December 17, 2003 - Late December brings with it a flurry of lists summing up the year. We took that opportunity to commission our regular medical analyst to take stock of the year's biggest medical stories. Dr. Jon Hallberg is the medical director of the Primary Care Center at the University of Minnesota. His chronological review of the year's top ten takes us back to late last year with the effort to prevent a small pox outbreak.
December 11, 2003 - It's been more than a decade since the archdiocese first acknowledged that abuse by clergy was an issue that needed to be addressed. Among other things, that acknowledgement prompted changes to the way seminarians are trained for the priesthood. Bishop Frederick Campbell is the Rector of The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity. He says that the seminary has had such a program in place for over 10 years. The program includes psychological testing of potential divinity students, as well as in-depth orientation for seminarians to the life of a priest.
December 10, 2003 - The state Department of Natural Resources says more deer hunters are illegally leaving venison to rot or grabbing only the choicest parts instead of butchering the animal properly. Officials say hunters are taking the hind quarters, backstraps and tenderloins -- and leaving the front end of the deer. Some hunters are also improperly disposing of deer remains. Mark Johnson is executive director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. He says a few bad apples are giving all hunters a bad name.
December 10, 2003 - Fears about the severity of this year's influenza strain have depleted vaccine supplies around the country. Many clinics and doctors offices in the state have already run out of the vaccine. The Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota expects to exhaust its flu vaccine supply Friday. The Minnesota Department of Health today sponsored a round of flu shot clinics around the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Kris Ehrsmann is the section chief for immunization, tuberculosis and international health at the Health Department. She said today's clinics were busy, but vaccine is still available.
December 10, 2003 - A report published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association said that the supplement Echinacea may still be helpful in preventing infection, and that the study itself indicates a greater acceptance within the medical profession.
December 9, 2003 - Democrats blocked the Senate today of Minnesota's fifth district voted for the bill. Sabo says the bill was within the budget limits set by the Republican majority, and it contained much needed funding for projects. The House voted 242-176 Monday to approve the $820 billion dollar package -- which funds everything from foreign aid, farm, veterans, education, transportation and health programs to the State Department and FBI.
December 3, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty yesterday called for the reinstatement of the death penalty in Minnesota for convicted sex offenders. Pawlenty's announcement came a day after the arrest in the Dru Sjodin case. While polls have shown the majority of Minnesotans support the death penalty, the governor may have difficulty winning over both houses of the Legislature. Steven Schier is a professor of political scientist at Carleton. He says this is a politically advantageous time to bring up the issue.
December 3, 2003 - This year's World AIDS Day brought news that both the United Nations and the World Health Organization will step up efforts to combat the global AIDS epidemic. It also served as a reminder that, during the last two decades, over 22 million people have died of the disease and 40 million are now infected with H-I-V, the precursor to the disease. Dr. Jon Hallberg is medical director of the Primary Care Clinic at the University of Minnesota. He says, despite medical advances, three million people around the world still die of AIDS each year.
December 2, 2003 - Dave Jackson is communications manager for Mesaba Airlines. He says uncertainty over its status with Northwest gives it ample motivation to settle the contract dispute. Dave Jackson, communications manager for Mesaba Airlines.
December 2, 2003 - A labor dispute over job pay and security could threaten the airline that serves many of the smaller airports in the region. Mesaba and its pilots union started three days of negotiation today in Minneapolis. They have yet to agree on a contract after two-and-a-half years of talks. Mesaba operates connecting flights from hubs to smaller cities around the Midwest and the South for Northwest Airlines. Mesaba pilots voted overwhelmingly this fall to authorize a strike if necessary. To show they're prepared, today the union offered a first look at its strike operations center. On the 10th floor of an office building, overlooking Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, off-duty pilots watched a bank of five computer screens. Strike operations manager Mike Dockman says they can monitor air traffic all over the country.