February 24, 1998 - Next Tuesday night, Republicans and Democrats hold precinct caucuses to elect delegates to this summer's party conventions. This week, Minnesota Public Radio is profiling the candidates vying for their endorsement for Governor. Political reporter Eric Jansen prepared this profile of DFL candidate Ted Mondale: BackAnnounce: Our series of candidate profiles continues tomorrow morning on Morning Edition when Karen Boothe follows the Mike Freeman campaign. And at this time tomorrow evening, we'll hear about Republican Alan Quist.
February 24, 1998 - Ted Mondale is currently running second to Skip Humphrey in a poll of likely Democratic primary voters. A Minnesota Public Radio/KARE 11/Pioneer Press/ poll finds 35-percent of likely voters favor Humphrey while Mondale has 11-percent, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman has nine-percent, Mark Dayton- seven, State Senator Doug Johnson --six, and State Senator John Marty --five. Twenty-seven percent of the voters are undecided. On the Republican side, 37-percent of likely primary voters favor St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman, 14-percent favor Lieutenant Governor Joanne Benson, eleven-percent back Allen Quist, and four-percent backed state Senator Roy Terwilliger who dropped out of the race today. Thirty-four percent of these voters are undecided. If the election were held today, Humphrey would edge out Coleman. The poll's margin of error is three-and-a-half percent. Democratic political consultant Pat Forciea says its a bit early to put much stock in the numbers.
February 25, 1998 - Next Tuesday night Republicans and Democrats hold precinct caucuses to elect delegates to this summer's party conventions. This week, Minnesota Public Radio is profiling the candidates vying for their endorsement for governor. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports on Republican Allen Quist's efforts to seek the office he sought, also, back in 1994.
February 25, 1998 - A fumigation company already under investigation for pesticide spraying which officials believe killed one man and injured three others in Minneapolis has agreed to move chemicals it was storing out of Minneapolis. Industrial Fumigants Company took the action at the urging of officials who recently discovered what they say were unsafe storage condictions. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports.
February 25, 1998 - The first political advertisement in the governor's race aired today on Twin Cities television and radio stations. The thirty second spot by candidate Ted Mondale focuses on education.
February 25, 1998 - A Twin Cities speech by public radio host Ira Glass, host of "This American Life." He spoke as part of the MPR Broadcast Journalist Series, and talked about radio story-telling.
February 26, 1998 - (Thursday 2/26 M.E.) A new era in statewide testing begins today at schools throughout Minnesota. Three weeks ago, all 8th grade students in public schools took the state's basic skills tests in reading and math. Now state officials are conducting first-time tests to see how well third and fifth grade students are doing. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports... State education officials say the new tests for third and fifth grade students, called the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, should not be confused with the 8th grade basic skills tests. The 8th grade tests measure literacy and whether students have yet learned the min
February 26, 1998 - The central figure in Minnesota's high-profile tobacco trial is Ramsey County District Judge Kenneth Fitzpatrick, who determines the trial's pace and the evidence jurors will see. Observers now have a good sense of what effect his judicial style is having on the trial. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
February 26, 1998 - Childhood dilemmas and adult dramas are fodder for the autobiographical essays in Jo Ann Beard's new book "The Boys of My Youth." The title is a bit misleading, suggesting tales of wild, passionate antics. But this collection of essays actually probes how relationships and experiences shape a young woman. Beard wrote most of these essays as class assignments for the University of Iowa Writing Program. She told Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cuningham the essays are proported to be fiction, but they all contain a nugget of truth.
February 26, 1998 - Next Tuesday night, Republicans and Democrats hold precinct caucuses to elect delegates to this summer's party conventions. This week, Minnesota Public Radio is profiling the candidates vying for their endorsement for Governor. State Senator Doug Johnson has not formally entered the race yet, but for all practical purposes, he's running. He's set up a campaign fund and he's lining up some of the DFL's savviest strategists to help him make up for his late start. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste has this profile: Doug Johnson is a consummate insider -- he's served in the Legislature since 1970, and he's held one of the most powerful positions -- Senate Tax Committee chairman -- since 1980. But he's also an Iron Range political insider, which means he's always sure to keep a populist touch: