December 23, 2003 - Organizers of the Winter Carnival in St. Paul are praying for a cold spell so they can finally begin construction on the what's supposed to be the centerpiece of next month's festivities -- the ice palace. Minnesota Public Radio's Toni Randolph reports.
December 23, 2003 - In the new year, folks who are thinking of building a new home in some of the rural area of Sterns County will get information on some of the nuamces of country life. County officials say a lot of new homes are popping up in what used to be corn fields, so they are working on a brochure which will explain what to expect. Rob Sip is the Sterns County Feedlot Division Supervisor. He says the brochure is pannerned after on developed in Ottawa County, Michigan.
December 24, 2003 - "Extremely remote" is how one expert describes the risk humans face of contracting a brain wasting disease from eating beef. Yesterday's announcement of this country's first case of mad cow disease sent futures prices for beef into a plunge. Stock prices of food businesses are also down today. However, a University of Minnesota expert says the spread of mad cow disease in this country is unlikely. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
December 26, 2003 - Stephanie Hemphill profiles John Munter, a man in northern Minnesota who is growing hazelnuts. It's part of his attempt to live off the land. He says hazelnuts are the perfect crop for a future of global climate change.
December 26, 2003 - Despite high temperatures above freezing this week, St. Paul Winter Carnival officials say the ice on Lake Phalen should soon be thick enough for ice palace construction. Officials briefly considered hauling ice from the Detroit Lakes area, about 200 miles to the north, because the ice on Lake Phalen wasn't forming fast enough. The first of 27 thousand blocks need to be laid in early January for the palace to be ready by the January 20th deadline. Joining us on the line is Ice Palace co-chairman David Crary.
December 26, 2003 - Based on state averaged annual temperature and total precipitation, Minnesota recorded a warm and dry year in 2003. The statewide mean annual temperature of 42 degrees Fahrenheit falls in the warmest 20 percent historically, while the statewide average total precipitation of 22.25 inches falls in the driest 20 percent of historical years. These are not particularly memorable statistics, but in the details of the weather this past year, we do find some features that will be long remembered.
December 31, 2003 - U.S cattle futures fell today for the fifth straight market session since last week's announcement that a cow in Washington has bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more commonly known as Mad Cow Disease. It's the first known case of mad cow in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has implemented several safety measures to ensure beef carrying the deadly brain wasting illness out of the food supply. Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the Minneosota Health Department held a video conference today to discuss the new rules and address any concerns that cattlemen, veterinarians and consumers might have. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.
January 6, 2004 -
January 7, 2004 - US Agriculture officials said yesterday that the cow diagnosed with the first US case of Mad Cow Disease was born in Canada. The American beef industry has been reeling since the December 23 announcement of the case of mad cow, the nation's first since its discovery in Great Britain in the mid-80s. The spector of Mad Cow has raised concerns in among US consumers about the safety of the beef supply. Dr. Jon Hallberg is medical director of the Primary Care Center at the University of Minnesota. He says that, although the disease is extremely rare in humans, it is 100-percent fatal.
January 26, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports on folks in Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin digging out from a near-record snowfall. After five years of wimpy winters, Duluth had several days of frigid temperatures, and now - lots of snow.