July 19, 2001 - Wild weather has hit eastern North Dakota two days in a row. The National Weather Service in Grand Forks has issued more than 130-weather warnings since Tuesday. Weather spotters reported nine tornadoes in Griggs county in northeast North Dakota. Weather Service forecasters say the severe weather pattern could continue for the next four to five days. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Reha reports. The storms have cut a wide path, flooding city streets in Grand Forks and farm fields. To the west in Nelson County, a tornado hit the home of County Sheriff Dale Quam, ripping the roof off his house and destroying his barn. No one was injured, but witnesses said the tornado was half-a-mile wide and was on the ground for about five miles.
July 20, 2001 - The good news is that higher lake levels this year is slowing the growth of eurasion water milfoil. The bad news is that an experiment using milfoil-eating water beetles isn't working that well. Chip Welling coordinates the Eurasion Water Milfoil program at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He hasn't given up on the beetles yet.
July 20, 2001 - The number of Japanese beetles is on the rise in the metro area. The small bugs cause problems by eating over 300 different species of plants and trees. They were first found in the United States in 1916, and in Minnesota in 1991. Ann Selmis is with the Shade Tree and Invasive Species Unit at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. She's on the line now. That's Ann Selmis, the Shade Tree and Invasive Species Unit Supervisor at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. To get a copy of the Japanese beetle fact sheet, contact the Department of Agriculture or go to the U of M extension service web site: EXTENSION.UMN.EDU.
July 23, 2001 - For families struggling to make ends meet, summertime can be a real strain on the food budget. Free lunches and breakfasts offered at many schools can provide more than half of the daily nutrition needs of children, and many children lose access to those meals during the summer. In Duluth's Central Hillside neighborhood, several social service agencies are teaming up to offer children not just meals, but activities and education about food. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
July 23, 2001 - As they have done since the year 800, Sicilians hunt huge bluefin tuna, using net traps set on the floor of the Mediterranean. It was here that tuna was first canned in olive oil, a development that opened a world wide market. Now the entire catch is sold to Japanese, and flown direct to the Tokyo fish market where a single tuna can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Those changes have done little to change how the Sicilians fish. Author Theresa Maggio first saw the hunt almost a decade ago, and returned year after year to watch the ancient ritual, which she says cannot last much longer due to over fishing in other parts of the world. She told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr her book "Mattanza" (mah-TAN-zah) is named for the final slaughter.
July 24, 2001 - If you live in a city and think you're hearing more caw-ing outside your window, you're probably right. Minnesota naturalists say there's an increasing number of crows in urban areas of the state. Crows seem to be moving to the city in other areas of the country as well. Dr. Kevin McGowan (mc GOW --rhymes with cow-- ann) is a Research Associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in New York, and he studies crows. Dr. Kevin McGowan (mc GOW --rhymes with cow-- ann) studies crows at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithica, New York.
July 25, 2001 - A tiny insect is proving to be a big problem for some Minnesota farmers. Native Chinese Aphids are munching their way through soybean fields in the southwest part of the state. Experts aren't sure of the best way to stop them. The aphids, which feed on the juices of the soybean plant, were first found in Minnesota last year in Houston County. Ken Ostlie (AHST-lee) is an entymologist at the University of Minnesota extension service. He says the bugs reproduce at an astounding rate:
July 25, 2001 - This week in Duluth, local government officials, university extension agents, and others working on development in rural areas of the world have been meeting and exchanging ideas. This afternoon they heard from Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
July 26, 2001 - Phosphorous free fertilizer is growing in popularity among homeowners who want a green lawn, without causing problems in local waterways. Phosphorous is the main culprit in "algae blooms," that' is when algae feeds on phosphorous in a lake or river, grows out of control and robs the water of oxygen. A young entrepreneur from Alexandria is trying to cash in on this trend/ He's developed his own phosphorous-free fertilizer made from fish. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post tells us more.
July 27, 2001 - Tom Robertson reports on the people of White Earth in northwestern Minnesota trying to bring back the lake sturgeon. The tribe is working to restore the fish and reclaim its heritage. Officials on the White Earth Indian Reservation say when the sturgeon disappeared, so did an important part of their culture.