November 1, 2000 - They say it's a tale as old as time....the Disney musical "Beauty and the Beast" is opening tonight (Wed.) at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. The Broadway-style show is offering Minnesotans some local flavor -- one of the lead characters grew up in Minnetonka. Jay Russell plays the candelabra named "Lumiere." He says he's looking forward to the chance to perform before a hometown audience:
October 30, 2000 - A teenager shot by an Apple Valley police officer over the weekend had allegedly taken the drug LSD before the officer arrived to investigate a reported disturbance. The boy is listed in fair condition but may be paralyzed from the waist down. Police say he was shot when he tried to take the officer's weapon. Pat Harrison is the co-director of Health Care Research for the Minnesota Department of Human Services. She says nationally about 5-thousand emergency room visits are connected with LSD use. Harrison says alcohol and marajuana are still the most popular drugs of choice for Minnesota teens---but LSD use is not uncommon:
October 27, 2000 -
September 22, 2000 - More than 10,000 new words appear in Fourth Edition of The American Heritage Dictionary. From "mommy track" to "domain name" the editors of the dictionary have tried to keep pace with America's ever changing lexicon. The last edition of the dictionary came out about eight years ago. Joe Pickett is the Executive Editor of the American Heritage Dictionary. He says that new words come from many sources.
July 31, 2000 - No new talks have been scheduled a day after Pepsi bottlers in Burnsville rejected the company's latest offer. Just 18 Members of Teamsters Local 792 cast their votes in favor of the proposal while 314 rejected it. This is the second offer rejected by the workers. Some say they liked parts of the contract, but they continue to hold out for better wages and benefits. Pepsi Bottling continues to bus in workers from its other operations throughout the country to keep the plant going. Kelly McAndrew, director of Public Relations with Pepsi Bottling group, says that the company is disappointed.
July 27, 2000 - The Granite Falls tornado highlighted the need for people to have ample warning before severe weather strikes. The national weather serivce provides a warning network for homes or businesses that will automatically turn on radios when severe weather strikes. But not everyone in Minnesota is covered by the service. WCCO meterologist Paul Dougas says the service is centered in big cities, but the coverage gap is about to close. A bill that passed in the last Legislative session provides money to build 13 transmitters to make sure the entire state is covered. George Wilcox is a public affairs officer with the National Oceanic and Atmostpheric Administration or NOAA -- the organization that oversees the National Weather Service. He says NOAH weather radios operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
May 24, 2000 - MPR’s Gary Eichten interviews Walter Mondale, former U.S. ambassador to Japan and former vice-president, on congressional bill that would allow China permit normal trade status. Following Mondale interview, David Foster, director of the NW quadrant of states for the United Steelworkers of America, shares his view on the bill and its impact.
May 22, 2000 - Critics have called it a modern day "Midsummer Night's Dream." Charles Baxter's new novel "The Feast of Love" opens with a sleepless character--also named Charles Baxter--meeting his insomniac neighbor Bradley. The two men are in a park at 4 o'clock in the morning and begin talking about love and relationships. Bradley suggests that Charles should write a book about him--and call the book "The Feast of Love." The novel charts Bradley's ups and downs in relationships. It also lets characters linked to Bradley to tell their story. His neighbors, his employees and his two ex-wives all appear in the book. Charles Baxter is a Minneapolis native and a Macalester College graduate. He's appearing at this alma mater tonight.
May 16, 2000 - Writer Nancy Cobb knows first-hand how the death of a loved one changes your life forever. Her father committed suicide, her mother died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease and her close friend Elaine died of cancer. Cobb's personal experiences with grief are the inspiration for her new book "In Lieu of Flowers: A Conversation for the Living." The book is part memoir--and part advice column. Cobb wants people to accept the "divine intersections" where the living meet the dying. She says she wrote it as a way help her deal with her overwhelming grief.
March 23, 2000 - St. Paul's Penumbra Theater company has a new plan for a future home.