March 5, 1999 - Novelist Jon Hassler is best known for his fictional tales of ordinary people who experience extraordinary things. Hassler brings those same elements and even a few familiar characters to his latest literary pursuit, a darkly comedic play set in the small Midwestern town of Staggerford, the same town he wrote about in his very first novel.
March 5, 1999 - Chicano-Latino community leaders in Minnesota are hoping Governor Jesse Ventura's administration will usher in a new era for Hispanics, and possibly open doors for future cabinet positions. They invited the governor to a reception at Boca Chica, a west side St. Paul restaurant that's been a hub of local Latino culture and politics for over 30 years.
March 8, 1999 - Mike Hatch, Attorney General, discusses his legislative agenda. Topics include HMO reform, crime-fighting, airline competition, banking reforms and more. Hatch also answers listener questions.
March 8, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman presents a series titled “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota.” In this part, Nyman profiles the history of the Hmong people, their journey to the United States, and the life of one Hmong American family in Saint Paul.
March 9, 1999 - Many Minnesotans experienced a few white knuckle moments on the roads today, but imagine if driving was your work. Author Ellen Hawley spent five years as a twin cities cab driver. Her first novel, "Trip Sheets" is a fictional account of a young female cabbie loosely based on Hawley's life. Hawley says she's glad she didn't have to spend 9 hours on the roads today, but the cab driving life does offer some perks.
March 9, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman presents a series titled “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota.” In this part, Nyman reports on the shift of power and leadership from the older to the younger generation in the Hmong community.
March 9, 1999 - Matt Davis, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, says March 8th snowstorm set a record. The storm blanketed much of the Midwest and dumped 16 inches of snow in the Twin Cities.
March 10, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman presents a series titled “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota.” In this part, Nyman looks at how the centuries-old tradition of Hmong hand stitching is a practice becoming less useful as Hmong women create new lives in the U.S.
March 11, 1999 - Howard Sinker, MPR sports commentator; and Jay Weiner, MPR sports commentator, discuss the allegations of academic fraud in the University of Minnesota basketball program. MPR reporters William Wilcoxen and Tim Pugmire contribute reports. Basketball coach, Clem Haskins, discusses big-time athletics in the University setting.
March 11, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman presents a series titled “This Is Home: The Hmong in Minnesota.” In this part, Nyman reports on an increasing number of Hmong Americans returning to visit their homeland of Laos…or Thailand, where refugee camps became home for thousands after the war ended in 1975 and Laos became a communist country.