January 29, 2001 - The loss of jobs on Minnesota's Iron Range doesn't just affect mining towns, such as Hibbing and Chisholm. In Duluth, the huge ships passing under the aerial bridge are already carrying less iron ore. In fact, last year the port moved more coal than iron ore for the first time since the Great Depression. Last year, ore shipments from the Duluth-Superior port hit their lowest level since the 1980s, when the Iron Range economy took a nose dive and the mines laid off thousands of workers. The mining slump in the '80s hit Duluth hard, too. Businesses closed. People lost jobs. This time, economists are predicting Duluth will withstand the blow somewhat better. But they say the city WILL suffer. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports.
January 29, 2001 - Meteorologist Tony Zaleski details freezing rain engulfing the southern third of Minnesota, making for treacherous commutes. The National Weather Service predicts significant amounts of ice forming, an uncommon occurrence in Minnesota. Zaleski explains how an ice storm happens…even when it’s below freezing.
January 30, 2001 - MPR’s Tim Post reports on a winter storm that dumped freezing rain and snow across much of the state. Freezing rain spread a layer of ice in central and southern Minnesota while residents in western Minnesota and the Dakotas received mostly snow; anywhere from a few inches to more than a foot.
January 30, 2001 - Greg Galloway, a supervisor with St. Paul's sewer maintenance division, discusses how a storm's heavy rain caused huge puddles to build up on Twin Cities roads. Crews in Minneapolis and St. Paul worked all night and day to open catch basins and allow the water to flow into the sewer system. Galloway has just 31 employees to oversee the maintenance of 20,000 catch basins.
January 31, 2001 - The North Shore of Lake Superior is one of Minnesota's favorite playgrounds. Just beyond the Lester River northeast of Duluth, it's a drive into wilderness. Small homes on large lots and a few motels dot the rugged rock shoreline, and the generous expanse of the Lake gives a feeling of solitude. But that may change dramatically in the next few years as a planned sewer line is laid down from Duluth to Knife River or even as far as Two Harbors. Advocates say the sewer line is needed because most of the individual septic tanks along the shore are failing, allowing raw effluent to drain into the ground water and the lake. But a sewer would allow more development, which critics say could irrevocably change the character of the North Shore, and actually bring MORE pollution to the area. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill has the second in a series of reports about development along the North Shore.
February 1, 2001 - Small towns all across Minnesota are trying to attract businesses to provide jobs for workers. In Cook County on the North Shore of Lake Superior, businesses are thriving but there aren't enough places for the workers to live. It's a problem that plagues many resort areas, and people in Cook County are coming up with some innovative solutions. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill has the third in a series of reports about growth along the North Shore of Lake Superior.
February 16, 2001 -
February 19, 2001 - Until 1943 taconite was considered a waste product of Minnesota iron mining. Then University of Minnesota engineer Edward W. Davis developed the process to refine the low grade ore into the iron pellets that would mean jobs for thousands of Minnesotans. As part of our series "Universal U", Minnesota Public Radio's Steven John reports on taconite and the university's link to the Iron Range.
February 19, 2001 - After Katie Poirier was abducted from a Moose Lake convenience store and murdered in May of 1999, many gas stations around the state upgraded their security systems. Some stores decided to close at night. The federal government doesn't require safety measures to protect convenience store workers, but the Minnesota legislature is considering new requirements. Last year a similar measure stalled, but advocates are trying again. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports a new version will be introduced today. There are lots of "if-onlys" after the death of Katie Poirier. If only she hadn't been alone in the store. If only she had been protected by a bullet-resistent barrier. If only the store had had a window for late-night customers to pass their money through without going inside. These are some of the recommendations the federal government makes to convenience store owners. But it doesn't require any of them. In Minnesota lawmakers are talking about ORDERING stores to use at least one of these safety measures late at night.
February 20, 2001 - The president of the Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad rejected a proposal by Rochester city officials this afternoon TUESDAY that would have secured the cities support for a rail expansion - as long as the freight tracks bypassed the city. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports