August 15, 2003 - Northwest Airlines canceled 216 flights on Thursday because of what power grid operators are calling the largest blackout in U.S. history mostly to and from its Detroit hub, a spokesman said Friday. Other airlines also said they canceled flights and expect to cancel more on Friday because of the blackout, which cut power to broad sections of the Northeast and Canada, shutting major airports and stranding thousands of passengers. Northwest plans to operate a limited schedule at Detroit on
August 19, 2003 - Richfield-based Best Buy, which has seen CD sales slip in recent years, has entered the world of online music. Through a new partnership with RealNetworks, Best Buy is the first major retailer to offer a music download service to its customers. Best Buy will resell RealNetworks Rhapsody service, which requires users to pay a $9.95 monthly subscription fee plus 79 cents for any songs they download and burn to CD. The service has the backing of the music industry, which is trying to wipe out illegal downloads. Scott Young is Best Buy's vice president of digital entertainment. He says the service will appeal to customers new to the online music environment.
August 21, 2003 - An anti-tobacco coalition in the Fargo-Moorhead area wants local bars and restaurants to go smoke free. They've proposed an ordinance to local city officials. They hope it's approved by the end of the year. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Reha reports.
August 21, 2003 - It has been a troubling couple of years for the airline industry. But an executive for United Airlines said yesterday that the company has turned a corner and has begun to acheive stability. The major airlines still face challenges. Nowhere is that more apparent than at Eagan-based Northwest Airlines. Northwest is asking for mediation help in talks with its largest union while at the same time taking a number of measures to save cash. Northwest received permission from the federal government to supplement pension funds with stock in a subsidiary, and the airline has been criticized for backpedaling on a noise abatement agreement with residents who live near the Twin Cities airport. Joel Denney is an airline analyst with the investment firm US Bancorp Piper Jaffray. He says Northwest's situation was always better than United's, but that Northwest still faces serious obstacles.
August 26, 2003 - US Central Command says another American soldier has been killed in a bombing northwest of Baghdad in Iraq. A total of 139 soldiers have been killed since President Bush declared major combat over -- which is one more than died during the heavy fighting before that declaration. The violence in Iraq could soon be a part of life for a man who's worked at City Hall in Eden Prairie for nearly two decades. Don Uram (YER um) has been serving as Eden Prairie's director of management and budget, and is going to try his skills in a Basra, Iraq. He's joining a nonprofit called Research Triangle Institute International, which aims to improve local government in Iraq under a contract with the US government. Don Uram (YER um) joins us now.
September 1, 2003 - Many Minnesota businesses would just as soon put the last two years behind them. But as one of the state's few defense-industry companies, Edina- based Alliant Techsystems stands out as an exception in an otherwise stagnant post-9/11 economy. Alliant Techsystems, which now prefers to be known by its stock ticker initials, A-T-K, is a 2 Billion dollar public company that's been attracting a growing number of military contracts and shareholders. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
September 1, 2003 - Workers in Minnesota have had a tough year so far. The number of unemployed workers is the highest it's been since 1985, and the latest unemployment rate for the state came in at 4-point-6 percent. But new research at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, or DEED, shows that there is demand for workers in certain industries. Joining us on the line to talk about that glimmer of hope is Steve Hine, research director at the department.
September 1, 2003 - The bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition will be celebrated over the next two years. The expedition traveled through the Dakotas on their way to the pacific northwest. The states are hoping to cash in on tourists following the Lewis and Clark trail. As part of an ongoing series of reports on the Lewis and Clark bicentennial, Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports on a family business that gives people a taste of the explorers life.
September 3, 2003 - This past Labor Day weekend, unions across the country announced a new push to increase union membership in the private sector. Membership rates have been on the decline nationally, as in Minnesota. But Minnesota still remains one of the most unionized states in the country, with an almost 20% union membership rate (compared to about 6% in many southern states). And efforts to unionize continue. One such place is in Willmar, Minnesota, where Jennie-O Turkey Store is based. The plant is employing more and more immigrant workers. And union organizers says those workers need help protecting their rights. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter has this report. {
September 3, 2003 - The Midtown Public Market is located at the intersection of two major streets and multiple cultures in South Minneapolis. The market is based in one of the most diverse areas of the state, home to growing populations of asian, latino and African immigrant communities. Organizers hope these immigrant communities will play a large role in the market's success. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports: