July 24, 2003 - The prosecutor in a high-profile Duluth murder case 26 years ago says tests of DNA on an old envelope confirm the prosecution's case. From the beginning, authorities suspected Roger and Marjorie Caldwell of entering Glensheen mansion and killing Duluth heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her night nurse Velma Pietila. As Elisabeth's adopted daughter, Marjorie Caldwell, stood to inherit a substantial sum from Congdon's 8 million dollar estate. Roger Caldwell was convicted of the murder and Marjorie was aquitted. She was later convicted of arson in an Arizona case and is still serving time. Caldwell committed suicide in 1988, but maintained innocence in his suicide note. John de Santo, one of the prosecutors in the murder case, has just co-authored a book called "Will to Murder." He says new evidence proves the couple's guilt.
July 31, 2003 - Minneapolis police officials say they are still looking for suspects in the shooting of a 19-month-old girl Tuesday night. They say Deasha Hazley was sitting in her living room with her family when two gunmen approached the house and fired through a window. The shooting of the young girl was one of several shootings in the same north Minneapolis neighborhood in the last week. City officials are renewing their call for tougher law enforcement and neighborhood leaders are calling on city residents to lend a hand.
August 1, 2003 - As peacekeeping troops wait to enter Liberia, there's another, less visible group, waiting in the wings in the United States. As MPR’s Rob Schmitz reports, many young Liberians are in school receiving training, and developing skills that they hope they can use to rebuild their homeland.
August 13, 2003 - Mall of America officials are disputing a Newsweek article in which an FBI agent says the mall "is a huge recruiting center" for teen prostitution. The article features the Bloomington mall in a photo and an interview with a 16-year-old girl who said she was approached by three pimps while shopping. Mall officials say they have many methods in place to deter pimps---including a parental escort policy, two outreach programs and a substation of the Bloomington police. Leslie Johnson is a spokeswoman for Catholic Charities--and is involved with an outreach program targeting troubled teens at the mall. She says there IS a rise in the number of teenage prostitutes--but it's not just at the Mall of America. Johnson says anywhere teens congregate is a magnet for people who try to recruit teens into prostitution. In her work with the Catholic Charities' Hope Street Program, she sees many homeless teens who are vulnerable to predators.
August 15, 2003 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on the Minneapolis city budget, which continues to drop by millions of dollars. Mayor R.T. Rybak says he sees some reason for optimism. Rybak delivered his 1.24 billion-dollar budget proposal for 2004, saying there will be no more layoffs. In fact, he says the city will hire more police and firefighters. But the strain of debt and the second round of cuts from the state mean property taxes for Minneapolis homeowners will continue to rise. Report includes commentary form various city officials.
August 15, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Chris Julin reports on rocks of the Great Lakes. Thousands of tourists visit the beaches of Lake Superior's North Shore to enjoy it’s rocky shoreline…and many will be throwing those rocks into the lake.
August 20, 2003 - On this Mainstreet Radio special report, MPR’s Cathy Wurzer presents “Rekindling the Spirit - The Rebirth of American Indian Spirituality.” Program includes various reports by MPR’s Dan Gunderson and Tom Robertson, and numerous interviews with Native Americans on spiritual beliefs and roots.
August 20, 2003 - When the Minnesota State Fair opens tomorrow visitors will see signs at entrances banning guns from the fairgrounds. Fair officials say their ban is nothing new and makes pratical sense. Gun rights advocates say the fair has no legal authority under Minnesota's new concealed carry law to prohibit permit holders from bringing handguns to the fair. They say if the fair goes ahead with its ban, it'll likely face a lawsuit.
August 21, 2003 - MPR’s Mark Zdechlik reports on the first day of the Minnesota State Fair, which opened for business with none other than Governor Tim Pawlenty greeting some of the first visitors early in the morning. As always, there's a mixture of new attractions and old standbys at the fair, which officials hope will draw more than 1 and 3/4 million people over the week and a half of State Fair.
August 27, 2003 - At the Creative Arts building, you'll spot some carousels of glass display cases. Every year, they house the winners of the State Fair postcard collection contest. MPR’s Stephanie Curtis interviews a Fair judge about the cards.