February 5, 2003 - Minnesota corn growers are waiting to find out whether they can use a new herbicide this spring. "Balance Pro" is used in 17 states. But not in Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Critics say Balance gets into rivers and lakes too easily, and it could harm wildlife or even humans. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
January 31, 2003 - This week we've heard about the struggles of people trying to work their way out of poverty. One of the obstacles people with low incomes often face, is isolation. There's a deep divide between the haves and the have-nots. Last month, people in Duluth tried to bridge that gap. Ten low-income families were paired with school board members, city councilors -- people who make policies that affect families. For a month, they "walked a mile in each others' shoes." Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill came along. She has the final story in our series "Falling Behind."
January 8, 2003 - Nearly 300 workers at the Blandin paper mill in Grand Rapids lost their jobs today. That's more than a third of the workers at the plant. Blandin is owned by U-P-M Kymmene (KIH-muh-nee) of Finland. U-P-M announced this morning that it's shutting down two of the four production lines at the mill in Grand Rapids. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Julin reports.
December 27, 2002 - Young people at St. Mark A-M-E Church in Duluth are having some serious fun with religion. The small church has youth outreach programs that perform praise dances and offer a ministry of stepping and stomping for other young people all over the country. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
December 11, 2002 - Prescription drugs are expensive in the U.S. More and more Americans are getting around the high prices by going to Canada or Mexico for their medications. Now, some companies are helping people get drugs from Canada without having to travel. A small company in Duluth is hoping to cash in on the trend. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
December 11, 2002 - More and more people are choosing to buy organic food, but now some poor people are finding they don't have the option. The Women Infants and Children Program (WIC) helps low-income women feed their families better. The program covers nearly half the babies born in the U.S. every year. The people who run the program in Minnesota have told participants they can't use WIC vouchers to buy organic food anymore. They say it's too expensive. The Whole Foods Co-op in Duluth is trying to persuade the state Health Department to reverse the ruling. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
November 27, 2002 - Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports on The Peshtigo Fire, which wiped out the booming mill town of Peshtigo Wisconsin, just north of Green Bay. About two thousand people died.
October 29, 2002 - The National Transportation Safety Board is wrapping up the local phase of its investigation into the airplane crash that killed Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife Sheila, their daughter, three staffers, and the plane's two pilots. The NTSB says it will probably be clear of the site by Thursday. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports on what NTSB officials have shared so far.
October 29, 2002 - Federal investiagors are still studying evidence at the scene of the plane crash that killed Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife Sheila, and six other people. The first stage of the inquiry is expected to wrap up in the next couple of days, but it will be a long time before we have an answer as to what caused the crash. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {
October 18, 2002 - People are debating where Minnesota should get some of its electricity. Xcel Energy wants to continue buying hydro power from Canada. Company officials want a new ten-year contract to buy electricity from Manitoba Hydro. The billion dollar contract would begin in 2005. Environmentalists oppose the contract. They say Manitoba Hydro's dams cause serious damage to the environment. A Cree Indian band is also fighting the plan. They say the hydro-electric dams have destroyed their way of life. The Public Utilities Commission is accepting comment from all sides beginning Monday. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.