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September 19 - 23, 2005
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Monday, Sept. 19, 2005 |
Is Randy Kelly really a Democrat?
St. Paul voters have chosen DFLers Chris Coleman and Mayor Randy Kelly to face off in the general election in November, and observers say one of the hottest questions in the race will be who's the better Democrat. Party affiliation is not supposed to play a role in the mayoral election, but leftover resentment over the way last year's presidential race played out in the city is still is an important issue. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
Most Hmong hunters not worried after Vang trial
Some members of the Hmong community in the Twin Cities say they do not expect racial tensions to escalate during this year's hunting season, despite publicity around the murder trial of Chai Vang, Vang was found guilty last week of killing six hunters in the woods of northwest Wisconsin last November. Vang, a St. Paul man originally from Southeast Asia, said that the confrontation with the hunters started when they called him racial slurs. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter reports.
Rep. John Kline talks about his son going to Iraq
Over the weekend, about 450 additional Minnesota troops left for training, before their deployments for Iraq. One Minnesota lawmaker also saw his son go overseas. Congressman John Kline, R-Minn., said good-bye to his son Major J. Daniel Kline, who is on his way to Iraq. Rep. Kline spoke with MPR's Cathy Wurzer. He said his son is the Executive Officer of a Blackhawk helicopter battalion with the 101st Airborne Division.
German election looks more like an American election
Germans woke up this morning unsure who will next lead their country. In federal elections Sunday, conservative challenger Angela Merkel's party won the most votes. But the outcome was extremely close, and incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who pulled off a dramatic comeback, said he should head the next government. Amid the uncertainty, there is something many analysts agree on: the culture of German politics is changing. Germans pride themselves on taking their politics seriously, on pouring over candidate positions and policy minutia. But more and more, their campaigns are beginning to look like American campaigns. Minnesota Public Radio's Julie Siple is observing the elections on a program sponsored by the German Marshall Fund. She has this report.
Excerpt of American RadioWorks' "No Place for a Woman"
Tune in today at noon for Midday with Gary Eichten, when you'll hear an hour-long documentary about a landmark court case that changed the workplace for women all across the country. It takes place in the 1970s. Women began breaking into male dominated professions in significant numbers. They took jobs as police officers, lawyers, and steelworkers. Often, they were not welcome. When women took jobs in the iron mines of northern Minnesota, some men tried to drive them out. They were harassed, threatened, and even assaulted. In this new documentary from American RadioWorks, producer Catherine Winter tells the story of the women miners who filed the landmark lawsuit. In this excerpt, we hear from Jan Wollin, who worked for Eveleth Mines. A word of warning: this story contains graphic language and descriptions.
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Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2005 |
Vikings, Anoka County ready to announce stadium plan
Later Tuesday morning, officials from the Minnesota Vikings and Anoka county will formally announce that they have reached an agreement for a new football stadium. The $675 million retractable-roof facility would be built on a 700 acre site in Blaine. The total cost of the project, with roads and other infrastructure, could end up being more than $700 million. The Vikings are expected to contribute up to 280 million, with the rest coming from Anoka county and state taxpayers. Minnesota Public Radio News Brandt Williams reports.
Lots of lots foil transit
A new Vikings stadium would bring with it big parking lots to accommodate fans. The Twin Cities metro area already has thousands of acres devoted to parking lots. Transit advocates rail against so much space set aside for parking, saying large lots are a waste of valuable land. Some of the advocates point to Minnesota's property tax system as one factor which encourages the proliferation of lots. Minnesota Public Radio News' Dan Olson reports.
It's all about respect
Minnesota's Iron Range is getting some national publicity as critics have seen a few early showings of the new Hollywood movie "North Country." The film tells the story of the women who took jobs in Minnesota's iron mines in the 1970s and the men who tried to drive them out. It is based on the true story of women at Eveleth Taconite who sued the mine for sexual harassment. Women who worked in other mines on the Range say they faced harassment too, but there were also good times, and men who were good friends. Minnesota Public Radio News' Stephanie Hemphill spoke with women from Hibbing Taconite.
Smaller towns expect to keep Northwest air service
While farmers fret over harvest conditions, others are wondering about the future of air service to smaller towns in the region since Northwest Airlines declared bankruptcy last week. Northwest's CEO Doug Steenland said after the filing last week, that the company is likely to become a smaller airline in bankruptcy. As Minnesota Public Radio News' Bob Reha reports, most cities around the region do not seem to be worried about losing service.
