May 18, 2001 - Re: Suggestions for MPR's Morning Edition, Friday, May 18, 2001 Topic: Record high temperatures this week Strong warm advection and bright sun brought some record setting temperatures to the region on Monday and Tuesday this week. In fact, the high of 97 degrees F recorded at Redwood Falls, Hucthinson, St Cloud, Litchfield and Montevideo on Tuesday set an all-time state record high for May 15th breaking the old record of 96 degrees F set at Fergus Falls, Canby, and Beardsely in 1931 (the Dust Bowl
May 24, 2001 - New census figures show Minnesota is getting older. And some parts are older than others. Aitkin County in the center of the state has the highest median age in the state, 46.5 years. Cook County in far northeastern Minnesota is second with a median age of 44. Main Street Radio's Stephanie Hemphill visited the Arrowhead to see how Cook County is coping with its aging population and preparing for increasing numbers of elderly peoplein the future. {
June 12, 2001 - MPR’s Tim Post reports on how residents of central Minnesota spent the day cleaning up and assessing damage from storms that moved across the area on June 11, 2001. Several communities suffered significant damage caused by tornadoes, straight-line winds and hail.
June 13, 2001 - Smoking in restaurants - and the prospect of outlawing it - is a hot topic in Minnesota. More and more communities are considering measures to ban restaurant smoking. Health advocates seem to be gaining ground, and there has even been a call for a statewide ban. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports, some restaurant owners are gearing up for a fight. {
June 14, 2001 - MPR’s Tim Post reports on severe weather that hammered Central Minnesota for the second time in less than a week. Storm after storm dumped 2 to 5 inches of rain on the area, straight line winds knocked down power poles and damaged homes.
June 20, 2001 - The tornado that ripped through Siren, Wisconsin on the night of June 18th, 2001 also devastated the area of Mudhen Lake, where Richfield's Hope Presbyterian Church holds a summer camp. 53 third and fourth graders were gearing up for a week at Camp Ojibway. Now the camp is closed for the summer.
June 20, 2001 - The tornado that hit the small Wisconsin town of Siren Monday night demolished the heart of the town's new tourism-oriented business district. Officials are still assessing the damage, but a four-block section of Highway 35 running through the heart of town is flattened. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill found most business owners ready to rebuild.
June 21, 2001 - Demographers and state planners are worrying about dramatic shifts in Minnesota's population, with younger workers moving to the Twin Cities metro area and older people concentrating in rural areas. Are small towns ready for an aging population? Will there be enough young people to take care of the older people? Scenic Cook County, along the North Shore of Lake Superior, has only about 5000 year-round residents. Nearly a thousand of them are older than 65. And many summer visitors are moving there to retire. As part of our "Aging Gracefully" Series Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill visited Grand Marais recently and found people are coming up with creative ways of meeting the needs of older residents.
June 21, 2001 - That's Tim Smalley, boating safety specialist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. By the way Slow-no-wake restrictions are again in place on the entire Lower St. Croix (kroy) River. The rule was automatically reinstated today when the river rose above 683 feet at the U-S Army Corps of Engineers Stillwater gauge. That's eight feet above the normal river stage.
July 3, 2001 - Flooding this spring hit several Minnesota state parks. The damage was so severe in some areas, that a few of the parks only recently opened for business and still have areas off limits to visitors. After the third such bout of serious flooding in less than a decade, park officials are taking a look at long range plans, to determine how Minnesota's state parks can withstand future floods. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.