March 5, 1999 - Novelist Jon Hassler is best known for his fictional tales of ordinary people who experience extraordinary things. Hassler brings those same elements and even a few familiar characters to his latest literary pursuit, a darkly comedic play set in the small Midwestern town of Staggerford, the same town he wrote about in his very first novel.
March 5, 1999 - Chicano-Latino community leaders in Minnesota are hoping Governor Jesse Ventura's administration will usher in a new era for Hispanics, and possibly open doors for future cabinet positions. They invited the governor to a reception at Boca Chica, a west side St. Paul restaurant that's been a hub of local Latino culture and politics for over 30 years.
March 8, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman presents a series titled “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota.” In this part, Nyman profiles the history of the Hmong people, their journey to the United States, and the life of one Hmong American family in Saint Paul.
March 9, 1999 - Many Minnesotans experienced a few white knuckle moments on the roads today, but imagine if driving was your work. Author Ellen Hawley spent five years as a twin cities cab driver. Her first novel, "Trip Sheets" is a fictional account of a young female cabbie loosely based on Hawley's life. Hawley says she's glad she didn't have to spend 9 hours on the roads today, but the cab driving life does offer some perks.
March 9, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman presents a series titled “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota.” In this part, Nyman reports on the shift of power and leadership from the older to the younger generation in the Hmong community.
March 9, 1999 - Governor Ventura has revised his tax cut proposals to reflect the state's increasingly rosy budget. The new plan edges closer to the kinds of permanent cuts called for by the House Republicans, but as Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports, Ventura and the Republicans are still no where near an agreement.
March 9, 1999 - So is there a deal... or isn't there? DFL Senate Majority leader Roger Moe says he and Governor Ventura have reached agreement on a one-point-three billion dollar sales tax rebate. But there's still a major sticking point between the Governor and Senate Democrats - and house Republicans are nowhere near signing on to the deal.
March 9, 1999 - Matt Davis, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, says March 8th snowstorm set a record. The storm blanketed much of the Midwest and dumped 16 inches of snow in the Twin Cities.
March 10, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman presents a series titled “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota.” In this part, Nyman looks at how the centuries-old tradition of Hmong hand stitching is a practice becoming less useful as Hmong women create new lives in the U.S.
March 10, 1999 - Governor Ventura today endorsed Fairmont Businessman Terry Anderson in a special election in State Senate District 26. Anderson is running under the Reform Party banner, and this will be the first test of the party's electoral appeal since Ventura's victory last fall.