May 26, 2003 - The Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start for the summer tourist season. Tourism contributes nearly $10 billion to Minnesota's economy. Resorts and other tourist-oriented businesses are hoping for a summer season that will compensate for several years of struggle. Many Minnesotans will head to the water for a long weekend of fishing.
May 26, 2003 - The Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start for the summer tourist season. Tourism contributes nearly $10 billion to Minnesota's economy. Resorts and other tourist-oriented businesses are hoping for a summer season that will compensate for several years of struggle. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. Back Announce:
June 2, 2003 - People in Silver Bay, on Lake Superior's North Shore, are producing a new kind of iron. They're trying out a new technology to produce a very pure form of iron, called iron nuggets. If the experiment shows the nuggets can be produced profitably, it could offer a new future for the struggling Iron Range. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
June 4, 2003 - The U.S. Forest Service is planning to change how it manages the national forests in the northern part of Minnesota. The federal agency has designed a new plan, and it's asking the public for reaction. The plan calls for a greater diversity of tree types and ages, and habitats for a wider variety of native animals. But critics say it emphasizes motorized recreation and logging at the expense of the wilderness. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. Host outro: For details on the plan, and information about upcoming public meetings, visit MPR's web site at Minnesota Public Radio - dot - org.
June 5, 2003 - Archaeologists in La Crosse say they've discovered evidence of a rare exchange between two ancient cultures. They say the discovery of pottery, jewelry and bones from a site near La Crosse could solve the puzzle of the origins of the people who lived here a thousand years ago. But not everyone agrees. The find has launched two archaeologists in a fierce academic debate. Minnesota Public Radio's Rob Schmitz reports.
June 6, 2003 - MPR's Morning Edition, Friday, June 6, 2003 Topic: Heat Not much hot weather around here, but plenty over India and Pakistan lately, with temperatures well over 120 degrees F and Heat Index values ranging from 125 to 135 degrees F. The town of Sibi in Pakistan, not far from the Afghan border
June 17, 2003 - Duluth is tearing down its only public housing project. The Harborview neighborhood was built in 1951. In those days, housing for low-income people was separated from everyone else. That's changing now, and most residents are pleased. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
June 24, 2003 - A new law makes it easier to build larger feedlots in Minnesota. People who oppose such facilities and their large manure lagoons say the law strips citizens' right to have a say in the future of their community. Supporters say it will save the government time and money. Mainstreet Radio's Rob Schmitz reports. Prior to the new law, neighbors could challenge any proposed feedlot that had more than 1000 hogs or 214 dairy cows.
June 25, 2003 - MPR’s Marisa Helms reports from Buffalo Lake, a small town about 75 miles southwest of the Twin Cities, where an F2 tornado struck on June 24th. Helms speaks with residents as they start picking up the pieces from extensive damage left behind.
July 4, 2003 - The 200th anniversary this year of the Louisiana Purchase is taking a back seat to the Lewis and Clark bicentennial observance. However, the Louisiana Purchase which included part of what would become Minnesota is arguably a bigger deal - literally. In one stroke the size of the country was doubled. And as Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports, behind the transaction lurks a tale of geopolitics and intrigue.