July 1, 1999 - A new poll commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and KARE-TV shows significant opposition to ballpark plans in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. Roughly two-thirds of respondents in both cities object to current proposals to use tax dollars to finance a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins. Stadium supporters on both sides of the river say they are not surprised by the findings, but they still believe a stadium package could be crafted in the public interest.
July 1, 1999 - The man accused of kidnapping Katie Poirier now faces federal charges as a convicted felon in possession of firearms. If convicted Donald Blohm will face a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years in prison, with the possibility of life. Investigators also announced today they found human remains at a search of Bloms property near Moose Lake.
July 1, 1999 - The sports facilities commission is left with a Metrodome that neither the Twins nor the Vikings want to call home. Dennis Alfton is the director of operations for the Commission. He says the Commission knows the Vikings have been unhappy with the dome for some time.
July 2, 1999 - The Fourth of July is a mere four days away -- that means small-town parades, back-yard barbeques, and, yes, fireworks. Fireworks have been illegal in the state since 1941, but each year Minnesotans flock to Wisconsin and return with bottle rockets, sparklers, and firecrackers. Governor Jesse Ventura says they should be able to make those same purchases here at home. But others warn legalizing fireworks will only lead to more accidents and injuries.
July 2, 1999 - Even as cost estimates for a proposed light rail transit system rise, Minneapolis and St. Paul residents continue to show strong support for the idea. A new poll commissioned by Minnesota Public Radio, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and KARE-TV shows well over two thirds of those responding to the survey support light rail.
July 2, 1999 - Minnesota Twins officials have thrown their support behind St. Paul efforts to build the team a new ballpark. Mayor Norm Coleman had said he needed a commitment from the team before he asked St. Paul voters approve a .5% sales tax increase to pay for the project.
July 2, 1999 - First Lady Terry Ventura took over as host of Governor Ventura's weekly radio show today. The talk radio rookie dedicated about half of her debut to discussing stress-management with an chiroprator, then moved on to the farm crisis.
July 2, 1999 - Later today, Mayor Norm Coleman will submit more than 10-thousand signatures to place his proposal for a St. Paul ballpark on the ballot this fall. That strategy is likely to coincide with a public relations campaign to keep the Twins in Minneapolis . And if those two proposals aren't confusing enough, the Minnesota Vikings are voicing stadium ambitions of their own.
July 2, 1999 - While Mayor Coleman has gotten most of the attention for his petition drive to bring the Twins to St. Paul, there's another group trying to get a referendum on the November ballot: Scenic Minnesota. The group filed a petition today to ban billboards in the capitol city. Downtown businessman John Mannillo chairs Scenic Minnesota. He says St. Paul has more billboards than any other city in the state but getting politicians to pay attention to the issue has been difficult.
July 2, 1999 - MPR’s John Bischoff visits carillonneur David Johnson at House of Hope church along Summit Avenue in St. Paul, as he prepares for July 4th concert. Johnson discusses the instrument and how to play it.