August 10, 2000 - A polio expert with the World Health Organization joins the Minnesota Department of Health as the state's epidemiologist. Dr. Harry Hull will succeed Michael Osterholm, who left the state epidemiologist post last year to start a consulting firm. Before going to the World Health Organization, Dr. Hull was the state epidemiologist for new Mexico. In that position, he says that he spent time dealing with anti-smoking campaigns, immunizations and the state's first cases of AIDS. But he also dealt with a disease that is very rare.
August 9, 2000 - It's no wonder birds like airports. The wide open fields, fresh grass and lack of people make for a near-perfect habitat, especially for large flocking species. But airports do not like birds. About 25 a year hit airplanes at Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport. They bounce off wings, crack windsheilds and in the most extreme cases -- are injested into the plane's engine. And when a 10-pound Canada goose hits any part of the plane on takeoff, it strikes with the force of a one-thousand pound weight. This week, the Metropolitian Airports Commission is hosting an international meeting to test out devices designed to keep birds out of the path of airplane traffic. John Ostrom oversees the airport's anti-bird efforts. He says a few species create the bulk of the problem:
August 1, 2000 - Students affected by a scoring mistake on the state's basic standards math test are just now learning whether they were among the thousands wrongly told they had failed. State officials revealed the problem last Friday, but the process of contacting students individually has been a slow one. Heather, who will be in ninth grade next year, found out today she actually passed the test.
July 31, 2000 -
July 28, 2000 - Americans distrust government at all levels, according to a new National Public Radio-Kaiser-Kennedy School Poll. Such disillusionment about Government comes as no surprise to Jim Miller, executive director of the League Of Minnesota Cities. His organization studied the problem and created a program, Building Quality Communities, to teach local government how to reach out to their citizens. Miller says the league's membership prompted the program's creation.
July 24, 2000 - Ryan Cameron is the owner of Let It Be Records on Nicollet Mall. He says business over the weekend may have been a bit slower, but he hasn't noticed an impact from today's protests
July 24, 2000 - Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has been monitoring events near the genetics conference since the disturbances early this afternoon. He's standing by near the hotel where the scientists are meeting and has an update.
July 19, 2000 - A new report by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says the state has made strides in reducing the most serious air and water pollution from factories and power plants and the like, but traffic, garbage and groundwater problems, all areas directly affected by consumers, still need serious attention. Mike Sandowski is the director of the environmental outcomes division of the MPCA. He says the report includes steps people can take to improve the environment.
July 19, 2000 - The Minnesota Orchestra is cancelling three of its Sommerfest concerts due to security concerns surrounding the conference. Orchestra spokeswoman Gwen Pappas says the Orchestra approached the police after hearing rumors about potential problems, and decided to play it safe by cancelling concerts on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday:
July 18, 2000 - State safety officials are cheering a 9-percent drop in pedestrian deaths from 1998 to 1999. Injuries also fell 6-percent over the same period, according to figures released today. Carol Bufton of the Minnesota Safety Council credits small state grants -- some as little as two-thousand dollars -- that have allowed communities to create their own pedestrian safety programs.