May 28, 1998 - WITH THE TWINS SEARCHING FOR A NEW STADIUM AND THE VIKINGS LOOKING FOR A NEW OWNER, MINNESOTANS HAVE HEARD PLENTY IN RECENT MONTHS ABOUT THE TRIBULATIONS OF PRO SPORTS OWNERSHIP. BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME FOR WHOM THE PLEASURES OF OWNING A TEAM OUTWEIGH THE PROBLEMS. MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAMS IN THE NORTHERN LEAGUE OPEN THEIR SEASON TONIGHT (THURS) AT SITES INCLUDING DULUTH AND FARGO. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN REPORTS SOME NORTHERN LEAGUE OWNERS SAY THEY'RE HAPPIER IN THE THEIR LEAGUE THAN THEY WOULD BE IN THE MAJORS... SINCE THE NORTHERN LEAGUE WAS ESTABLISHED SIX YEARS AGO, ITS EXECUTIVES HAVE EMPHASIZED THAT HAVING FUN IS THE LEAGUE'S PRIORITY. THE EIGHT TEAMS NOT ONLY PLA
May 21, 1998 - morning version OWNERS OF THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS ARE CONTEMPLATING THEIR NEXT MOVE NOW THAT TOM CLANCY'S EFFORT TO PURCHASE THE TEAM HAS ENDED. CLANCY'S WITHDRAWL OF HIS BID TO PURCHASE THE FOOTBALL TEAM ENDED AN UNUSUAL CHAPTER IN THE VIKINGS' OWNERSHIP SAGA AND LEFT ONLY QUESTION MARKS ABOUT THE TEAM'S FUTURE OWNERSHIP. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN REPORTS.... TOM CLANCY'S WHIRLWIND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS LASTED LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS AND SEEMED TO GO STRAIGHT FROM HONEYMOON TO DIVORCE. IN FEBRUARY THE BEST-SELLING SUSPENSE NOVELIST EMERGED AS THE SURPRISE TOP BIDDER FOR THE VIKINGS ... AND HE CAME TO MINNEAPOLIS PROMISING TO PRESIDE OVER A TEAM THAT
May 20, 1998 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports that Tom Clancy has dropped his bid to purchase the Minnesota Vikings. The best-selling author had emerged as the surprise top bidder for the Vikings, but the efforts fell apart. The result is an open question on who will be the new owner of team.
May 6, 1998 - NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS' REJECTION OF A PLAN TO RAISE TAXES FOR A BIG LEAGUE BALL PARK MAKES THE MINNESOTA TWINS' FUTURE AS MURKY AS EVER. YESTERDAY VOTERS IN THE TWO COUNTIES THAT MAKE UP THE PIEDMONT TRIAD RESOUNDINGLY DEFEATED THE TAX PROPOSAL THAT COULD HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR A TWINS' MOVE TO NORTH CAROLINA. THAT REJECTION MAY LEAD TWINS OWNER CARL POHLAD TO LOOK MORE CAREFULLY IN MINNESOTA FOR A NEW BUYER AND/OR A NEW STADIUM. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN REPORTS... YESTERDAY'S VOTE MEANS THE TWINS WILL NOT BE PLAYING BASEBALL IN THE PIEDMONT TRIAD ANY TIME SOON. BUT IT DOESN'T RESOLVE WHERE THEY WILL PLAY. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TWINS SAYS TEAM EXECUTIVES ARE INV
May 5, 1998 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports on RADIO REY, a Spanish-language radio service that broadcasts more than thirty hours a week from a grocery store on Concord Street in St. Paul’s West Side.
