May 19, 1999 - On this Midday, a look ahead to light rail transit in the Twin Cities. With the legislature having approved funding, what will we see, and when? Guests Peter McLaughlin, the chair of the Metropolitan LRT Joint Powers Board; and John Byrd, assistant general manager for Rail Operations at Metro Transit provide details on plans.
May 20, 1999 - A farm in southwest Minnesota probably is not the first place you'd expect a professional mezzo soprano to call home, but that is exactly what MPR’s Mark Steil found when talking with Gary Overgaard, a farmer, and his wife Emily Lodine, an opera singer.
May 21, 1999 - A Midday broadcast of Walking Out of History: The True Story of Shackleton's Endurance Expedition, an American RadioWorks documentary about Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance Antarctica expedition. MPR’s John Rabe presents various interviews, readings, sounds, and commentary.
May 24, 1999 - University of Minnesota officials are still trying to determine if allegations of a cover-up by athletic officials are true. An investigation is underway, but results are not expected for several weeks. Micheal Messner is a Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at the University of Southern California. He says if the charges are true, the U-of-M will be among a growing number of schools facing this problem.
May 26, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Lake Benton. Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion about Minnesota's wind farm on Buffalo Ridge and the greater wind-power industry with guests Marlin Thompson, Lake Benton mayor; Jim Nichols, a former agriculture commissioner who now heads economic development efforts for the area; and Audrey Zibelman, director of Energy Marketing for Northern States Power.
May 26, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Lake Benton. Rachel Reabe hosts a discussion about deregulation of the electric industry with guests Steve Minn, Minnesota Public Service commissioner; Jim Nichols, Arlene Lesewski, Republican state senator from Marshall; Michael Noble, executive director of Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy; and Rick Lemonds, general manager of Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative.
May 26, 1999 - MPR’s Mary Losure reports that Governor Jesse Ventura has vetoed a bill that would have loosened the Minnesota Pollution Control's regulation of animal feedlots. The bill would have exempted livestock farmers from state air quality standards when they were spreading manure on farm fields. It also would have eliminated a new set of rules that govern which feedlots are subject to environmental review.
May 26, 1999 - With his stack of vetoes behind him, Governor Ventura has launched his national promotional tour for his autobiography "I Ain't Got Time To Bleed". This evening he'll appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum joins me now from the NBC studios where taping will get underway in a little while.
May 28, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura's speech to the Society of Professional Journalists meeting this week in Minneapolis. Following the speech, Gary Eichten talks to former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson about how the media cover the governor and other important stories.
May 28, 1999 - Thousands of Minnesotans are heading to a lakeshore cabin this Memorial Day weekend. If you're one of them, aside from the boating and picnicing, chances are you may be doing a little yardwork. But before you get winded mowing that acre of lawn, you might want to look over a new book put out by the Department of Natural Resources filled with suggestions on how to develop an environmentally friendly lakeshore frontage. DNR Nongame Wildlife Supervisor Carrol Henderson co-wrote "Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality.