February 8, 2006 - Midday presents a program highlighting two masters: one of the concerto, the other the cookbook. Voices of Minnesota visits two women who have risen to the top of two rather different fields: Minnesota Orchestra Concertmaster Jorja Fleezanis, and prolific cookbook author Beatrice Ojakangas.
February 10, 2006 - MPR’s Chris Roberts talks with Ryan Pfeiffer, founder of the Minnesota band Captain Yonder, about origin of group’s name and meaning behind dark lyrics. The band’s style has been described as chamber folk music mixed with heavy "Americana" or "roots" influences.
February 13, 2006 - Governor Tim Pawlenty has changed his mind and says he's now ready to support plans to expand Duluth's convention center. Pawlenty had rejected the project from his initial bonding bill recommendations, saying he was concerned about Duluth's financial health, because of its outstanding retiree health care obligations. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.
February 14, 2006 - A lost era -- a time when immigrant workers rolled cigars by hand in southern Florida comes to life in "El Lector". It's a new book for young people, written by northern Minnesota author William Durbin. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
February 14, 2006 - Governor Pawlenty and the federal government have reached an agreement to ensure that low income Minnesota seniors continue to get their medicine in the coming weeks. Disarray in the new medicare prescription drug program left many seniors unable to pay for their medicine in the program's first days. The governor issued an emergency executive order authorizing state payments for medicine but it was set to expire on Friday night. Pawlenty says the state has now applied for a federal government waiver to ensure those payments continue. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
February 15, 2006 - MPR’s Marriane Combs looks at St. Paul’s Teatro Del Pueblo, a Minnesota theater company providing a forum for political activism and an agent for change. Combs interviews Alberto Justiniano, artistic director, about the Teatro Del Pueblo’s focus on Latin America political theater with a local festival.
February 17, 2006 - MPR’s Marianne Combs interviews Michelle Kinney and Jacqueline Ferrier-Ultan, the duo that make up local cello act Jelloslave. The cellists discuss taking the traditions of being classically trained and incorporating it with more contemporary sounds.
February 24, 2006 - MPR’s Karl Gehrke talks with composer and native Minnesotan Maria Schneider about the influence her southwest Minnesota prairie town experiences in Windom have on her compositions.
February 27, 2006 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports on Teacher Quality Enrichment, a scholarship program that is helping diversify the ranks of the district's ESL teachers. St. Paul's public school district is trying to boost the number of immigrants teaching English as a second language.
February 28, 2006 - A new report from the Humphrey Institute says artists' centers can help revitalize neighborhoods and boost the economy. The chief author of the report, Ann Markusen, points to the Playwrights' Center and the Northern Clay Center in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis.