May 29, 1998 - Today was the last day of school for kids on the Red Lake Reservation, and it could be the start of one of their last long summer vacations. As Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson explains from Bemidji, the Red Lake School District is proposing a year-round school schedule... Less than 20 percent of eighth graders in the Red Lake School District passed this year's statewide tests in math and reading -- well below the statewide average of around 70 percent. Superintendent Roger Schmidt says switching to a year-round school schedule would raise those figures, and he's hoping to convince the rest of the community to back the change. Like a growing number
May 25, 1998 - The Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota is celebrating its 90th anniversary this weekend. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson takes a look at the history of the forest, and why thousands of visitors come back year after year. Teddy Roosevelt was in his seventh year in office when the Chippewa National Forest was established in 1908, the first national forest reserve established east of the Mississippi River. It followed a heated debate between the logging industry, eager to harvest the timber, and a growing number of conservationists who believed strongly in setting the lands aside. With the help of the Minnesota Federation of Womens Clubs, the conservationists were victorious in establishing what was then known as the Minnesota National Forest.
May 19, 1998 - Guns, gangs and violence. Not the usual picture when you think of a small northern Minnesota town. But residents in Cass Lake on the Leech Lake Reservation say they're under siege. As MPR's Tom Robertson reports, the area is also struggling with high unemployment, poverty, and longstanding racial divisions between the Leech Lake tribal government and city officials. BACKANNOUNCE: Tomorrow, Minnesota Public Radio's Amy Radil tells us how a recent State Supreme Court decision is resulting in some changes for law enforcement on the state's reservations.
May 8, 1998 - Some are calling this weekend's fishing opener in Minnesota the "opener of the decade." DNR fisheries experts say the early ice-out and warm spring temperatures have created ideal conditions for a strong opening season. That's good news for anglers, and great news for thousands of Minnesotans who depend on tourism for their livelihood. Minnesota Pubic Radio's Tom Robertson reports from Bemidji... (sound of motorboat)