August 7, 2001 - Advocates for the elderly have been saying for years that the federal Medicare program needs fixing, and the issue is high up on the congressional agenda. So with Congress out for its August recess, Medicare reform advocates in the state took the opportunity to invite Minnesota's Washington representatives to hear policy recommendations. Yesterday Helms reports.
August 9, 2001 - Nationwide there may be an economic slowdown, but according to the state Department of Economic Security, Minnesota still has lots of open jobs. Minnesota employers were surveyed from April to June about their hiring needs. While the state has lost many high-tech and manufacturing jobs recently, big vacancies still exist in healthcare and retail. Sung Won Sohn, Chief Economist with Wells Fargo says despite the softening economy, Minnesota consumers continue to spend. He says retailers have been trying for years to build up their workforce, but in general, the jobs have limited appeal.
August 10, 2001 - Prounouncer ValAdCo= val ADD koh A giant hog farm in southwest Minnesota is being investigated by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a sister agency of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. The agency is examining potential public health risks posed by ValAdCo (val ADD koh), a problem-plagued hog operation in Renville County. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.
August 10, 2001 -
August 10, 2001 - Allina Health System has named a new board of directors for its hospitals and clinics. The move means the group's 17 hospitals and 47 clinics are now legally separate from its HMO, Medica. The shakeup follows months of pressure from Attorney General Mike Hatch, who has alleged Allina executives mis-spent millions of dollars on excessive consulting fees, administrative expenses, and executive perks. Hatch says he's winding up his audit of the big health group, and will make the report public by Labor Day. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...
August 13, 2001 - Researchers from the University of Minnesota and the National Cancer Institute are analyzing data from a four-year study on how easy it was for minors to buy tobacco in rural communities. They sent fifteen, teenage girls from the metro area to small towns across the state to test the effectiveness of local anti-tobacco ordinances. While final compliance numbers are not available yet, 16-year-old study participant Danielle Eastberg says in a number of cases, she was able to purchase cigarettes.
August 13, 2001 - Somewhere in South Dakota today eight teenagers will light a cigarette for the first time and three adults will die from a smoking related illness. A recent Surgeon General's report shows South Dakota leads the nation with the highest rate of female teenage smokers. Anti-smoking advocates say the ranking shows the state is behind in anti-smoking campaigns and programs - but teenagers say those programs wouldn't prevent them from lighting up. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports:
August 15, 2001 - Minnesota's two largest food banks have announced they will merge at the beginning of October. Second Harvest Greater Minneapolis will combine with Second Harvest St. Paul to create a new organization that will be able to provide an extra 5-million pounds of food annually. Dick Goebel has been the executive director of Second Harvest St. Paul for nearly 20 years. that's Dick Goebel who is retiring after 20 years with the Second Harvest Food Shelf of St. Paul.
August 16, 2001 - There's one Minnesota politician who's attracted more media coverage than Governor Ventura this summer - Attorney General Mike Hatch. Hatch has been in the news recently for his investigation of Allina Health System, and throughout his term, has gotten attention for focusing on health care, privacy and consumer issues. Political observers say Hatch would be smart to seek a second term next year, although the Democrat has long sought the office across the hall - the one occupied by Jesse Ventura. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
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