November 20, 1998 - Lieutenent Governor-elect Mae Schunk made one of her first public appearences Thursday night, at the Minnesota Rural Education Association conference in Alexandria. Since the election, Schunk has maintained a focus on her classroom teaching, but she's beginning to outline some of the priorities she and governor-elect Jesse Ventura will bring to their administration. Minnesota Public Radio's Kathryn Herzog reports. Mae Schunk says she has rural Minnesota in her heart and understands the needs of rural educators. For eight years, Schunk attended a one room school in Wisconsin, and she says she knows from experience, children learn better in smaller classes. She reiterated a pledge to make reductions in class size a a top priority...saying if teachers demand quality work form students, children d
September 29, 1998 - Minnesota continues to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. At any give time there are more than twenty thousand available jobs. State and county welfare reformers are hoping to take advantage of that open job market to help Minnesota's welfare recipients move back into the workforce. And Minnesota Public Radio's Kathryn Herzog reports there's been a shift away from education to on the job training.
September 24, 1998 - Mainstreet Radio's Kathryn Herzog reports on what one town is doing to address its own racism. During the Farm Crisis of the 1980's, many people moved away from rural Minnesota to find work in the city, leaving rural companies struggling with a small labor pool. As long time residents moved out, a few people of color, Hispanic and Hmong families moved in, looking for the rural lifestyle.
September 9, 1998 - As part of a series of stories following the path of the "Father of Waters,” aka the Mississippi River, Minnesota Public Radio's Kathryn Herzog has this Mainstreet report on the efforts being made to protect the health of the Mississippi…including the River Defense Network.
September 8, 1998 - LEAD: Over the past year, the number of genetically engineered crops grown in Minnesota has increased dramatically. Soybeans, corn and wheat have all been genetically altered to withstand disease and pests. But a growing consumer movement is fighting to ban the foods from grocery store shelves. Mainstreet Radio's Kathryn Herzog reports. Minnesota Morris Experiment Station to view the latest variety of Roundup Ready soybeans.The beans were created by the Monsanto corporatio
August 27, 1998 - Minnesota's first-ever Rural Summit continues today (THURSDAY) in St Cloud. The event brings together state officials and community members from throughout the state to discuss affordable housing, job training and the growing farm crisis. Some of Minnesota's guebentorial candidates attended the Summit to discuss how they would bring economic development back to rural areas. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Kathryn Herzog reports, many audience members saw the event as more entertaining than productive. The candidates for governor slowly trickeled in to the Rural Summit on Wednesday. All complained of traffic backups between the Twin Cities and St Cloud. The crowd seemed somewhat amused and annoyed as candidates arrived late and fumbled to find the right microphones. DFL endorsed candidate Mike Freeman arrived on time but left after one question, saying he had p