April 23, 2002 - Governor Ventura is expected to sign a bill that makes sparklers and other novelty fireworks legal for the first time in six decades. The legislation is a watered down version of an earlier House bill that would have legalized the sale of more powerful fireworks. Supporters of the bill say the state's ban has sent businesses and revenue to neighboring states. The Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association strongly opposes the legislation. Tim Farmer, the organization's president, says there was an intense lobbying effort in support of the bill:
April 22, 2002 - Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch wants to strip the anti-tobacco group, Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco- or MPAAT- of its 202 (m) million dollar endowment. He is asking a Ramsey County District court judge to decide MPAAT has failed to administer its endowment properly and has undermined public confidence. Hatch wants the endowment money divided instead between the University of Minnesota and the state Department of Health. Minnesota's commissioner of health is caught in the middle of the issue. Jan Malcolm sits on MPAAT's board, but Malcolm would direct half the endowment for the Health Department if the judge agrees with Hatch. She says MPAAT had been responding to a number of Hatch's concerns:
April 19, 2002 - In a follow-up to last fall's Designing Livable Communities Summit, the University of Minnesota is bringing in California architect Michael Pyatok (PEYE-uh-tahk) this weekend to talk about one of his affordable housing projects. Pyatok, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, designs high-quality low and moderate income housing that incorporates many suggestions from the residents who will actually live the homes he creates. Pyatok says government and non-profits must work together to find the land and funds to build affordable housing. But he says the affordable housing shortage won't be resolved until Americans change the way they think about housing in general.
April 19, 2002 - The Jewish Community Relations Council says acts of anti-semitism increased substantially last year. The Council says there were 47 anti-Semitic incidents reported in the state in 2001, up from 32 incidents the year before. The acts range from non-violent letters to harrassment. Steven Silverfarb, the Executive Director of the JCRC, says reports from the first three months of this year suggest the upward trend is continuing:
April 19, 2002 - Federal health officials say African American infants in St. Paul die at a higher rate than most other cities in the country. The city's black infant mortality rate ranks fourth among the 60 largest U-S cities, according to an analysis published by the Centers for Disease Control. Minneapolis ranks 38th. The Minnesota Department of Health is concerned about the number of non-white infant deaths occuring across the state. Cheryl Fogarty, the department's infant mortality consultant, says she noticed an increase in black infant mortality starting in the late 90s.
April 18, 2002 - Governor Ventura may have to disclose his outside earnings if leading Democrats and Republicans get their way. Democratic Representative Matt Entenza is sponsoring a bill requiring the state's constitutional officers, including the governor, to reveal their extra incomes. The governor considers the bill a personal attack motivated by his celebrity status.
April 17, 2002 - Higher levels of tree pollen this season are causing big problems for allergy sufferers. Allergists say not only is there MORE pollen this spring, but it's more potent than ever. The good news is that for the next couple of days the pollen index will fall. Dennis Gebhard is president of Multidata, a company based in St. Louis park, that tracks pollen levels nationally. He says the pollen counts are high because we had a slow start to spring:
April 16, 2002 - Starting tonight, skywatchers will be treated to a rare convergence of the five planets visible from earth with the naked eye. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will continue to cluster closer together until mid-May, when they will quickly disperse. The next chance to see them so tightly grouped won't happen for another 38 years. Bob Bonadurer is director of the Minneapolis Planetarium. He says the planets will look like a string of pearls in the sky:
April 15, 2002 - Travel expert Terry Trippler is with the Internet travel agency - onetravel.com. He says Sun Country's future depends on its ability to set fares that are low, but not TOO low:
April 12, 2002 -