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March 7 - 11, 2005
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Monday, March 7, 2005 |
Don't bet on gambling
Gov. Tim Pawlenty's plans for new gaming in the Twin Cities have a lot of people worried. The governor's budget counts on a big cash infusion from participating tribes. But there are plenty of Minnesotans opposed to the plan - including some of the people who have experienced the dark side of gambling first hand. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Kelleher reports from Duluth.
Governor's supplemental budget expected this week
Gov. Tim Pawlenty is expected to release his supplemental budget this week. It should reveal how he expects to use about $250 million that was not available when he put together his last budget in January. At the time, finance officials projected a $700 million deficit over the next budget cycle. But last week, they said the deficit had shrunk to about $450 million. Lawmakers at the State Capitol will have their own ideas about how to use the new money. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Laura McCallum, Minnesota Public Radio's Capitol Bureau Chief.
Hennepin theater hand-off to Clear Channel
Later this month, the Minneapolis city council decides the fate of three historic theaters. The decision will likely commit the city -- and metro-area theater patrons -- to a decades-long relationship with the entertainment conglomerate Clear Channel. Most city officials are on record saying they do not intend to hand undue control or influence to the company. But right now that assurance has little to back it up. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich has the first in a two-part report on the hand-off of the Hennepin theaters.
MN National Guard official says troops holding up
An al-Qaida-linked group has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks today in Iraq that left at least 16 people dead and dozens wounded. Most of the attacks occurred in Baqouba, which is 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. Col. Joe Kelly is based in Baghdad. He is Chief of Staff of the Minnesota National Guard and advises the commander of the Multi-National Corps in Iraq on how the Reserve and National Guard forces are deployed. Last week, he attended a memorial service for three members of the Montevideo-based 151st Field Artillery unit of the Minnesota National Guard who were killed in Iraq on February 21st. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with him from Baghdad about how the members of that unit are holding up.
Duluth aquarium seeks on-going public funding
The people running Duluth's aquarium are asking the city for money --again. The aquarium has operated in the red since it opened four years ago. This time aquarium officials say it will need a yearly infusion of cash from the city -- indefinitely. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
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Tuesday, March 8, 2005 |
Hennepin theater hand-off: the political dance
It has been nearly two years since Minneapolis began a process to hand off the city's historic Orpheum, State, and Pantages theaters. In November the city council voted to work out a 30 year deal with the current management -- plus a new partner with major financial heft: Clear Channel. Yesterday, in the first of a two-part report, Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich looked at the unanswered questions around Clear Channel's involvement with the deal. Today, we look at whether the future of the Hennepin theaters was decided by careful analysis -- or by a process at city hall that was something less than fair and open.
Volunteers return from Sri Lanka
A group of volunteers from Minnesota is just back from Sri Lanka, where they were helping victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. The group includes nurses, teachers, and builders, and was organized by a local Sri Lankan businessman. The volunteers focused their efforts on a village just south of Columbo. There, they provided medical care, rebuilt homes, and helped in classrooms. One of the volunteers, Lavina Pattee, is a retired schoolteacher who lives in Big Lake, Minnesota. She brought along a tape recorder to document the experience as it was happening. She recorded this excerpt after a day in which the volunteers were preparing to build a community center, and got some help from local Sri Lankans.
Gov. Pawlenty signs five bills into law
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has signed another bill into law. Actually, yesterday was a busy day for the governor. He signed a total of five bills. Three of them changed the official description or jurisdiction of a highway. One allows the Prinsburg community to raise school taxes above a previous referendum cap. And another new law updates the real estate filing statutes to reflect procedures that are already in use.
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Wednesday, March 9, 2005 |
Teachers on strike divides community
Residents of the Crosby-Ironton school district say their communities are torn over a month long teacher strike. That is what a group of legislators heard last night during a public hearing in Deerwood. Members of the House Education Policy Committee held a listening session to hear how the strike is affecting parents, students and teachers. Teachers in the district walked off the job four weeks ago in a dispute over salaries and retiree health benefits. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post was at last night's meeting, and has this report.
Same-sex marriage ban to be re-introduced
A bill that would put a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions on the ballot in Minnesota in 2006 will be introduced this week at the Legislature. Supporters announced their plan to renew the effort yesterday. They say it is necessary for voters to decide if marriage should be defined as only between a man and a woman. But opponents say the state already has a law that bans gay marriage and believe the issue is meant to distract attention from other issues at the capitol. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Surviving NFL scrutiny
The National Football League's Finance Committee will meet Wednesday to hear from its staff attorneys and investigators about Arizona businessman Reggie Fowler. Fowler has signed a purchase agreement to buy the Minnesota Vikings for what's believed to be $625 million. Now the deal is awaiting NFL approval. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Wheelock Whitney who was one of ten owners of the Vikings before the team was sold to current owner Red McCombs.
Pacemaker-like device may be used for bulimia
University of Minnesota researchers are reporting initial success treating severe cases of an eating disorder with an approach generally associated with treatment of heart problems. The study is using a pacemaker-like device to treat bulimia. Bulimia typically involves binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting or other methods to prevent weight gain. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin has the story of one patient who says the device has lifted an enormous burden from her life.
