May 4, 2005 - Duluth cookbook author Bea Ojakangas has won an award from the James Beard Foundation in New York City. Chefs and food writers around the country voted to induct Ojakangas into the Cookbook Hall of Fame. They cited her "Great Scandinavian Baking Book" as having lasting impact in the field. She published it 15 years ago, after research on recipes in the Scandinavian countries.
May 20, 2005 - Governor Pawlenty today (FRIDAY) proposed that the state collect an additional 75-cents a pack on cigarettes. He's calling the new money a "health impact fee," and says the money would be used to pay for state health care costs. Pawlenty insists his proposal is a fee, not a tax. The distinction is critical because a budget deal could hinge on Pawlenty's ability to come away from negotiations saying he's standing by his pledge to not raise taxes. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
July 1, 2005 - Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports that the Minnesota Legislature passed a $686 million dollar funding bill that averts a state park shutdown over the busy holiday weekend. Environmentalists are angry over one of the bill's provisions, which loosens restrictions on riding all-terrain vehicles in state forests north of Highway 2.
July 4, 2005 - Eighty eight years ago this country entered World War 1, a conflict far more unpopular than the current war in Iraq. Then as now officials worried how the country could protect itself at home and how many civil liberties should be restricted in the interest of national security. The reaction by Minnesota officials was extreme. In l917, they created a commission on public safety. The commission suspended civil rights, set up an armed militia and created a network of spies. Minnesota business leaders encouraged and supported the move because of their own agenda. They worried about union organizers and striking workers affecting their businesses, and they were counting on the state to keep workers in line. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
July 20, 2005 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on a recent discovery 400ft below the surface of Lake Superior…the Benjamin Noble, a ship lost with all 20 crewmen, back in 1914. It disappeared into the depths of the lake during an April storm, and it's been the target of numerous unsuccessful searches over the years.
July 22, 2005 - THAT'S TIM PRENDIVILLE, EPA PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE SUPERFUND SITE IN MINNEAPOLIS' PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD. FOR MORE ON THIS STORY AND TO TAKE PART IN THE CONVERSATION, JOIN KERRI MILLER FOR MIDMORNING AT 9 O'CLOCK MONDAY.
August 19, 2005 - Governor Tim Pawlenty says he's been urging both Northwest Airlines and its mechanics to settle their differences, but he says a strike is likely. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
September 19, 2005 - At 9:00 tonight, Minnesota Public Radio will broadcast the new American Radio Works documentary, "No Place for a Woman." It's the story of a landmark legal battle which changed workplaces in America. It established that companies have a legal responsibility to protect employees from sexual harassment. The case is the basis for the new Warner Brothers movie, "North Country," scheduled for release next month. The movie was partially filmed on the Iron Range, and many residents of the Range will appear as extras. Sally Mayasich stood in line all day to try out for a part. She wasn't picked, but she says she wanted to help make the movie as realistic as possible. Mayasich grew up on the Iron Range. She's a freelance writer who's working on a historical novel about the area. Her experience working in a taconite mine helps her understand what makes the Range unique. She took Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill on a tour of her home town, to try to explain the Iron Range character.
September 26, 2005 - About 400 people gathered in the woods outside Eveleth Sunday. They came to dedicate a memorial to Senator Paul Wellstone. Wellstone, his wife Sheila, his daughter Marcia Markuson, and three staff members were killed in a plane crash nearby, nearly three years ago. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
September 26, 2005 - Supporters and political allies of the late Senator Paul Wellstone gathered near Eveleth over the weekend to dedicate a memorial and historic site. The memorial is built in the woods near where a small plane crashed nearly three years ago, killing Wellstone, his wife and daughter, and three members of his staff. Lisa Boulay (BOO-LAY) volunteered for Wellstone's Senate campaigns. She came from Bemidji for the dedication.