March 2, 1998 - This year marks the 25th anniversary of a unique exchange between Minnesota and Norway. Troops from Minnesota's National Guard and the Norwegian Home Guard switch places two weeks out of the year and train in each other's country. Minnesotans test their mettle in the snowy mountains and Norwegians tackle the cold Midwest winter. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann met with some of the Norwegian troops last week at Camp Ripley and has this report.
February 25, 1998 - In most places hockey players don't have the best of reputations, at least in stereotype. Recent escapades by the U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey Team have not helped. But the picture's very different in St. Cloud, where the St. Cloud State University Huskies are not only getting points for being family-friendly and public-spirited, but they're also scoring them on the ice. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.
February 13, 1998 - An executive order from Governor Carlson, which takes effect today, will create a new statewide victim services agency. Its purpose is to consolidate the funding for all of the state services for victims of crimes and domestic abuse into one agency. Some long-time workers in the area of victim services say the center could be the death-knell for local, grassroots crisis centers. And they're worried that a state center would leave many victims without the help they need. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.
January 29, 1998 - At a ceremony today, two of the largest low-income housing providers in Minnesota signed an agreement to work together on promoting fair housing. Officials with the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office say they're targeting housing discrimination in a part of the state often overlooked: the rural communities. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann (lay-mun) reports. The Schoolview Manor apartment complex sits in the center of Big Lake. It houses many of the disabled and elderly residents in this town of just over 2,000 people. The complex was chosen for today's announcement because offi
January 26, 1998 - Recently there have been almost daily announcements of major gifts to various educational and charitable institutions in Minnesota. Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor gave Mankato State University 8-million dollars; the Ordway theatre received a 4-million dollar gift from Minnesota actress Ruth Easton to stage new shows in the future. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann (lay-mun) examines the reasons behind this spurt of giving and it's implications for the future.
October 3, 1997 - Seventeen-year-old Jenny Deye of Cambridge didn't join her classmates this fall for her first year of college. Instead she's taking what her family calls a "kids sabbatical." She's in Alaska training and exploring the life of the full-time sled dog racer. Jenny is out on the trail, running her in preparation for a run in the Junior Iditarod this February. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann caught up with Jenny and her family as they made final preparations for Jenny's trip to Alaska.
September 24, 1997 - It's no longer surprising to hear most of the day-to-day functions of any business are conducted using a computer, and computers and laptops are fast becoming standard in the home too. But now this technology is being put to a new use in Minnesota. It's a concept known as "community networks." These networks use the Internet, chatrooms and e-mail to connect people not from across the world, but from across the street. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.
September 22, 1997 - Next time you drive over a bridge, say a word of thanks to underwater welders. They are the hardy souls who brave the cold and muck of lakes and rivers to build bridges, repair dams and all other manner of wet construction work. In this week's Odd Jobs segment, Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann uncovers the world below with Minnesota School of Diving instructor Mark Owens and his student Garrett Silvernail as they practice underwater welding in a water tank in Brainerd.
September 15, 1997 - "Useful" isn't a word most artists commonly hear when someone describes their work, but it's the ideal word to Wadena-based artist and designer Arthur Apissomian. He is the creator of a new material called PermaProse, a combination of glossy magazine paper and various adhesives tough enough to make furniture. With this new material, he turns what could be your average table or canister into an everyday work of art. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.
August 20, 1997 - The New London City Council has declared a state of emergency over problems in the town's water system. For the last two weeks, the residents of the Central Minnesota town have had to boil their water. A coliform bacteria is alive and well in the water system and failure to boil the water could mean persistent stomach aches and diarrhea. The community's 1000 citizens get their water from a well and they are no strangers to orders to "boil the water", particularly in the summer. But this summer, numerous efforts to clean the well haven't worked, so community officials face a costly but necessary fate: they must build a new well. Minnesota Public Radio's Gretchen Lehmann reports.