June 15, 1999 - V-shaped formations of migrating geese often herald the beginnings of spring or fall for many Minnesotans. Other bird watchers notice the return of robins or the exodus of orioles on their way to another winter in the tropics. In his new book "Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds" ornithologist Scott Weidensaul says the journey many birds make is nothing short of miraculous. Equally amazing is the short time they have to rest, raise a family AND bulk up for their next big flight.
June 15, 1999 - Volunteers armed with petitions fanned out in the city's skyways today, part of an effort to acquire some 5000 signatures to put a Minnesota Twins ballpark proposal on the November ballot. The petition drive comes as a new poll indicates stadium proponents may face an uphill battle.
June 15, 1999 - The Minnesota Department of Revenue is advising Governor Ventura against repealing the state inheritance tax because it wouldn't save taxpayers money. Ventura said at a farm forum yesterday he's considering repealing the tax as a way to help farmers.
June 15, 1999 - Classes have ended for the year at Saint Paul's New Arrivals School...and the program for homeless and foster children might not return in the fall. District administrators, forced to make millions of dollars in spending cuts, eliminated funding for several programs next year including New Arrivals School. But they say those students will still get the help they need.
June 15, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura says state government needs to do everything it can to help Minnesota farmers and to prevent an economic collapse in rural areas. Last night, the governor participated in the first of four forums on agriculture this summer. He says he's open to several ideas including an anti-trust investigation of large farming conglomerates and the elimination of the state inheritance tax.
June 15, 1999 - The federal agency that regulates the nuclear power industry is changing how it inspects reactors. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission hopes to make the agency more efficient...and at the same time help nuclear power plants compete once the electric utility industry is deregulated. Northern States Power's Prairie Island plant near Red Wing is one of nine facilities around the country where the NRC is testing the new inspection process. Agency officials explained the plan to citizens last night, and got a mixed response.
June 15, 1999 - It's hard to know, just over a week after the news broke, how the merger of Minneapolis -based Honeywell and AlliedSignal will shake out. We don't know exactly how many people will be fired or moved, or how the 114-year old Honeywell will look in five or ten years. But talk to a few longtime Honeywell workers, and you can get a picture of the company's past. Minnesota Public Radio's John Rabe recently spoke with three Honeywell retirees with a combined 1-hundred-8 years of service.
June 16, 1999 - J.F Powers, One of Minnesota's most acclaimed authors died on Saturday at his home in Collegeville. He was 81 years old. Powers' first novel, "Morte D'Urban" won the national book award in 1962. In the following years, Powers published a collection of short stories, but it took him more than two decades to complete his next novel. Like most of Powers' work, that book, "Wheat that Springeth Green," explored the world of the priesthood. In 1988, just after the novel's publication, Powers told Minnesota Public Radio he'd never considered the priesthood himself.
June 16, 1999 - A report released today by a collection of government and private organizations documents a steady decline in the the health of the Mississippi River. The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center says its Status and Trends report promises to be the start of the most comprehensive ecological study ever of the river system. By collecting years of information, scientists hope to be better at tracking the threats to the river such as sediment and farm run-off.
June 16, 1999 - St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman has formally launched his bid to bring the Minnesota Twins to downtown St. Paul. Yesterday, volunteers armed with petitions began collecting signatures to put a ballpark question on the November ballot. The proposal, however, is already drawing stiff opposition.