March 15, 1999 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman profiles the play "Hmong! The C-I-A's Secret Army" being staged at the Great American History Theatre in St Paul. The play is based on a screen play written by Lee Vang, a Hmong American in Minnesota. The production tells the story of the ‘secret war’ in Laos through a real-life love story.
March 15, 1999 - Minneapolis City council member Kathy Thurber testified against the bill this weekend. Thurber says she's concerned about the restrictions on gun suits. But she says other parts of the bill pose a more immediate threat to the safety of Minneapolis residents.
March 15, 1999 - Legislation moving through the Minnesota House would require doctors to report when minor girls have abortions without telling their parents. Supporters say the state - and parents - should know when girls have abortions, but opponents say the bill would intimidate girls in rural areas, who fear being identified.
March 15, 1999 - Pressure is building on Minnesota lawmakers to find a way to fund mass transit. Projected Twin Cities population growth and the rising costs of road building are fueling the interest. The problem, as usual, is finding the money. This morning the Minnesota House Transporation Finance committee considers a proposal to create a constitutionally dedicated fund to pay for transit projects.
March 15, 1999 - Full page newspaper ads and a television ad campaign are heralding a new Lyme disease vaccine across the region. Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of the tiny deer tick and, if left untreated, can cause cardiac, neurological and arthritic complications. But even though Minnesota and Wisconsin are listed among areas of the country with higher concentrations of Lyme disease victims, health officials in Minnesota say the risk is low, and most residents don't need the vaccine.
March 15, 1999 - State officials are scrambling to find out why a hog disease known as pseudorabies spread rapidly this winter in southern Minnesota's prime pork raising areas. Over two hundred infected herds are quarantined and officials expect to find more animals with the virus.
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.