September 23, 1997 - The Fargodome has been flooded with hundreds of complaints about ticket scalping for its October 25th Elton John concert. Several national companies apparently hired people to stand in line and buy tickets when they went on sale, and then sent the tickets out of state for resale. The 29-thousand tickets at the Fargodome sold out in 59-minues Saturday morning, and a private ticket broker in Connecticut is now offering thirty-dollar tickets for 129-dollars. The broker's phone answering system says a substantial "service charge" has been added to the original price. Parrell (LIKE "PERIL") Grossman is North Dakota's Director of Consumer Protection says it's a dis-service charge. Parrell Grossman is North Dakota's Director of Consumer P
September 23, 1997 - Members of the Minnesota House Judiciary Committee heard testimony today on weaknesses in Minnesota's child protection system and where it can be strengthened with new laws. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports.
September 24, 1997 - It's no longer surprising to hear most of the day-to-day functions of any business are conducted using a computer, and computers and laptops are fast becoming standard in the home too. But now this technology is being put to a new use in Minnesota. It's a concept known as "community networks." These networks use the Internet, chatrooms and e-mail to connect people not from across the world, but from across the street. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.
September 24, 1997 - Anchor Intro For the first time ever, an artist has received an award from the national organization that represents public works employees, the folks that bring you streets, bridges and sewers. Not surprizingly, that artist -- William Cochran -- produces public art murals...the most recent of which adorns a bridge in Frederick, Maryland. While in the Twin Cities recently to receive his award, Cochran and his wife Theresa wanted to see the work of local public art muralists. Jack Becker of Forecast public artworks, based in st paul, gave them a tour and mpr's mary stucky went along. The tour started at Mark Balma's fresco on the ceiling of the University of St Thomas building in downtown minneapolis .
September 25, 1997 - Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton is urging the city's residents to show tolerance, respect, and civility during the current mayoral race. At a joint appearance with her challenger Barbara Carlson yesterday, Sayles Belton said it would be wrong to use an altercation that occurred after a candidate debate this week as evidence of a racially divided city. Carlson says there is racial division in Minneapolis. She says it needs to be discussed more openly. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.
September 25, 1997 - Minneapolis officials are relieved the city's murder rate is down. But people in the city's most crime infested neighborhoods are taking little comfort. The protesters at the mayoral debate earlier this week where tempers flared and the mayor's police security guard fired at a man suspected of assault are from the Phillips neighborhood. Some Phillips residents say the streets are still open drug markets with sellers and buyers doing a brisk business. Residents complain gunfire is rampant and police don't show up fast enough when residents call 911 to report drug dealing. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
September 25, 1997 - MPR’s Chris Roberts interviews Bob Hest and Steve Kramer, two ex-members of the experimental group The Wallets. Hest and Kramer discuss their new career of merging music into advertising campaigns.
September 25, 1997 - The Stroh Brewery Company told 365 workers this afternoon it's shutting down its St. Paul brewery November 24th. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
September 25, 1997 - When the flood of '97 forced the cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks to evacuate, the University of North Dakota closed its doors early for the school year and sent students home without a graduation. Now five months later, the campus is nearly back up to speed, with only a slight dip in enrollment. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports... Just months ago, the UND campus was an island in the midst o
September 26, 1997 - Gay-themed movies and T-V shows generally address the most broad themes of gay life, like the difficulty of coming out. Edmund White's latest book, "The Farewell Symphony," digs deeper into the trials and tribulations faced by homosexuals in American society today. Yet, taking a mentor's advice, White keeps you at a little distance, letting you draw your own conclusions. "The Farewell Symphony" is an autobiographical novel about White's repressive Midwest childhood and his life as a usually struggling writer in New York and Europe ... during which time he had sex with thousands of men. In the title, White may be saying farewell to Brice, his lover of five years, who died of AIDS in 1994. This was White's first reciprocated love affair and you'd think he'd be more prominent in the book, but Brice makes only cameo appearances in "The Farewell Symphony." We learn why he's mostly quiet about Brice when White is reunited with an old flame.