March 18, 1981 - Results show water quality has shown marked improvement since Reserve Mining stopped discharge of taconite tailings directly into Lake Superior. Environmentalists believe fibers found in the taconite tailings have carcinogenic characteristics of asbestos.
March 15, 1990 - Mainstreet Radio’s Rachel Reabe profiles a group of women known as the “Birch Crew.” The group work cutting and collecting birch tops within the north central Minnesota forests. Reabe interviews several crew members about the hard work.
January 25, 1991 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger profiles the Quadna Mountain Resort in Hill City, Minnesota. The resort has had a run of financial struggles and numerous owners. The latest owner is attempting to bring back life to the business, which is the largest employer in the small community. Local residents finds themselves both worried and wary.
April 5, 1991 - Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger profiles The Ojibwe News, an independent newspaper serving Bemidji area. The paper focuses on tribal and reservation news, with some controversial stances. While read by many, the paper’s independence from Red Lake Reservation tribal government does not keep some from questioning paper’s objectivity as a Native press.
April 15, 1991 - MPR’s Elizabeth Stawicki interviews Sophie Kurys, a former All-Star second basewoman in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, about her recollections as a ballplayer.
April 24, 1991 - MPR’s Mark Heistad interviews David Bedford, member of University of Minnesota’s Horticultural Research Center, who discusses a new breed of apple…The Honeycrisp. 1991 is inaugural release of apple to public and growers.
May 13, 1991 - Mainstreet Radio’s Rachel Reabe visits the newly opened Grand Casino in Mille Lacs. The casino, built on reservation land by Twin Cities investors, guarantees over 50% of profits to the Mill Lacs Band and has dramatically improved the unemployment problem in area. The reservation has plans to expand with a much larger facility.
May 20, 1991 - Mainstreet Radio’s John Biewen visits La Paysanne, a sheep milk production company outside of Hinkley, Minnesota. The cheeses made from sheep milk include feta and ricotta. The sheep dairy industry in the U.S. is a small market and a tough business to succeed at.
June 14, 1991 - Mainstreet Radio’s Rachel Reabe reports on the controversy behind state land auctions of lakeshore lots in northern Minnesota and the land management issues that followed. One such auction, of a cabin along Lake Kabetogama, caused discomfort for both lease holder and new purchaser.
October 16, 1991 - MPR’s Liz Hannon talks with David Bedford, member of University of Minnesota’s Horticultural Research Center, about creating new crosses of apples, which can take 30 years to develop. Bedford highlights Haralson, Regent, and the newest variety from the Minnesota Arboretum, the Honeycrisp.