August 19, 1997 - United Parcel Service says it will start ramping up to full service tomorrow now that it appears as though a strike is drawing to an end. Labor is claiming victory in the tentative settlement and observers say the struggling labor movement stands to benefit from the walkout. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
August 20, 1997 - Over the last two years dozens of communities around the state have constructed indoor hockey rinks with help from the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. But the ice rink boom may be coming to an end. Communities don't seem quite as eager to get their hands on the "Mighty Ducks" grants, named after the "all-heart" hockey pee-wees of the popular Disney movies. One town has even voted down a Mighty Ducks project. Minnesota Public Radio's Bill Wareham reports.
August 21, 1997 - Northwest Airlines says special so-called "Fly Local," fares have stimulated travel in the five greater Minnesota commmunities where the new prices are being tested. The airline says it'll decide on a city by city basis whether the low fares will remain in place... probably by the end of the year Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
August 22, 1997 - Dwight and Vance Opperman are buying a 12-and-a-half percent share of the Internet Broadcasting System of Edina. IBS runs the Channel 4000 online service in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Collins reports this investment by the former owners of West Publishing company fuels an increasing dominance of new forms of media by those who made their fortunes in newspapers and magazines.
August 22, 1997 - One hundred years ago, the "Minnesota Hospital for Indigent Crippled and Deformed Children" opened in Saint Paul. The hospital was the brainchild of Doctor Arthur Gillette, an orthopaedic surgeon who believed the state had a duty to care for children with disabilities. Today, the hospital is privately owned and has a different name....Gillette Children's Specialty Health Care...but its mission remains the same. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson spoke recently with some people who spent literally years of their lives at Gillette. Their memories of pain, pleasure and personal triumph are still vivid.
August 22, 1997 - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman is asking for a national strategy to save small farms. Glickman appointed a commission to take public testimony and issue recomendations. The commission was in Sioux Falls today and farmers want the government to assist in coming up with better ways to market and finance the products they grow. Minnesota Public Radio's Cara Hetland reports.
August 25, 1997 - The Minnesota Department of Transportation is testing a new traffic control system that's a bit more sophisticated than your average ramp meter. The Guidestar Trilogy Project uses electronic sensors, global positioning satellites and dashboard computers to help drivers steer clear of traffic jams on Twin Cities highways. MnDOT is testing the system to work out bugs and to figure out how much people are willing to pay for it. Minnesota Public Radio's John Bischoff reports: (car door slam, ding dong) "When they installed this they put in a monitor and stand. Then in the trun
August 26, 1997 - Eddie Lyback is the president of the Mille Lacs Lake Advisory Association, a group of eighty fishing-related businesses. He says people he's talked with are extremely disappointed by the ruling.
August 27, 1997 - The Attorney General's office and the Minnesota Medical Association hold a press conference this morning to warn parents about a new product from Nestle they say poses a choking hazard for small children. "Nestle Magic" is a ball of chocolate with a plastic Disney character in the middle. Nestle says it's safe and meets all federal safety regulations. Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports.
August 28, 1997 - The home improvement industry is one of the fastest growing areas in retailing and the nation's largest and fastest growing home store is aggressively expanding in the Twin Cities. Less than a year and a half ago Home Depot didn't even have one of its giant warehouse-like stores in the Minneapolis St. Paul area. Now it has seven with plans to open three more by the beginning of next year. Minnesota Public radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.