December 3, 2003 - A hotel developer wants to build a huge water park near the Mall of America. Jeffrey Wirth, who owns the Grand Hotel in Minneapolis, announced his plan yesterday (Tuesday). The project would include a hotel, a convention center, and a 90-thousand square foot water park... with a slide ten stories high. Wirth has a purchase agreement for the site along Interstate 494 in Bloomington, but has said he needs help from the city to build the park. Mr. Wirth joins us now. That is developer Jeffrey Wirth.
December 3, 2003 - Sales of personal computers are up this holiday season, as people who've been holding back on PC purchases are finally taking the plunge. Powerful machines at low prices means it's a great time to be shopping, says Future Tense news analyst Dwight Silverman.
December 3, 2003 - Minnesota finance officials release the state's latest economic forecast today (WEDNESDAY). The last forecast - released in February - showed a projected four-and-a-half billion dollar deficit, which the Legislature eliminated with spending cuts, one-time money and accounting shifts. Governor Pawlenty and legislative leaders say they don't expect today's forecast to show a dramatic upturn or downturn. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
December 4, 2003 - Minnesota's Iron Mining Industry is disappointed with President Bush today. But some people involved in the state's manufacturing sector are pleased. President Bush announced today he's dropping tariffs on imported steel products. The President's decision averts a threatened trade war with the European Union. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports.
December 4, 2003 - A new survey finds that 25 percent of corporations believe it's easier in the long run to fire addicted employees than it is to treat them. That information is part of a survey which examines corporate attitudes towards employees with drug and alcohol addiction being released today by the Hazelden Foundation. It's based on responses from more than 200 corporate human resources departments. William Moyers is Hazelden's Vice President of External Affairs. He says the results of the survey include both good and bad news.
December 5, 2003 - Pilots and managers at Mesaba Airlines must decide whether to allow an arbitrator to design a new contract. If either party rejects arbitration, it would clear the way for a possible strike. A walkout could disrupt air service to smaller communities in Minnesota and other parts of the country where Mesaba flies. The Minneapolis-based carrier flies connecting routes for Northwest Airlines. This morning the National Mediation Board declared the two sides were at an impasse, and more talks would accomplish nothing. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports. (Three more days at the bargaining table could not solve a contract dispute now well into its third year.
December 5, 2003 - Six hospitals in Minnesota have signed up to participate in a pilot program with Medicare. Some experts say it could eventually change the entire health care marketplace. It's called the Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration Project. Scott Smith is here to talk more on this program.
December 9, 2003 - The manufacturing boom of the 1990s brought thousands of high paying jobs to communities around the state. But since the recession began in 2001 many of those jobs have disappeared. The technology sector has been one of the hardest hit. And Rochester, home to a massive IBM plant and more than four dozen technology companies, lost one fifth of its manufacturing jobs. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has the second report in our two part series on manufacturing.
December 11, 2003 - House Democrats are blaming Republican budget cuts for double-digit property tax increases facing many communities. They say many homeowners will see significant increases next year, while homeowners in suburbs that tend to vote Republican will see little or no increase. Officials with the Pawlenty administration say they didn't target certain areas for budget cuts, and some of the property tax increases stem from other factors. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
December 11, 2003 - Why MP3 players are hot this holiday season. MP3 players -- this little contraptions like the iPod that can store thousands of songs -- are selling at twice the rate compared to a year ago. Analysts say more and more people will flock to MP3 players as they look to get all those songs off their desktops, and onto portable devices. Eliot Van Buskirk is senior editor for CNET Reviews and author of Burning Down the House: Ripping, Recording, Remixing, and More. He says today's MP3 players are giving consumers more for their money.