July 20, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill talks with Michigan author Anne Margaret Lewis about her children's picture book “Gitchi Gumee.” The book that takes readers on a journey across Lake Superior. In the process, they learn about respect and patience, taught by the spirit of the big lake itself, Gitchi Gumee.
July 4, 2006 - An art exhibit in Duluth offers a rare and rich portrayal of the lives of Ojibwe Indians, during the period when white settlers were moving to Wisconsin and Minnesota. It also gives a fresh glimpse into the life of Eastman Johnson -- one of America's foremost artists of the period. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
June 22, 2006 - Sunday at Community United Church of Christ in the Iron Range town of Biwabik, there'll be a birthday celebration. Martha Anderson is turning 105. She lives in her own home, cooks her meals, brings flowers to church, and refuses to use the elevator. She says it's for old people. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill went to the rural community of Lakeland, outside Gilbert, to meet Mrs. Anderson.
June 14, 2006 - Judge Gerald Heaney is retiring this summer after 40 years on the federal appeals court. His rulings in school desegregation cases influenced other judges around the country. He was also an advisor to a generation of leaders in the Democratic Party, including Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale. Mondale says Heaney didn't harbor any personal political ambitions; rather he wielded influence from the bench.
May 22, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on Duluth city council preparing vote on naming part of a city street in honor of Bob Dylan.
May 22, 2006 - Duluth city councilors consider adding Bob Dylan's name to a few blocks of London Road. MPR's Stephanie Hemphill reports on the numerous perspectives on naming area of road after the famous musician born in Duluth.
May 3, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports from Grand Marais, where people in town are arguing about their harbor. Some want to rebuild the marina on a grander scale. Others say anything much bigger would destroy the cozy feeling of the waterfront.
April 10, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on the growing pains in Grand Marais. Many Minnesotans make a pilgrimage to Grand Marais, where they enjoy the idyllic setting, the slow pace of life, and the friendly small-town feeling. But for some of the locals, life has been anything but calm lately.
February 14, 2006 - A lost era -- a time when immigrant workers rolled cigars by hand in southern Florida comes to life in "El Lector". It's a new book for young people, written by northern Minnesota author William Durbin. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports.
February 7, 2006 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports that a team of researchers has been trying to track down possible sources of the bacteria on the beaches of lake Superior in Duluth. What they've found so far is surprising, and it raises a big question about the standard way of testing for beach contamination.