April 28, 1998 - STATE AND FEDERAL MONEY ALLOCATED FOR LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT HAS BROUGHT THE TWIN CITIES CLOSER TO A NEW TRANSPORTATION OPTION. BUT TRAVELLING AROUND TOWN ON RAILS IS NOT REALLY A NEW DEVELOPMENT, AT ALL. THERE WAS ONCE A TIME WHEN FIVE HUNDRED MILES OF RAILS CRISS-CROSSED THE TWIN CITES ... CARRYING ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE TO ALL SORTS OF PLACES. IN PART TWO OF OUR SERIES ON TRANSIT, MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN HAS THIS LOOK BACK AT THE TWIN CITIES STREETCAR DAYS... JUST ABOUT ANY TWIN CITIES NATIVE OVER FIFTY REMEMBERS THEM. PAINTED BRIGHTLY ENOUGH TO BE NICKNAMED "BIG YELLOW BANANAS," THE STREETCARS TOOK PEOPLE LI
April 24, 1998 - MINNESOTA BASKETBALL FANS WILL BE FOLLOWING THE TIMBERWOLVES TONIGHT (FRI) AS THEY HEAD TO THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. A FEW YEARS AGO, MANY FANS WERE DISGUSTED BY THE STATE'S PRO BASKETBALL TEAM. IN EACH OF FOUR STRAIGHT SEASONS THE TIMBERWOLVES STUMBLED TOWARD LOSING THREE TIMES AS MANY GAMES AS THEY WON ... AND - WHEN TEAM OWNERS HAD TROUBLE GAINING A PUBLIC BUYOUT OF THEIR ARENA - THEY ANNOUNCED THE TIMBERWOLVES WOULD MOVE TO NEW ORLEANS. BUT THE WOLVES STAYED UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP AND NOW THEY ARE THE DARLINGS OF FANS WHO HAVE FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN THE TROUBLES OF A FEW YEARS AGO. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN HAS THIS REPORT ON THE TIMBERWOLVES' TURNAROUND... TH
April 10, 1998 - SEVERAL OF SAINT PAUL'S CITY OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE HAPPY TO HAVE FUNDING OF A NEW DOWNTOWN HOCKEY ARENA RESOLVED. MOST SAY THE DEAL MINIMIZES THE CITY'S FINANCIAL RISK IN THE 130 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN REPORTS... IN THE WANING WEEKS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION - WITH A REQUEST FOR HOCKEY ARENA FUNDING LANGUISHING BEFORE LAWMAKERS - SOME OF SAINT PAUL'S ELECTED OFFICIALS WERE SOBERED BY THE PROSPECT OF HAVING TO COME UP WITH NINETY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE RIVER CENTRE ARENA. BUT A LATE-NIGHT LEGISLATIVE BREAKTHROUGH AND A REVISED DEAL WITH THE MINNESOTA WILD HOCKEY TEAM NOW HAVE CITY HALL DENIZENS CELEBRATING. CONGRATULATORY REMARKS AND BACK-PATTING MAR
April 2, 1998 - SAINT PAUL MAYOR NORM COLEMAN SAYS DEMOLITION OF THE CITY'S EXISTING ARENA WILL NOT BEGIN UNTIL FINANCING OF A REPLACEMENT BUILDING IS ARRANGED. A LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE IS CONSIDERING WHETHER THE STATE SHOULD FUND HALF OF THE 130 MILLION DOLLAR COST OF A NEW ARENA, WHICH WOULD BE HOME TO MINNESOTA'S NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE EXPANSION TEAM. YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) COLEMAN ASSURED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT SAINT PAUL'S TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD ARENA WILL NOT BE TORN DOWN BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE'S BONDING COMMITTEE MAKES A FUNDING DECISION. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN REPORTS... SAINT PAUL'S CONTRACT WITH THE MINNESOTA WILD CALLS FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE THE HOCKEY TEAM WITH A NEW ARENA READY FOR USE IN SEPTEMBER OF 2000. TOWARD THAT
March 26, 1998 - NEXT WEEK SAINT PAUL MAYOR NORM COLEMAN WILL ASK CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO APPROVE POLICE CHIEF BILL FINNEY'S APPOINTMENT TO A SECOND SIX-YEAR TERM. IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS MUCH OF THE PUBLICITY ABOUT FINNEY HAS BEEN NEGATIVE: A DEMOTED POLICE COMMANDER ACCUSED HIM OF SEVERAL IMPROPRIETIES ... THEN FINNEY ACKNOWLEDGED HE'D MADE A MISTAKE WHEN HE PROVIDED AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH A LETTER SOME CRITICS CALLED A "GET OUT OF JAIL FREE" CARD. BUT IN CITY HALL, SUPPORT FOR FINNEY REMAINS STRONG AND HIS RE-APPOINTMENT SEEMS ASSURED. MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO'S WILLIAM WILCOXEN HAS THIS LOOK AT BILL FINNEY... WHEN BILL FINNEY WAS GROWING UP IN SAINT PAUL'S RONDO NEIGHB