June 9, 1999 - High school seniors are marking the end of a school year filled with hard choices and traditional pressures. At graduation, these young people either have their plans in place or remain undecided about what's next. But they are ALL thinking hard about leaving familiar surroundings and facing an uncertain future. Saint Paul's Johnson High is among the schools holding commencement exercises tonight, and Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire talked with members of the class of 1999.
June 10, 1999 - University of Minnesota officials aren't commenting on the possible buyout of men's basketball coach Clem Haskins' contract. Haskin's program has been under fire since academic fraud allegations surfaced in March, and published reports say talks are underway to negotiate the coach's departure.
June 15, 1999 - Classes have ended for the year at Saint Paul's New Arrivals School...and the program for homeless and foster children might not return in the fall. District administrators, forced to make millions of dollars in spending cuts, eliminated funding for several programs next year including New Arrivals School. But they say those students will still get the help they need.
June 24, 1999 - University of Minnesota men's basketball coach Clem Haskins may soon end his 13 year tenture at the school. A copyright report published in today's Star Tribune newspaper quotes two sources close to the university who say they expect Haskins to resign or be dismissed within three days. Haskins is at the center of a university investigation into allegations of academic fraud and mishandling of sexual harassment complaints against players. Dave Mona is president of the University's AluMinnesotai Association. He says reaction to the allegations has grown more intense in recent days.
June 28, 1999 - The Minnesota Corrections Department has a new plan to offer inmates access to higher education. Administrators at the department cut the program earlier this year because it was funded with tax dollars. Now the program will be paid for with money inmates pay to use prison telephones. Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Sheryl Ramstad Hvass has been fighting to have the program restored.
June 29, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman visits Camp Ajawah to profile a new Girl Scout troop in Minnesota. It's not like most other Girl Scout troops in the state because Troop 2675 is for Southeast Asian girls. Born in the United States and growing up in the Twin Cities, these new girl scouts, who are mostly Hmong, are experiencing and learning in ways often unavailable in traditional Hmong homes.
June 30, 1999 - Garrison Keillor gives a speech at the spring commencement for the Class of 1999 at the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts. Keillor talks about growing up, what’s next for the graduates, and doing good in the world.
July 13, 1999 - The Saint Paul school district's new leader is shaking up her administration and turning up the heat on schools to perform. Superintendent Pat Harvey says the reorganization will get her closer to the schools and better define the lines of accountability. By summer's end, she also plans to place the district's lowest performing schools on notice that test scores and attendance must improve.
July 16, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura reiterated familiar themes during his "Lunch with the Governor" broadcast from the St. Cloud State University campus today.
July 23, 1999 - Concordia College in Moorhead has gained an international reputation for its foreign language immersion summer camps. Most of the language villages are nestled in the woods of northern Minnesota. But this summer, for the first time, students from around the world are coming to Moorhead for an english language camp.