January 10, 2002 - MPR’s Laura McCallum provides an overview of Governor Ventura’s budget plan. In a press conference, Ventura outlined his plan for addressing a nearly two-billion dollar projected budget deficit, saying he would not hide behind quick decisions and that everybody is sharing the hurt…and there's plenty of pain to go around.
January 10, 2002 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on comments from Ventura's finance commissioner, Pam Wheelock, who says the budget plan will include a combination of spending cuts, tax increases and dipping into the state's budget reserves. She says resolving a deficit of this magnitude will be painful.
January 10, 2002 - MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports on Governor Ventura's budget cut of 1% from the education portion for this coming year…and that he wants to take another 2%-3% the following year. While a smaller cut than other areas of the budget, many educators are concerned at the negative impact cuts will create in areas such as specialized aides, grants, and charter schools receiving less money to lease buildings.
January 11, 2002 - As the new year begins, people in Albert Lea are doing their best to put 2001 behind them. The year has been a tough one for this southern Minnesota community. In July, the Farmland Foods plant, the city's third largest employer, burned down. The disaster left almost 500 residents unemployed. Then, in November, city residents voted down a proposed school levy referendum, forcing its school district to cut more than a million dollars from the budget. In the meantime, the city's population is declining, and businesses are leaving the city. Mainstreet reporter Rob Schmitz visits the city's schools in the aftermath of major budget cuts. HOST BACKANNOUNCE: Monday on Morning Edition, Laurel Druley reports on the how Albert Lea's economy has fared since the Farmland Foods plant burned. Families have moved away, and other businesses are struggling.
January 11, 2002 - Today is the four-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks. If you were listening to this station on the morning of September 11th, the first eyewitness account you heard was from Melissa Creighton, who spoke to us on her cell phone from the streets of New York.
January 15, 2002 - University of Minnesota officials are apologizing today for a breach of patient confidentiality. University of Minnesota researchers mistakenly revealed the names of deceased organ donors to 410 patients who received kidneys. Organ donor names are supposed to be kept secret from the people who receive those organs. University officials say the donors were identified because of a glitch in a computer-generated letter sent to recipients participating in a long-term study. Jeffery Kahn is the director of the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics. He says the names of donors are kept private to protect all of the individuals involved:
January 15, 2002 - There is a deadline for teacher contracts on January 15th every two years. However, this year it was suspended and as a result, 251 school districts still do not have a contract.
January 16, 2002 - The Minnesota History Center has kicked off a film series exploring the lives of women who live in Islamic countries. The documentary films explore a similiar theme--women struggling to find their place in a restrictive society. With one exception the films are directed by Islamic women. The History Center's Danielle Dart was in charge of choosing four films to screen from a catalog of 25. She says she picked films that highlighted a wide range of experiences.
January 16, 2002 - Members of Rochester's Muslim community have taught Islam courses for years. Over the last few months the classes have grown very popular. Since September 11th Americans have had a growing fascination with Islam. Mainstreet Radio's Laurel Druley has this report. {People in Rochester are filling up seats for a class with a simple name but a complicated task. Arzu Khalid and a small group of volunteers are teaching a class they call Know Your Muslim Neighbor. Over the last few months they have spent more than 300 hours explaining their Islamic beliefs and practices to church groups, schools and other community organizations.
January 18, 2002 - Christine Jax, the commissioner of Children, Families, and Learning, spoke to the Minnesota Association of School Administrators about how they should not make certain cuts. The cuts would answer Ventura's required budget cuts.