August 16, 1999 - The state is in the process of sending out almost 2 Million tax rebate checks, worth a total of $1-point-3 Billion dollars. Some Minnesotans recieved their money over the weekend, and Revenue Department officials say all checks should arrive by Labor Day.
August 16, 1999 - Children in Sioux Falls are designing a playground that anyone can use. A Sioux Falls school that works primariliy with disabled children is expanding and needs to re-design its playground. Right now, There are swings designed for wheelchairs but organizers say that's not enough.
August 17, 1999 - Late last week, the FBI and Twin Cities' law enforcement officials arrested five men who allegedly ran a juvenile prostitution ring. Authorities say the men are members of a Minneapolis crime family who operated their prostitution ring in 24 states. They say at least fifty women - some as young as 14 - were forced to work in massage parlors or escort services. In St. Paul, the police department is also fighting prostitution, and it has a website featuring convicted clients and prostitutes. Michael Jordan is the spokesman for the St. Paul Police Department, and he's on the line now.
August 17, 1999 -
August 17, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura toured the state today to promote a plan to cut the size of the legislature from two houses to one. Ventura says a one house, or unicameral, system will make government more accessible to citizens by simplifying the legislative process. Opponents say the state needs two houses to maintain a system of checks and balances.
August 17, 1999 - A delegation from St. Paul is touring a ballpark in Denver today looking at whether a facility like Coor's Field would be an attractive option for St. Paul. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen joins me now from Denver:
August 17, 1999 - Governor Ventura is taking the first steps toward consolidating the Departments of Public Service and Commerce into a new, expanded Department of Commerce. Ventura says the move makes sense because both departments regulate private industries. Public Service Commissioner Steve Minnesota will serve as the head of both departments until the Administration can get legislative approval to eliminate Public Service. Minnesota says he welcomes the move towards consolidation.
August 17, 1999 - The Twin Cities other pro baseball team wants a better stadium too. The Saint Paul Saints are hoping to convince the city of Saint Paul to kick in $2.2 million dollars to fix up Midway Stadium which was built in 1982. Saints General Manager Bill Fanning says even though the Saints continue to sell out Midway, many fans are cheering in discomfort.
August 17, 1999 - For most of this century, churches across the country kept their doors unlocked 24 hours a day. Church was a place to head any time, for sanctuary. Today, you would be hard-pressed to find a church, in the city or the country, without a lock on its door. Burglary and theft of church property; from electronic equipment to religious articles, has become common. In a recent incident in Fargo, police caught a man they think is responsible for a series of burglaries at area churches. Church officials realize their sanctuaries are no longer immune from crime. Now they face the task of balancing locked doors with open arms.
August 18, 1999 - The Advertising Council is sponsoring a series of public service announcements this evening urging parents to talk with their children about violence. We speak with Mary Lewis Grow, national coordinator of the Student Pledge Against Gun Violence; and Judy Ladd, past president of the American Middle School Counselor Association and currently on the president's expert panel for violence prevention.