St. Paul Mayor on not putting a casino in the Capitol
The St. Paul City Council meets Wednesday, and will consider a resolution opposing the expansion of gambling in the city. Mayor Randy Kelly recently came out against building a casino in St. Paul, after considering the possibility for more than two years. The discussion comes on the heels of an announcement by Gov. Tim Pawlenty that he has reached a deal with three northern Minnesota Indian tribes on a joint proposal to build a new Twin Cities area casino. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Mayor Kelly.
Schumacher's Hotel to close
A popular restaurant and hotel in New Prague, Minnesota is closing. Schumacher's Hotel opened in 1974, and is well known in large part to its owner and award-winning chef, John Schumacher. Schumacher announced his plans to close the place at the end of May. He spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer.
New one-woman play on horses and women
You may not know this, but Minnesota has a thriving horse industry. It is estimated there are some 150,000 horses across the state, and many, many of them are owned by women. There is something about the special relationship between a woman and her horse. That bond is the focus of a play, that will be presented in Stillwater this weekend, called "The Truth about Women and Horses." It is written and performed by Nancy Conger, who portrays all eleven characters in the play. Conger has loved horses since she was a girl, and has come to the belief that women horse owners often develop deep, sometimes mystical relationships with their animals. She spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer recently to tell us about her new play and to talk about horses.
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Thursday, March 10, 2005 |
Racino at Canterbury proposed again
The owners of Canterbury Park are raising the ante in the gambling expansion debate at the Capitol. The horse track and card club in Shakopee released a Proposal yesterday to add 3,000 slot machines and 40 black jack tables to the existing facility. In exchange, the state would receive a one time payment of $100 million and would get 35 percent of revenues from the so-called "racino" every year. Supporters of the plan say they are hopeful that it will pass this year, but it faces tough odds in the Minnesota Senate. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Racino up and running in Iowa
The racino concept proposed at Shakopee's Canterbury Park horse racing track is not new. Prairie Meadows racetrack in Iowa has already made the transition to racino. MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Jack Ketterer, the administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.
Pawlenty's budget balancing website
Last November, with much fanfare, Gov. Tim Pawlenty invited Minnesotans to suggest ways to balance the state budget without raising taxes by logging on to a new web site. The governor's office has just released the results. More than 17,000 people responded, and most wanted the state to spend more money on education, both K-12 and higher education. Democrats question whether Pawlenty is paying attention to the results. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
Birch Bark promises better health
A start-up company in Duluth is banking on birch bark. The papery bark can be used for more than baskets and canoes. It is used in skin creams, and scientists are studying it for use in treating skin rashes and even cancer. But Native American healers have been using birch bark for years, and some of them are worried about the supply. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
The black market for airline vouchers
Since 2001, the nation's large airlines have faced major financial challenges: fear of flying after 9-11, soaring fuel costs, the rise of low-cost airlines and price-conscious business-travelers. Eagan-based Northwest and other carriers have lost a combined $30 billion in the past three years. Amid that sea of red ink, the airlines continue to face a small but stubborn trickle, brought on by the Internet age. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich has a look at the black-market trade in airline ticket vouchers.
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Friday, March 11, 2005 |
Pawlenty recommends more school aid
Gov. Tim Pawlenty is proposing an increase in education funding as a part of his revised budget plan. Pawlenty wants to spend $108 million more than he originally proposed on K-12 education. The increase in funding is possible because the revenue forecast released last week showed the state's budget outlook improving. Critics say the funding for education still isn't enough. And others point out that Minnesota is still facing a budget deficit of $466 million in the next two-year budget cycle without including inflation. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Forensic labs flooded with DNA samples
DNA testing is the biggest thing to hit law enforcement since fingerprinting. The public is familiar with it through television shows like CSI. But unlike TV where cases are solved in minutes, real DNA testing can takes weeks or even months. As a result, forensic labs around the country face significant backlogs. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally has this report.
Dancing with the Hinkley fire
On September 1, 1894, one of the worst forest fires in U.S. history destroyed the Minnesota logging town of Hinckley. The cyclone of fire shot flames miles in the air. Over four hundred people died in the blaze. The Great American History Theatre tells the story in its new production "Fireball." Minnesota Public Radio's Karl Gehrke has more.
China growing as a market for Minnesota companies
When it comes to markets for Minnesota products, China is becoming more and more important. About $670 million in Minnesota products were sold in China and Taiwan last year, making them the state's fourth biggest export market. In this week's edition of "The Business Journal," a team of reporters took a look at Minnesota's connections to China, and likely areas of growth. Reporter Sam Black, who headed up the project, spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer.
Climatologist Mark Seeley's weather comments
University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley discusses the reason why March 6th was so warm across the state. The Twin Cities reported a high of 59 degrees. He also discusses the unusual sources of soot in the air in India. And, he talks about Minnesota's changing climate and its impact on the 2004 crop yields.
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