November 11, 1998 - Hundreds - perhaps thousands - of resumes are pouring into Jesse Ventura's transition office at the state Capitol. Republicans, Democrats, and independents are all hoping to be part of the Governor-elect's new administration. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... The tight entryway to Ventura's basement transition office is often crammed with job-seekers, well-wishers and reporters... (nat - phone ringing, crowd buzz) 28-year-old Tom Klawiter (CLAW-water) dropped off his resume...
November 11, 1998 - (LEAD MAY NEED TO BE CHANGED DEPENDING ON TONIGHT'S ///SFX: Weather forecast over MnDOT radio...fade under/// NARRATION: At MnDOT's
November 11, 1998 - An early season winter storm left too little snow to open northeast Minnesota snowmobile or ski trails; but it did lift spirits of business people hard hit last year's mild winter. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports: The difference between "El Nino" and "La Nina" could mean millions of dollars for Northern Minnesota. Last year "El Nino" brought dry pleasant and relatively snow-free conditions to Northern Minnesota. Climatoligists are predicting "La Nina" will produce the opposite, bringing much colder weather than normal and an extra punch of snow. That's the best of news for the region's ski hills, winter resorts and many small business people across the state. Duluth Lawn and Sport relies on snowmobiles and sn
November 12, 1998 - Engineers and biologists have known for a long time that changes made to the Mississippi River's natural flow to facilitate barge traffic, are harming its overall health. Since 1986, federal and state agencies have experimented with ways to stem the loss of land formations, plants and other things that wild animals need to thrive. One of the most successful of these efforts is a series of man-made islands. Mainstreet Radio's Art Hughes visited the newly-built islands near Stoddard, Wisconsin. boat motor start)
November 13, 1998 - The firearms deer hunting season in northern Minnesota is getting mixed reviews by hunters and observers. Anecdotal information points to a smaller harvest in areas where the deer population was hard hit by the devastating winters of 1996 and 1997. There are some game registration stations reporting a better than expected hunt, But regardless of their success, many hunters are elated over the overwhelming support Minnesota voters gave the constitutional ammendment protecting hunting and fishing rights. In fact, its hard to find any opposition to the measure among hunters. Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports from Bemidji...
November 16, 1998 - As part of the “Our State, Our Forests” series, Mainstreet Radio’s Leif Enger presents a report on the history of the timber industry in Minnesota. Timber was far and away the biggest industry in the state…and it changed the very landscape we live in.
November 16, 1998 - Logging isn't the job it used to be. A century ago, 30-thousand loggers were at work in the Minnesota woods. Today there are fewer than a thousand, using high-tech machines to supply the state's multi-billion dollar wood-products industry. And technology is not the only big change in the woods since 1900; the economy and politics of logging are different too. In the first of a weeklong series of reports called, "OUR STATE, OUR FORESTS," Leif Enger has the story of one family that's seen those changes firsthand. Host backannounce: The series "Our State, Our Forests" continues
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