January 26, 1999 - Two students from the Twin Cities are watching President Clinton's Impeachment Trial from the exclusive confines of the Senate Press office. Tara Zapp of St. Paul's Central High is filing stories for the Humphrey Forum Youth News Service. Thanks to a little help from Minnesota Republican Senator Rod Grams, she managed to snare a press pass. I asked Zapp to describe today's action, beginning with House Manager Asa Hutchinson's call to bring witnesses.
January 26, 1999 - The Maplewood City Council has voted to approve a new family homeless shelter in the St. Paul suburb. The decision was welcomed by advocates for the homeless, but came amid strong opposition from some local businesses and residents.
January 26, 1999 - A controversial project that opens child protection hearings to the public has gotten mixed reviews after its first six months. Supporters of the project hoped opening the once-closed hearings would spur more people to help abused children through adoption or foster care. They also believed the public would help determine whether the child protection system is working. But opponents argued the publicity would harm children whose cases came under the glare of media attention. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports it appears neither has happened.
January 27, 1999 - Graduate students are trying to form a union at the University of Minnesota. Organizers say they've collected signatures from more than half of the eligible students, setting the stage for a unionization vote this spring. Supporters say a union would mean better pay and working conditions for teaching assistants and research assistants. But many graduate students oppose a union.
January 27, 1999 - A Wisconsin Senator offered two suprise votes in President Clinton's impeachment trial today. Democrat Russ Feingold voted with the Republicans not to dismiss the case and to allow prosecutors to question three witnesses. He was the only senator to vote across party lines today. In a statement, Feingold said if the Senate were to dismiss the case before hearing from witnesses, it would improperly short-circuit the trial. But he said his votes should not be construed as a sign he's decided to convict Clinton. Feingold's action came as a shock to Wisconsin Democrats. Bill Dixon is a Madison attorney who's known as an elderstatesman of Wisconsin politics.
January 27, 1999 - The Minnesota Department of Economic Security predicts the state's economy will need to fill one million jobs by 2006. Some businesses are already reporting a "worker shortage" -- not enough skilled employees to fuel the economy's continued expansion. And policy experts expect the problem to grow.
January 27, 1999 - Remember lead poisoning? Years ago scientists delivered the ominous news that lead from peeling paint and polluted soil was poisoning millions of Americans children. Years later, after education and a lot of clean-up, the threat is greatly diminished. But not among poor people who live in America's inner city neighborhoods. A one-of-a kind program in Minneapolis ' Phillips neighborhood teaches people how to avoid lead poisoning and helps them clean up lead contaminated houses.
January 27, 1999 - Mainstreet Radio’s Amy Radil profiles Duluth musher John Stetson, who ran the 1999 Beargrease mid-distance race of 150 miles. He says he loves to race because it's the ultimate test for a musher and his or her dogs.
January 27, 1999 - Grand Marais has long been home to artists and art-loving tourists. But the area's theater and visual arts aren't just for summer guests -- several unique partnerships have made the arts integral to the local public schools as well. Students in the remote, sparsely populated area are kept busy dancing, drawing... and even venturing into theater of the absurd.
January 27, 1999 - A group of Minnesota hog farmers have been taking their case, and their pork-chops, directly to the people. Yesterday they held a truck sale in a Twin Cities suburb, offering prices as low as 60 cents a pound. The farmers want to draw attention to low hog prices that are hurting them, while supermarket prices stay high. As Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports, shoppers braved wind and cold to get a deal, AND support farmers.