September 29, 2003 - Brad Williams spent almost 30 years at the iron mine in Eveleth. Now he's going to school. He's older than his classmates. Most of them are 18 or 19. When they were born, Brad Williams had already worked at the mine for ten years. But the mine shut down last May, and Brad Williams doesn't want to leave his home. So he's studying to be a nurse. Chris Julin met up with him at school. He has this Mainstreet Radio report.
September 15, 2003 - Pine County might become the only county in Minnesota where judges don't hold court. The county board is split over where to build a new courthouse. The chief judge in the district says he'll move his judges to another county if the Pine County Board doesn't come up with a plan in 60 days. Chris Julin has this Mainstreet Radio report.
September 3, 2003 - It seems like some endangered species get all the attention. Lots of people get excited about wolves and bald eagles, but who gets excited about tiger beetles? Ron Huber does. He lives in Bloomington, but scientists from around the world consult him about tiger beetles. The surprise is, Ron Huber is self-taught. He's an amateur, but he's a top-notch field biologist. We talked with him for this week's installment of our series, "The Enthusiasts." Ron Huber lives in Bloomington. He travels around Minnesota on his own time, researching tiger beetles, buttterflies and other insects.
August 15, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Chris Julin reports on rocks of the Great Lakes. Thousands of tourists visit the beaches of Lake Superior's North Shore to enjoy it’s rocky shoreline…and many will be throwing those rocks into the lake.
July 31, 2003 - The town of Two Harbors has lots to offer. There's a great view of Lake Superior. There's the Sandpaper Museum. And now there's a self-service pet wash. Chris Julin has this Mainstreet Radio report.
July 30, 2003 - John Latimer can tell you when the marsh marigolds are going to bloom in Itasca County. He can tell you when the yellow warblers returned in 1987, and when the maple trees lost their leaves in 1994. He's a phenologist , and Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin talked with him for this week's edition of our series, "The Enthusiasts."
July 24, 2003 - The Marines of B Company made the front page of the newspaper when they marched down the street in downtown Duluth. They were two-hundred-twenty-seven young men in uniform, on their way to the train station. That was the summer of 1950, and the Korean War had just started. The men in B Company were Marine reserves, and they'd been called up for active duty. One month after they got on the train in Duluth, half of them were in combat. Eighty-percent of the men in "B Company" were wounded or injured in Korea. Ten of them died in battle. Sunday is the 50th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. The surviving members of B Company are getting ready to unveil a monument on the shore of Lake Superior. They say most Americans don't know about *their* war. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin has this documentary report: "B Company from Duluth."
July 22, 2003 - Socialists need exercise, too. It's a lot of work to smash capitalism, but it doesn't do much for the lungs or the legs. So, a bunch of young socialists in Duluth get together to kick around a soccer ball. They call it, "Commie Soccer." Chris Julin has this Mainstreet Radio report. {
July 14, 2003 - Retirement means more time to read, or golf, or garden. Unless you're Ann Weese. Then it means learning to use power tools. Ann Weese and her husband Bill volunteer their time building houses for other people. They drive around the country in their RV and work on Habitat for Humanity projects. They're in Duluth for the next two weeks working on a Habitat house.
June 26, 2003 - Grand Rapids is hoping to lure a couple thousand Judy Garland fans to town this weekend. It's the annual Judy Garland Festival. And this year, the town is unveiling its new Judy Garland museum. Chris Julin paid a visit, and he has this Mainstreet Radio report.