January 14, 2003 -
January 15, 2003 - People in Grand Rapids are wondering what will happen to their town with the sudden lay-off of 300 workers at the Blandin Paper plant last week. Governor Tim Pawlenty went to Grand Rapids yesterday to talk with workers and company representatives. And he held a community meeting. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin has this report.
January 15, 2003 - Minnesota state agencies, non-profits and universities are looking at ways to trim their budgets to deal with Governor Pawlenty's proposed budget cuts. The Governor yesterday released his plan to eliminate a projected 356-Million dollar deficit in the last half of fiscal year 2003. Pawlenty wants to use one-time money, and make cuts to state agencies, programs and higher education. This is just the first round of budget cuts. In the next fiscal year, Minnesota is facing a projected 4-point-2 Billion dollar deficit. While the Governor is busy trying to balance the state's finances--his actions are having an effect on many Minnesota institutions. The University of Minnesota is facing a cut of 25-Million dollars in state funding. Christine Maziar (may -tsar) is the executive vice president and provost for the U of M. She says the proposed cuts are a big blow to the University:
January 16, 2003 -
January 17, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty today FRIDAY appointed former DFL senator Gene Merriam to lead the state Department of Natural Resources. Merriam is a vice-president for ECM publishers and served for 22 years in the state Senate. He was a key player in the Senate, heading the Finance committee and the Agriculture and Natural Resources committee. As DNR commissioner he will face a number of challenges, including a shrinking budget and a host of competing interests. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
January 17, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty is expected to publicly reveal his choice for Department of Natural Resources commissioner later today. Gene Merriam is a former DFL state senator from Coon Rapids. His name rose to the top of the list after an intense 2-month search for the right person for the job. He met Pawlenty's requirement that the DNR commissioner be an outdoors enthusiast. Merriam is also a former chair of the Senate Finance and Environment and Natural Resources committee... and cosponsored a bill that created the state's environmental trust fund. Republican Dennis Ozment is chair of the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee. He says he's pleased with the announcement.
January 17, 2003 - Five Hmong high school girls from St. Paul are back from a two-week trip to Thailand and Laos. They called the trip the Homeland Project. The girls hoped seeing their parents' homeland and meeting relatives they had only heard about would help them understand the deep cultural gap that separates them from their parents. MPR’s Greta Cuningham interviews three members of the group, Soua Yang, Cindy Xiong, and adult chaperone Gunnar Liden.
January 20, 2003 - The Minnesota State Capitol was the backdrop for several of today's Martin Luther King Junior Day ceremonies. The Capitol building is often the site of many official state celebrations. But the building is notable in its own right. A new book showcases the Capitol's architect Cass Gilbert, who designed the building in 1905. Gilbert used St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as the model for Minnesota's vast capitol dome. He also drew on his experiences studying and traveling in Europe to design the U. S. Supreme Court Building and the Woolworth Building in New York City. Minnesota historian Paul Clifford Larson examines Gilbert's European influences in his new book "Cass Gilbert Abroad: The Young Architect's European Tour. " Larson says Gilbert tried to cover a lot of ground on his first European trip.
January 22, 2003 - Minnesota film maker Patrick Coyle says his film "Detective Fiction" is getting a good response at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was shot entirely in Minneapolis and tells the story of a technical writer struggling with sobriety and writing a 1940's style detective novel. "Detective Fiction" had it's Sundance premiere this past Monday. Coyle says there's a lot of great energy in Park City, Utah.
January 24, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty and his commissioner of Trade and Economic Development presented their proposal for Tax free zones in Hibbing today. The proposal is designed to encourage new business and job growth in outstate Minnesota. Earlier in the day, the Governor visited Keewatin where he talked with representatives of National Steel Pellet and its labor union. Another steel company has bid on National Steel Pellet's parent company--- but the Minnesota taconite producer is not included. Local union officials are worried about the plants future as a result. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher is in Hibbing and joins us on the line