Digitization made possible by the State of Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, approved by voters in 2008.
February 10, 1997 - Today the jury decided that O-J Simpson must pay $25-million dollars in compensatory damages for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. In most basic terms, they decided what amount of money equals Simpson's crime. We've been making comparisons like this for thousands of years, according to Jack Weatherford, who sees bad and good in the process. Weatherford teaches anthropology at Macalester College in Saint Paul, and his latest book is "The History of Money." Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe and senior economics editor Chris Farrell talked with Weatherford about his book, which starts in the kingdom of Lydia somewhere around 635-B.C.
February 10, 1997 - Master potter Richard Bresnahan wages a one-man campaign from his central Minnesota studio to tout the beauty and usefulness of clay pottery. Today in our Odd Jobs segment, we talk to the Collegeville potter who designed and built the nation's largest wood-fired kiln at Saint John's University, and the pottery studio on the edge of campus. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum visited Bresnahan in his earth-toned studio rich with the smell of indiginous clays, where he was starting his day preparing slip, the watery clay mixture vital for throwing good pots.
February 10, 1997 - Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life is planning a rally tomorrow at the state capitol to protest a medical procedure sometimes referred to as "partial-birth abortions." Banning the relatively rare abortion procedure is an MCCL priority this year, but some lawmakers say they're not as concerned about MCCL's priorities as they used to be. MCCL lost a powerful ally when House Speaker Irv Anderson was toppled last month, and that's translated into a loss of clout at the Capitol. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.
February 11, 1997 - As of last month, the U.S. government no longer views drug addiction or alcoholism as disabilities for purposes of government assistance. Congress passed a law last year that cut off disability benefits for more than 200,000 chemically dependent people. The payments came under attack after reports that some recipients used government checks to buy drugs and alcohol. But some social service workers say ending the disability payments will make many former recipients homeless. Minnesota Public Radio's John Biewen reports.
February 11, 1997 - The Duluth public school district will become the first in the state to hire a for-profit company to operate a "charter school." The State Board of Education has voted to approve The Edison Project Charter School proposal. The charter school deal comes as Governor Arne Carlson is proposing new legislation that could open the door to an unlimited number of charter schools in Minneosta. Minnesota Public Radio's Hope Deutscher reports. It has been more than 20 years since Mary Miller attended Birchwood elementary, the same school her daughter now attends...Miller says it's apparent Birchwood h
February 11, 1997 - A quickly growing company nestled in the tiny northwestern Minnesota town of Carlstad is quickly getting an international reputation for it unique product. The company's called "Mattracks." They make something that can transform a standard four wheel drive pick up truck into an all terrain machine capable of driving through almost anything. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
February 12, 1997 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports that there's a chance deep snows of the 96-97’ winter are only "part one" of a weather disaster. The spring flood potential may lie in a secret hidden within the snow…the water amount it contains.
February 12, 1997 - As state officials wrestle with various ways to reduce the number of snowmobile injuries and fatalities in Minnesota, some residents of one local community are taking matters into their own hands. The Brooklyn Park Safety Snow Patrol, which is made up of volunteers from the Minneapolis suburb, observed its 25th anniversary last year, making it the oldest existing snowmobile safety group in the country. Minnesota Public Radio's Perry Finelli reports.
February 12, 1997 - In Minnesota's northern counties, snowmobiling isn't just a business or a sport: it's a lifestyle. Long, snowy winters and the north country's rural landscape make for perfect conditions for snowmobiling. Minnesota Public Radio's Christina Koenig reports from Bemidji.
February 12, 1997 - The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld a law requiring children judged as sex offenders to register with police. An 11-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy challenged the mandatory registration law because they said it imposes an adult punishment on children who don't have the same rights to a jury trial as adults do. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.