August 20, 1997 - Giant wood and metal structures are sprouting up in a field near Taylors Falls where corn grew just two years ago. Franconia Sculpture park is primarily an artists refuge, but the sculptors who are building the huge artworks hope the public will drop by and get a better understanding of what they do. Minnesota Public Radio's Marcy Tveidt reports.
August 21, 1997 - The latest wave of immigrants arriving in Minnesota includes the parents or grandparents of earlier immigrants. A large number are from the former Soviet Union, and they have decided to live in the suburbs near their families. They want to learn English but the people who teach ESL or English as a Second Language courses are having a hard time keeping up with the demand. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more.
August 21, 1997 - A new report from the federal Education Department finds high school enrollment this fall will reach an all-time high and continue to break records for the next ten years. The reason: children from the baby boom generation of the Forties and Fifties. Education Secretary Richard Riley calls it a severe crisis that will have many implications, including the need for new school buildings. Dan Bryan is in charge of school facilities for the state department of children, families and learning. He says overall Minnesota doesn't expect the kind of growth seen nationally. But, there are other considerations.
August 21, 1997 - MPR’s John Biewen presents the second of two reports on how the growth of the black population is affecting race relations in the Twin Cities. Report includes commentary from residents, politicians, and academics.
August 21, 1997 - Northwest Airlines says special so-called "Fly Local," fares have stimulated travel in the five greater Minnesota commmunities where the new prices are being tested. The airline says it'll decide on a city by city basis whether the low fares will remain in place... probably by the end of the year Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
August 21, 1997 - A federal appeals court says a southwestern Minnesota school can operate a school that models its curriculum on the beliefs of a religious group. As Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Collins reports, the court ruled in the case of the Wabasso school district which operated a school primarily for students of the "Brethren" religious sect and modified the curriculum based on their religious beliefs.
August 21, 1997 - MPR’s John Biewen presents the first of two reports on how the Twin Cities are responding to black newcomers. Report includes commentary from residents, politicians, and academics.
August 22, 1997 - St. Paul Public Schools will have at least 227 new teachers in classrooms for the start of the school year, and the district is still filling vancancies. Some of the new teachers are recent college graduates, but the majority come to St, Paul with experience in other districts. District officials held an orientation this week for 200 teachers to better prepare them for challenges of urban classrooms. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
August 22, 1997 - Dwight and Vance Opperman are buying a 12-and-a-half percent share of the Internet Broadcasting System of Edina. IBS runs the Channel 4000 online service in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Collins reports this investment by the former owners of West Publishing company fuels an increasing dominance of new forms of media by those who made their fortunes in newspapers and magazines.
August 22, 1997 - One hundred years ago, the "Minnesota Hospital for Indigent Crippled and Deformed Children" opened in Saint Paul. The hospital was the brainchild of Doctor Arthur Gillette, an orthopaedic surgeon who believed the state had a duty to care for children with disabilities. Today, the hospital is privately owned and has a different name....Gillette Children's Specialty Health Care...but its mission remains the same. Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson spoke recently with some people who spent literally years of their lives at Gillette. Their memories of pain, pleasure and personal triumph are still vivid.