March 4, 1998 - In addition to electing delegates, the DFLers held a straw poll in the governor's race. With 44 percent of the precincts reporting, Attorney General Skip Humphrey is in front with 35 percent of the vote. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman is second with 30 percent. No other candidate has more than 10 percent of the votes that have been counted. Joining me now for some instant analysis is Steven Schier, chair of the political science department at Carleton College in Northfield.
March 5, 1998 - Carl Vogt, an Extension Forester with the University of Minnesota, discusses how the maple sap is flowing and the prospects for the syrup harvest.
March 5, 1998 - Minnesota has begun penalizing welfare recipients who fail to comply with the state's new welfare law. This month, about 950 parents had their welfare checks reduced. But that's a small portion of the total number of people enrolled in the Minnesota Family Investment Program. Out of some 32-thousand cases, only 2.4 percent had their checks cut by 10 percent. Half a percent had their checks cut 30 percent. Deborah Huskins is assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.; Minnesota has begun penalizing welfare recipients who fail to comply with the state's new welfare law. This month, about 950 parents had their welfare checks reduced. But that's a small portion of the total number of people enrolled in the Minnesota Family Investment Program. Out of some 32-thousand cases, only 2.4 percent had their checks cut by 10 percent. Half a percent had their checks cut 30 percent. Deborah Huskins is assistant commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
March 6, 1998 - Minnesota State Representative Gene Pelowski, advanced placement social studies teacher at Winona Senior High School, and Bob Wedl, commissioner of the Department of Children, discuss the new "Profile of Learning" standards requirement. Pelowski and Wedl also answer listener questions.
March 6, 1998 - Beads, broken glass, stones, bottle caps...not what you usually think of when you think of art. But these ordinary objects have been transformed into colorful, extraordinary sculptures and paintings by midwestern folk artists and are on display at The Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson Wisconsin. There's a six-foot tall replica of syrup-huckster Mrs. Butterworth, a chandelier made of bottle caps and creatures of concrete decorated with broken china. The show "Passionate Obsessions" was curated by Loris Connolly who took us on a tour of the exhibit.
March 6, 1998 - Grain farmers in the Red River Valley are facing an economic crisis that's been years in the making. Disease, pests and five straight seasons of wet weather have devastated crops. Falling prices have left some farmers without enough cash on hand to even plant this year. Lawmakers will be in Northwestern Minnesota tomorrow to discuss the problem. Curt Nyegaard is an extension educator in Kittson County. He blames the crisis in part on 1980s farm policy which made it hard to rotate crops and required farmers to leave crop residue on their land after harvest to stem erosion. Such practices fostered the spread of crop disease.
March 9, 1998 - Veterinarian Kate An Hunter answers listener questions about dogs and cats and other small animals. She is a veterinarian at Carver Lake Veterinary Center.
March 9, 1998 - Midday continues a second hour with veterinarian Kate An Hunter, who answers listener questions about dogs and cats and other small animals. She is a veterinarian at Carver Lake Veterinary Center.
March 10, 1998 - Mark Seeley, University of Minnesota meteorologist and climatologist, answers listener questions about the weather. Topics include El Niño, and the warm winter.
March 10, 1998 - Midday continues a second hour with Mark Seeley, University of Minnesota meteorologist and climatologist, who answers listener questions about the weather. Topics include weather guide, ball lightning, and weather cycles.