October 8, 1999 - Polling done this week by Minnesota Public Radio and the St. Paul Pioneer Press supports the notion that Governor Jesse Ventura's popularity has taken a hit in the wake of his Playboy magazine interview.
October 8, 1999 -
October 11, 1999 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports that an Ohio man is recovering in an Upper Michigan hospital, after falling overboard from a lake freighter and having to swim five miles in the frigid waters of Lake Superior.
October 12, 1999 - A new program is trying to reverse a worrisome trend in the southeast asian community... an apparent increase in problem gambling. The Minnesota Council on Compulsive Gambling is training mental health professionals to treat the problem within the southeast asian community, where they are more likely to seek treatment. The program is the first of its kind in the country. Elizabeth George is the executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling. She says the stress of being a recent immigrant pulls many southeast asians into problem gambling.
October 13, 1999 - Midday presents a Mainstreet Radio special program to discuss shipping on Lake Superior. Hosted at the Canal Park Maritime Museum in Duluth, Rachel Reabe speaks with guest panelists, including executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, a ship captain with the Western Great Lakes Pilots Association , and a ship agent with Guthrie-Hubner. Panelists also answer listener questions.
October 13, 1999 - Mainstreet Radio's Leif Enger shipped aboard a Bulgarian tramp freighter as it departed for Italy with a load of North Dakota wheat. Enger presents an understanding of sailor life aboard.
October 13, 1999 - Governor Jesse Ventura says he wants to see all Minnesota children covered by health insurance by the end of his term. The Governor highlighted the health care priorities included in his so-called Big Plan at a teen clinic in Minneapolis today.
October 13, 1999 - The field of DFL candidates is shaping up in the 2000 Senate campaign. Trial lawyer Michael Ciresi plans to enter the race to challenge Republican Senator Rod Grams today, while Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe and Congressman David Minge have decided not to jump in. D-F-L leaders are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's gubernatorial race, when a six-way battle divided the party.
October 13, 1999 - Republican incumbent Rod Grams WAS the candidate with the most money in the bank for the 2000 U.S. Senate race -- that is, until today. That title now goes to Democrat Michael Ciresi, who officially entered the race this morning, and brought with him the millions of dollars he earned on Minnesota's landmark tobacco lawsuit last year. That case produced a $6 Billion dollar settlement for the state -- and $566 Million dollars in fees for Ciresi's law firm. Republicans say Ciresi's financial clout is formidable -- but not insurmountable. And before he can use his money against Grams he must win the DFL nomination.
October 13, 1999 - The state House Crime Prevention Committee is again exploring options for changing Minnesota's law on concealed handguns. Last night, the committee took public testimony on a proposal that would make it easier for some Minnesotans to carry concealed weapons.