January 16, 1998 - Music, English, Drama and Religion scholars will gather at Stanford University to deconstruct the work of one of Minnesota's most famous sons, Bob Dylan. The conference is billed as "The First U.S. Bob Dylan Conference" and will focus on Dylan's art and cultural legacy. MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Tino Markworth, organizer of conference.
January 16, 1998 - Half-way into the school year, teachers in almost two-thirds of Minnesota's school districts are working without a new contract. Part of the reason is the one-time removal of a state-mandated contract deadline. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports teachers are increasingly concerned about the slow pace of this years contract negotiations.
January 16, 1998 - The debate over managing Minnesota's wolf population got contentious last night, as friends and foes of the wolf clashed over what should be done. The timberwolf may be taken off the endangered species list as early as next year... and at a public meeting in the Twin Cities, there was little common ground between the two sides.
January 20, 1998 - Life is pretty bleak in a small village on the western coast of Ireland until a fugitive named Christy Mahan arrives and promptly announces he has killed his father. So begins John Millington Synge's comic play about a town caught up in the excitement of a dramatic event and a young man who is transformed by his hero's welcome. "The Playboy of the Western World" opens tomorrow at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis . Guthrie Artistic Director Joe Dowling says Synge's play is an Irish classic...that avoids pandering to the stereotypical notions of Ireland and the Irish.
January 20, 1998 - The US Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking federal protection for a Minnesotaow found in the upper midwest. Farmers who may have to change operation practices resent the governmental intervention. While environmentalists say the decline in population of the Topeka shiner should be a sign and we should all sit up and notice.
January 21, 1998 - DFL lawmakers want to give the state the power to takeover failing public schools. That provision is part of carrot and stick bill offering rewards to schools where test scores increase and penalizing schools where scores decline. Supporters of the plan says it's high time schools face consequences for poor performance. But some educators say making threats and blaming schools won't help children learn.
January 22, 1998 - Look for larger boats and plenty of fishing and sailing gadgets at this year's Boat Show. The annual event, which showcase the latest in the boating industry, got underway last night in St. Paul. Most boatmakers and retailers say 1998 is shaping up into a great year for boat sales. But not everyone is optimistic.
January 23, 1998 - Hockey fans greeted the announcement of the Wild name with a little MORE enthusiasm. Here's what some folks in downtown St. Paul thought of the new team name.
January 23, 1998 - Roger Moe wasn't the only one who didn't give the WILD an exuberant welcome to St. Paul. Jay Erckenbrack is the president and owner of Minnesota Wild, not the hockey team, but a natural foods company in Northern Minnesota.
January 23, 1998 - St. Paul's future hockey team has a new name -- the "Minnesota Wild" -- but it may NOT have state money for its new arena. The city has been counting on the state to pay for half of the $130 million dollar project, but a key lawmaker may block the money.