September 30, 1999 - The Northstar Corridor is a 77 mile transportation route that runs from Downtown Minneapolis to just north of Saint Cloud. It runs next to a state highway and existing rail track in one of the fastest growing areas of the state. Now there's talk of building a commuter rail line along the corridor to fight increasing traffic. But not everyone thinks the idea will work.
September 30, 1999 - Sun Country Airlines and the Metropolitan Airports Commission are planning a ground breaking ceremony for a new terminal at the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport today. The facility will replace the Humphrey Charter Terminal. Airport officials say the additional gate space will help them attract more airlines to Minneapolis -St. Paul.
October 1, 1999 - Today is the self-imposed deadline for identifying new owners for the Minnesota Twins. Finding new investors is part of an agreement between the team and Mayor Norm Coleman to bring the Twins to downtown St. Paul. It appears a deal could be close that would bring three Twin Cities sports teams under one ownership group. But with time running down, much remains uncertain.
October 1, 1999 - A new Census Bureau report shows American median household income is at an all time high. The income gains occured at every earning level AND in every region. Minnesota had the sixth highest household income in the nation... at about 45,500 dollars for 97-98, a jump of almost 3,000 from the previous year. Tom Stinson is the state economist. He says the new household income numbers are not suprising, given the current economy.
October 1, 1999 - Governor Ventura has offered an explanation for the controversial interview he gave Playboy magazine -- but he's stopping short of an apology. Politicians and some religious leaders have reacted angrily to a quote in which he criticizes organized religion. Many people also took offense at other comments from the interview, which they considered to be offensive to women and out of touch with the prevailing morality. Most of the outrage yesterday was directed at a portion of the interview in which Governor Ventura calls organized religion a "crutch for weak-minded people." Under mounting pressure from the media and fellow politicians, the Governor emerged from his office for a hastily called news conference and explained that he in fact does respect other people's religious beliefs. But he says he also harbors a certain degree of skepticism about religion.
October 1, 1999 - Minnesota Korean war veterans are stunned over allegations that U.S. troops may have massacred hundreds of Korean women and children hiding under a railroad bridge in 1950. Ed Valle is President of the 400-member Korean War Veterans of Minnesota Chapter 1. He says if the allegations are true, it's a terrible stain on American troops who were sent to Korea. But he says he's holding out hope it's not true because it would hurt the efforts Minnesota veterans who have fought a long battle for recognition.
October 1, 1999 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on how All God's Children Metropolitan Community Church is looking to broaden acceptance in a conservative community. Leaders of the Minneapolis church, which serves primarily gay and lesbian Christians, is praising the apparant successes of a branch church in Rochester. The extension of church has been meeting and growing in Rochester for more than a year.
October 1, 1999 - A group of Northern Minnesota Loggers says it will file suit today against the U-S Forest Service and two environmental groups. The loggers claim the group's religious views are unduly influencing forest management decisions.
October 4, 1999 - It has the power to move people out of their bedrooms and onto the living room couch -- or in some cases even out the door. The authors of a Mayo Clinic study on snoring found that the nightime noise can lead to divorce. It rarely bothers the snorer--it most often bothers their bedpartner. In one of the first studies of it's kind the Mayo Clinic researchers looked into how a snoring spouse effects the sleep of his or her partner. Dr. John Shepard is the medical director of the Mayo Clininc Sleep Disorders Center--and senior author of the study. He says the study looked at ten married couples where the husband was the snorer. He says he found that the wives were semi-awakened 23 times a night due to their snoring spouse, so they were motivated to enroll in the study.
October 4, 1999 - Opponents to the reroute of Highway 55 in south Minneapolis have been camped out in the path of the highway for more than a year. Young people from the environmental group Earth First have chained themselves to trees and bulldozers. Dozens of them have been arrested. Early on in the battle, Earth First enlisted the help of a group of Native Americans known as the Mendota Mdwakanton Dakota. The Mendota Dakota say the land the highway will pass through was sacred to their ancestors.