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.
October 1, 2003 - After two years worth of losses to the New York Yankees, the Minnesota Twins earned a victory when it mattered most. The Twins took the lead in their best-of-five-game playoff series by beating New York 3-1 in Yankee Stadium on the strength of strong Twins pitching and solid fielding.
October 3, 2003 - The Minnesota Twins' first round playoff series with the New York Yankees is even at one game apiece as the teams head to the Twin Cities for two games. New York evened the series by pulling out a 4-1 victory at Yankee Stadium.
October 6, 2003 - MPR's William Wilcoxen reports that more than 55,000 fans crowded into the Metrodome only to see an 8-1 loss end the Minnesota Twins' baseball season. After winning the first game, the Twins scored only once in each of the next three games...allowing the Yankees to take the best-of-five playoff series three games to one.
October 7, 2003 - In the last five years a growing number of law enforcement agencies across the country have begun investigating claims of racial profiling. They've begun by collecting data on police stops. In many cities, the collection has led to open discussions about race and the role race plays in police work. State public safety officials say they hope the racial disparities outlined in Minnesota's traffic stop data can be used to open discussions here. However some say data collection is but a first step in a long process of building trust between police and communities of color.
October 15, 2003 - Federal officials are investigating allegations two Minneapolis police officers were involved in the assault of a suspect earlier this week while serving a search warrant. Police officials revealed late yesterday the FBI is looking into the suspect's allegations. The two officers have been suspended with pay while the investigation proceeds.