April 8, 1986 - MPR’s Stephen Smith reports that Minnesota Stata Auditor Arne Carlson is dropping out of gubernatorial race. Issues raising money and a crowded field of possible candidates, including Dave Jennings, played into Carlson’s decision.
April 25, 1986 - MPR staff Loren Omoto, Dale Connelly, and Mindy Ratner talk with MPR’s Kate Moos about how they are celebrating the gubernatorial declaration highlighting how radio workers’ services improve life in the state of Minnesota.
April 28, 1986 - MPR’s Gary Eichten talks Twins baseball with Minneapolis Star & Tribune sports commentator Howard Sinker. The two discuss the Metrodome roof sinking in during the 8th inning of April 27th game, the poor performance of the relief pitchers, and various other Twins players.
April 29, 1986 - Jim Gasperini, the base camp manager for the Steger expedition. Gasperini shares with MPR’s Gary Eichten how they are tracking group and concerns of open water near North Pole.
May 21, 1986 - MPR’s Jim Bickal presents a profile of the 1986 Minnesota Music Awards. Bickal describes the elaborate scene, talks with a limo driver, interviews an unimpressed Soul Asylum, and hears from a disgruntled guest. Segment also highlights Prince accepting honor as first charter member of the Minnesota Music Academy.
May 27, 1986 - MPR’s Kate Moos talks with St. Paul’s Ann Bancroft about her expedition to the South Pole. Bancroft recounts the challenges of being in the Arctic.
June 2, 1986 - On this cover story of MPR Journal, a look at possible end of the nine month Hormel strike in Austin, Minnesota. MPR reporter Mike Mulcahy provides details of Federal District Court Judge Edward Devitt’s injunction on United Food and Commercial Workers Union local P-9, effectively ending strike. Even with court decision, some strikers are determined to continue fight against Hormel officials.
June 20, 1986 - An MPR broadcast of Loft event celebrating the writing accomplishments of A Prairie Home Companion’s Garrison Keillor. During event, Keillor reads from his work and performs music with accompaniment from Bill Hinkley and Judy Larson.
June 26, 1986 - MPR’s Beth Friend looks at Dinkytown in the late 1950s-early 1960s. It was a musically and literary rich community, which included The Scholar coffee shop, McCosh bookstore…and a certain Hibbing musician.
August 1, 1986 - Ed Wahlberg, a striking steelworker leader at U.S. Steel taconite plant in the Mesabi Iron Range, talks about the misleading public perception regarding wages at plant.