March 15, 1999 - Two of the nation's largest farmer owned cooperatives, Minnesota-based Cennex Harvest States and Missouri-based Farmland Indsutries, say they're considering merging their grain businesses. They think consolidating could help them better market their member farmer's products. The move is part of a broader trend of agra business consolidation that's creating a handful of enormous conglomerates.
March 16, 1999 - Former US Attorney David Lillehaug today became the first candidate to formally announce plans to challenge Senator Rod Grams in the year 2000. Grams is considered one of the most vulnerable Republican Senators seeking re-election next year, and the list of potential D-F-L and Reform Party contenders is growing rapidly.
March 16, 1999 - Students in the ST. Paul public schools currently have in-school clinics that provide complete reproductive care. They provide sex education, test for sexually transmitted diseases, and give prescriptions for birth control. Now the non-profit group, Health Start that runs these school clinics is asking the school board for permission to fill students prescriptions for bith control at school clinics. Health Start says too few students are following through on getting their prescriptions filled at off-site clinics. Carol White is the director.
March 16, 1999 - State lawmakers are considering a bill to allow for the medical use of marijuana. last year, voters in five states approved initiatives to legalize marijuana for medical use. Proponents say it will go far to aid grievously Ill and dying patients. Opponents say it would lead to increased illegal use, more crime and addiction.
March 16, 1999 - A bill toughening Minnesotas drunk-driving law has been moving through the Minnesota House. 1998 saw an increase in alcohol-related highway deaths, and the bills proponents say lowering the blood-alcohol limit from point-one-oh to point-oh-eight would save lives. State highway patrol officers, meanwhile, say drunk drivers are one of their most persistent challenges. The patrol spent last week training new recruits in the art and craft of detecting drunks.
March 16, 1999 - Minnesota lawmakers are considering comprehensive campaign finance reform for the first time in five years. Legislation headed to the House floor is designed to plug loopholes in Minnesota law, but critics say it will allow more corporate money to influence politics. And some legislators say it's time to stop tweaking the system, and move to publicly-funded campaigns as other states have done.
March 16, 1999 - The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld the State's practice of confiscating vehicles from repeat DWI offenders as a way to get drunk drivers off the road. The law took effect last year and is part of a national trend to further stiffen the penalties for drunk drivers.
March 16, 1999 - The Metropolian Airports Commission is warning people who fly in and out of the Twin Cities international airport that this summer could be a difficult one. Large scale construction on roadways and parking ramps will likely cause major delays for travellers. It's all part of a two billion dollar project that will unfold over the next few years to ensure the airport will be big enough and modern enough to serve Minnesota for the next twenty years.
March 17, 1999 - A profile of St. Paul composer Eric Stokes, who died in a car accident at the age of 68. Report includes a portion of Composer’s Voice 1993 interview with Stokes.
March 17, 1999 - US and Canadian wildlife officials are preparing to significantly reduce the population of snow geese. The estimated six million geese are destroying their nesting habitat in northern Canada. Hunters are being called on to shoot more geese in an extended spring season.