April 14, 1998 - A Federal District Court Judge has up held a National Park Service decision to BLOCK contruction of a 60 million dollar bridge across the St. Croix River just south of Stillwater. Opponents of the bridge say the ruling is a major victory and will help preserve the scenic lower St. Croix river. The Minnesota Department of Transportation says its proposed bridge offered the best solution to mounting traffic problems and is considering an appeal. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports...
April 14, 1998 - Hundreds of volunteers are picking up tornado debris from southern Minnesota farm fields this week as a new phase of the cleanup from the March 29th tornadoes begins. Its estimated more than 400 farms were damaged by the storms. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil went along as volunteers cleaned fields near New Ulm yesterday: :04 (Okay if I could have everybody's attention!) Duane Laffrenzen stands in the front of a school bus parked at the New Ulm High School. The seats are filled by 50 volunteers from New Ulm, Fairmont, Minneapolis, Mapleton, and Renville.
April 14, 1998 - There's increasing concern about the future of St Peters mainstreet businesses as the city continues to clean up from last month's tornado. Preliminary estimates put damage to downtown businesses at millions of dollars. As Minnesota Public Radio's Lynette Nyman reports, some shops will have to relocate, while others will work to repair the damage and reopen. At first glance inside Nutter Clothing only a few things seem out of the ordinary. There are no clothing racks in the front and the carpet is water stained. Scott Dobie is the fourth owner of this men's clothing shop that opened in 1922. He says they dumped their entire stock because of the tornado's havoc. 39:16 Our windows were blown out. And the membrane on the roof was peeled back. And when it rained and snowed you can see it leaked all over the floor. Also the flying glass, the splinters of glass. That if we were to sell a shirt within two months from now and somebody cut themselves
April 14, 1998 - Some cities in southeast Minnesota worry a Clinton administration program to free up money for the Upper Mississippi Riverfront will restrict local property rights. Some call it a Trojan horse for federal restrictions. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports. Marilyn Hayman is the property-rights movement's dream. She delivers broad and forceful denunciations of the federal government with a softspoken, grandmotherly eloquence. Hayman lives in Maiden Rock, Wisconsin and is chair of the group Citizens for Responsible Zoning and Landowner Rights. Her message has found fertile ground in southeastern Minnesota where some local governments are resisting Minnesota's nomination of the Upper Mississippi River to the Clinton administration's American Heritage Rivers Initiative. The program i
April 15, 1998 - As part of the series Remembering and Rebuilding - The Great Flood of 1997, a special Mainstreet Radio program from East Grand Forks, one year after the flood. Host Rachel Reabe interviews Pat Owens, Grand Forks mayor; Lynn Stauss, East Grand Forks mayor; Cliff Barth, Breckenridge mayor; and Morris Lanning of the Red River Basin Coalition about how people of the Red River Valley are putting their lives and their communities back together.
April 15, 1998 - As part of the series Remembering and Rebuilding - The Great Flood of 1997, a special Mainstreet Radio program from East Grand Forks, one year after the flood. Host Rachel Reabe interviews several business people and families who were affected by the flood…some who rebuilt, and some who moved away.
April 15, 1998 - Baden = BAY dun As the ice goes out on Lake Mille Lacs in central Minnesota, a new fishing season begins... this year, Indian netters and spearfishers from the Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe will be out harvesting the fish guaranteed them, under a treaty with the U.S. government. MPR's Mainstreet radio team is taking a look all this week, at treaty rights and other ways tribal sovereignty affects Native Americans. Today, commentator Jim Baden, publisher of the Mille Lacs Messenger, predicts that spearfishing season will come and go for the locals - it's the 'outsiders' who will make it a big deal. Jim Baden is publisher of the Mille Lacs Messenger. Sun 28-MAY 11:38:08 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
April 15, 1998 - Colum McCann's novel "This Side of Brightness" tells the story, of amongst other people, the men who dug the railway tunnels under New York, and the homeless people who now live in those same tunnels. McCann, who is in the Twin Cities to read from his book tonight, was born in Dublin, but has lived in New York for some time. He told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr he was attracted to the story of the tunnel-diggers because they broke ground with more than just their shovels. Author Colum McCann will read from his novel "This Side of Brightness" at the Hungry Mind in ST Paul this evening at 8. Sun 28-MAY 11:36:39 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
April 15, 1998 - Saint Paul DFL lawmakers are urging Governor Carlson to expand the agenda of a special session if he calls one. They want to address more than a bill to help Warroad-based Marvin Windows. They want to take up measures to fund 56-million dollars in programs geared at families and children. Minnesota Public Radio's Karen-Louise Boothe reports: In the waning hours of the regular session, lawmakers failed to pass bills to establish a Minnesota Children's Endowment, and fund reforms to the state's child protection system. Governor Carlson vetoed a Family and Early Childhood Education Bill and an Economic Development and Housing Bill. Today, DFL lawmakers called on Carlson to add those items to the agenda of a special
April 15, 1998 - MPR’s Bob Potter discusses CODEFOR with Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. Since Minneapolis began its CODEFOR policing strategy in February of 1998, violent crime in the city is down 16%, property offenses are down 18%, and crimes against persons are down 12%. Sayles Belton says one key is focusing on so-called nuisance crimes.