Climate change, industry, parks, air and water quality are issues that are debated in congress, compete for funding and enpassion many Minnesotans.
January 27, 2003 - Officials say it will probably take weeks to clean up 100-thousand gallons of crude oil that spilled from a pipeline Friday night in Superior, Wisconsin. Most of the oil was captured by the ditches and retention ponds at the Enbridge Energy Terminal, but 19,000 gallons made its way onto the frozen Nemadji River. Steve Lee supervises the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Emergency Response Team. Lee says transporting oil by pipeline is much safer than moving it on trucks or barges. But, he says, when a pipeline has a problem, the repercussions are large. Lee says that, luckily, a two-foot sheet of ice over the river stopped the oil from getting into the water.
January 31, 2003 - This week we've heard about the struggles of people trying to work their way out of poverty. One of the obstacles people with low incomes often face, is isolation. There's a deep divide between the haves and the have-nots. Last month, people in Duluth tried to bridge that gap. Ten low-income families were paired with school board members, city councilors -- people who make policies that affect families. For a month, they "walked a mile in each others' shoes." Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill came along. She has the final story in our series "Falling Behind."
February 4, 2003 - MPR’s Steven John interviews R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis, on changing snow plowing plans within the city. The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul declared snow emergencies in wake of the winter's biggest snowstorm. In St. Paul when crews finish plowing east-west residential today the parking restrictions will end. But in Minneapolis the snow emergency will not end until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. When R.T. Rybak campaigned for mayor of Minneapolis he pledged to change the city to a 24-hour plowing schedule.
February 5, 2003 - Minnesota corn growers are waiting to find out whether they can use a new herbicide this spring. "Balance Pro" is used in 17 states. But not in Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Critics say Balance gets into rivers and lakes too easily, and it could harm wildlife or even humans. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
February 7, 2003 - The 3.8 inches of snow that fell on Groundhog Day Sunday, Feb 2 was the 3rd highest total historically for that date in the Twin Cities area. The 6.0 inch storm total snowfall, occurring over the 2nd and 3rd of the month was the second highest storm total historically, surpassed only by the 6.5 inches that fell in 1983. The Twin Cities now reports 8.0 inches of snowfall for February which is above normal.
February 21, 2003 - The Climate Prediction Center releases the new seasonal outlook on Thursday Feb 20 this week. This will look ahead to the period from March through May. I will have some comments. This weekend, I will be attending the Annual Lake Superior Design Retreat of the American Institute of Architects in Duluth. The topic I am covering concerns "Weather Myth and Little Known Weather Facts"......I have some examples...
February 27, 2003 - The John Beargrease Sled Dog race starts near Two Harbors Sunday. Organizers had to postpone the race for a month, and move the start 20 miles north because there isn't enough snow. But the thin snow cover won't bother one musher. Dee Morris drove up from St. Petersberg, Florida with her nine huskies. It's her first race. It's also the first time her dogs have seen snow. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
March 3, 2003 - The federal Environmental Protection Agency is getting ready to issue new rules about what taconite plants in Northeastern Minnesota can release into the air. But some environmental activists are upset that the new rules don't say anything about mercury. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
March 6, 2003 - The moose on Lake Superior's Isle Royale are some of the most closely studied animals in the world. Moose on the mainland of Minnesota are not so well known. There's more than 4,000 moose living in Minnesota's Arrowhead. Nobody's studied them at all. But a team of researchers is trying to change that. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill went along last week when the team was hunting moose to fit them with radio collars.
March 13, 2003 - A showdown is coming up in the U.S. Senate over whether to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Senate Republicans say they need just one more vote to pass a provision that would allow drilling in the Alaska refuge. That puts the pressure on lawmakers like Republican Senator Norm Coleman. Coleman says he came to the debate opposing drilling.