December 12, 2003 - The National Academy of Sciences is questioning the value of expanding the lock and dam system on the Upper Mississippi River. The Army Corps of Engineers commissioned the report released this week. The document urges the agency to pursue less expensive and more timely alternatives. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports.
December 9, 2003 - The manufacturing boom of the 1990s brought thousands of high paying jobs to communities around the state. But since the recession began in 2001 many of those jobs have disappeared. The technology sector has been one of the hardest hit. And Rochester, home to a massive IBM plant and more than four dozen technology companies, lost one fifth of its manufacturing jobs. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has the second report in our two part series on manufacturing.
October 31, 2003 - The first of what could be hundreds of civil trials involving computer maker IBM begins next week in California. Former employees and relatives of deceased workers filed the suits. They contend that years spent working at IBM resulted in cancer, birth defects, and other ailments. So far suits are pending in at least four states including Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally (GAL buh lee) reports: <
October 23, 2003 - A lawsuit over supplying anti-rejection drugs to an illegal immigrant may be close to resolution. The suit involves a 16-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico who under went a kidney transplant at the Mayo Clinic earlier this year. At the time the cost of the transplant was covered by the state. So was aftercare. But since then Minnesota law has changed. And expensive drugs the young man needs are no longer covered. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports.
October 9, 2003 - Cancer researchers announced a major treatment advance for breast cancer survivors today (THURS). They've found an estrogen-blocking drug, which greatly reduces the reoccurrence of breast cancer. Canadian oncologists led the breakthrough the study, and a Mayo physician conducted research in the US. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally (GAL buh lee) reports:
October 2, 2003 - A federal Appeals Court today (THURS) rejected the approval of the largest rail expansion since the Civil War. The Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad want to build and rehabilitate hundreds of miles of rail track across Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wyoming for high-speed coal trains. The ruling is a small victory for the projects opponents. But even they admit it's likely to only cause a short delay for the 2-billion dollar rail expansion. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally (Gal buh lee) reports: {The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals 65 page ruling praises the federal Surface Transportation Board for its thorough review of Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad expansion proposal. But it also calls for more analysis on some issues, such as noise, historic preservation and the environmental implications of more coal usage.
September 29, 2003 - Humans have harnessed the wind for thousands of years since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Wind has powered sailboats, ground grain, pumped water and most recently generated electricity. Now Minnesota has emerged as a national wind leader. In the first story in a Mainstreet Radio wind power series Erin Galbally reports on the state's rise from windmills to wind farms.
September 9, 2003 - International patient numbers at the Mayo Clinic remain down two years after September 11th. By the end of 2004 a team of Mayo heart specialists will set up shop in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. They'll provide basic health care and screening patients for treatment in the US. Mayo's not the first to bring medical services overseas. Other major healthcare centers report mixed results on their attempts to export care. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally has this report.
September 8, 2003 - More international patients travel to the Mayo Clinic each year than to any other U.S. health care facility. The Rochester based clinic is known around the world for everything from heart and cancer treatment to basic care. But since September 11th, Mayo has seen less and less of at least one prominent group of foreign patients -- travelers from the Persian Gulf. The situation's hurt Mayo's bottom line, but its effects have also trickled down to Rochester's local economy. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally has this report. BACK ANNOUNCE: Tomorrow Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports on Mayo's decision to open a clinic in the Middle East.
September 8, 2003 - Declining enrollment is a fact of life for rural schools across the state. But this year, the tiny Glenville-Emmons school district in southern Minnesota took a major hit. Almost 60 students left and are now attending school in Iowa. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports.