July 12, 1999 - MPR’s Sasha Aslanian interviews 8th District Democratic Congressman Jim Oberstar regarding aid for Boundary Waters disaster. Oberstar flew over the Boundary Waters to view the damage from blowdown, then returned to Washington D.C. to seek federal aid for the area, meeting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
July 13, 1999 - Baseball analyst Kevin Hennessy talks about the Minnesota Twins, who at the All-Star break are in last place in their division and have the third worst record in the American League. Despite that, Hennessy says the Twins have done much better than he thought they would in 1999, especially considering the young pitching staff.
July 13, 1999 - Mayor Norm Coleman says the loss of hundreds of St. Paul company jobs hurts, but he also says the cuts come while the city is on the upswing. The St. Paul companies announced yesterday it will cut 500 to 600 jobs as a result of selling its home and automobile insurance businesses to MetLife of Rhode Island. The deal also may jeopardize an additional 530 Minnesota jobs which are being transferred to MetLife Auto and Home.
July 13, 1999 - The Minnesota Department of Finance today revised its estimate of the revenues collected by the state during the last fiscal year -- increasing it by almost $300 Million dollars. That means slightly bigger sales tax rebate checks for Minnesotans later this summer... with money left over for next year. That left over money has Governor Ventura and legislative leaders already jockeying over NEXT year's tax relief package.
July 13, 1999 - The Saint Paul school district's new leader is shaking up her administration and turning up the heat on schools to perform. Superintendent Pat Harvey says the reorganization will get her closer to the schools and better define the lines of accountability. By summer's end, she also plans to place the district's lowest performing schools on notice that test scores and attendance must improve.
July 14, 1999 - MPR’s Leif Enger reports on Federal Emergency Management teams fanning out across northeasten Minnesota, gathering information to build a case for federal aid to communities in the BWCA area.
July 14, 1999 - Dakota Indians held a ceremony today on an old pioneer farm in Falcon Heights near the State Fairgrounds. The Gibbs farm has long been a historic site, but today's ceremony marked an expansion of the Jane Gibbs' story, to include her relationship with the nearby Dakota indians. Gibbs was born in New York, but at the age of 6 she was kidnapped by missionaries who brought her to Minnesota. The missionaries worked near Lake Harriet and there Jane met Dakota indian children, many of whom became her friends. Priscilla Farnham is the executive director of the Ramsey County Historical Society. She says when Jane grew up and became a pioneer farm wife, she rekindled her friendship with the Dakota.
July 14, 1999 - U.S. Forest Service officials are expected to announce soon whether they'll allow further use of chainsaws and low-flying aircraft in the storm damaged Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Both have been authorized during the initial search and rescue effort in the area, but sawyer crews have nearly completed their exploration of tree-choked portages.
July 15, 1999 - The Grand Opening of the new Science Museum of Minnesota adjacent to the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul is just five months away. Construction crews and museum employees are busy finishing the building and installing exhibits. Members of the media got a chance, yesterday, to see inside the building.
July 15, 1999 - Thirty years ago when Minneapolis was clearing land for downtown office buildings and parking lots it seemed like science fiction to predict that people would one day want to live downtown. But that's what is happening. Young professionals and an aging population of empty nesters are fueling housing demand in neighborhoods around downtown. One result is the cheap housing many low income residents rely on is disappearing.