April 23, 1998 - U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno has awarded the 1998 Crime Victims Service award to the University of Minnesota's Program Against Sexual Violence. The mainly volunteer-run service aids victims of rape in their day-to-day life as they recover from the attack. Suzanna Short is the assistant director of the program.
April 23, 1998 - The Minnesota legislature's passage the Marvin Windows bill is provoking an angry response in Pennsylvania, the home state of PPG Industries. On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Legislature approved a resolution opposing retroactive changes to the law, saying such action "would represent unprecedented, unjust and prejudicial intervention in ongoing litigation." Republican State Senator Melissa Hart of Pittsburgh introduced the resolution. She says she's disappointed by the bill passed in Minnesota.
April 20, 1998 - Last week, a group of international journalists traveled across the United States visiting Indian Reservations. The trip was sponsored by the National Inter-tribal Network. It was arranged to show the Indian perspective on issues of tribal sovereignty. One of the stops was the Prairie Island Community near Red Wing, Minnesota. BBC reporter Richard Lister went on the tour. He talked to MPR's Bob Potter about why he wanted to go.
April 16, 1998 - Students have ended their eight day hunger strike at the University of Minnesota. The students were protesting what they say is a lack of support for the Chinese language and literature program at the university. Student Ben Ridgeway says they ended their hunger strike so they could carry on the cause in good health. Less than half of the original 25 strikers were still fasting when the protest was called off. The hunger strike was staged outside the office of University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof. President Yudof joins us now by phone.
April 15, 1998 - MPR’s Bob Potter discusses CODEFOR with Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. Since Minneapolis began its CODEFOR policing strategy in February of 1998, violent crime in the city is down 16%, property offenses are down 18%, and crimes against persons are down 12%. Sayles Belton says one key is focusing on so-called nuisance crimes.
April 15, 1998 - Minnesota has more to offer the culinary world than just State Fair pronto pups. One of the best examples of a restaurant using local food to create mouthwatering meals is found far north, on the edge of the Boundary waters. The Gunflint Lodge has been serving meals since 1925. When Ron Berg started as chef on 1991, he introduced a rotating menu based on what he had on hand and what he wanted to make. His best recipes are now gathered in a new cookbook called The Gunflint Lodge Cookbook.
April 14, 1998 - A federal judge yesterday upheld the National Park service's decision to block construction of a new bridge over the Saint Croix River. The Minnesota Department of Transportation had planned to build a four-lane freeway-style bridge at Oak Park Heights to replace the old two-lane lift bridge in downtown Stillwater. But U.S. District Judge Ann Montgomery supported the park service's view that the bridge would harm the river's special qualities. We talk to Dave Schaaf, mayor of Oak Park Heights, who opposed the project, and Curt Johnson, chair of the Metropolitan Council, which approved it.
April 13, 1998 - Itchy eyes, sneezing, stuffy nose, coughing and wheezing...if you suffer from allergies it's probably obvious to you that spring is running ahead of schedule. Thanks to the mild weather, tree pollen and mold counts are higher than normal for this time of year. That's according to Dr. Rolf Sigford, head of the department of allergy and asthma for Health Partners. He says even though the allergy season has started early, it's hard to say just how bad things will get.
April 13, 1998 - It's the coroprate earnings season again. Starting this week, companies will report their results from the first quarter of 1998 -- and Wall Street will be watching closely. Here's what Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Farrell thinks we can expect.
April 10, 1998 - It will take months... and probably years for Saint Peter, Comfrey and other towns to rebuild following last week's tornadoes. It's likely to take just as long for residents to recover psychologically from the blow. Dr. Gerard Jacobs is Director of the Disaster Mental Health Institute at the University of South Dakota. He says right after a disaster people are running on adrenaline, then there is a period of thankfulness that it wasn't worse. After that, the mental stress can take its toll.