August 5, 2003 - Minnesota is already a national leader in alternative energy, thanks to the state's abundant wind power and support for corn-based ethanol. Officials also think the state can be a player when it comes to hydrogen fuel cells. The potentially pollution-free power source is being touted for cars, laptop computers, and homes. Yesterday (MONDAY) Governor Pawlenty ceremonially flipped on one of the state's first industrial fuel cell generators. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
August 7, 2003 - A Minnesota company that once rode the highest Internet wave has crashed along with much of the dot-com industry. Edina-based software maker Net Perceptions says it will return about two-thirds of the 59-million dollars it has left in its accounts to shareholders. Net Perceptions' business has been in steep decline for three years. Yesterday, Chief executive Don Peterson resigned and just ten employees remain, down from 375 in 2000. During the height of the Internet boom, Net Perceptions had a stock value of more than 1-and-a-half billion dollars. Michael Gorman is managing general partner of St. Paul Venture Capital, which was a very early investor in Net Perceptions. He says the company's rapid ascent paralleled the rise of internet retail.
August 8, 2003 - The people in the cars whizzing over the Twin Cities' Mississippi River bridges this morning may not realize that they're passing over a National Park site. But they are. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area consists of seventy-two miles of the Father of Waters and a host of parks, trails, and historic sites along the riverbanks in the Twin Cities area. This weekend, the National Park Service celebrates the opening of a visitor center in downtown Saint Paul to help acquaint people with the attractions along the National River. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports....
August 12, 2003 -
August 12, 2003 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham interviews Wendell Anderson, former governor of Minnesota; and Chuck Ruhr, a Minneapolis advertising executive, as they look back at the 1973 Time magazine issue that highlighted the state of Minnesota. Anderson and Ruhr discuss the Minnesota reflected in those pages and how things have changed.
August 12, 2003 - A new round of soil testing is underway at the St. Regis Superfund site on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. The former St. Regis wood treatment plant operated near downtown Cass Lake for about 30 years. The plant left behind cancer-causing chemicals in the soil and water. The federal government has been working to clean up the mess since the mid-1980s. But the site is still contaminated and poses a health risk to people living there. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports...
August 13, 2003 - Elk farmers in Minnesota are facing tough times. The fear of Chronic Wasting Disease has cut into the market for elk meat. For some farmers new regulations to limit the spread of the disease prevents them from selling their animals at all. One central Minnesota elk farmer says he's found a way to make money in the struggling industry. But state officials say the farmer's approach is illegal and inhumane. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.
August 13, 2003 - The latest unemployment statistics show more Minnesotans out of work than at any time in 18 years. The unemployment rate for July reached a level only seen once in the past decade. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
August 14, 2003 - The Vikings are in training camp, the Twins are in a pennant race, and the Wild and Timberwolves are bullish on their upcoming seasons. But in a languid economy, some business people have wondered if the Twin Cities can financially support all four of its major pro sports teams. The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce put that issue before a panel of top executives from each of those teams yesterday (Wed). The chamber heard a group that sounded optimistic about the chances of each team meeting its needs in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports...
August 15, 2003 -