March 18, 1998 - MPR’s Dan Olson takes a look at the timpani, sometimes called the kettle drum, as it takes the spotlight at The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Earl Yowell, the chamber orchestra's principal timpanist, plays the seldom performed Johann Carl Fischer’s Timpani Concerto.
March 18, 1998 - What's in a name? Millions of dollars according to a legal battle between North America's second largest railroad and a former engineer from South St. Paul who owns the copyright to the company's name. But the engineer, William Purdy, would say this is just the latest battle in a drawn out legal war with his former employer, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. It's a war he says is about workplace safety and free speech, but the company claims is about fraudulant use if its name and harrassment on the internet. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports
March 18, 1998 - The Minnesota State High School League will decide Thursday (March 19th) if high school teams should be allowed to practice during the summer. Opponents believe its another step toward year round sports. Supporters say athletes who want to practice during the summer with their coach should be given the chance. Mark Steil of Mainstreet Radio reports: The state high school league has very specific regulations controlling what high school athletes can do, much like the NCAA governs college athletics. The seemingly endless rules are frustrating to Cally Vinz of Rochester. Her two sons love to play hockey: :10 (One time one of my sons said to me, 'I've been aw
March 18, 1998 - Tobacco attorneys say they'll ask the Minnesota Supreme Court to review an order releasing nearly 40-thousand secret industry documents for the state's lawsuit against the tobacco companies. State's attorneys believe this cache of files details damaging conduct by the top levels of the tobacco industry. Minnesota public radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: --------------------------------------------------------- | D-CART ITEM: 8175 | TIME: 1:46 | OUTCUE: "...SOQ --------------------------------------------------------- The appeals court said the tobacco companies failed to show good reasons why the documents should be kept confidential. So barring a review by the State Supreme Court, the industry will have to turn over these files by noon Thursday. This ruling is the latest setback for an industry that's fought hard to keep these files confidential. Tobacco companies claim these 39-thousand documents should be kept secret under attorney/client privile
March 19, 1998 - Dr. Donald Hensrud, professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at Mayo Medical School and Mayo Clinic, discusses vitamins and how they relate to cancer and nutrition. Hensrud also answer listener questions.
March 19, 1998 - When most of us get ill, we expect a doctor to be able to figure out what's making us sick. But in some rare cases, doctors are baffled. It's especially troubling when someone gets seriously ill or dies. Since 1995, the Minnesota Department of Health has catalogued 22 cases where people got critically ill or died for no known reason. As Minnesota Public Radio's Brent Wolfe reports, scientists hope studying the cases will help them prepare to fight new diseases before they have a chance to spread. RUSTY LEE HAGAN AND IM EIGHT YEARS OLD (he
March 19, 1998 - An economist told jurors in Minnesota's tobacco trial that tobacco companies conspired to prevent the development of a less-harmful cigarette because doing so would throw the industry into a dogfight of competition. The testimony boosts State and Blue Cross Blue Shield claims that tobacco companies broke anti-trust laws by supressing research into smoking and health. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports: Economist Adam Jaffe told jurors the internal company documents show the tobacco companies have violated anti-trust laws by conspiring to restrict competition since 1953. Jaffe is a professor at Brandeis and has also served on the president's council of economic advisors. He told jurors tobacco companies underst
March 19, 1998 - Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe kept up the pressure today (THURSDAY) on the supporters of public funding for the St. Paul hockey arena project. Moe says he believes the St. Paul city council failed to scrutinize the financial arrangements between the hockey team and the contractor building the arena, and he called for a "special inquiry" into the matter. Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports: Supporters of state funding for the arena say Roger Moe's call for an inquiry is just another political manuever designed to embarrass St. Paul Mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Norm Coleman. the House and Senate bonding conference committee was already planning to ask questions about the arena's financing, and they Moe is just trying to make a routine process seem more dramatic. St. Paul senator
March 19, 1998 - Minneapolis playwright Kim Hines tells the story of three prominent African American women of the time who are largely unknown to most Minnesotans. Hines has written monologues portraying the life of businesswoman Amanda Lyle, social worker Gertrude Brown, and attorney Lena Smith.
March 19, 1998 - State funding for a new Saint Paul hockey arena could be in jeopardy because of questions surrounding a deal between the Minnesota Wild Hockey Team and the company it chose to oversee construction of the arena. The team awarded the construction contract to Minneapolis -based M.A. Mortensen after the company paid the team's 100-thousand dollar NHL initiation fee. We get an update from John Knapp who lobbies on behalf of the Minnesota Business Partnership at the state legislature.