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December 27 - 31, 2004
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
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Monday, Dec. 27, 2004 |
JOBZ is one year old
In the past year, the state of Minnesota has given massive tax holidays to more than a hundred businesses. It is not scandalous -- in fact, state and local officials are celebrating. With the start of 2004, Minnesota's Job Opportunity Building Zones went into effect. The so-called JOBZ economic development program has increased ten-fold the number of business subsidy deals done by the state. After one year, boosters and skeptics are not much closer to agreement about JOBZ. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports, no one can deny the program has been plenty busy.
Blackduck Co. recruits Latinos
Anderson Fabrics in northern Minnesota is the largest maker of custom drapery products in the country. It is located in the small town of Blackduck, a half hour north of Bemidji. Because of its geographic isolation, the company has struggled to find the skilled workers it needs. Company officials think they may have found a solution in the Twin Cities Latino community. Nearly 40 Latino workers moved from the Twin Cities to Blackduck this fall. The company says that is just the beginning. Blackduck school and community leaders are now bracing for what is expected to be a wave of Latino families. And as Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports, a housing shortage in Blackduck could slow down the migration.
Looking back at Bush vs. Kerry in 2004
The race for the White House was one of the major news stories of 2004. In fact the campaign between President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry started well before the first of the year. Here in Minnesota the race marked the first time the state was a presidential battleground in more than three decades. Today on Midday, Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik takes a special look back at the presidential race in Minnesota. Here an excerpt from his documentary about politics in a battleground state.
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Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2004 |
Tax break boosts farmland prices
One of the new buzzwords in the hot real estate market is 1031. It's shorthand for a one-time way to avoid paying capital gains taxes in a property deal. It's used in all sorts of real estate transactions, including farmland. The popularity of 1031s has catapulted the impact of urban sprawl hundreds of miles into non-metro farm areas. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports.
Abu Ghraib interrogator tells his story
As 2004 draws to a close, Minnesota Public Radio is bringing back some of the people we've met and the places we've visited. In this last week of the year, we'll re-tell some of our most memorable stories. This story first aired in October. At that time, it had been six months since the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq became public, tarnishing the reputation of American troops. The abuse at the Baghdad-area prison came to light after incriminating photographs surfaced in the media. The images showed naked, bloodied Iraqis in humiliating poses surrounded by smiling U.S. soldiers. New information continues to surface about the scandal. Hundreds of pages of Army records now public show that charges of mistreatment were not taken seriously by superiors. After months of self-imposed silence on the issue, a former interrogator who lives in Minneapolis decided to speak out in October about what he saw at Abu Ghraib. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson had this report.
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Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004 |
International Falls border agents begin fingerprinting some foreign visitors
Federal agents at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing in International Falls have a new tool to enhance homeland security. This week, customs officials began using digital fingerprint technology to verify the identity of some foreign visitors. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson has the story.
Starbuck will lose hospital in effort to save health care in rural area
Residents of the west-central Minnesota town of Starbuck have always considered themselves lucky when it comes to health care. They have their own primary care hospital, which is unusual in a town of only 1,200. But the hospital has lost money for years, and now officials say they need to merge with a nearby facility to keep health care available in Starbuck. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post explains.
A family devastated by meth
As 2004 draws to a close, Minnesota Public Radio is bringing back some of the people we've met and the places we've visited. In this last week of the year, we'll re-tell some of our most memorable stories. This story first aired in June as part of our series on methamphetamine in Minnesota. Methamphetamine is one of the most highly addictive drugs to come along in years. Experts say meth quickly turns casual users into addicts. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reported how meth has devastated the lives of one northern Minnesota family. It's the story of a woman named Rubetta, who's making her fourth attempt to stay sober and reclaim her life.
Local nonprofit honored for work with women
The Minnesota Women's Press is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and today its edition will feature a number of Minnesotans and organizations that have helped create positive changes for women over the past 20 years. One group so honored is WomenVenture, based in the Twin Cities. The nonprofit group helps women launch their own businesses and prepares others for the workplace. Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with Tene Wells, president of WomenVenture.
