Climate change, industry, parks, air and water quality are issues that are debated in congress, compete for funding and enpassion many Minnesotans.
May 9, 2003 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on a Minnesota House Committee has voted to sell state land lying within the Federal Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. But it's raised fierce opposition from the environmental community and from within the Legislature. Report includes various speaking and interview clips.
May 9, 2003 - May's weather already has our attention... We are not very deep into May yet, but the month's weather has certainly grabbed our attention. In northern Minnesota, Embarrass reported a morning low of just 11 degrees F on the 2nd, the lowest temperature in the nation that day. May 4th and 5th brought severe weather to the nation primarily the central and southeastern states, and heavy rains to parts of Minnesota as well. The following locations reported new daily record rainfall amounts on May 5th..
May 14, 2003 - EVTAC has made it's last pellets. The Eveleth taconite company is shutting down. Four hundred and fifty workers will be laid off by the weekend. Company officials hope to eventually reopen EVTAC's iron mine and taconite pellet plant. But many fear that may never happen. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Kelleher reports:
May 16, 2003 - As winter turns to spring in Minnesota's North Woods, the owlman comes back. His real name is Bill Lane. His passion is northern forest owls. Minnesota Public Radio's Mary Losure reports.
May 19, 2003 - A month after the attacks on the World Trade Center, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act. It was designed to help federal authorities track down and stop potential terrorists. But librarians around the country are worried about how the PATRIOT Act might affect people who visit the library. Some say it's putting their privacy at risk. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
May 23, 2003 - People living around Shell Lake in northwest Wisconsin are getting frustrated. The town has always been a popular vacation area, and now many people are turning their cabins into year-round homes. But the lake has flooded. Several families have been forced to move. Others are depending on sandbags and pumps to protect them from the high water. A drainage system that's supposed to solve the problem, doesn't work. And there's no solution in sight. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
May 26, 2003 - The Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start for the summer tourist season. Tourism contributes nearly $10 billion to Minnesota's economy. Resorts and other tourist-oriented businesses are hoping for a summer season that will compensate for several years of struggle. Many Minnesotans will head to the water for a long weekend of fishing.
May 26, 2003 - The Memorial Day weekend is the traditional start for the summer tourist season. Tourism contributes nearly $10 billion to Minnesota's economy. Resorts and other tourist-oriented businesses are hoping for a summer season that will compensate for several years of struggle. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. Back Announce:
June 2, 2003 - People in Silver Bay, on Lake Superior's North Shore, are producing a new kind of iron. They're trying out a new technology to produce a very pure form of iron, called iron nuggets. If the experiment shows the nuggets can be produced profitably, it could offer a new future for the struggling Iron Range. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
June 4, 2003 - The U.S. Forest Service is planning to change how it manages the national forests in the northern part of Minnesota. The federal agency has designed a new plan, and it's asking the public for reaction. The plan calls for a greater diversity of tree types and ages, and habitats for a wider variety of native animals. But critics say it emphasizes motorized recreation and logging at the expense of the wilderness. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. Host outro: For details on the plan, and information about upcoming public meetings, visit MPR's web site at Minnesota Public Radio - dot - org.