January 28, 2003 - MPR’s Jeff Horwich looks at “snow snakes,” an ancient Native American winter sport game that involves a decorated wooden stick (or sometimes bone) and a track of snow and ice.
January 29, 2003 - MPR's Elizabeth Stawicki reports that three Twin Cities-based news organizations are asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to keep open the option for access to documents filed as part of the lawsuit to keep the Minnesota Twins in the Metrodome.
January 29, 2003 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews John Munger about the first annual City of Lakes Loppet ski race. The lack of significant snow cover in the Twin Cities isn't going to derail event. Organizers are working to install a shortened course on the ice of Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles. The race was conceived by R.T. Rybak, Mayor of Minneapolis, as a way to help designate the city "the urban sports capitol of America." Munger, the race’s director, says experts from Mora's popular Vasaloppet ski marathon are tackling the difficult job of grooming the icy course.
January 30, 2003 - Governor Pawlenty today (Thurs) proposed stricter work requirements for welfare recipients. Pawlenty's proposal would require welfare recipients to look for a job before they're eligbile for cash assistance. He says that would force recipients to become more self-sufficient. Critics say the plan would get people off of welfare rolls but not out of poverty. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
January 31, 2003 - Governor Pawlenty has proposed stricter work requirements for welfare recipients. Pawlenty released a plan yesterday that would require welfare recipients to look for a job before they're eligbile for cash assistance. He says his goal is to make welfare recipients more self sufficient. Pawlenty says the program will also drop recipients from the program if they don't follow the rules. Critics say the plan would get people off of welfare rolls but not out of poverty. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
January 31, 2003 - House Republicans say they intend to move quickly on Governor Pawlenty's proposed changes to the state's welfare program. Pawlenty yesterday (Thurs) proposed stricter work requirments and tougher sanctions for welfare recipients. He says the plan would help welfare recipients end their cycle of dependency. Others say Pawlenty's proposal is mean-spirited which could cause headaches for Minnesota's larger counties. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
February 3, 2003 - When Governor Tim Pawlenty outlined his plans for erasing a $356 million deficit projected between now and the end of June, affected interest groups converged on St. Paul to beg a reprieve. Producers of the corn-based fuel ethanol were among the most visible -- and not surprisingly, they've seen the most success at preserving their funding. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo examines the lobbying war at the Capitol.
February 3, 2003 - Coal has been admired as a precious stone, cursed as a health hazard, and hailed as the foundation of modern industry. Today, coal is the state's primary fuel for power plants. But, like most people, Barbara Freeze had never thought much about it. That changed when the former state assistant attorney general was assigned a case overseeing Minnesota's air quality laws. The case granted Freeze a unique look inside the coal industry. What she saw convinced her to quit her job and immerse herself in coal's 350 (m)million year history. Freeze's new book "Coal: A Human History" takes an in-depth look at that history and argues that the world's reliance on coal is taking a huge environmental toll. Freeze says it's hard to underestimate the impact coal has had.
February 4, 2003 - Governor Pawlenty has appointed the CEO of the Mercy Hospital and Health Care Center in Moose Lake as his health commissioner. Pawlenty says Dianne Mandernach will lead the Health Department in safeguarding the public health, preparing the state for a possible bioterrorist attack and addressing the rising cost of health care. Mandernach says her experience at a rural medical center will help her address the state's health care needs. Her appointment, however, comes with some controversy. Supporters of legalized abortion worry about Mandernach's opposition to abortion. They say she may support restrictions on the state's family planning grants. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
February 4, 2003 - MPR’s Steven John interviews R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis, on changing snow plowing plans within the city. The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul declared snow emergencies in wake of the winter's biggest snowstorm. In St. Paul when crews finish plowing east-west residential today the parking restrictions will end. But in Minneapolis the snow emergency will not end until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. When R.T. Rybak campaigned for mayor of Minneapolis he pledged to change the city to a 24-hour plowing schedule.