August 27, 2003 - Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says he wants a police chief who keeps city streets safe, but also holds officers accountable and can be creative with the department's complex budget. Rybak makes his comments as the search for a replacement for Police Chief Robert Olson gets started in earnest.
September 5, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland presents a profile of Bill Janklow's political career. He's been South Dakota’s attorney general, governor and now the state's sole U.S. representative. To some he's a hero: a champion for the underdog, and a great leader in the face of fires, floods and tornadoes. But to others he's a bully, who doesn't just beat his opponents, he obliterates them.
September 5, 2003 - MPR's Brandt Williams reports on lower attendance for home Twins games in 2003. Some baseball insiders are wondering where the fans are. Attendance at the Metrodome is behind 2002, and TV ratings are down significantly. Team officials say they're not worried about the numbers and say they expect crowds to increase as the season draws to a close.
September 18, 2003 - The Twins will be trying to sweep their three game series with the Chicago White Sox when the teams take the field in the Metrodome. With a 4-2 victory the previous night, the Twins fattened their Central Division lead over the White Sox to two-and-a-half games.
September 19, 2003 - MPR's William Wilcoxen reports on Minnesota Twins completion of a three game sweep of the Chicago White Sox with a 5-3 victory at the Metrodome. The win gives the Twins a three-and-a-half game lead over the White Sox in their race for the division title and a spot in the playoffs.
September 19, 2003 - A sold out crowd of one thousand people last night celebrated former Governor Al Quie's 80th birthday. Friends and colleagues say Quie's strong commitment to public service, bipartisanship politics and spirituality makes him a unique man and role model. Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
September 23, 2003 - Three Minnesota organizations are among those getting federal money to help faith-based and community groups provide social services to those in need. Yesterday Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced the federal government will give out 60 new grants totaling over 8 million dollars. Breaking Free, and the Lao Family Community of Minnesota, both based in St. Paul, will get small grants. And the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches will recieved over 500-thousand dollars. Gary Reierson is the president of the council.
September 24, 2003 - New research concludes that racial profiling is practiced by law enforcement agencies around the state of Minnesota. Today the Council on Crime and Justice and the Institute on Race and Poverty released an analysis of a year's worth of traffic stop data collected from 65 law enforcement jurisdictions. They found that in 2002 people of color were more likely to be stopped and searched by police officers than white drivers. However, state public safety officials say they're not convinced the data proves conclusively that law enforcement agents are targeting African Americans and other minorities.
September 25, 2003 - MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviews Susan Crumb, a community prosecutor in Brooklyn Park. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office hosting a two-day national meeting on Thursday-Friday, September 25-26, with focus on "community prosecution." In 1999, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar initiated this new approach to crime-fighting. This approach is based on a closer working relationship between prosecutors and the local neighborhoods and communities where crime is occurring. Prosecutors are assigned to work with police, local residents, businesses and others in a specific geographic area to develop strategies for preventing and prosecuting crime, as well as to identify appropriate consequences for those who break the law.
September 30, 2003 - It's been more than thirty years since the Minnesota Twins last made back-to-back appearances in the post season, but the Central Division champion Twins begin playoff action for the second time in as many years when they take the field in New York against the Eastern Division champion Yankees. It caps a season that saw the Twins go from high hopes to utter disappointment and back again.