January 25, 1999 - Farm advocates from around Minnesota will be in St.Paul this week to talk with lawmakers about farm problems. In northwestern Minnesota a new program called Farm Wrap offers legal, and financial advice to farmers on the edge. Perhaps more importantly, the Farm Wrap gives desperate farmers a place to turn.
January 25, 1999 - Minneapolis ' Shubert Theatre weighs in as the heaviest single building ever to be moved on rubber wheels. But the historic theater won't make the record books until AFTER its 2-block move is complete -- probably late next month.
January 26, 1999 - Critics on both sides of the Profile of Learning Debate are blasting a bill to scale back the new high school graduation rule. Legislators heard public testimony today on what will likely be the most devisive education issue of the session. Some accuse lawmakers of trying to retreat on a sound education reform. Others say the whole system should be dumped.
January 26, 1999 - Governor Ventura today named Ted Mondale to take over as chairman of the Metropolitan Council. The Council has a variety of Twin Cities-wide responsibilities... but Mondale and Ventura indicated MASS TRANSIT will be their number-one priority in the next few years.
January 26, 1999 - City workers in Minneapolis and St. Paul would be able to live wherever they want, under a bill passed by the Minnesota House. For the past few years, both cities have had residency requirements for new employees. The issue sparked heated debate between urban and suburban House members, and prompted Speaker Steve Sviggum to threaten to remove disruptive lawmakers from the House Chamber, a comment he later reversed.
January 26, 1999 - When new Minneapolis Park Superintendent Mary Merrill Anderson was a child growing up in the Phillips neighborhood, she spent summer days swimming in the pool in Peavey Park. She had just a few months each year to make the most of her park adventures since it was common practice to close parks in the winter. These days millions of people use Minneapolis ' 170 parks year-round. It's a tranformation Anderson has watched first-hand in her career with the Minneapolis parks. Anderson says the parks have changed along with Minneapolis ' people.
January 26, 1999 - The plans by Minnesota based commodities giant Cargill to acquire competitor Continental Grain has the attention of Congress. With many commodity prices at or near historic lows, members of the Senate agriculture committee are looking at consolidation in agri-business as a trend that may be affecting prices.
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.