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July 18 - 22, 2005
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Monday, July 18, 2005 |
Devils Lake outlet almost ready, but facing new lawsuit
After years of arguing, work is almost complete on an outlet for Devils Lake. The northeast North Dakota lake has no natural outlet and for several years rising water has threatened the community of Devils Lake. The outlet could be open in a few weeks but the plan now faces a challenge in Canada's Federal Court. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Reha reports.
Effort to build new veterans museum underway in Perham
Military veterans are hoping to build a new kind of museum in Perham, Minnesota. They are trying to raise $1.2 million to complete the project. The focus of this museum will not be artifacts, but the voices of people who went to war. Organizers say they want it to be a tribute to Minnesota veterans. Mainstreet Radio’s Dan Gunderson reports.
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Tuesday, July 19, 2005 |
NWA and mechanics union move another step closer to strike
Northwest Airlines has rejected an offer from the National Mediation Board to settle the contract dispute with mechanics through binding arbitration. Without arbitration as an option, the Mediation Board could rule this week that the talks are at an impasse. If that happens, mechanics could go out on strike after a 30-day cooling off period. John Remington is the director of Labor Education Services at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. He's been following the negotiations and he joins us now.
Teen convicted of murder in Rocori High School shootings July 18, 2005
Jason McLaughlin's murder trial continues today in St. Cloud. Yesterday a judge found McLaughlin guilty of first and second degree murder in the 2003 shooting deaths of two students at Rocori High School in Cold Spring. The trial is in its second phase, one that will consider the teenager's mental state at the time of the shooting. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post reports.
Meeting tries to break logjam over Stillwater bridge
Representatives from 28 groups meet on Tuesday at Stillwater City Hall try to agree on a plan for a new bridge across the St. Croix River. They've been meeting for two years to try to settle differences over a proposed four-lane span across the federally-protected waterway that would replace the aging Stillwater lift bridge. While some participants say an agreement is close at least two groups say they still oppose a new bridge. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
Pols are off and running in Minneapolis
The two top candidates in the race for mayor of Minneapolis are off and running. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin have both filed the official paperwork for mayor. The two Democrats say public safety and city finances are the top issues in the race for mayor of the state's largest city. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Open Ears
Open Ears is an ongoing series of audio features that explores how contemporary musicians' listening habits shape their music-making. Each installment features a Twin Cities musician talking about a favorite piece of music from a genre outside his or her own. The series taps musicians' wide-ranging tastes and deep musical knowledge as it explores the surprising and revealing influences that affect today's sounds. St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concertmaster Steven Copes usually turns on the CD player in the car or when he's cooking a meal for friends at home. He's drawn to music that has a lot of rhythm, and artists with very distinctive voices.
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Wednesday, July 20, 2005 |
Twin Cities law professor has worked with Supreme Court nominee
A Twin Cities law professor has known Supreme Court nominee John Roberts for many years. University of St. Thomas Professor Patrick Schiltz went to Harvard Law School with Roberts. For the last few years they have worked together on a committee of federal judges that writes the rules for federal appellate courts. Schiltz is also familiar with the confirmation process. He worked for former Republican Sen. Dave Durenberger and helped prepare Antonin Scalia for his confirmation hearings. Schiltz says Roberts is a good choice for the court.
Operation Predator apprehends sex offenders in Minnesota
Minnesota is among the top ten states in the nation for the number of child sex predators apprehended in an ongoing effort by federal officials. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, has been targeting these criminals for two years, and has caught almost 200 in Minnesota alone. The effort is called Operation Predator, and in our area, it's overseen by Mark Cangemi, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Bloomington. That office has juristiction over a five-state area. Mr. Cangemi joins us now.
Eight beaches in northern Minnesota closed due to bacteria
There are now eight beaches in the Duluth area and along the north shore of Lake Superior that are closed for swimming because of high levels of bacteria. Heidi Bauman is the coordinator of the Lake Superior Beach Monitoring Program for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. She says five new beaches have just been added to the list.
Capturing the rock moment
There is nothing quite like the excitement of a great rock show. Even the best recording can't truly recapture the experience. But a new exhibit at the Minnesota Center for Photography in Minneapolis attempts to do just that. It's called "Musicapolis" and it presents 40 years of Twin Cities music history. Minnesota Public Radio's Marianne Combs has this report.
Veterinarians warn of animal disease threats
More than 5,000 veterinarians are in Minneapolis for the annual meeting of the American Veterinary Medical Association. The national conference has shown that veterinary medicine is about a lot more than caring for cats and cows. The incidence of new human diseases that start in animals have made vets more important to public health. Talk of bio and agroterrorism have put veterinarians on the front lines of national defense. But Minnesota Public Radio's Bianca Vazquez Toness reports the veterinarians don't think they're quite ready for that.