Harvest of most crops continues on pace despite rains
The weekly crop report from the Department of Agriculture shows 34 percent of the corn in Minnesota is mature, about the same as the five-year average and far ahead of the one percent mature on the same date last year. Sixteen percent of the soybeans are mature, ahead of last year's three percent but behind the 23 percent five-year average. To find out how the farmers are doing in the west central part of Minnesota, we have been checking in periodically this growing season with Doug Holen. He is with the Fergus Falls office of the University of Minnesota Extension Service and he joins Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
Minnesota emergency managers learn from previous disasters
The annual meeting of the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers continues today in Brainerd. As you might expect, one of the hot topics is what emergency managers can learn in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One of today's presentations looks at the lessons we have learned from past disasters. The presentation is called "Emergency Management from Noah's Ark to 'The Day After Tomorrow.'" Mike Martinet with the Los Angeles County Office of Disaster Management is in Brainerd to help make that presentation, and he joins Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
Minnesotan counsels hurricane survivors
It is day 13 for a group of Minnesota health care professionals helping Hurricane Katrina survivors in Louisiana. Under the leadership of the Minneapolis-based American Refugee Committee, the team includes nurses, doctors, and mental health counselors. Lately, they have been helping survivors at a performing arts building that has been turned into a center for evacuees. Theresa McPartlin is a clinical social worker from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, but now she is in Lafayette, LA, about 100 miles west of New Orleans. McPartlin is counseling survivors, helping them manage their personal crisis, and in some cases, recover from trauma. She says helping hurricane evacuees is delicate work.
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Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 |
Legislative leaders cool on Vikings stadium plan
The Minnesota Vikings' plans to build a new stadium adds another twist for Governor Tim Pawlenty, who is weighing whether to call a special session of the legislature this fall to approve stadium proposals. The Minnesota Twins and supporters of the University of Minnesota Gopher football team were already calling for another special session to approve their new stadiums. The Vikings want to build a retractable-roof stadium in Anoka County that will cost up to $790 million. Team owner Zygi Wilf says he and the NFL will kick in $280 million, and Anoka County officials say they will contribute another $280 million through a county-wide sales tax of 0.75 percent. The proposal asks the state to allow the county to levy that tax and it calls for the state to bring millions of dollars of its own to the table. Adding another stadium to the mix, particularly one that includes a sizable state investment, may hurt the chances for the Twins and Gophers. Minnesota Public Radio News' Laura McCallum reports.
Macy's fashion outlook
Federated Department Stores, Inc., says the name of all its Marshall Field's stores will change to Macy's starting next fall. The Marshall Fields chain has 62 stores in eight states from North and South Dakota to Michigan, including ten locations in the Twin Cities metro area. Federated officials also said there will be new merchandise for the Marshall Field's locations. Federated outlined its plans yesterday, in a long-awaited announcement since it bought Marshall Field's earlier this year. Minnesota Public Radio News' Annie Baxter has a look at how the changes might affect shoppers.
Website devoted to keep Marshall Field's identity
When it was first announced that Federated Department Stores, Inc., was buying Marshall Field's and speculation about a name change began, Nick Potts decided he was going to try to do something about it. Potts created a website, www.keepitfields.org, where visitors could sign a petition pledging to stop shopping at the stores if the name changed. He says the web site began as an experiment.
New magnet schools are key to suburban desegregation plan
Schools in Brooklyn Center and Osseo are getting help this fall from neighboring school districts to correct the growing racial imbalances they have seen in some of their classrooms. Ten new magnet schools in the northwest suburbs are encouraging students to move across the enrollment boundaries of seven different school districts that are participating in the new program. Minnesota Public Radio News' Tim Pugmire reports.
Minnesota schools encouraged to clean up classroom air
The Minnesota Department of Health is monitoring the impact of the air quality in schools. Department officials are trying to improve the air to improve student learning. Health officials say dust, mold and chemicals in the air can increase absenteeism and affect student test scores. Minnesota Public Radio News' Dan Gunderson reports.
American RadioWorks documentary: "While the Men Were At War"
The effects of a landmark sexual harassment lawsuit that has its origins on the Iron Range still reverberates in workplaces across the country. The American RadioWorks documentary unit looked back on a class-action lawsuit from the 1970s, to produce an hour-long broadcast called "No Place for a Woman." The program tells the story of women who started working in significant numbers in the iron mines of northern Minnesota, when some men bitterly resisted their presence. Part of the "No Place for a Woman" documentary features women who worked in the mines a generation before the 70s, when mine companies welcomed women. In fact, women were depended upon to replace the men who had gone off to fight in World War II. Sixty years later, only a few of those women are still alive, but some of them are still close friends. Minnesota Public Radio News' Stephanie Hemphill reports.
