December 26, 2001 - Mainstreet Radio’s Dan Gunderson reports on a pilot project on White Earth Reservation that is trying to reduce the effects of diabetes by bringing back a diet of traditional food.
December 27, 2001 - MPR’s Cathy interviews Amy Klobuchar, Hennepin County Attorney, on fight against elder abuse. Klobuchar will announce the results of a program designed to prevent abuse of the elderly. The Senior Initiative is one year old. Its team of four attorneys, an investigator, and a victim advocate has worked on 43 cases so far this year. Klobuchar says they've seen a wide range of crimes.
December 27, 2001 - MPR's Tom Scheck reports on possible impact of Minnesota Twins leaving the state. Most experts say only a new stadium will prevent the loss of the team. Observers say if Major League Baseball moves ahead with its contraction plans and cuts the Twins before next season, the Twin Cities reputation as a major league city sports location would be in jeopardy. However, economists say the fallout from the loss of the team would be more psychological than economic.
December 27, 2001 - Like all American families, Hmong immigrants place hopes for the future on their youth, but school truancy remains a problem for some Asian American kids. MPR’s Kaomi Goetz looks into the issue and how some are addressing it.
December 28, 2001 - In just a few days R.T. Rybak becomes Mayor of the city of Minneapolis, replacing Sharon Sayles Belton after eight years in that office. In this audio excerpt, Sayles Belton formally said goodbye in remarks made to the city council and city staff in newly renovated Minneapolis City Council chambers.
December 28, 2001 - It's time for potica! Up on the Iron Range, the pastry called potica is a holiday treat. Eastern European grandmothers have made it for generations. But it's hard work, and not many people make it at home anymore. A few bakeries still make potica by hand, the way the grandmothers used to. Mainstreet Radio’ Chris Julin visited Andrej's European Pastry, one of those bakeries, in the town of Chisholm.
December 28, 2001 - In this musical edition of our Voices of Minnesota, MPR’s Dan Olson features two of Minnesota's talented jazz musicians Charmin Michelle and Doug Haining, and bandura player Tanya Riabokin.
January 1, 2002 - An American RadioWorks/Minnesota Public Radio/NPR News documentary project titled “Massacre at Cuska,” which looks into a mass killing during Kosovo War and it’s aftermath. In 1999, Serb death squads attacked the Albanian village of Cuska, and within hours, left 41 unarmed civilians dead.
January 1, 2002 - Saint Paul's new mayor, Randy Kelly, says he hopes all the city's residents will attend at least one of the many inaugural events planned for the rest of the week. In addition to the inaugural ball and a more casual party, Kelly is holding roundtable discussions to help set the tone for his new administration. Once this week's festivities are over, he'll begin the task of leading the capital city through budgetary challenges. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this report...
January 1, 2002 - R.T. Rybak talks about how St. Paul and Minneapolis needs to come together and put aside the jokes, housing in Minneapolis, and how things need to change at City Hall.