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Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004 |
Duluth struggles with retiree health care costs
People are feeling the rising costs of health care from the living room to the board room. In Duluth, health expenses could put basic city services at risk. Officials warn that the city's generous coverage for retired employees could eventually gobble up Duluth's entire budget - with nothing left for police and firefighters, parks or street maintenance. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.
With starvation increasing, Minnesotans pitch in
2004 was a tough year for preventing starvation around the world. The United Nations reports that, for the first time in 9 years, the estimated number of people dying of hunger has gone up. The U.N. also estimates that five million children died of starvation in the last year. But one Twin Cities non-profit group is trying mightily to improve the situation. Feed My Starving Children has bought, packed, and delivered about five million meals to starving kids and adults around the world in the past year. And they did it with a staff of just four full-time workers. Morning Edition's Cathy Wurzer stopped by their warehouse in Brooklyn Park to find out how they did it.
Electronic waste a mounting problem
2005 may be the year Minnesota lawmakers decide what to do about the state's mountain of discarded electronic gear. Almost faster than you can say, "remote control," technology advances are causing consumers to toss their old TVs, computers, and cell phones. There's no single statewide system to handle the tangle of electronic waste. That increases the risk of improper disposal and possible contamination of air and water with heavy metals. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
The lure of ice fishing
As 2004 draws to a close, Minnesota Public Radio is bringing back some of the people we have met and the places we have visited. In this last week of the year, we are retelling some of our most memorable stories. This story first aired in January, right before thousands of anglers descended on Gull Lake near Brainerd to participate in the world's largest ice fishing extravaganza. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter set out to discover what's behind Minnesota's obsession with ice fishing. She came up with this report.
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Friday, Dec. 31, 2004 |
South Dakota's population growth is slow and steady
Population estimates for South Dakota show slow, steady growth. For a state that's fourth from the bottom in population rankings, growth is important. This year, South Dakota replaced Minnesota as the fastest-growing state in the upper Midwest. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports.
Despite shrinking numbers, the Sisters of St. Francis continue to thrive
The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi have made Rochester their home for more than 100 years. They began as a teaching order, sending nuns to staff Catholic schools across southern Minnesota. In 1889 the Sisters founded St. Mary's Hospital and trained as nurses. Times have changed. Now the nuns are having difficulty maintaining their convent, known as Assisi Heights. On New Year's Eve many of the Sister's loyal fans will gather for a fundraiser to help bring their living quarters up to date. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports.
Minnesota Historical Society offers lesson on social calls
New Year's day is a great time to catch up with friends near and far. These days, we use email or pick up the phone. An event at the Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul tomorrow will showcase how people connected, especially on New Year's day, back in the 1870s. The Minnesota Historical Society is opening the house to celebrate "calls," which were popular in the Victorian era. Dana Heimark is the assistant manager at Alexander Ramsey House, the former home of Minnesota's territorial governor. She explained the social tradition.
Weird Minnesota weather
University of Minnesota Meteorologist Mark Seeley explains the unusually warm week and looks ahead to the weekend forecast.
From war in Burma to peace in Minnesota
As 2004 draws to a close, Minnesota Public Radio is hearing again from some of the people we've met and the places we've visited. The following story first aired in August, when increasing numbers of refugees from Burma were arriving in Minnesota. The refugees were members of an ethnic minority called the Karen. The Karen have been fighting and losing a civil war with Burma's military leaders for 55 years. The Burmese military has tortured, raped and killed thousands of Karen people. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson filed this report.
Looking at the legacy of Y2K
Five years after all the warnings about Y2K, a new public radio series takes a look at the hype and the legacy of that computer scare. In the months leading up to the new millenium, computer experts and public officials warned of widespread failures and glitches if computers could not recognize the double-zero in the year 2000. Billions of dollars were spent to avoid those problems. Now a joint report by Marketplace and American RadioWorks examines Y2K on its fifth anniversary. The series is called "The Surprising Legacy of Y2K," and Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economic Correspondent Chris Farrell is one of the producers. He's spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
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