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Thursday, July 21, 2005 |
A strike might not cause turbulence for Northwest business flyers
Northwest Airlines' mechanics are gearing up for a possible strike, now that the National Mediation Board has declared an impasse in the talks between the union and the airline. The board's announcement permits mechanics to begin a strike August 19th, before the end of the busy summer travel season. But Northwest has been lining up replacement mechanics and maintains the company will be able to operate its full schedule. And with nearly a month to go before the strike deadline, Northwest passengers don't seem to be sweating about a possible walk-out. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter has the story.
MnScu adopts 7 percent tuition increase cap
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities board of Trustees has capped tuition increases at seven percent in the coming year. The decision comes after the trustees endured a barrage of student complaints about rising college costs during recent budget discussions. The cap is a new development for at least 20 of the system's institutions that have already budgeted for tuition increases higher than that. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
Prosecution to present expert witnesses in McLaughlin trial
Now it's the prosecution's turn in the second phase of the murder trial of Jason McLaughlin. Prosecutors say they'll present health experts who claim McLaughlin is not as mentally ill as his defense attorney contends and should be held criminally responsible for a 2003 school shooting that killed two students at Rocori High School. McLaughlin has been found guilty of first and second degree murder for those shootings in the first phase of the trial. McLaughlin's attorney, who is trying to prove the boy is mentally ill, has rested his case on his client's mental state. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post reports.
The art of botany
Scientists say that when it comes to getting a good picture of a plant, a photograph just doesn't cut it. In the field of botany, scientists still depend on artists to document plants. The Weisman Museum in Minneapolis has more than 60 examples of contemporary botanical paintings and drawings in an exhibit called "Fresh Cut." Minnesota Public Radio's Karl Gehrke has more.
Northwest is lining up replacement mechanics
Northwest has been preparing for a potential strike for weeks by lining up replacement mechanics. The airline could also ask managers who are qualified to work on planes to step in. That has some observers questioning whether passengers will feel safe on planes that are not serviced by regular workers. The Federal Aviation Administration has an oversight system designed to keep airlines safe. For a look at that system, we've called Daryl Jenkins, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and former director of The Aviation Institute at George Washington University.
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Friday, July 22, 2005 |
National Guard discuss military base closure recommendations
National Guard officials from around the country are meeting in Washington, DC today to discuss the Pentagon's recommendations for closing military bases. Maj. Gen. Larry Shellito, the Adjunct General of the Minnesota National Guard, will be there. He is trying to protect Duluth's 148th Fighter Wing. Right now, the Pentagon wants to retire the F-16 fighter jets at the Duluth Air Base by the end of 2007. Col. Denny Shields heads up public affairs for the Minnesota National Guard. He is also in Washington. Shields says Shellito plans to raise concerns about the base closure decision making process.
Flight attendants sue NWA for training potential replacements
Northwest Airlines flight attendants' union filed a lawsuit yesterday to stop the Eagan-based company from training replacement flight attendants, who would fill in during a potential strike. The airline is in the process of contract negotiations with a number of its unions, and already faces an August 19 strike deadline with its mechanics union. Minnesota Public Radio's Bianca Vazquez Toness reports.
U.S. Senate race update
Another Democrat is entering the 2006 race for U.S. Senate. Veterinarian Ford Bell will formally launch his campaign today. Bell will make a stop in downtown Minneapolis this morning before heading to the Yellow Medicine County Fair in southwestern Minnesota. On the Republican side of the race, Vice President Dick Cheney will be in Minnesota today raising money for Republican Congressman Mark Kennedy's 2006 Senate campaign. Although Kennedy is the favorite among top Republicans for the Senate race, he is not alone in his bid for the GOP endorsement. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
Rochester artist wins award
Rochester-based sculptor Judy Onofrio is the recipient of this year's Distinguished Artist Award from the McKnight Foundation. It is a huge honor and the list of past recipients reads like a who's who in the Minnesota art world; including composer Dominick Argento and the writer Robert Bly. Onofrio says she is still in shock, but those who know and love her work are hardly surprised. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally visited with Onofrio in her sculpture garden known as Judyland.
Plant paintings better than photos
Scientists say that, when it comes to getting a good picture of a plant, a photograph just doesn't cut it. In the field of botany, scientists still depend on artists to document plants. The Weisman Art Museum has more than 60 examples of contemporary botanical paintings and drawings in the juried exhibit, "Fresh Cut." Minnesota Public Radio's Karl Gehrke has more.
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