July 24, 2000 - The Minnesota Vikings have opened their training camp for the new season. Last year, the eventual Superbowl Champion St. Louis Rams ended the Vikings season in the second round of the playoffs. The team heads into this year with a new players at on both sides of the ball, and new offensive and defensive coordinators. Joining MPR News on the line is Star Tribune sports reporter Kevin Seibert, who's in Mankato for the camp.
July 20, 2000 - Businesses in Downtown Minneapolis have been talking for weeks about how to prepare for protesters at the Animal Genetics Conference taking place at the Hyatt Regency hotel. The conference begins Friday, and goes for 6 days. Some businesses say they will board up windows and cancel events because environment and animal-rights groups have targeted the conference for protests. Police say they estimate the crowd could range from several hundred to several thousand. Joining us on the line is Sam Grabarski, president of the Downtown Business Council of Minneapolis.
July 20, 2000 - 7 people in Eagan will receive the first Small Business Administration loans to recover from flooding in their homes. Intense thunderstorm about 2 weeks ago dumped up to 12 inches of rain on Eagan, which President Clinton later declared a disaster area. With that declaration, the S-B-A was sent into the city to provide loans to the many homeowners who were uninsured or underinsured for flooding. Joining us on the line is Kerry Fundaun (fun-DAWN), who's home was flooded during the storm. -- What happened to your home during the storm?
July 6, 2000 - Pam Schmid, sports writer covering Lynx for the Star Tribune 7:30 a.m. JIM NOTE: We'll talk to her about how the Lynx season is going to date. The Lynx play the Seattle Storm tonight (7/5), which will be their 16th game, and the 1/2 way point of their season. They were 10-6 at the midpoint last season, and are 10-5 as of now (2:30 p.m., 7/5). They have 6 new players taken in this year's draft, 1/2 of the team. They have the league's leading scorer, Katie Smith (a shade over 25 ppg). They have just lost their veteran forward Andrea Lloyd-Curry to an ACL (out for season). Their attendance is down this year. Team chemistry is much better this year. INTRO: The Minnesota Lynx reached the half-way point in their W-N-B-A schedule with a 67-60 loss last night to the Seattle Storm. The Lynx revamped their roster this year with 6 new picks from the 2000 draft. Joining us on the line is Pam Schmid (like Schmit but with a D), sports writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. -- With the team so young, how has the season gone so far?
July 5, 2000 - Larry Oakes, Minneapolis StarTribune reporter covering the Blom trial 7:00 a.m. 218.728.0788 (h), and 218.343.0064 as backup (cell) JIM NOTES: We're talking to him because he's covering the trial in Virginia, Minnesota for the Strib. The latest on this trial is that the defense has used it's last "strike" or preemptory challenge to eliminate potential jurors because they believe they can't be fair. They originally had 15 "strikes" but that was increased to 18 by the judge. They've used all 18 now. The prosecution has 10 "strikes" and has used 8. Now, 12 jurors have been seated, and they're looking for 3 more. After all 15 have been seated, 3 will be picked as alternates. And the trial can begin. The search for jurors began on June 5th. The defense team of Rodney Brodin and Joan Piper-Mauer have repeatedly asked for a change of venue, saying Blom can't get a fair trial there, but the judge (Gary Pagliacetti) has continuously said that would be the case anywhere in Minnesota. Blom confessed to the killing of Katie Poirer, but then recanted. See the article I left on your chair for latest info on this case. Note 2: Ask Larry about the pronounciation of the judge in the trial, Judge Gary Pagliacetti. and any of the other players on the defense (Rodney Brodin and Joan Piper-Mauer) and prosecution (Marvin Ketola and Thomas Pertler). Note 3: Larry Oakes has been covering the trial in Virginia, MN. He is not up there in any permanent way yet. He's making the trip back and forth from Duluth where he's based.
July 3, 2000 - Chris Farrell, MPR Chief Economist Corresponent Monday Markets
July 3, 2000 - Most of the 50-thousand Alcoholics Anonymous conventioners who met in Minneapolis are now back at home. The convention last weekend was a gathering of people who face the same challenge every day of staying sober. And every day of sobriety is a victory. But to live over 40 years worth of sobriety is a major achievement, and brings with it life-long lessons. At the Metrodome on Saturday, the conventioners heard from some of the "old timers" who have been sober for at least that long. And joining us on the line is one of those "old timers." His name is Duke, who joins us from his home in Daytona Beach Florida: