September 13, 1999 - A federal appeals court hears arguments today in a Minnesota case that pits renters against those who research their rental histories.
September 14, 1999 - Twin Cities based Best Buy company, the nation's leading consumer electronics retailer.. releases its second quarter earnings today. The company's share price has fallen percent since hitting a high of 79 last July. The drop reflected fears in some quarters that higher interest rates and other factors could hurt consumers's buying sentiment. If the company's earnings report falls short of Wall Street's expectations, the stock could plunge further. But several analysts say the company's prospects remain good.
September 14, 1999 - The Reform Party has been on the sidelines while Republican and Democratic candidates criss-cross the country campaigning for President. But, that could soon change. GOP Presidential hopeful Pat Buchanan who is dissatisfied with his party is considering switching to the Reform Party. Meanwhile, Governor Ventura is apparently wooing New York financier Donald Trump who is also considering a run under the Reform Party banner. Political Science Professor at Gustavus Adolphus College Chris Gilbert says while the attention is good for the party, it does highlight a problem within the organization.
September 14, 1999 - Many Minnesota farmers may find their fall harvest caught up in growing consumer concern over the safety of genetically altered crops. Corn and Soybean growers in the state have invested heavily in the technology... but the European Union has said it won't buy gene-altered crops and some U-S buyers have followed suit. Mike Yost is past president of the Minnesota Soybean Association and a Soybean grower himself. He says he's not sure how the latest uproar will affect the price he gets for his soybeans.
September 14, 1999 - The people planning the proposed light rail transit line along Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis want to have most of the design questions answered by the end of the month. Later this year the plans go to the Federal Transit Commission where they join proposal from other cities also seeking federal funding for rail projects. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson recently discussed the design process with the head of the design team at the engineering firm.
September 14, 1999 - Officials in the paper industry say they face a shortage of quality wood pulp in the next 10 to 20 years. To make up for the future pinch in supply, paper mills are raising their own trees to harvest. And now some Minnesota farmers are trying to get a piece of the action by planting trees as a crop.
September 14, 1999 - A group of former Excelsior Henderson Motorcycle Company employees has filed a lawsuit claiming the company violated federal law when it laid off nearly 100 people earlier this month. The workers say they were entitled to two months notice prior to the elimination of their jobs.
September 15, 1999 - Students in Minnesota and throughout the nation gathered early this morning around the flagpoles at their schools to proclaim their religious faith. The student-led prayer service, known as "See You at the Pole," began in Texas in 1990 and has grown every year. Students say they feel a growing need these days to talk about God, even at school.
September 15, 1999 - A US Census Bureau report released today shows a dramatic increase in the number of minorities that choose to make Minnesota home. The state's minority population increased an estimated 43 percent between 1990 and 1998. Minnesota is still one of the whitest states in the U-S... but the new figures show the state's population is gradually starting to look like the rest of the country. John Powell is the executive director of the institute on race and poverty at the University of Minnesota. He says the recent increase isn't surprising.
September 15, 1999 - The precarious farm economy has accelerated population decline in northwest Minnesota. In turn, that's intensified competition for students among schools faced with declining enrollment. Some say the competition allowed under Minnesota's open enrollment law makes for better education, but others worry where marketing schools may lead.