November 16, 1998 - As the death toll from last month's Hurricane Mitch continues to climb, a number of businesses, humanitarian organizations, and individuals in Minnesota are contributing to global relief work. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo reports on regional efforts to assist Central American storm victims. NARRATION: Hurricane Mitch is already being billed as one of the deadliest natural disasters ever to hit Central America. And the final toll of life and property is still not known. Deb Brown of Church World Service says current tallies show losses are "catastrophic." BROWN: They're estimating it's going to take up to forty years to recover from this. In Honduras there are
November 16, 1998 - The U-S International Trade Commission has officially found evidence some overseas steel producers are selling below cost steel to U-S customers. The ruling opens the way for the Commerce Department to investigate charges of unfair trade against producers in Japan, Brazil and Russia. Minnesota's Iron Mining companies hope the investigation will lead to sanctions, which might prevent further cutbacks in Minnesota iron production and the potential of worker layoffs. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports: The steel industry is a cyclical closely following the strength of the nation's economy. And both have been on a rip. Iron ore production has neared a 17-year high afte
November 17, 1998 - Though old-growth forests were long gone, Minnesota's timber industry revived in the 1980s when new technology made the ubiquitous aspen tree a desired commodity. For a decade Minnesota had the fastest-growing timber trade in the country. But even as pulp, paper, and chipboard mills continue to expand, questions have arisen about whether the forest is growing as fast the businesses it supports. Mainstreet Radio's Leif Enger has part two of our series, "OUR STATE, OUR FORESTS". When George Boorman was a young lumberjack in the 1920s and 1930s, the men used axes and crosscut saws and horses. And they cut big
November 17, 1998 - It's been nearly six months since a tornado destroyed the town of Spencer, South Dakota. Before the storm Spencer was a town struggling for survival. Now some say the outlook is completely different. New construction will rebuild the town's basics... a watertower, apartments and a community center. There's hope that longtime residents will return and new families will find the town. Spencer residents are hopeful but skeptical. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports: Spencer. a town settled before the turn of the century looks like a new housing development. Three days after a blizzard every street is plowed to reveal a 14 square block area. The streets are clear...
November 17, 1998 - Minnesota farmers faced with their worst financial outlook in a decade received some good news the past month. Congress approved emergency federal aid for agriculture and farmers finished harvesting a record corn and soybean crop. The extra dollars from the government and the extra bushels in the bins helps improve the economic outlook but falls far short of returning profit to agriculture for most farmers. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports: Driving through southwest Minnesota on a cloudy fall day it's easy to spot a new color brightening the autumn landscape. Look for a grain elevator, then next to it, a splash of gold, glowing like neo
November 17, 1998 - MPR’s Dan Olson reports on how some Minnesota farmers are putting a few extra dollars in their pocket by selling what they usually plow under. A St. Peter company is making building materials as strong as wood from the straw left after farmers harvest soybeans and wheat.
November 18, 1998 - As part of the Our State, Our Forests series, a Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from MPR studios in Duluth, highlighting the Minnesota Northwoods. In this hour, MPR’s Rachel Reabe presents stories by reporters Leif Enger and Mary Losure which portray the timber industry past and present and describe its impact on the environment and economy of Northern Minnesota.
November 18, 1998 - As part of the Our State, Our Forests series, a Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from MPR studios in Duluth, highlighting the Minnesota Northwoods. Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion/debate on forestry in Minnesota with Jim Sanders, forest supervisor for the Superior National Forest; Betsy Daub, forest program director for the Minnesota office of the National Audubon Society; and Wayne Brandt, executive vice-president for Forest Industries.
November 24, 1998 - MPR’s Kathryn Herzog presents a Mainstreet Radio report on the lack of crop diversity on many modern Minnesota farms. Some farmers and agronomists are looking for ways to bring the diversity back.
November 27, 1998 - 85 years ago, 28 men sailed for Antarctica in a ship called Endurance. Their goal was to cross the frozen continent shore-to-shore. They never made it closer than a hundred miles from the coast, but the adventure they DID have could be considered even more amazing than crossing Antarctica. They got stuck in the ice and were given up for dead. But they all survived, in large part because they were led by the great explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. They spent months on ice floes and on a desolate island, and weeks at sea in tiny lifeboats. The story's been told and retold in many books, but now you can see the pictures the expedition photographer took during the journey. The photos by Frank Hurley are collected in a new book called "The Endurance" by Caroline Alexander, who spoke with Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe. | D-CART ITEM: 1348 | TIME: 5:25 | OUTCUE: "...IT HAPPENED."