September 3, 2001 - MPR’s Mary Losure reports on a union survey being highlighted at Minnesota State Fair that show issues in affordable housing for members.
September 3, 2001 - With a week to go before the Minneapolis Mayoral primary, a couple of the front running candidates are bringing in heavy hitters from the national Democratic party. Today Helms reports.
September 3, 2001 - On September 11th, primary voters in Minneapolis and St. Paul will narrow a large field of mayoral candidates to two in each city. Here on Morning Edition we've been giving you a chance to hear from the candidates for mayor of Minneapolis who will not be included in our debate with the leading candidates on September 5th. Mahamoud Wardere (Mah ha MOOD War DARE aye -- like bay--) was born in Somalia, where he worked as an air traffic controller at Mogadishu International airport. Wardere came to Minneapolis in 1993 to escape civil war. He is currently a social studies teacher for English as a Second Language students at Washburn High School. He says he brings a unique kind of experience to the job of mayor.
September 3, 2001 - As the leading candidates look for attention through big name endorsements, the other people on the ballot struggle to get their message to voters. We've been giving you a chance to hear from those candidates here on Morning Edition. Today, we hear from DFL-er Dick Franson. Franson is a former Minneapolis alderman... from the 12th ward. He's a retired first sergeant in the army and was an appraiser for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Franson told Minnesota Public Radio producer Julie Siple that he's the best qualified candidate for mayor because of his 41 years in government and the military.
September 3, 2001 - Moving is always a pain. There are clothes to pack, furniture to move, items to store and a dozen other potential problems. Those complications are compounded when the move is international. For Russ and Susie Freeman of Fargo, that's what this summer has been about. But instead of a new permanent home the Freeman's will be spending the next three and a half years in Belize (BUH-leez), as Russ fulfills his duties as the new U.S. Ambassador to Belize. Mainstreet Radios Bob Reha reports. {room pad rolls up under narration
September 4, 2001 - Saint Paul voters will elect a new mayor this year, with incumbent Norm Coleman stepping down after two four-year terms. Coleman's successor will likely come from a group of six candidates who have run the most aggressive mayoral campaigns. Last Friday we gave you a closer look at candidates Bob Long, Bob Kessler, and Bobbi Megard. Today (Tues), Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this report on the other three leading contenders: Randy Kelly, Jerry Blakey, and Jay Benanav...
September 4, 2001 - Tonight at 7:00, the six leading candidates for mayor of St. Paul will participate in a live debate right here on Minnesota Public Radio. Tomorrow night, you can from the four leading candidates in Minneapolis. When voters go to the polls next Tuesday, they will see many other names on the ballot. Here on Morning Edition, we've been talking with the candidates in Minneapolis. Today we'll hear from Travis Manning, a DFLer who lives in the Whittier neighborhood. He works as the manager of an apartment building and Manning told MPR's Julie Siple that his experience in the Army Reserve has prepared him for the job of mayor.
September 4, 2001 - Tonight at 7 o'clock, MPR will host a debate with the leading St. Paul mayoral candidates. And tomorrow night at seven, you can hear a debate with the leading Minneapolis candidates. We're also giving you a chance to hear from the OTHER mayoral candidates who have filed in both cities. St. Paul mayoral hopeful Mary Jane Reagan describes herself as politically ecumenical. The 80-year-old Reagan is a retired school teacher who is now a Ramsey County supervisor of Soil and Water Conservation. Reagan says her governing style would be very similar to outgoing mayor Norm Coleman:
September 4, 2001 - Many communities in Minnesota are struggling to provide municipal water and sewer systems to residents. Small towns with aging septic tanks and other contamination problems want a clean drinking water supply. But finding funding and navigating state and federal bureaucracies is a daunting task. The town of Laporte in north central Minnesota, has been trying for eight years, and locals say they're running out of time. As Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports, the opening of a brand new school now hinges on completion of the water system... {
September 4, 2001 - Hamline University students will soon begin pairing up with volunteer lawyers to help free people who may have been wrongly imprisoned in Minnesota and the Dakotas. The program -- called the Innocence Project -- is a joint venture between the university and the state's continuing legal education group, All District Education. The Innocence Project is modeled after a program of the same name at Yeshiva University in New York. Since 1992, students at Yeshiva have represented or assisted in over 36 cases where convictions have been reversed or overturned. Former Ramsey County Public Defender, Jennifer Kramer, will chair the local project. She says she doesn't know how many Minnesota prisoners may be innocent, but contends even one is too many: