December 28, 2000 - In Minnesota the population grew by more than 12 percent in the last decade, enough for the state to hang onto all 8 congressional seats. The growth rate far outpaced the previous two decades, when the rate was closer to seven percent. Tom Gillaspy is the Minnesota State Demographer. He says the impressive increase wasn't impressive enough for Minnesota to hang on to its rank as the 20th most populous state:
December 28, 2000 - By the time this storm ends tomorrow, the Twin Cities could see up to 9 inches of new snow added to our current 21 inches, moving us close to a December record. Meteorologist Bruce Watson says it has also been unusually cold this month.
December 28, 2000 - Todd Fairbanks, an information officer at the Minnesota Department of Transportation's traffic management center, says roads are a mess.
December 26, 2000 - The Department of Natural Resources is considering a plan to dramatically change the way the agency manages the state's forests. DNR commisoner Allen Garber hopes to replicate a Finish program that favors frequent, selective cutting, instead of blanket clear-cutting. He is organizing an April summit to consider how to implement the program. Garber visited Finland's forests in September and says he was very impressed by what he saw.
December 19, 2000 - Minnesota led the nation in voter turnout this year. Statistics released this week by the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate show almost 69 percent of elegible Minnesota voters went to the polls on election day. The next closest state was Maine, with 67 percent. Curtis Gans, the committee's director, says Minnesota has been first or second for a number of years.
December 18, 2000 - The weather is playing havoc with road conditions in the Twin Cities this evening. Don Zamenko, an information officer at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, says drivers can expect an extremely slow commute.
December 18, 2000 - It is a slow, slippery commute for motorists in the Twin Cities tonight after another winter storm dumped up to six inches across parts of the metro. Don Zamenko, an information officer at the Minnesota Department of Transportation, speaks with MPR News.
December 18, 2000 - Another winter storm has dumped up to six inches of snow across the Twin Cities metro with even more snow expected in the southeastern part of the state. The snow is beginning to taper off at this hour. Jim Richardson, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, says the storm pattern caught forecasters by surprise.
December 15, 2000 - Rod Grams spent his last day as a Senator preparing to vote on a 450-billion dollar budget bill. Grams has served eight years in Congress, serving one term in the House of Representatives and one term in the Senate. He lost his re-election bid to Democratic challenger Mark Dayton in November. Grams says leaving Congress is bittersweet.
December 13, 2000 - As the nation prepares for Vice President Gore's speech tonight, Congress is preparing for the transition to a Bush Presidency. Minnesota's Democratic senator-elect Mark Dayton says the Supreme Court's decision was a messy end to a messy process, but it is time to move on.