July 18, 1997 - Art crawlers hungry for some new work may consider stopping by an abandoned soap factory in Minneapolis this weekend. The Teen Art Council at the Walker Art Center has put together what it calls "a teen curated teen art show" containing the work of more than than 70 young artists from around the metro area. The show's curators say visitors who tend to dismiss teen artists might be in for a surprise. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts has more.
July 21, 1997 - More than 600 pre-school children are attending Learning Readiness classes this summer in St. Paul, twice the enrollment of last summer. Learning Readiness is a statewide initiative to help prepare four and five year old children for kindergarten. The St. Paul district expanded its program this summer, targeting low-income children who have not been in other early childhood programs and those with limited English skills. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
August 19, 1997 - At the University of Minnesota's Division of Epidemiology, Alex Wagenaar has been researching drinking on college campuses. The Grain Belt deal, he says, is nothing new.
August 19, 1997 - The Minnesota Brewing Company is making what it describes as an unprecedented advertising effort by paying the University of Minnesota $75,000 a year for the next three years for promotional space. You'll see the Grain Belt Premium logo at all the Gophers' games, and in many bars and restaurants alongside the Gopher's logo. It may seem natural to pair a local product with a local team, but is it wise policy to advertise alcohol at events sure to be attended by thousands of underage students? Minnesota Brewing Company president Jack Lee shares his thoughts on the deal.
August 21, 1997 - The latest wave of immigrants arriving in Minnesota includes the parents or grandparents of earlier immigrants. A large number are from the former Soviet Union, and they have decided to live in the suburbs near their families. They want to learn English but the people who teach ESL or English as a Second Language courses are having a hard time keeping up with the demand. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more.
August 21, 1997 - A new report from the federal Education Department finds high school enrollment this fall will reach an all-time high and continue to break records for the next ten years. The reason: children from the baby boom generation of the Forties and Fifties. Education Secretary Richard Riley calls it a severe crisis that will have many implications, including the need for new school buildings. Dan Bryan is in charge of school facilities for the state department of children, families and learning. He says overall Minnesota doesn't expect the kind of growth seen nationally. But, there are other considerations.
August 21, 1997 - A federal appeals court says a southwestern Minnesota school can operate a school that models its curriculum on the beliefs of a religious group. As Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Collins reports, the court ruled in the case of the Wabasso school district which operated a school primarily for students of the "Brethren" religious sect and modified the curriculum based on their religious beliefs.
August 22, 1997 - St. Paul Public Schools will have at least 227 new teachers in classrooms for the start of the school year, and the district is still filling vancancies. Some of the new teachers are recent college graduates, but the majority come to St, Paul with experience in other districts. District officials held an orientation this week for 200 teachers to better prepare them for challenges of urban classrooms. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
August 29, 1997 - Longtime University of Minnesota band director and music professor Frank Bencriscutto died yesterday of lung cancer. He was 68. HJohn Zdechlik worked as Bencriscutto's assistant ('64 to '70) and considered him a good friend and mentor. He says Bencriscutto changed the face of band music.
August 29, 1997 - School district officials in Grand Forks say the return of their students is an important step in the community's recovery from spring flooding. Grand Forks students returned to classes this week for the first time since April. The school year begins Tuesday across the river in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. This won't be a normal year for either school system. The flood damaged several schools beyond repair, work crews are still repairing other buildings and many students will spend the year in temporary structures. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... (Sound of kids) First and second grade students at Belmont Elementary sit o