March 19, 2001 - St. Paul NAACP President Nathaniel Khaliq. He will be meeting with St. Paul police officials today at 1:00.
March 20, 2001 - When the Minnesota Twins last made a major push for a new ballpark, team officials argued they needed the facility to make them financially competitive with the rest of the league. In the four years since that effort failed at the Legislature, player salaries have risen so high that the team now concedes that revenue from a new ballpark alone won't balance their books.
March 20, 2001 - Civil rights leaders and members of the St. Paul Police department met Monday afternoon with a federal mediator to discuss racial profiling. The parties involved in the discussion say the talk was productive and that further meetings are expected. However, neither side is revealing any details about what was discussed.
March 21, 2001 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen previews the first Women's Hockey Final Four. Wilcoxen interviews players and fans about their feelings on the first NCAA Women’s Hockey Championship, which is being hosted at the University of Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena.
March 21, 2001 - Governor Jesse Ventura said he's strongly considering asking the Legislature to change state law to bar teachers from striking. At an education forum in St. Louis Park, Ventura suggested putting teachers in the category of Essential State Employees, same as policemen and firefighters.
March 22, 2001 - Minnesota Author Evelyn Fairbanks has died at the age of 72. Fairbanks wrote "Days of Rondo," a memoir about growing up in St. Paul's largest black neighborhood in the 1930's and '40's. The Rondo neighborhood was razed in the 1960's to make way for interstate 94. Fairbank's book was published in 1990 and is now in its fourth printing. In 1991, Fairbanks gave up city life and moved to the outskirts of tiny Onamia, Minnesota, where she operated a 20 acre tree farm. In a 1995 interview with Minnesota Public Radio's Beth Friend, Fairbanks described why she was drawn to the country.
March 26, 2001 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on the effects low water levels in Lake Superior are having on shipping. Great Lakes freighters will be loading lighter than ever to stay above the bottoms of harbors and rivers between the lakes.
March 26, 2001 - The state's largest non-profit, which helps children who have autism or mental retardation, wants to shorten its waiting list by expanding. Experts say Minneapolis-based Fraser offers some of the most comprehensive programs in the country for children with mental disabilities, but waits of a year to get Fraser services are common. The organization is raising money to build a center officials say will shorten the delays.
March 27, 2001 - MPR’s Michael Khoo gives a summary report on Governor Jesse Ventura’s appearance on Midday. The governor staked out positions on a host of proposals now under consideration at the state Legislature. Ventura commented on loosening restrictions on carrying a handgun, alcohol sales in grocery stores, and legal sports betting.
March 27, 2001 - MPR's Laura McCallum reports that just days before the first legislative committee deadline, abortion bills are gaining strength at the Capitol. Bills to create a special "Choose Life" license plate and to create a 24-hour waiting period before a woman could get an abortion passed their first legislative hurdles, but Governor Ventura says he'll veto both bills if they land on his desk.