January 12, 1998 - Florida and Mississippi have settled their tobacco cases out of court which fuels speculation of a Minnesota settlement before trial next week. The State and Blue Cross Blue Shield are suing the major tobacco companies to recoup smoking-related health care costs.
January 13, 1998 - Jamie Nelson of Togo, Minnesota, won her fourth John Beargrease Sled Dog Race today. The defending champion crossed the finish line in Grand Portage at 10:25 this morning. This year's race was just a bit more than half the usual distance. Lack of snow forced organizers to move the race from Duluth to Grand Portage, and shorten the route. Nelson says mushers and dogs still fought hard to cross the two-hundred and sixty two miles to the finish line.
January 13, 1998 - At first blush, a plan to take a century-old theater in downtown Minneapolis ... put it on a giant truck and move it three blocks down Hennepin Avenue, sounds a little crazy. But the group that is pushing the plan has a knack for the gargantuan. Artspace Projects which already operates the Hennepin Center for the Arts wants to save the historic theater from demolition and provide the city with a new performance space. Whether that makes financial sense is still a question. But as Mary Stucky reports, Artspace has acheived the near impossible before.
January 13, 1998 - President Clinton has announced plans to spend nearly 30-million dollars on training more computer programmers. According to a study conducted by Virginia Tech, one out of every 10 technology jobs in the United States is left unfilled. The President's plan comes as welcome news to many Minnesota employers who have been scrambling to find enough computer-literate employees.
January 13, 1998 - More than a hundred angry residents packed Richfield City Hall last night, taking city officials to task for clear-cutting two-hundred trees for a planned maintenance garage. The city council reversed its decision to build the garage at Veterans Park, but not before residents expressed outrage over the loss of trees, and the process.
January 13, 1998 - There's sure to be plenty of fish tales at this Saturday's ice fishing extravaganza on Gull Lake. After all, the nearly 7000 fishermen who compete will have to come up with some story for their family and friends about why the big one got away. But, for those fortunate enough to win the big prizes, there better not be a hint of exaggeration in their stories...or a polygraph test is sure to point it out. Suspected cheaters are being scrutinized more than ever, after two fishermen were forced to forfeit their top prizes last year when officials suspected foul play at an ice fishing contest in Forrest Lake. Bob Slaybaugh with the Brainerd Jaycee's says contest officials at the Gull Lake contest this weekend are taking no chances on a repeat.
January 13, 1998 - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says its close to wrapping up an investigation into alleged permit violations at the Koch Refinery. The Rosemount facility is the largest refinery in the state and has long been the target of complaints from people living nearby. The MPCA suspects water and air quality violations as well as illegal dumping of hazardous waste. Earlier today Koch executives pledged to spend MILLIONS of dollars to improve environmental protection at their refinery.
January 14, 1998 - MPR’s Leif Enger reports on cold weather tourism on the Gun Flint Trail, and the debates of what exactly that should be. Report includes various interviews and commentary.
January 14, 1998 - State legislators are considering ways to even the spread of funding available to school districts. Officials in suburban and rural districts with low property values say they're falling further behind the property-rich districts. Some lawmakers and educators say the state's budget surplus makes this a good year to try to fix the problem.
January 15, 1998 - House DFLers today sketched out their agenda for the legislative session that starts next week, saying they plan to press the Governor for more money for education.