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August 29 - September 2, 2005
[ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday ]
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Monday, Aug. 29, 2005 |
Debate over numbers as the strike wears on
The Northwest Airlines mechanics strike is in its second week. During the first week, the union was eager to point out disruptions in the airline's service. By Friday, the company acknowledged it had been having problems with delays. However, it also pointed to numbers showing operations were improving. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter has a look at how the debate might continue as the strike wears on.
Smoking ban heats up race for Minneapolis mayor
The Hennepin County smoking ban is becoming a big issue in the race for Minneapolis mayor. Bar and restaurant owners who feel the ban is hurting their business have helped convince Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin to reconsider his support for the ban. McLaughlin is running against Mayor R.T. Rybak. Rybak says campaign contributions from the bar owners appear to have helped change McLaughlin's mind. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
Power line capacity at center of debate in western Minnesota
A group of power companies hope to build several new and upgraded transmission lines in western Minnesota. The lines will carry electricity from a planned expansion of the coal-fired Big Stone Power Plant in South Dakota. Wind energy supporters say the lines should also carry renewable energy. They're dissatisfied with the plans they've seen so far. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Steil reports.
Flight attendants carefully watching strike
The mechanics strike at Northwest Airlines enters its second work week today. Mechanics are refusing to accept pay cuts and layoffs that the airline says it needs to avoid bankruptcy, but no further talks are scheduled at this point. Officially, Northwest's flight attendants are not honoring the mechanics' picket line. The flight attendants union is separately negotiating with Northwest, which is asking for concessions that would lower labor costs. Peter Fiske is a spokeman for the flight attendants union. He's on the line now.
Monday Markets
Minnesota Public Radio's Chief Economics Correspondent Chris Farrell discusses the latest economic news.
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Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005 |
Rocori school shooter to be sentenced
Tuesday, 17-year-old Jason McLaughlin will be sentenced to prison. In the fall of 2003, the Rocori High School freshman shot and killed two fellow schoolmates, Seth Bartell and Aaron Rollins. After a 12-day trial last month, a judge found McLaughlin guilty of two counts of murder. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post has followed the story since the shooting and he reports.
Rocori victims' families speak before sentencing
The victims' statements will be the first official chance for the families of Seth Bartell and Aaron Rollins to tell the court their stories, despite the fact that it has been almost two years since the Rocori High School shootings. Joining Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer with more on the role of victim's statements in the criminal justice system is Paula Weber, director of the state's Crime Victim Justice Unit.
Number of underperforming public schools is down dramatically
State education officials are boasting that the number of underperforming public schools is down dramatically from a year ago. Across-the-board improvements on statewide student tests had a big impact, but changes in the way the state is measuring school progress also helped pare the list. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
Some travelers avoid crossing picket lines
The Northwest Airlines mechanics strike is 11 days old today, and there are no talks scheduled. Mechanics walked off the job after refusing to accept pay cuts and layoffs that would cut their ranks by about half. The airline says it needs those concessions in order to avoid bankruptcy. During the strike, many Northwest passengers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport have to walk by picketing mechanics. Joining Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer is Anne Bier from Virginia, MN, a passenger who is uncomfortable with crossing the picket lines and is going out of her way to avoid it.
Sympathy strike trends change over time
Many travelers, of course, are choosing to travel Northwest despite the strike. To discuss why more people are not honoring the picket line, Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked to Mario Bognanno, a professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
Area food shelves say demand is up, donations are down
The U.S. Census Bureau releases its latest data on income and poverty rates later Tuesday. Typically, Minnesota's poverty rate is among the lowest in the nation, but area food shelves say the numbers do not tell the whole story. They say they cannot keep up with demand. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.
New power plant location proposed
Excelsior Energy has announced a location for the state's first large-scale coal gasification power plant, and it is not in Hoyt Lakes. Pending state approval, the first unit will be built in Itasca County. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.
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Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005 |
Red Lake students prepare to head back to school
Students on the Red Lake Indian Reservation will head back to school Thursday. The first couple of days this week will serve as an open house, where teachers and students can get reacquainted. Classes will begin next week. Many high school students haven't been back to school since last March. That's when teenager Jeff Weise went on a shooting rampage, killing nine people before taking his own life. As a new school year begins, the Red Lake community is filled with a sense of both apprehension and optimism. The big question is whether students will show up for school. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports.
