December 18, 2001 - Bemidji is down 400 students in the past 5 years. That means that there is a decrease in state revenue. There will be budget cuts even if they ask for more money.
December 12, 2001 - As part of Mainstreet Radio’s “Our Town” project, Tom Robertson explores what's gained and what's lost when a small town like Bemidji grows big.
October 9, 2001 - Some of the smallest local governments in Minnesota, the townships, are getting ready for major changes in the state's tax structure. Many are still trying to work out how the reforms will affect taxpayers. Last summer's special legislative session resulted in a shift in philosophy. The state will now pick up nearly 80 percent in public school costs. But for some cities and townships, the reforms mean the loss of millions of dollars in state aid. As Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports, those small governments will have to raise property taxes to maintain services. {
September 4, 2001 - Many communities in Minnesota are struggling to provide municipal water and sewer systems to residents. Small towns with aging septic tanks and other contamination problems want a clean drinking water supply. But finding funding and navigating state and federal bureaucracies is a daunting task. The town of Laporte in north central Minnesota, has been trying for eight years, and locals say they're running out of time. As Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports, the opening of a brand new school now hinges on completion of the water system... {
August 6, 2001 - Some 500 Red Lake Reservation families are on a waiting list to move into tribal homes. Many have been on the list for years. Now Tribal housing officials are teaming up with the US military to try to solve at least part of the problem, with the help of an organization called Operation Walking Shield. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson reports...
July 27, 2001 - Tom Robertson reports on the people of White Earth in northwestern Minnesota trying to bring back the lake sturgeon. The tribe is working to restore the fish and reclaim its heritage. Officials on the White Earth Indian Reservation say when the sturgeon disappeared, so did an important part of their culture.
July 5, 2001 -
May 16, 2001 - A man made pond in Walker, Minnesota was drained, forcing birds to migrate. The DNR had to pull an illegal plug, which prohibited migration and animal population growth. The owner of the pond was not informed at all about the plans to pull the plug.
May 10, 2001 - One-third of the state's White Sucker minnow population end up at the dam north of Bemidji, where they are taken and stripped of their eggs. That is decreasing the population growth of the species in Minnesota.
May 3, 2001 -