July 28, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil profiles Harry Yang, a Hmong immigrant who decided to leave Twin Cities for Walnut Grove and Southwest Minnesota, home of "Little House on the Prairie." Yang says he finds more freedom and peace of mind here, though challenges remain.
June 16, 2004 - As part of the Mainstreet Radio series “Meth in Minnesota,” MPR’s Mark Steil reports on The debate over state drug policies, which came into sharp focus this year in a case involving methamphetamine, jail time and a young Minnesota mother.
June 15, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio has compiled a series of stories on meth and the effect it is having on the state for the first half of a two-hour special report, “Methamphetamine Madness.” Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive, most abused and most readily available drugs in America. Experts are calling it an epidemic, and Minnesota is anything but sheltered from it.
April 23, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports on JOBZ (Job Opportunity Building Zones), a Minnesota jobs program. What Governor Tim Pawlenty calls the "mother of all economic incentives" has landed its first big out-of-state prize for rural Minnesota. A South Dakota company says Minnesota's JOBZ program played an important role in its decision to expand to Luverne…but despite Pawlenty's enthusiasm, officials with Total Card, Inc. say JOBZ was not the most important factor.
March 8, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports on need for fundraisers for people who don't have insurance. Sometimes even those with insurance need help. It seems the higher medical costs rise the more fundraisers there are for people who can't pay all their bills. Dinners, raffles and auctions are a few of the ways people donate money.
February 5, 2004 - Every year the U.S. imports more food, even though the country produces enough to feed itself, even though the country produces enough to feed itself. The tastes of American consumers are changing. Big city or small town, they're looking for food from all over the world. As Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports, many of those consumers are new arrivals to the country.
January 21, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio’s Cara Hetland presents “That's Just Janklow," a documentary on Bill Janklow, one of the most powerful figures in South Dakota history. The one time juvenile delinquent went on to become a 4-term governor, and then a Congressman. It all ended in a car crash.
November 24, 2003 - A stalled federal energy bill is causing major headaches for Minnesota's wind energy industry. The legislation extends a tax credit for wind production. Without the credit some wind projects in the state could be in jeopardy. If the energy bill fails to pass, it could also affect ethanol production and a planned Iron Range power plant. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports.
November 14, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Mark Steil reports on auction of rifle believed once owned by Dakota Indian chief Little Crow. He was a central figure in the Dakota Conflict of 1862. Report includes a historical overview of Little Crow, and interviews with various parties, including Little Crow’s great-granddaughter.
October 27, 2003 - Over the past few years, most dairy farmers have experienced a life time's worth of bad news. Low milk prices have forced thousands out of business in Minnesota alone. But now dairy producers are fighting back. Led by the country's largest milk cooperatives, farmers are trying to boost prices by themselves, without government help. Dairy leaders say it's an unprecedented move toward farmer independence. The program will have little effect on consumer prices, and some question if farmers will notice anything. Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports.