August 2, 2007 - Governor Tim Pawlenty has ordered an immediate inspection of all Minnesota bridges that have a design like the I-35-W bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis. Former Minnesota Transportation Commissioner, Elwyn Tinklenberg, spoke on today's Midday program. He says a study in 2001 looked at the structural issues of the state's bridges. Tinklenberg says that report did not find any imminent danger on the 35-W bridge but it pointed out things to monitor and such as evidence of fatigue on the bridge.
May 23, 2007 - The head baker at Turtle Bread Company in Minneapolis has won an national competition that compares the best bakers in the country.
November 22, 2006 - What's a person to do if they're a new American and this is their first Thanksgiving? MPR’s Greta Cunningham spoke to some students at the Lincoln Adult Education Center in Minneapolis as they mark their first encounters with turkeys and pumpkin pies.
November 10, 2006 - A Matisse painting of a woman gazing at a bowl of goldfish is the center of St. Paul author Patricia Hampl's {ham-pull's} new book, "Blue Arabesque: A Search for the Sublime." Hampl first saw the painting in 1972 in Chicago and became captured by the the life and work of Matisse. The image in the painting fuels Hampl's journey to explore the ideas of artistic inspiration and creativity. Patricia Hampl is a Regents Professor of English at the University of Minnesota.
July 28, 2006 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham interviews renowned Minnesota mandolin player Peter Ostroushko about his new album “Postcards.”
March 2, 2006 - The main character in Minneapolis author Lorna Landvik's latest book "Oh My Stars" is dealing with a lot of misfortune. Violet Mathers is growing up in rural Kentucky during the Great Depression. She's been abandoned by her mother, mistreated by her father and lost her arm in a factory accident. Violet decides to leave Kentucky and boards a bus bound for San Francisco. But a bus crash along the journey strands her in North Dakota. There Violet blooms among a group of caring midwesterners and her life is changed.
December 27, 2005 - James Lileks is a columnist for the Star Tribune Newspaper and the author of "Mommy Knows Worst: Highlights from the Golden Age of Bad Parenting Advice."
December 22, 2005 - Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch has announced a series of legislative proposals to help Minnesotans guard against identity theft. The so-called 2006 Consumer Privacy Protection Package aims to close loopholes in the state's privacy laws. The measures seek to protect telephone and cell phone records and also allows Minnesota consumers to freeze access to their credit information. Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham has more.
December 12, 2005 - MPR’s Greta Cunningham reports on Andover’s TLC Toys, and the efforts of making wooden presents for needy children at Christmas time.
November 7, 2005 - Many programs aimed at helping homeless people and new immigrants are focused on getting housing. But finding shelter isn't the end of their struggle. With no cooking utensils how will they make their meals? Where will they sit? How can children excel in school if they're sleeping on the floor? A Bloomington-based non-profit is filling the void left when people find a place to live but have nothing to furnish a household. Minnesota Public Radio's Greta Cunningham reports.