February 9, 2005 - Mainstreet Radio's Tom Robertson reports on a plan to build an interpretive center in the Big Bog State Recreation Area in northern Minnesota. The idea is making its way through the Legislature as the Senate has earmarked $1.4 million for the project. Supporters are hoping to get the project added to the House bonding bill in the coming weeks. The 9,000-acre Big Bog State Recreation Area was created by the Legislature five years ago.
February 9, 2005 - Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports that teachers in the Crosby-Ironton school district are on strike as of February 9th, 2005. They worked without a contract for 20 months and for the past year, teachers have negotiated with the district. The sticking points are salaries and health benefits for retired teachers.
February 9, 2005 - St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly has acknowledged that one of his staff members is under investigation by the FBI. Kelly says Hmong community liasion Sia Lo has been the target of a federal corruption probe for about 10 months. The mayor made the announcement today in response to a Star Tribune article that named Lo. The article includes an allegation made by an unnamed source that says Lo demanded a bribe from a businessman in exchange for help from the mayor's office. Lo told the paper the allegations were false. Kelly urged the media to give Lo a break.
February 10, 2005 - Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally talks with Martin Zellar, one of the state's most respected rock musicians. Galbally intrviews Zeller about music, small town life, and politics.
February 11, 2005 - MPR’s Dan Olson reports on a VocalEssence tribute to artist Gordon Parks. Report includes numerous commentaries.
February 22, 2005 - A Hmong resettlement program is up and running again, now that officials have put in place more stringent tuberculosis screening at a Thai refugee camp. The State Department halted Hmong refugee immigration from the camp last month after T.B. was discovered in a few Hmong refugees in Minnesota and some other states. Kris Ehresmann, oversees the Minnesota Department of Health's TB program. She says officials had been screening for TB all along but are now looking even more closely and at kids as well as adults.
February 22, 2005 - A Hmong refugee resettlement program put on-hold last month because of concerns about tuberculosis, is up and running again with new T.B. screening in place.
February 23, 2005 - Retired federal judge Miles Lord is asking Governor Pawlenty and the legislature to put a moratorium on new taconite projects on the Iron Range, until questions are answered about health concerns. Lord issued the landmark ruling in 1974, that forced Reserve Mining Company to stop dumping its waste rock into Lake Superior. Scientists had found asbestos-like fibers in the rock. Now Lord says the state hasn't done enough to find out whether those fibers are making miners sick.
February 23, 2005 - Retired federal judge Miles Lord says Minnesota should do more to protect the health of taconite miners -- before the going ahead with several new taconite projects on the Iron Range.
February 23, 2005 - Retired federal judge Miles Lord is calling on Governor Pawlenty and the legislature to do more to protect the health of taconite miners -- before they go ahead with several new taconite projects on the Iron Range. Lord issued the landmark ruling that forced Reserve Mining Company to stop dumping its waste rock into Lake Superior, because scientists had found asbestos-like fibers in the rock. Now he says those fibers could be making a lot of miners sick.