March 26, 1997 - With all the predictions of severe flooding this spring, some Minnesotans are considering taking rather extraordinary precautions, such as flooding their basements themselves before murky flood waters can penetrate them. In the southwestern Minnesota town of Dawson, the local fire department has told residents it will fill their basements with clean water when flood waters begin to rise. The idea is to equalize pressure inside the home to protect foundations from crumbling and prevent the muck from gathering in the basement. We contacted Duane Hoeschen (Hession), regional coordinator in Mankato of the department of public safety's division of emergency management, to find out what he thought of the strategy and to explain it in a little more detail. Duane Hoeschen, regional coordinator of the state's divisio
March 26, 1997 - Would you take a rabid Golden Gopher fan into your home, no questions asked? Hundreds of gopher fans are hoping for some hoosier hospitality as the NCAA final four approaches, and a Stillwater charter firm may be their link to finding a temporary home in Indianapolis. For the last four years Creative Charters has been taking gopher football and basketball fans to games around the country. With the Final Four, Creative Charters owner Steve Erban says his firm began to run into trouble finding affordable centrally located hotel rooms for gopher fans. Erban ended up calling an old fraternity brother who also happens to be director of the Indiana basketball hall of fame to find out whether Indianapolis residents would be willing to share their homes with the gopher faithful, and the Adopt A Gopher program was born.
March 26, 1997 - The Hartford Whalers professional hockey team announced today they have rejected an offer from the Connecticut goverment for a new arena and will leave the state at the end of the season. The team has not decided where it is headed, but St. Paul is under consideration as the Whalers' new home. St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman has been courting the team since the Winnipeg Jets decided not to relocate here. Coleman says the Whalers decision widens the window of opportunity for St. Paul.
March 24, 1997 - The sole Republican on the Minneapolis City Council will not seek re-election. Dennis Schulstad of the 12th Ward has served for 22 years and says it's time to move on. Schulstad, who is also a Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserve, says his goals have remained the same over the years: to hold down taxes, maintain public safety, and to keep the community involved and informed. Schulstad says it was a hard decision to make.