February 2, 1998 - The next step in Minnesota's future management of the timberwolf begins next month. The Department of Natural Resources will assemble a roundtable of citizens representing many viewpoints on the wolf issue and in turn they will advise the agency as it prepares to assume management of the wolf in 1999. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil has a preview of the group's work.
January 22, 1998 - The Minnesota Department of Health is preparing to investigate why taconite miners on the Iron Range have higher rates of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos. For more than two decades, miners have raised concerns that the cancer is work-related. If the state legislature approves funding, the health department will research that claim. That research will also be the beginning of a database tracking the relationship between jobs and respiratory illnesses around the state.
January 20, 1998 - This year's mild winter weather has increased the danger for snowmobilers, skaters and people ice fishing. According to the Department of Natural Resources, five people have died after falling through ice so far this winter, four of them on snowmobiles. The DNR is warning people to use extra caution on the ice. In remote areas where accidents often occur and rescues can be a problem, volunteer fire departments are keeping an eye out for those in trouble.
January 5, 1998 - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources holds the first of twelve public hearings today to gain input on managing the wolf when it returns to state control. That could be as soon as next year. Timberwolves were placed on the endangered species list in 1974. Since then, the population has recovered and wolves have extended their range to cover the northern half of the state.
October 3, 1997 - Saturday kicks off the two-week moose hunting season in northeast Minnesota, and hunters aren't exaggerating when they call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Since 1993, the highly sought after moose permits have been awarded by lottery, and there's a lifetime limit of one license per hunter. Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil reports from Duluth.