Digitization made possible by the State of Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, approved by voters in 2008.
September 24, 1997 - Anchor Intro For the first time ever, an artist has received an award from the national organization that represents public works employees, the folks that bring you streets, bridges and sewers. Not surprizingly, that artist -- William Cochran -- produces public art murals...the most recent of which adorns a bridge in Frederick, Maryland. While in the Twin Cities recently to receive his award, Cochran and his wife Theresa wanted to see the work of local public art muralists. Jack Becker of Forecast public artworks, based in st paul, gave them a tour and mpr's mary stucky went along. The tour started at Mark Balma's fresco on the ceiling of the University of St Thomas building in downtown minneapolis .
September 25, 1997 - Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton is urging the city's residents to show tolerance, respect, and civility during the current mayoral race. At a joint appearance with her challenger Barbara Carlson yesterday, Sayles Belton said it would be wrong to use an altercation that occurred after a candidate debate this week as evidence of a racially divided city. Carlson says there is racial division in Minneapolis. She says it needs to be discussed more openly. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.
September 25, 1997 - Minneapolis officials are relieved the city's murder rate is down. But people in the city's most crime infested neighborhoods are taking little comfort. The protesters at the mayoral debate earlier this week where tempers flared and the mayor's police security guard fired at a man suspected of assault are from the Phillips neighborhood. Some Phillips residents say the streets are still open drug markets with sellers and buyers doing a brisk business. Residents complain gunfire is rampant and police don't show up fast enough when residents call 911 to report drug dealing. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
September 25, 1997 - MPR’s Chris Roberts interviews Bob Hest and Steve Kramer, two ex-members of the experimental group The Wallets. Hest and Kramer discuss their new career of merging music into advertising campaigns.
September 25, 1997 - The Stroh Brewery Company told 365 workers this afternoon it's shutting down its St. Paul brewery November 24th. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
September 25, 1997 - When the flood of '97 forced the cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks to evacuate, the University of North Dakota closed its doors early for the school year and sent students home without a graduation. Now five months later, the campus is nearly back up to speed, with only a slight dip in enrollment. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Just months ago, the UND campus was an island in the midst o
September 26, 1997 - Gay-themed movies and T-V shows generally address the most broad themes of gay life, like the difficulty of coming out. Edmund White's latest book, "The Farewell Symphony," digs deeper into the trials and tribulations faced by homosexuals in American society today. Yet, taking a mentor's advice, White keeps you at a little distance, letting you draw your own conclusions. "The Farewell Symphony" is an autobiographical novel about White's repressive Midwest childhood and his life as a usually struggling writer in New York and Europe ... during which time he had sex with thousands of men. In the title, White may be saying farewell to Brice, his lover of five years, who died of AIDS in 1994. This was White's first reciprocated love affair and you'd think he'd be more prominent in the book, but Brice makes only cameo appearances in "The Farewell Symphony." We learn why he's mostly quiet about Brice when White is reunited with an old flame.
September 26, 1997 - The Immigration and Naturalization Service is staying open til midnight Tuesday to accomodate the flood of illegal aliens trying to beat the deadline to apply for permanent residency. Illegal aliens with a current visa number must apply for permanent residency by the end of the month and pay a thousand dollar penalty. Otherwise, they must return to their home country, and apply through the U-S consulate there. Many of the people in this situation are in the country illegally, but are married to U-S citizens, or green card holders. Karen Ellingson is an attorney with Officino Legale, a non-profit legal office that serves the east metro area. She says she's been advising her clients to apply before the deadline and pay the thousand dollar penalty:
September 26, 1997 - The Hennepin History Museum is re-opening to the public this weekend. It's been closed for sixteen months, while board members scurried to secure a future and funding for the 39-year old museum. Susan Larsen-Fleming is one of the board members who rolled up her sleeves during those months and took care of the collection. She says the shutdown had one benefit.
September 26, 1997 - Last summer, researchers at the 11th International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver were practically bursting with excitement over new drugs that had reduced HIV in some patients to undetectable levels. A year later, the drugs have worked their magic on thousands of AIDS patients bringing many back from the brink of death. The treatment successes have prompted sudden changes in patients lives, government health insurance plans and prevention programs. Tomorrow Minnesota AIDS activists will discuss these changes during the 1997 State of AIDS Conference in Minneapolis and plot their next step in dealing with the disease. As Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports, most are still optimistic about the treatment breakthroughs even though new data is beginning to dispel the notion that these drugs can cure AIDS.