May 22, 1997 - Governor Carlson and DFL legislative leaders turned a political stand-off into a dueling face-off today when they called back to back press conferences at the state capitol. (today-thurs) Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports...BOTH sides are firm in their positions over whether 150-million dollars in tax credits and deductions ought to be attached to the K-12 Omnibus funding bill. In the closing days of the legislative session the Governor drew a clear line in the sand.....fail to pass a K-12 funding bill that includes his Tax credits for people who want to send their kids to private school, and seal its fate with a VETO. Well, that fate isn't SEALED because the governor hasn't vetoed it yet. He's hoping for some more GIVE by lawmakers, and to get
May 22, 1997 - It's been a hard winter...and for some an even harder spring. But while the media attention has focused on the drama of flooding in the Red River Valley...ranchers in the Dakotas are also counting the cost. Hundreds of thousands of head of livestock perished with the cold and blizzards and now many farmers are faced with a late start in the fields Minnesota Public Radio's Cara Hetland reports: It's estimated as many as 400-thousand cattle and calves died in North and South Dakota this winter. Of that - 77-thousand died during the early April blizzard. Another ten-thousand cattle, sheep and hogs died in Minnesota from winter storms. It's difficult for ranchers to put a price tag on their losses but many estimate a thousand dollars per lost adult cow and five-hundred
May 22, 1997 - Hundreds of camper trailers are moving into communities along the Red River as temporary shelter for flood victims. Most of the trailers are being set up in peoples' yards while they repair their houses. Outside Grand Forks, North Dakota, a community of refugees have taken over a small campground. Some campers expect a short stay, but others say it could be several months before they have a permanent home again. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
May 22, 1997 - Mainstreet Radio’s Catherine Winter presents a profile of the band, Conga Se Menne. The group from Upper Peninsula of Michigan utilizes some bongos, steel drums, and a tropical beat. They call their music Finnish reggae. The reggae beat is surprisingly similar to the Finnish schottish and soca is not far from a polka.
May 23, 1997 - Federal and city inspectors have begun condemning flood-damaged houses in Grand Forks. Demolition of the unsafe structures is expected to start within a week. One neighborhood along the bank of the Red River is nearly a total loss, and the line of proposed new dike would prevent any rebuilding there. As the housing loses mount, Grand Forks city officials are looking for ways to provide affordable replacements. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports...
May 23, 1997 - One month ago, President Clinton told Grand Forks flood evacuees their hardest days were still ahead, as the reality of the devastation sinks in. In that crowd were three residents of the Lincoln Drive area, which was one of the first neighborhoods to flood. Before the President's speech they talked to MPR about their experiences, and we wanted to check in with them again. Since the president's visit, two neighbors have begun the messy clean-up process; the third knows her home will likely be condemned, because Lincoln Drive will probably be on the wrong side of a proposed new dike. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports...
May 23, 1997 - *****ATC VERSION****** High school seniors in Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota are back home this weekend for graduation. The school year ended abruptly last month in both school districts when the Red River consumed the two cities. Some students fled to finish out the school year elsewhere. Others spent their unexpected vacation helping clean up flood damage. School administrators, teachers and students say they expect these graduation ceremonies to be an especially emotional end to a traumatic spring. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports | D-CART ITEM: 3508 | TIME: 2.45 | OUTCUE: "...soc
May 23, 1997 - Residents of Texas can now sue their managed health care plans if they've been injured by benefit delays or denials. Texas is the first state in the nation to pass such a law. Supporters say the law allows patients to hold their health plans accountable.... but Critics warn it will lead to a rash of lawsuits and ultimately higher health care costs. So far, there has not been any similar proposal in Minnesota. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Lorna Benson reports, the state's managed health plans are coming under more intense public scrutiny and regulation:
May 23, 1997 - Baseball analyst Kevin Hennessy former Minnesota Twins great Jim Kaat share their thoughts on the problems with Twins pitching. The root of it may lie in their inability to take good prospects in the minor leagues and turn them into good major leaguers pitchers.
May 26, 1997 - A Voices of Minnesota interview with Joe Gomer, one of the Tuskegee Airman during World War II. Also Walter Benjamin of Hamline University, author of "War & Reflection." He looks back on his experiences as a member of the Navy in World War II and the ongoing meaning it has in his life.