December 23, 2005 - The Minnesota trucking industry is asking Governor Pawlenty to temporarily suspend a two-month-old mandate that requires diesel fuel sold in the state contain two percent biodiesel. Truckers say they are experiencing more mechanical problems and they suspect that the fuel made from soybeans is to blame. John Hausladen, President of the Minnesota Trucking Association, says many of his members are pretty upset right now. That is John Hausladen, President of the Minnesota Trucking Association.
February 7, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports that a team of researchers has been trying to track down possible sources of the bacteria on the beaches of lake Superior in Duluth. What they've found so far is surprising, and it raises a big question about the standard way of testing for beach contamination.
February 14, 2006 - A lost era -- a time when immigrant workers rolled cigars by hand in southern Florida comes to life in "El Lector". It's a new book for young people, written by northern Minnesota author William Durbin. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
March 3, 2006 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on Minneapolis-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ewart, who places his focus on the creation of sustainable music. Roberts interviews Ewart and others about the sounds and designs behind Ewart’s instruments and performances.
April 10, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on the growing pains in Grand Marais. Many Minnesotans make a pilgrimage to Grand Marais, where they enjoy the idyllic setting, the slow pace of life, and the friendly small-town feeling. But for some of the locals, life has been anything but calm lately.
May 3, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports from Grand Marais, where people in town are arguing about their harbor. Some want to rebuild the marina on a grander scale. Others say anything much bigger would destroy the cozy feeling of the waterfront.
May 22, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on Duluth city council preparing vote on naming part of a city street in honor of Bob Dylan.
June 6, 2006 - There's a piece of paradise in northeastern Minnesota. It's called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). Admirers credit the book "The Singing Wilderness," published in 1956, as part of the inspiration for creating the wilderness area; and they credit author Sigurd Olson for putting into words the reasons humans need wilderness. However, his views inflamed critics who feared Olson and other wilderness advocates worried more about habitat than humans.
June 14, 2006 - Judge Gerald Heaney is retiring this summer after 40 years on the federal appeals court. His rulings in school desegregation cases influenced other judges around the country. He was also an advisor to a generation of leaders in the Democratic Party, including Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale. Mondale says Heaney didn't harbor any personal political ambitions; rather he wielded influence from the bench.
June 22, 2006 - Sunday at Community United Church of Christ in the Iron Range town of Biwabik, there'll be a birthday celebration. Martha Anderson is turning 105. She lives in her own home, cooks her meals, brings flowers to church, and refuses to use the elevator. She says it's for old people. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill went to the rural community of Lakeland, outside Gilbert, to meet Mrs. Anderson.