April 6, 1999 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports the Minnesota Twins roster for 1999 season feature several unproven players who are new to Major League Baseball…the consequence of owner Carl Pohlad’s decision to slash the Twins' payroll over the winter. The move puts Twins management in the position of trying to raise interest in the team amid low expectations.
April 6, 1999 - If you step into a bookstore these days, chances are you'll encounter the Sunday morning talk shows in book form...former Clinton advisor George Stephanopolos is out with his tell-all about being a close Clinton aide. Newsweek's Michael Isikoff has written about his role as a reporter hot on the trail of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, and of course, Monica Lewinsky's book made quite a splash when it came out earlier this year. Washington Post book critic and columnist Jonathan Yardley is in Minneapolis for some speaking engagements. I asked him what he thinks of the latest round of inside-the-beltway books.
April 7, 1999 - The Minnesota Twins opened their 1999 season with a win, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 at the Metrodome. The victory comes amid low expectations for this year's team which includes a large number of rookies. 10 of the 25 names on team roster are new to Major League Baseball. MPR's Michael Khoo reports the lack of star power hasn't dampened fan enthusiasm.
April 7, 1999 - Behind the scenes, the Science Museum of Minnesota is awash in dollies, crates, and styrofoam packing material. Throughout 1999, museum curators and volunteers will pack hundreds of thousands of fossils and priceless objects to be shipped to a new home located along the Mississippi River in St. Paul. Most visitors won't notice a big change in the exhibit since museum curators are starting with items that are not currently on display. The exception though is the dinosaur exhibit. Already an 82-foot diplodocus and 30-foot triceratops stand headless. Paleontologist Andy Redline is directing the science museum's dinosaur move.
April 13, 1999 - MPR’s Eric Jansen reports on community complaints regarding Minneapolis Police Department’s CODEFOR program. Minneapolis’ mayor and police chief say CODEFOR has dramatically reduced crime in the city. Critics and civil rights groups claim the computer-assisted program that targets neighborhoods based on crime patterns encourages police harassment and makes some residents feel like prisoners in their own homes.
April 14, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura visits the MPR studios to talk about his first 100 days in office and answer listener questions.
April 14, 1999 - MPR’s Eric Jansen reports on Minneapolis’ Amazon Bookstore Collective taking internet giant Amazon.com to court, claiming trademark infringement and deceptive practices. Jansen interviews book shop owner and an Amazon.com spokesman.
April 16, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Rochester on senior citizens and Minnesota's long-term care system. In this hour, Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion about nursing home alternatives with Connie Bagley, director of the Southeastern Minnesota Area Agency on Aging; Hal Freshley, of the Minnesota Board of Aging; and Dr. Ken Hepburn, director of Geriatrics programs at Department of Family Practice at University of Minnesota.
April 16, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Rochester on senior citizens and Minnesota's long-term care system. In this hour, Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion about nursing home challenges in Rochester with Dr. Kevin Fleming, a geriatrician at the Mayo Clinic; Sheila Kiskaden, a state senator; and Mark Casperson, executive director of Samaritan Bethany Heights Nursing Home.
April 16, 1999 - Mainstreet Radio’s Brent Wolfe visits a senior foster care family in southeast Minnesota. Nursing homes across Minnesota face a serious labor shortage that's forcing some to leave beds empty because they can't find nursing assistants to care for patients. Advocates for senior citizens are looking for ways to attract more workers and they're also looking for alternatives to nursing homes…one such alternative is senior foster care.