Climate change, industry, parks, air and water quality are issues that are debated in congress, compete for funding and enpassion many Minnesotans.
November 27, 2001 - The winter storm that's hit much of the region couldn't be better news for snow-starved children in Minnesota. The fresh white blanket also means a lot to the many businesses that have been anxiously waiting for winter. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
November 28, 2001 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer talks with Les Heitke, the mayor in Willmar, about snowstorm that stalled over that city and buried it in snow.
December 7, 2001 - It is unseasonably warm for December.
December 11, 2001 - As part of Mainstreet Radio’s “Our Town” project, Stephanie Hemphill reports on debate in Duluth between preservationists and those wanting new buildings. The city's old Armory is the lastest battlefield in that ongoing conflict.
December 17, 2001 - With the 2002 Winter Olympic Games fast approaching competitors are gearing up to prepare and qualify. In Duluth, one of the world's top biathletes is working on skiing and her shooting, despite the recent warm weather. Minnesota Public Radio's Nick Schmidt reports.
December 17, 2001 - Minnesota's unusually warm weather this fall has been tough on the state's resorts. Ice fishermen are staying home because most of the state's lakes are still not frozen. Some small lakes in the northern third of the state are ice covered. But on Lake Mille Lacs conditions haven't been right for a freeze. Usually by this time, the lake would be frozen, with icehouses dotting it's surface. As Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports, resort owners on the big lake hope for a cold snap soon, so they can salvage what's left of their winter business.
December 20, 2001 - Host intro: Law enforcement officials around the country have been stepping up security measures everywhere since the September 11 attacks. Officials are operating at a heightened sense of alert even in Duluth, more than a thousand miles from the nearest ocean. Duluth-Superior is the busiest port on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes. Port officials say they are thinking a lot more about security. But they say a terrorist attack on the port is unlikely. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill has the next report in our series on border security.
December 21, 2001 - MPR's Morning Edition, Dec 21, 2001 I would especially like to wish a merry Christmas to the meteorologists and weather support personnel who are giving round the clock, 24-hour forecasts and observations to the military acting in Afghanistan right now. Topic: Christmas and New Years Storms
December 21, 2001 - It's looking like Minnesota will get a white Christmas after all. A developing winter storm is on track to bring snow to most of the state by tomorrow evening. Bill Harrison is a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. He says the storm is centered over the Rockies right now:
December 27, 2001 - A year ago, Minnesota Iron Mining employed nearly 45-hundred workers. By the year's end the number has dropped a third. Northeast Minnesota is reeling from a double punch: the national recession, and a steel industry in crisis. The fallout is spreading well beyond the 14-hundred households of displaced iron workers. It's hitting some of the region's most vulnerable residents. Mainstreet Radio's Bob Kelleher reports: For background on Minnesota's iron mining industry, and how it has changed, visit our website, www dot Minnesota Public Radio, dot org.