared to young people, with a lot of nationally known Christian rock bands, a skate board park, and some demonstrations of extreme sports. The highlight is the preaching, Saturday and Sunday, of internationally known evangelist, Dr. Luis Palau. This isn't the first time such a large religious event has occurred in Minnesota. according to Dr. Bruce Forbes, a professor of religion at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, events, like the Palau festival, are a throwback to the kind of tent revival meetings that were popular in the 19th century. not only in Minnesota, but in other parts of the country. Forbes says the Palau events are a throwback to the type of revival meetings that were popular in the 19th century.
Pols get earful on No Child Left Behind
One of the architects of the federal No Child Left Behind law faced a round of criticism yesterday from Minnesota educators. The chair of the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee met in Woodbury with a group of principals, school superintendents and teachers to talk about concerns with federal education policies. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Brock Lesnar's quest to become a Viking
Brock Lesnar wants to be a pro football player. The only problem is he has not played since high school. That was years ago. Now the former pro wrestler known to tens of thousands of wrestling fans as "the Next Big Thing," is practicing with the Minnesota Vikings at training camp. Lesnar's hoping to play for the team this fall. So far the only person who thinks he can do it is Lesnar himself. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports that may be just enough.
Carl Eller to be inducted in the football Hall of Fame
It has taken 25 years since he retired, but former Vikings defensive lineman Carl Eller is finally getting into the football hall of fame. This coming Sunday, Eller will join Alan Page as the second member of the famed Purple People Eaters to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. Bob Lurtsema played with Eller in the 1970s. Bob's now the publisher of the weekly Vikings Update.
Cashiers not checking signatures as often
Have you ever watched a cashier glance at the signature on the back of you credit card, and then compare it with the receipt you just signed, and wondered just how much security does that really provide? Well, so have a lot of retailers, and many have concluded that the signature check is a waste of time. Target is the latest retailer to instruct its cashiers that they no longer need to compare those signatures. Sam Black wrote about this story in this week's edition of The Business Journal and he stops by the studio this morning.
Climatologist Mark Seeley's weather comments
University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley discusses recent storms that caused damage in southern Minnesota, and the cooler-than-normal summer weather.
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