January 15, 2002 - A proposal for two new stadiums will be voted on this year, but there is concern that there is only a vague proposal about how the stadiums will be funded. MPR’s Michael Khoo reports on debate going on within Stadium Task Force.
January 16, 2002 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with Jim Miller, the executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities, about how Ventura's budget proposal would affect city budgets. Governor Ventura released his plans for closing a nearly two billion dollar projected shortfall last week, and they included cuts in local government aid.
January 16, 2002 - The parent company of Minnetonka-based Fingerhut says it is preparing to shut down the catalog retailer. Federated Department Stores says Fingerhut could stay open if a buyer could be found, but Federated doesn't expect to find anyone willing to buy the operation. Fingerhut employs 47-hundred in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Catlin is with me in the studio with more on this story. Federated paid about one point 7 billion dollars for Fingerhut in march of 1999. That was when dot-coms were hot and e-commerce still held lots of promise. Fingerhut had e-commerce expertise and a big order fulfillment operation and was considered a desirable property. But e-commerce has largely been a washout and Fingerhut became a drain on its parent company. Federated, by the way runs the Bloomingdales and Macy's chains. Spokeswoman cArol Sanger says there's nothing in particular that went wrong with Fingerhut. SANGER 1 9453 profitability there. Fingerhut has nearly 27 hundred workers in St. Cloud. Most of the rest are in the twin cities area, including the Minnetonka headquarters, which employs about 700. Fingerhut has laid off hundreds of Fingerhut workers in the past as problems arose. Spokeswoman Sanger says Federated has taken a big hit with the failed merger, and says Fingerhut is not profitable.
January 16, 2002 - US Bancorp is nearing the first anniversary of its merger with Firstar. The deal brought together two brothers in a bid to create a fast-growing regional bank. But one year on, the merger hasn't yet lived up to investors' expectations. Minnesota Public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports.
January 16, 2002 - City officials in Minnesota say they'll be cutting services if Governor Ventura gets his way. Dozens of representatives from northern Minnesota cities gathered in Duluth today to talk about the governor's plan to fix the state budget. The state is facing a two-billion-dollar shortfall. Part of the governor's plan is to reduce the amount of money the state gives to cities. Some city officials say they're being asked to shoulder more than their share of the burden. They want lawmakers to come up with a new plan. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin has this report. {
January 17, 2002 - Four-hundred hats, neck gaitors and ear warmers from Ely-based Wintergreen Designs are on their way to Ground Zero in New York City. Ground Zero coordinators contacted Susan Schurke and asked if her company could make and donate the items to help keep emergency workers warm. Schurke says her company closed down its regular production to complete the order...
January 17, 2002 -
January 17, 2002 - As expected, Northwest Airlines today posted a massive loss for last year. A costly combination of economic recession coupled with a plunge in travel demand after September's terrorist attacks, left Northwest losing more than two hundred million dollars in the last three months of 2001. For the entire year, Northwest posted a loss of more than $400 million dollars. Despite the red ink, the airline did better than Wall Street was expecting and the carrier says it's poised to starting making money when the economy turns around.
January 17, 2002 - A group of North Dakota Ranchers hope to get a better price for their beef by selling it to Muslims in the U-S. A new processing plant in Harvey, North Dakota kills cattle and processes the meat in accordance with Muslim religious rules. The ranchers are also targeting health conscious consumers. Mainstreet Radio's Dan Gunderson reports.
January 17, 2002 - More than half of Fingerhut's Minnesota-based employees work at the company's Saint Cloud facility. Fingerhut is St. Cloud's largest employer with nearly 27-hundred workers. Employees at the plant say they're surprised and dissapointed that Fingerhut's parent company plans to shut down the catalog business. And city leaders in St. Cloud say the company's departure presents a huge economic challenge for the community. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.