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Thursday, Sept. 22, 2005 |
Storm kills one man, leaves thousands without power
One man died as a result of the storms that moved through central Minnesota last night. Minneapolis police say a 45-year-old man was hit by a falling tree branch. Thousands of customers of Xcel Energy still don't have power this morning, many just north and west of the Twin Cities. Joining us on the line is Ed Legge with Xcel Energy.
Storm hits hard in town of Andover
High winds damaged homes and toppled trees as a line of severe storms ripped through the Twin Cities last night. Xcel Energy reports that over 121,000 customers are currently without power. One of the hardest hit places was the town of Andover. Minnesota Public Radio's Sam Choo reports.
Northwest bankruptcy: why now?
When Northwest Airlines filed for bankruptcy just over a week ago, the move came earlier than many observers expected. At the time, the company was still in talks with labor groups, hoping to get concessions and avoid bankruptcy. Some in the financial community still thought they had a shot. So why did Northwest declare bankruptcy when it did? Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich takes a look at the theories.
Nurses say forced overtime led to problems at veterans home
Several nurses at the state-run Minneapolis Veterans Home say severe understaffing at the home led to patient injuries and medical errors. They told a legislative hearing that they were required to work 16-hour days, and a staffing shortage led to the numerous violations that a state inspection found two months ago. The acting administrator told lawmakers that the home is trying to fill vacant positions and fix the problems. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
Minneapolis releases plan for the arts
The City of Minneapolis has released a new ten-year plan for the arts. It promises to increase funding, help promote the arts, and strengthen arts education. The Minneapolis Arts Commission presented the details to the public last night. Artists say they're happy the city has come up with a plan, but they worry that's all it will ever be. Minnesota Public Radio's Marianne Combs has this report.
County study shows slowdown in bar business
Some bars and restaurants in Hennepin County have reported slower revenue growth since the county passed a comprehensive smoking ban this spring. That's according to a study released Wednesday by Hennepin County. The authors of the study say the data is limited and isn't sufficient enough to conclude the ban is the cause for the lower numbers. However, some in the hospitality industry say the ban is responsible for significant losses of revenue. And they want the county to rollback some of the ban's restrictions. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports.
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Friday, Sept. 23, 2005 |
Minnesota police officers helping patrol New Orleans
A Dallas television station is reporting that 20 people were killed in a bus explosion outside Dallas, Texas where residents are trying to flee hurricane Rita. Early reports say 45 elderly people were on the bus, which was on clogged highways going out from the Texas coast. Hurricane Rita is closing in on the state. The storm is so big rain is already falling in New Orleans, where officials are worried that if they get more than five inches, the levees repaired after hurricane Katrina will give way. A group of law enforcement officers from Minnesota is among those in the city hoping for light rain from Rita. They're helping New Orleans police officers patrol the city. Lieutenant Otto Wagenphiel is commanding the Minnesota contingent. He's been in the area for about a week, with nearly 90 officers from a number of Minnesota departments. He says New Orleans is pretty empty, now that officials have stopped people from reentering.
National Weather Service surveyed Minnesota storm damage
66,000 people are still without power in the Twin Cities metro area this morning, after storms blew through the region Wednesday night. Gov. Pawlenty visited Andover yesterday; that town in the northern suburbs was one of the most heavily hit by the storm. The National Weather Service was also out, collecting information on the damage. Todd Krause is a warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, and he joins us now.
Bioscience companies seek capital at conference
Leaders in Minnesota's fledgling biotech industry think they've finally figured out a way to attract more investors. They've decided to team up with the state's well-established medical device industry in the hopes of getting more exposure and ultimately more money for research. The new arrangement is getting one of its first tests at a conference this week in Minneapolis. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports.
Remembering Rondo with music
It's been more than 45 years since the predominantly black St. Paul neighborhood of Rondo was bulldozed to make way for Interstate 94. Over the past two decades the spirit of the neighborhood has been kept alive through books, documentaries, plays and the annual Rondo Days celebration. This weekend the story of Rondo will be told through music, with the premiere of composer Stephen Newby's "Rondo Oratorio." Minnesota Public radio's Karl Gehrke has more.
Vikings take on New Orleans Saints this weekend
The Minnesota Vikings will be at home on Sunday to take on the New Orleans Saints, who are currently without a home because of Hurricane Katrina. The Vikings have a home, but they are still without a win, losing their first two games while scoring only one offensive touchdown. The defense is struggling as well, and speculation is growing that head coach Mike Tice will be fired if the team can't turn things around soon. Joining us on the line is Sean Jensen, who covers the Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Weather with Mark Seeley
University of Minnesota Climatologist Mark Seeley discusses the latest weather news.
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