March 19, 1999 -
March 22, 1999 - State officials are rejecting a proposal for unlimited open enrollment among Twin Cities schools because they say it's "unworkable." The Minnesotaeaplis NAACP wants to eliminate metro area enrollment boundaries as one step in settling its education adequacy lawsuit against the state. The state has now responded with its own settlement proposal, and few of the NAACP initiatives are included.
March 22, 1999 - Around the Twin Cities metropolitan area, old lines are beginning to blur between previously separate telecommunications technologies. Within the near future, cable television, high-speed Internet access, and telephone service could all be provided in one package through one hook-up in each home. Already, St. Paul and many suburbs are close to completing that convergence. But a dispute between the City of Minneapolis and cable company Paragon has that city and its residents on hold while the rest of the region moves ahead.
March 22, 1999 - Native American elders from several states are supporting the Mendota Medwakanton Dakota in their effort to prevent the reroute of highway 55 in Minneapolis . In two days of testimoney, the elders told federal and state transportation officials that a site near the route of the proposed highway has long been sacred to many tribes.
March 22, 1999 - In a contest for the public's attention, affordable housing doesn't compare with, say, the Oscar winners or a tax cut. But Minnesota's largest foundation says it's time to pay a lot more attention to the issue. The McKnight Foundation today made it's biggest grant ever to a single recipient - $23 million - to build more affordable housing. On Thursday, lawmakers will get an earful from housing advocates who gather at the capitol to lobby for the issue.
March 22, 1999 - The reputation of Rochester's Mayo Clinic spans the globe due in part to high profile visitors like the late King Hussein of Jordan. Rochester residents are accustomed to hearing bits of Italian or Arabic or Portuguese in the downtown shopping mall. However of the 300 thousand patients that visit the clinic each year, about two and a half percent come from overseas. Doctors say while the percentage of foreign visitors may be small, serving them is an important part of the clinic's mission.
March 23, 1999 - The Brooklyn Park City Council is expected to vote tonight to approve an outdoor Amphitheatre project for the Minnesota Orchestra. The 19-thousand seat amphitheater would host about 50 summer concerts. Eighteen would be orchestra performances, the rest would be pop music. But whether it's Pachobel or Prince, neighbors are concerned it'll be just plain noisy. Brian Timerson handles noise problems for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. He says any amphitheater will probably require special permission to exceed legal noise limits.
March 23, 1999 - Note time reference in intro. The crash of the Cirrus SR 20 this afternoon is raising serious concerns for Duluth-based Cirrus Design in addition to a lengthy investigation by Federal authorities. Prospects were bright for Cirrus when its new single-engine airplane was approved by the FAA last year, and orders brisk for the single-engine, four-seater aircraft. But now the cause of the crash, and the consequences for the company, are unclear.
March 23, 1999 - A St. Paul manufacturing plant is back on-line today after its chemical disposal tank in released noxious fumes yesterday. There were no serious injuries. But the leak forced the temporary evacuation of nearby homes and businesses and snarled rush-hour traffic near the intersection of Snelling Avenue and I-94.
March 23, 1999 - Environmental groups released a study today saying there is no need for a four lane bridge over the St. Croix River near Stillwater. The current crossing is a two lane, historic lift bridge that often causes traffic snarls and delays. The study by a consultant at the University of California at Davis says a two lane bridge would be adequate for at least 20 years, and Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic projections showing the need for a larger bridge are seriously flawed.