April 27, 1998 - The transportation bill being finalized in Congress contains money for a light rail transit line in Minneapolis. State and Hennepin county taxpayers are also investing tens of millions in the project. The proposed $370 million LRT line from downtown Minneapolis to the airport would run ten miles along Hiawatha Avenue. It would open for service in 2003. What can people expect? Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson visited St. Louis, a metropolitan area about the same size as the Twin Cities, to find out. St. Louis' five year old light rail transit line is a big success. Riders flock to the gleaming, stainless steel, electric powered cars. They glide along seventeen miles of track from East St. Louis, Illinois on one end,across the Mississippi throught St. Louis to the airport - Lambert field - west of St. Louis, stopping at ninteen stations along the way.
April 27, 1998 - A public school in southwestern Minnesota has won a major legal victory. Vesta Elementary School is a small school that's owned by members of a religious community, but rented to and run by the Wabasso School District. It's a public school open to all, but the vast majority of students are members of a religious group called the "Brethren" by outsiders. The curriculum includes no religious instruction, but the school has made some adaptations to the Brethren's beliefs, such is not using television in the classroom. Several years ago, two taxpayers sued to block the school... contending it amounted to state sponsored advancement of religion. But today, the U-S Supreme Court rejected that argument by deciding not to hear the case. That means an earlier Appeals Court ruling that sided with the district will stand. Chris Thomalla school that runs the Vesta elementary school.
April 28, 1998 - As part of MPR's month-long series of programs and reports on "Religion in Everyday Life,” this program presents various reports, interviews and commentaries compiled from the series, and looks at the contemporary impact and influence of religion in America.
April 28, 1998 - Theologian Martin Marty, director of the Public Religion Project at the University of Chicago School of Divinity, addresses the Minnesota Meeting. Marty’s speech was titled, "Religion in America: Should we Bring Religion Out of the Shadows and into Public Life?" Speech is followed by a question and answer period. Minnesota Meeting is a non-profit corporation which hosts a wide range of public speakers. It is managed by the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
April 28, 1998 - On Thursday, the state of Minnesota will release the results of the 1998 basic skills tests for reading and math. The tests are designed to measure whether eighth graders are meeting the minimum requirements for graduation. But a new study shows that the tests are harder than the public has been led to believe. A study commissioned by an association of 24 metro-area schools also shows that many students who failed the basic skills tests scored above the national average on national tests. Mark Mallander is the Executive Director the Association of Metropolitan School Districts and he joins us now. Sun 28-MAY 11:24:53 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
April 28, 1998 - Faculty at Minnesota's State Universities have authorized a strike against MnSCU - the State Colleges and Universities system... although a strike date has not been set. The Inter Faculty Association, which represents more than three-thousand faculty members, has been negotiating since its contract expired last June. The union's demands include higher pay raises and less reliance on part-time faculty. Ann Weyandt is chief negotiator for MnSCU. Sun 28-MAY 11:24:52 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
April 28, 1998 - A judge has thrown out a multi-million dollar class-action suit against Hennepin County. Residents and businesses were suing the county for allegedly overcharging for garbage fees. Hennepin County Board Chair Randy Johnson says today's dismissal of the suit ends the county's long legal battle over garbage: Hennepin County Board Chair Randy Johnson. Sun 28-MAY 11:24:35 MPR NewsPro Archive - Wed 04/11/2001
April 28, 1998 - Mental health experts say talking is the best way to recover emotionally from a disaster. And that's the advice the people of Comfrey and St. Peter are getting as they rebuild following last month's tornadoes. Talking about loss and suffering is especially important for children. Minnesota Public Radio's Cara Hetland reports. 12-year old Paul Honnerman was not home when the March 29th tornado heavily damaged his family's northern Nobles County farm. He and his 7 year old sister Jill were staying five miles away at their uncle's. Paul was outside flying his kite before the storms moved through. : (and right at the time the tornado was hitting at our place
April 28, 1998 - CHILD PSYCHOLOGISTS TELL US THAT EVEN VERY YOUNG CHILDREN ASK THE KIND OF QUESTONS THAT CAN ONLY BE CALLED SPIRITUAL.... WHO CREATED THE EARTH? WHY AM I HERE? HOW DO I KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT AND WRONG? SOME CHILDREN FIND ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS IN CHURCH.....OTHERS DEVELOP A MORAL SENSE COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM ORGANIZED RELIGION. ALL THIS MONTH, MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO IS EXPLORING THE ROLE RELIGION PLAYS IN EVERYDAY LIFE IN A SERIES OF STORIES, COMMENTARIES, AND SPECIAL PROGRAMMING. MARY STUCKY REPORTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MATTERS SPIRITUAL IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN.
April 28, 1998 - STATE AND FEDERAL MONEY ALLOCATED FOR LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT HAS BROUGHT THE TWIN CITIES CLOSER TO A NEW TRANSPORTATION OPTION. BUT TRAVELLING AROUND TOWN ON RAILS IS NOT REALLY A NEW DEVELOPMENT, AT ALL. THERE WAS ONCE A TIME WHEN FIVE HUNDRED MILES OF RAILS CRISS-CROSSED THE TWIN CITES ... CARRYING ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE TO ALL SORTS OF PLACES. IN PART TWO OF OUR SERIES ON TRANSIT, MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN HAS THIS LOOK BACK AT THE TWIN CITIES STREETCAR DAYS... JUST ABOUT ANY TWIN CITIES NATIVE OVER FIFTY REMEMBERS THEM. PAINTED BRIGHTLY ENOUGH TO BE NICKNAMED "BIG YELLOW BANANAS," THE STREETCARS TOOK PEOPLE LI