July 31, 2001 -
July 26, 2001 - Phosphorous free fertilizer is growing in popularity among homeowners who want a green lawn, without causing problems in local waterways. Phosphorous is the main culprit in "algae blooms," that' is when algae feeds on phosphorous in a lake or river, grows out of control and robs the water of oxygen. A young entrepreneur from Alexandria is trying to cash in on this trend/ He's developed his own phosphorous-free fertilizer made from fish. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post tells us more.
July 3, 2001 - Flooding this spring hit several Minnesota state parks. The damage was so severe in some areas, that a few of the parks only recently opened for business and still have areas off limits to visitors. After the third such bout of serious flooding in less than a decade, park officials are taking a look at long range plans, to determine how Minnesota's state parks can withstand future floods. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.
June 26, 2001 - Thirteen hundred and fifty nurses at two Fairview hospitals in the Twin Cities are headed back to work after ratifying a new contract yesterday. (MONDAY) While the Twin Cities nurses' strike lasted 23 days, a group of nurses in Alexandria has been on strike for nearly two years. 23 licensed practical nurses walked off the job at the Alexandria Clinic in September of 1999, they are still on strike and their labor dispute could continue for years. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post reports.
June 18, 2001 - Census 2000 reports there are almost six-hundred-thousand Minnesotans over the age of 65 . More than half of them live outside the seven county metro area. Of the 85-thousand people over age 85 in the state, 60 percent live in rural counties. Today we begin a weeklong series from our Mainstreet reporting team, "Aging Gracefully". As the region's population makeup shifts, more Minnesotans are choosing to retire to the the rural towns of their childhood. Retirees see the towns as quiet and affordable destinations, where they're closer to relatives and old friends. But as Tim Post reports, this trend may put pressure on rural communities.
June 14, 2001 - MPR’s Tim Post reports on severe weather that hammered Central Minnesota for the second time in less than a week. Storm after storm dumped 2 to 5 inches of rain on the area, straight line winds knocked down power poles and damaged homes.
June 12, 2001 - MPR’s Tim Post reports on how residents of central Minnesota spent the day cleaning up and assessing damage from storms that moved across the area on June 11, 2001. Several communities suffered significant damage caused by tornadoes, straight-line winds and hail.
May 9, 2001 - Work has shifted from flood fighting to flood clean-up along Minnesota river towns like Montevideo. Residents are tearing down emergency levees and piling rotting sandbags in empty lots. And while officials plan for future floods, some are are asking why the area has seen two major floods in less than five years. Mainstreet Radio's Tim Post has more in this report.
April 12, 2001 - NOTE: Top story with updated flood crest or weather forecast information and add info on red river if you want. Flood preparations in Montevideo 40 families were evacuated from their homes and today, volunteers will continue adding layers of sandbags to existing levees. City officials say while they learned things four years ago when Montevideo was hit with record floods, there hasn't been the time or the money to make many changes. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Post reports.
April 9, 2001 - Coyotes can be found in western Minnesota.