October 15, 1999 - Fall is filled with traditions. The warm days and cool nights seem to energize Minnesotans to get their work done before winter. Lawn mowers get put into storage and the rakes come out. But in St. Cloud, part of the fall tradition - the smell of burning leaves - has fallen by the wayside. St. Cloud was one of the few cities left in Minnesota where residents could burn leaves, that is until the city council banned it recently. People who didn't like the smoke are happy, but not everyone is cheering the action.
September 30, 1999 - The Northstar Corridor is a 77 mile transportation route that runs from Downtown Minneapolis to just north of Saint Cloud. It runs next to a state highway and existing rail track in one of the fastest growing areas of the state. Now there's talk of building a commuter rail line along the corridor to fight increasing traffic. But not everyone thinks the idea will work.
September 22, 1999 - The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources wants counties to clean up feedlots polluting the state's waterways. The Board has set a side a million dollars for the effort, and half that money is going to Stearns County in Central Minnesota.
September 14, 1999 - Officials in the paper industry say they face a shortage of quality wood pulp in the next 10 to 20 years. To make up for the future pinch in supply, paper mills are raising their own trees to harvest. And now some Minnesota farmers are trying to get a piece of the action by planting trees as a crop.
August 23, 1999 - About 700 Farmers gathered at the Carver County Fairgrounds in Waconia this weekend for "Rural Crisis Accountability Day". The rally gave agriculture and labor officials - along with politicians and clergy - a chance to air potential solutions for the current crisis in agriculture.
August 17, 1999 - For most of this century, churches across the country kept their doors unlocked 24 hours a day. Church was a place to head any time, for sanctuary. Today, you would be hard-pressed to find a church, in the city or the country, without a lock on its door. Burglary and theft of church property; from electronic equipment to religious articles, has become common. In a recent incident in Fargo, police caught a man they think is responsible for a series of burglaries at area churches. Church officials realize their sanctuaries are no longer immune from crime. Now they face the task of balancing locked doors with open arms.
August 4, 1999 - There are thousands of miles of multi-use trails in Minnesota. Their popularity is exploding among hikers, bikers, snowmobilers, skiers and skaters. These trails are often a boon to small towns, pulling in tourists year round. The Lake Wobegon Trail in central Minnesota is one of those popular destinations. The former rail line-turned path stretches thirty miles in Stearns County, from Avon to Sauke Centre. Trail supporters want to add another 9 mile stretch north to the town of Holdingford. But some landowners are opposed to the move, saying its violates their rights.
July 28, 1999 - The city of St. Cloud, Northern States Power Company and its subsidiary Seren Innovations are adopting new safety procedures after a series of gas pipeline strikes. Seven months ago four people died when a crew working for Seren laying fiber optic cable ruptured a gas line in downtown St. Cloud.