June 25, 2002 - The three major party candidates for governor debated in Duluth today. They spoke at the Minnesota Rural Summit, a yearly meeting of rural economic development workers. This year the summit's focus was the link between health care and rural economic development. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
June 19, 2002 - Oral arguments concluded today in a hearing over Donald Blom's request for a new trial. Blom was convicted two years ago of murdering Moose Lake convenience store clerk Katie Poirier. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
June 12, 2002 - An unusual house is going up in Duluth. The beams and outside walls were built in a factory, using technology developed in Japan. It's only the second house to be built in North America with the Japanese system. The builders say the idea could be an opportunity for a new industry in Minnesota. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
June 10, 2002 - The Duluth city council is considering making it illegal to stand around in certain parts of the downtown. Some merchants say their customers are being frightened off by people who hang out downtown. The two ordinances are designed to make the city's center more attractive to residents and visitors. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
May 27, 2002 - There are 11 trout streams in the city of Duluth. They tumble down the steep hillside into Lake Superior. One of the creeks is threatened because it runs through an area where lots of stores are being built. But there are people in Duluth who won't give up on even one trout stream. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
May 8, 2002 - As part of MPR’s Changing Current series, reporter Stephanie Hemphill looks at the return of a native species to The French River, which flows into Lake Superior about 15 miles north of Duluth. The coaster brook trout has been struggling to survive in Lake Superior and its tributaries for more than a hundred years. Some people are turning their attention to bringing them back.
May 6, 2002 - Minnesota's first public recreation area for off-highway vehicles offered riders a sneak preview over the weekend. ATV use is growing dramatically, and riders have been pushing the DNR to build trails. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill went to the town of Gilbert, on the eastern end of the Iron Range, to have a look.
April 8, 2002 - If you computer gathering dust in a closet, you're not alone. According to one estimate, Americans will discard about 500 million PCs in the next five years. Computer parts contain lead and other heavy metals. They shouldn't be sent to the landfill or burned in incinerators. Now the industry has taken the first step in setting up a national system to deal with used electronics gear. They plan to impose a disposal charge on sales of new equipment. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports the state of Minnesota has had a leading role in developing the system. {
April 2, 2002 - Wisconsin could become the first state in the country to force electric utilities to reduce the amount of mercury they put into the air. Coal-burning power plants are the largest single source of airborne mercury pollution. Mercury can cause brain damage and reproductive problems in fish, animals, and people. Mercury that lands in the water can build up in the food chain. People take in mercury when they eat fish. Wisconsin, Minnesota, and other Great Lakes states have fish advisories. They warn people not to eat too much fish caught in the region's lakes and rivers. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
March 26, 2002 - Habitat for Humanity chapters around the country are building a new kind of volunteer crew. Women make up half of Habitat's volunteer force, but they do a lot of behind-the-scenes work like fundraising and public relations. Not many of them pound nails or fire up a saw. On the construction crews, only about one in seven is a woman. A new program called Women Build helps women develop construction skills, and gets more homes built for people in need. Two Women Build homes are under construction in Duluth. Mainstreet Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {