June 7, 1999 - Minneapolis based Honeywell today announced it will be acquired by New Jersey based Allied Signal. The new company's corporate headquarters will be in Morristown, New Jersey, but it will keep the Honeywell name. Investors cheered the 15 billion dollar deal, sending share prices for both companies soaring. But elected officials and community activists in Minneapolis said the loss of the headquarters was a blow to the city and the inner-city neighborhood where Honeywell has its headquarters.
June 7, 1999 - Honeywell's proposed merger and move to New Jersey worries many in Minneapolis , where the company's charitable giving and community activism is having a big effect on neighborhoods. Honeywell chairman and CEO Micheal Bonsignore tried to reassure civic leaders the company will remain a strong presence when headquarter operations move east. But Minneapolis leaders worry that once the city -- and especially the Phillips neighborhood -- is out of sight of key executives, it will also be out of mind when it comes to community-building activities.
June 8, 1999 - Business leaders are asking themselves if there was anything the state could have done to keep Honeywell from leaving Minnesota. The general consensus is NO -- for one thing, Honeywell kept its merger plans secret from state officials until the last minute. But some people inside and outside government say the state should take Honeywell's sudden departure as a warning of things to come.
June 8, 1999 - State education officials say they're encouraged by third and fifth grade test scores in reading, math and writing. Second-year results of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests, showed gains in both grades. Despite the improvements, education leaders say it's still too soon to draw conclusions from the scores.
June 8, 1999 - This has not been edited. Republican Senator Rod Grams isn't up for re-election until fall 2000, but his campaign is now underway. Last night, Grams attended a dinner in Minneapolis to kick-off the fund-raising. And already several prominent DFLers have lined-up for the chance to challenge him.
June 8, 1999 - A new study by the Annie Casey Foundation shows that while fewer American teens are giving birth--the numbers are a mixed bag across racial and ethnic lines. AND--while MANY of the nation's largest cities have recorded a drop in birth rates among teens, the rate change in Minneapolis is less impressive than that of many big cities.
June 8, 1999 - A popular Guthrie Actress is taking on a new role as a Children's book author. Isabelle Monk's first book, "Hope" looks at what its like to grow up as a bi-racial child. The story started out as a Christmas gift for her friend's new baby. Monk wanted the child to grow up feeling pround of her mixed heritage. She drew pictures for her story, had the pages laminated at kinkos, and wrapped it up in Christmas ribbon.
June 8, 1999 - Honeywell employees are sorting through surprise, sadness and uncertainty a day after the news of New Jersey-based Allied Signal's aquisition of the company.
June 8, 1999 - Minnesota has come out on the downside in the latest merger deal. Honeywell's corporate headquarters are moving to the east coast as part of its acquisition by Morristown New Jersey-based Allied Signal. Over the past couple of years the whole COUNTRY has experienced an unprecedented wave of takeovers in many different industries. While Minnesota has long prided itself on the number of Fortune 500 companies based here, MANY are not big enough to stand alone in a marketplace which increasingly values size above all else. As a result, the Twin Cities has LOST some companies -- but it has also won some.
June 9, 1999 - High school seniors are marking the end of a school year filled with hard choices and traditional pressures. At graduation, these young people either have their plans in place or remain undecided about what's next. But they are ALL thinking hard about leaving familiar surroundings and facing an uncertain future. Saint Paul's Johnson High is among the schools holding commencement exercises tonight, and Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire talked with members of the class of 1999.