Digitization made possible by the State of Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, approved by voters in 2008.
May 12, 1997 - St. Cloud has become the first outstate Minnesota community to form a citizens review board to investigate complaints against the police department. The St. Cloud chapter of the NAACP led the call for the board, but it's reserving judgment on whether the board can effectively police the police. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
May 12, 1997 - Residents of central Minnesota's Morrison County have been exhibiting a strange behavior lately. On any given day, you're likely to find one of them sleuthing through a cemetary. These "bone yard" afficianados are volunteers in a unique fact-finding project for the Morrison County Historical Society. As Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports the project, which at first seems tailor-made for the morbidly curious, is actually drawing a wide variety of participants.
May 12, 1997 - The tiny northwestern Minnesota town of Ada is in the midst of a medical crisis. The city lost its only clinic, hospital and nursing home to flooding last month. The facilities are doubly important because together they comprise the town's biggest employer. At first, Ada heard it would probably get enough federal funds to rebuild the hospital. But recent visits by federal inspectors have not been so optomistic. As Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports, the hospital's future is now in doubt: Ada was one of the first communities to be hit hard by flood
May 12, 1997 - Police officials and now civilians across the country are looking for a man suspected of killing four men in a spree stretching from Minnesota to New Jersey. The last victim was a cemetery caretaker in New Jersey on Friday. Authorities there say suspect Andrew Cunanan (koo-NAN-in) could be anywhere by now. Cunanan (koo-NAN-in) has been on the run since April 29th, and there have been some rumblings about why the suspect hasn't been caught yet, and whether law enforcement or the media are to blame. Nick O'Hara is the superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Before that, he spent thirty years with the F-B-I, including seven years heading up its fugitive task force. We asked him whether the frustration in not catching Cunanan (koo-NAN-in) is justified: | D-CART ITEM: 1681
May 13, 1997 - Minneapolis and Saint Paul school officials say the fastest growing segment of their enrollment is immigrant students, who are unable to speak English. Both districts are directing considerable resources toward English as a Second Language and bilingual education programs. But increased immigration has brought even more students speaking a myriad of native languages...and qualified teachers are hard to find. The state pays much of the cost to teach such students, but districts say it's still a big financial burden. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire looks at the impact of immigrant students and one alternative project trying to help... 1624
May 13, 1997 - Tobacco companies will have to disclose whether their cigarettes contain certain toxic substances under a legislative deal at the state capitol. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports.
May 13, 1997 - It was supposed to be a simple case of trading places: prominent theatre critic Jayne Blanchard of the St. Paul Pioneer Press would produce her own play to see what it's like to be on the other side of the critic's pen. But just a week into her new production "The Obituary Bowl" playing at Jungle Theatre... Blanchard is in an all-out war to save her day job. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports: This week, Jayne Blanchard filed a sex discrimination suit against the St. Paul Pioneer Press. It's the latest move in a strange series of events for Blanchard, who's worked at the paper since 1992. In her suit, Blanchard says she was severely punished for producing a p
May 13, 1997 - With a threat of a Governor's veto, both houses of the Minnesota Legislature have passed a bill increasing the state's minimum wage. A bill passed the House last week differs at the bottom-line with the measure which passed in the Senate today. But Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports conferees are expected to quickly iron out their differences: The Senate bill increases the state wage to the federal level, from 4.25 and hour to 5.15 an hour. The house version, increases it above the federal level, to 5.40 and hour. Conferees are expected to go with the lower of the two.
May 13, 1997 - The bid for a new publicly-financed Twins stadium is back to square one today following a severe setback at the capitol yesterday. Two committees soundly rejected ballpark plans...and it will take a Herculean effort to come up with a viable alternative before the legislature adjourns for the year next Monday. Still...stadium supporters say they'll try. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Wareham reports: State lawmakers showed little interest in funding a baseball stadium Tuesday. In the morning...the House tax committee rejected a cigarette tax increase...stadium user fees...and a state-run casino. In the afternoon...the Senate tax committee also gave the thumbs down to a pair of gamb
May 13, 1997 - The Minnesota House has passed a bill changing DWI rules in the state. The bill lowers the legal threshold for drunkenness. The House measure is stricter than a bill passed by the Senate last month. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.