September 8, 1998 - As part of a series of stories following the path of the "Father of Waters,” aka the Mississippi River, Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Robertson has this Mainstreet report on the river's first city…Bemidji.
September 9, 1998 - As part of a series of stories following the path of the "Father of Waters,” aka the Mississippi River, Minnesota Public Radio's Kathryn Herzog has this Mainstreet report on the efforts being made to protect the health of the Mississippi…including the River Defense Network.
September 18, 1998 - MPR’s Lynette Nyman reports that some Twin Cities Hmong leaders are calling for a strengthening of their traditional clan-based system of justice. They say this is one way of making sure there are no further tragedies, such as the recent killing of six children. Some others in the community are concerned the clan system lacks enforcement and equality, especially with the growing generation and gender gaps within the Hmong community.
September 22, 1998 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from Sioux Falls. Program highlights the controversy over the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern coal train. The railroad wishes to create large expansion as coal hauler from Wyoming, through South Dakota, and into southern Minnesota. Mark Steil interviews Kevin Schieffer, president of Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad; and Paul Wilson, co-chair of Olmsted DM&E taskforce.
September 24, 1998 - Mainstreet Radio's Kathryn Herzog reports on what one town is doing to address its own racism. During the Farm Crisis of the 1980's, many people moved away from rural Minnesota to find work in the city, leaving rural companies struggling with a small labor pool. As long time residents moved out, a few people of color, Hispanic and Hmong families moved in, looking for the rural lifestyle.
December 2, 1998 - For St. Paulites it's getting to be old hat, but Minneapolitans are just getting used to the idea of a new area code tentatively approved by state regulators. The Public Utilities Commission picked 9-5-2 as the new area code for Minneapolis, Richfield and the Fort Snelling area. The move comes a month before callers in St. Paul and other east Twin Cities area communities must begin using the 6-5-1 area code instead of 6-1-2.
December 28, 1998 - On Sunday March 29th a huge storm tore across more than 60 miles of south/central Minnesota. The storm took out much of the small town of Comfry. Then, around 5:30 pm, an F3 tornado, carrying winds of up to 206 miles per hour, smashed through St. Peter. Two people died--one, a boy just six years old.
January 18, 1999 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports on Madeline Island’s Windsled. Fewer than 200 people live year 'round on the Island just off the southern shore of Lake Superior near Bayfield, Wisconsin. While island life revolves around the mainland ferry schedule most of the year, islanders can drive across the ice during the depths of winter….but for a few weeks each year, the trip to shore has to be made in the island's unique water transportation vehicle.
February 23, 1999 - To close out the millennium, Minnesota Public Radio's All Things Considered presents a look back at Minnesota life in 1900 via a 12-part series, entitled “A Minnesota Century.” This segment pieces together two sets of 100-year-old predictions of what Minneapolis and St. Paul would look like in the year 2000.
February 24, 1999 - A Mainstreet Radio special broadcast from community room at City Hall in Thief River Falls. Mark Steil hosts a discussion on farm crisis and its impact on small towns with guests Howard Pearson, Pennington County Extension Agent; and Bob Bergland, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.