February 23, 2006 - As part of our "Meet the Candidates” series, MPR’s Mike Mulcahy talks with Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar. She is hoping to keep Mark Dayton's U.S. Senate seat in Democratic hands. She's already raised well over $2 million to finance her campaign, putting her second in the money race behind Republican contender Rep. Mark Kennedy. Klobuchar answers listener questions.
February 24, 2006 - MPR’s Karl Gehrke talks with composer and native Minnesotan Maria Schneider about the influence her southwest Minnesota prairie town experiences in Windom have on her compositions.
February 27, 2006 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports on Teacher Quality Enrichment, a scholarship program that is helping diversify the ranks of the district's ESL teachers. St. Paul's public school district is trying to boost the number of immigrants teaching English as a second language.
March 2, 2006 - MPR’s Sea Stachura reports on life on the road for fiddle player Becky Buller. A St. James, Minnesota native, Buller is touring with bluegrass group Liberty Pike.
March 2, 2006 - The main character in Minneapolis author Lorna Landvik's latest book "Oh My Stars" is dealing with a lot of misfortune. Violet Mathers is growing up in rural Kentucky during the Great Depression. She's been abandoned by her mother, mistreated by her father and lost her arm in a factory accident. Violet decides to leave Kentucky and boards a bus bound for San Francisco. But a bus crash along the journey strands her in North Dakota. There Violet blooms among a group of caring midwesterners and her life is changed.
March 3, 2006 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on Minneapolis-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ewart, who places his focus on the creation of sustainable music. Roberts interviews Ewart and others about the sounds and designs behind Ewart’s instruments and performances.
March 3, 2006 - MPR’s Toni Randolph report that about 400 members of the Hmong community turned out for a town hall meeting in St. Paul to get an update on what's happened since hundreds of Hmong graves were desecrated in Thailand last fall. Many people attending the meeting also sent letters to the United Nations to protest the unearthing and dismemberment of their deceased loved ones.
March 6, 2006 - Former Minnesota Twin Kirby Puckett is listed in critical condition in an Arizona hospital after suffering a stroke. For fans and former teammates of the Hall of Fame outfielder, the news was received with shock and sadness.
March 6, 2006 - Former Minnesota Twins star, Kirby Puckett, remains in critical condition in a Phoenix, Arizona hospital after suffering what is being called a massive stroke. 45-year-old Puckett underwent surgery the day prior to relieve pressure due to bleeding in his brain. Dr. David Anderson, head of Neurology at the University of Minnesota, provides some background on strokes.
March 7, 2006 - MPR’s Brandt Williams visits a Metrodome memorial site for former Minnesota Twin centerfielder Kirby Puckett, who passed away on March 6, 2006. Williams interviews several fans mourning the loss of fame baseball player.