McLaughlin gets consecutive sentences in Rocori shootings
A judge has sentenced Jason McLaughlin to life in prison for a deadly 2003 school shooting in Cold Spring. The 17-year old McLaughlin faces two consecutive prison sentences for first and second-degree murder. He won't be eligible for parole for more almost 40 years, when he's in his mid-50s. The sentencing hearing turned into an emotional affair, with testimony coming from family members of the victims and also from Jason McLaughlin's family. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post reports.
Energy bill's impact on wind industry debated
When President Bush signed the energy bill recently it was touted as a landmark for renewable energy. The legislation marked the first time Congress extended tax credits for wind energy. Industry proponents say the legislation will bring a period of stability to the wind industry. Minnesota Public Radios Bob Reha reports.
Katrina pushing up natural gas prices
The effects of Hurricane Katrina are driving up energy prices. Oil prices jumped above 70 dollars a barrel Tuesday, reflecting uncertainty and fear about damage to energy infrastructure on the Gulf Coast. The situation could contribute to already rising prices at the gas pump -- and also to a hike in the cost of natural gas, which many Minnesotans use to heat their homes. Joe Klenken is a regulatory specialist at CenterPoint Energy.
Four loons die of West Nile virus
This morning, we hear that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants to know if you see loons acting oddly. That's because a family of four loons died recently of West Nile virus on Sandy Lake near Zimmerman. Carroll Henderson, with the DNR, says he's very surprised to hear the birds contracted the disease.
Open Ears
You're listening to Morning Edition on Minnesota Public Radio, I'm Cathy Wurzer. It's time for the final installment of our music appreciation series, "Open Ears." Throughout the summer, local musicians have been sharing a bit of themselves by describing music they love from genres other than their own.
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Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005 |
Cops, youth programs are answers to St. Paul crime problems, mayoral candidates say
St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly has referred to the upcoming mayoral election as a "performance review" of his last four years. He says he's confident that he's done a good job managing the city. DFL-endorsed Chris Coleman and Green Party candidate Elizabeth Dickinson disagree. They point to the city's increasing crime rate as an example that St. Paul is headed in the wrong direction under Kelly. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
Metro Transit
If you're worried about rising gas prices, there's not much relief this morning. Some stations in the Twin Cities are selling for as much as $3.25 a gallon. The prices are bad news for all sorts of people - truckers, farmers, taxi drivers, and commuters trying to get to work. Are people turning to mass transit for relief? Joining us now is Brian Lamb, Metro Transit's general manager.
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Friday, Sept. 2, 2005 |
U of M will still admit students whose colleges closed by Katrina
Officials at the University of Minnesota say college students whose schools have closed because of Hurricane Katrina can take classes at the U. The Twin Cities campus is scheduled to start classes in less than a week. The emergency policy would allow students to attend provided they are academically qualified. Wayne Sigler is the director of admissions at the University of Minnesota, and he joins us now.
Northwest warns that time running out to avoid bankruptcy
Union mechanics at Northwest Airlines raised the tone of their strike activities on Thursday, attempting to block busloads of replacement workers from leaving their hotels for the airport. At the same time, Northwest said it might need to cut even more from its labor costs than it had originally thought. And Northwest pilots announced they're willing to go back to the table to help keep the airline from bankruptcy. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
St. Paul mayoral candidates debate
In St. Paul, several mayoral candidates debated a wide variety of issues in their latest forum. Four out of eight candidates met last night, including DFL-endorsed Chris Coleman and Green party candidate Elizabeth Dickinson. Perennial candidate Sharon Anderson and former cab driver Glen Mansfield also turned up. Incumbent mayor Randy Kelly declined to participate. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
Primping and preening State Fair animals
Shampoos, blow dryers, hair sprays and mouse - it all sounds like things found in a hair salon. However, those items are also stuffed in trunks and grooming kits in the State Fair animal barns. There's a lot of primping and preening that goes on before an animal gets into the show ring. We thought it might be fun to take you behind the scenes and find out how well-groomed animals get that way.
Earl Bakken appears at State Fair
At the State Fair, a special celebrity guest showed up at the Wonders of Technology Building. Yesterday fans of all ages lined up to meet Earl Bakken. For those of you not up-to-date on your Minnesota history, Bakken isn't a rock star or a movie star, but many consider him a superstar of science. In 1949 he co-founded the medical device company Medtronic. And a few year later he invented the first portable cardiac pacemaker. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
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