November 27, 1998 - MPR’s Eric Jansen reports on the unusually warm temperatures for this time of year, which brought Minnesotans out by the droves into the sunshine, enjoying weather some describe as more like spring than fall. People in Minneapolis were blading, biking, running and strolling around Lake Calhoun.
November 24, 1998 - The Minnesota Supreme Court is considering a new rule that would let trial judges bar some people who represent themselves from suing. The high court held a public hearing on the proposed rule this afternoon. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports: An advisory commitee that (meets annually to) reviews courtroom rules says frivolous lawsuits often tie up precious court time. The committee is recommending a new rule to cut down on those suits. Under the proposal (ed) rule, litigants without lawyers could be barred if they have brought and lost three cases in the past five years. David Herr, a court reporter for the panel presented the recom
November 20, 1998 - Three student organizations at the University of Minnesota say they should be able to defend themselves in a lawsuit that threatens their funding. But plaintiffs in the case, who say their registration fees should not fund groups whose ideologies they oppose, dont want those groups involved. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports on an appeals court hearing today in St. Paul: Both sides in this case say their constitutional first amendment rights are at stake. The five students who brought the case (Curry vs. University of Minnesota regents) say it violates their free speech rights to be forced to fund student groups they disagree with. They also say it violates their property rights to have mandatory registration fees u
November 16, 1998 - Community groups say the city of Minneapolis is letting developers off the hook when it comes to creating living wage jobs. They say most developers who get city subsidies should pay their workers above the poverty level. But some councilmembers disagree. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports: A policy Minneapolis' city council passed early last year requires economic development projects receiving more than $100,000 dollars in city subsidies to create or retain living wage jobs. Those are defined as full-time jobs paying at least 10 percent more than the federal poverty level for a family of four. It works out to about $8.50 an hour -- about $17,000 a year. Jim Mangan of Progressive Minnesota, which pushed for th
November 13, 1998 - Minneapolis city employees packed council chambers last night to protest the city's residency rule, which requires those hired since 1993 to live within city limits. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports: The St. Anthony West Neighborhood Association's chairman was in the minority last night. Michael Rainville says most neighborhood groups believe Minneapolis city employees should be required to live in the city. 2:42 "Noone's holidng a gun to anyone's head. If you don't want the job, because you don't want to live here, if you view that as a penalty, then perhaps you're not cut out to be a city of Minneapolis employee." :11
September 4, 1998 - MPR’s Eric Jansen reports on status of Northwest Airlines strike. Report includes numerous clips of commentary, including Walter Mondale, who is an NWA board member. The U.S. Transportation Department has ordered Northwest Airlink flights to resume, despite Northwest Airlines being shut down by a pilot’s strike. Also, Northwest flight attendants who were laid off this week rallied at the state capitol to say they're 100 percent behind the pilots. The Federal Department of Transportation ordered Mesaba Aviation and Express Airlines to resume flights to 17 rural communities. The two airlines fly Northwest Airlink routes to Northwest Airlines hubs in Minneapolis.
August 28, 1998 - George Wozniak, travel agent and president of Hobbit Travel in Twin Cities, returns to further discuss what travelers can expect in the event of a strike, and how best to strategize. Wozniak also answers listener questions. Program begins with a brief report on status of pending strike and what the negotiators are going through.
June 11, 1998 - Minneapolis officials say an environmental impact statement for expansion of the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport is flawed. They'll work today on the city's official response, incorporating comments from a public hearing last night. As Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen reports, Northwest Airlines' domination of the market was a key topic last night: City council member Dore Mead says among her chief criticisms of the Environmental Impact Statement is that its estimates of future airport usage about 600,000 flights per year by 2010 -- are, in her words, "way off base.": "Were asking them to admit theyre low we all know it.
June 9, 1998 - U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigators have more evidence linking Malt-o-Meal's Northfield cereal plant to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 200 people. Minnesota Public Radio's Eric Jansen has more: This much is certain: FDA investigators discovered salmonella bacteria in unopened boxes of Malt-o-Meal cereal produced at the company's Northfield plant. FDA spokesman Don Ayrd says the salmonella from the unopened boxes is the same strain that sickened hundreds throughout the Midwest and East Coast. "The odds of it being .... almost confirmation." :10 Ayrd says all that's left to do to be 100 percent sure is to perform what he calls a "fingerprinting" test:
June 5, 1998 - The Hennepin County Public Library system is becoming embroiled in a debate over sexually explicit web sites after a complaint school children were viewing adult material in the libraries. A sub-committee of the library board is expected to discuss next week a citizens proposal to block internet pornography sites from library computers. Minnesota Public Radios Eric Jansen reports: Hennepin County has 60 computer terminals with internet access spread through its 26 branch libraries. Patrons can sit at those terminals to research databases and other World Wide Web sites, or simply, "