February 26, 2001 - Minnesota is increasingly relying on neighboring states to handle a growing amount of its garbage. About 1/3 of Minnesota's landfill waste ends up in out of state facilities- with the majority going to Iowa and Wisconsin. Sherry Enzler is Director of the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance. She says it is the trash hauling companines - NOT the state of Minnesota- that decide where to send garbage. And right now, landfills in neighboring states charge less:
February 21, 2001 - Don't look to the thermometer for a sign that spring's just around the corner. Overnight temperatures around Minnesota have been below zero for several days. And tt's been 106 days since Minnesota has enjoyed a temperature above 40 degrees. Last night's Twin Cities' low was minus nine. While his wasn't a record low, it did force at least 125 people to claim a spot at the Dorothy Day Center in St. Paul. Anne Harris, the downtown St. Paul homeless shelter's director, says every night this winter Dorothy Day has been filled to capacity...mostly with single adults but also some families.