January 11, 1999 -
January 11, 1999 - The cold weather is creating fast conditions for mushers competing in this year's John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. The 330-mile race got underway yesterday in Duluth. One team dropped out after a dog died just beyond the first checkpoint. Dee Janis is volunteering at Beargrease Headquarters. She has been keeping a close eye on the race and says its shaping up to be tight finish.
January 12, 1999 - MPR’s Chris Roberts talks with Andrew Curry, managing partner of Curry, Ferner, Scarpetta and Devries, a fundraising consulting firm in Minneapolis working with non-profits. Curry discusses the many ongoing arts organization capital campaigns.
January 12, 1999 - The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis has announced plans to purchase property next door, allowing it to potentially double in size. But the expansion won't happen for at least three years.
January 13, 1999 - In the art world, what's fashionable one year is sometimes passe the next. American artist Thomas Hart Benton is a case in point. Benton was wildly popular in the 20s and 30s -- even making the cover of TIME magazine. But then... with the advent of abstraction.... Benton's realistic paintings of Americana plunged in popularity. Now.... Benton is back. An exhibit of his paintings and drawings is showing at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St Paul. And Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Stucky toured the exhibit with Kris Wetterlund the museum's director of education.
January 18, 1999 - In addition to their superbowl hopes, the Vikings have been pining for a new stadium. Owner Red McCombs has said while there's nothing physically wrong with the Metrodome, the team need a more profitable stadium to remain competitive. McCombs and Vikings management have been holding meetings in recent weeks with business leaders and lawmakers to cultivate support for a new facility. Minneapolis Star-Tribune sports writer Jay Weiner is writing a book on the history of Minnesota's stadium struggles. He says the Vikings loss may have a silver lining.
January 18, 1999 - In the movie "You Got Mail" the central characters carry on a relationship over the internet long before they ever meet in person. Even in these cyberlinked days this might seem a strange way to connect but consider the case of a Minneapolis woman who is using email to write novels together with an author in Montreal a man she'd never even met face to face until after they'd written 3 books together.
January 18, 1999 - It is unofficially a day of mourning for Minnesota Vikings players and fans who saw their super bowl dreams shattered yesterday by the Atlanta Falcons in overtime at the Metrodome. The final score of the NFC championship game was 30-27, thanks to the foot of Falcons kicker Morton Anderson. Vikings players and coaches say the team's loss shouldn't be blamed on kicker Gary Anderson. Anderson had record forty-six straight field goals until he missed a thirty-eighty yard attempt in the fourth quarter.
January 18, 1999 -
January 20, 1999 - Federal investigators reviewing last December's Holidazzle accident have found no evidence of mechinical problems with the police van that accelerated into a crowd of parade watchers, killing two people. Their report is part of a state investigation is still underway. An attorney representing families of the victims says criminal charges should be filed against the officier who was driving the van.