May 1, 2008 - May 1st is the traditional decision deadline for high school seniors to make their college decisions. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes talked with students at North High School in Minneapolis about how they made their decisions for college.
April 9, 2008 - MPR’s Art Hughes meets with Spencer Anderson and discusses his business endeavor and how he and his family are paying for his current education at University of Minnesota. Hughes also interviews financial officers for their take on student loans and the economy.
March 18, 2008 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on Minnesota colleges and universities endowment growth, as well as tuition hike ups.
September 4, 2007 - Fall classes resume today at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus and officials are bracing for traffic problems. The first day back is often chaotic, as nearly 70,000 students and staffers return to campus. But this year could be more complicated than usual because of the 35W bridge collapse. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports from a pedestrian overpass on Washington Avenue, on the U of M's East Bank.
August 30, 2007 - University of Minnesota officials are appealing to commuters to have a travel plan for the first week of classes starting this Tuesday. The 35-W bridge collapse cut off a significant access point to University Avenue, putting added pressure on other campus entries. In response, the university is also making street and parking adjustments to try and minimize added congestion. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
August 22, 2007 - State bridge inspections ordered after the 35-W bridge collapse triggered the closure of a bridge in Kittson County, nine months before the bridge was scheduled for another inspection. State Bridge Engineer Dan Dorgan says the Highway 11 bridge over the Red River is closed for repairs lasting about a week. Dorgan says inspectors were aware of a crack in a weld. Another inspection this week revealed the crack had expanded into a steel bracket.
August 8, 2007 - Cell phone communication near downtown Minneapolis jammed within moments of the bridge collapse. Rescuers and law enforcement officers sprang into action but needed street maps, ongoing traffic information and a way to monitor the site. The resulting communications demands put the city of Minneapolis' fledgling wireless network to the test. Within an hour of the disaster, the head of USI Wireless, the company responsible for the network, opened the system to free access and got an effort going to install additional access points around the bridge site that weren't already covered. The number of wireless users in that part of the city jumped six fold overnight. Future Tense's Art Hughes reports.
August 2, 2007 - At least seven people are confirmed dead and dozens are injured or missing after last night's collapse of a freeway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. The Interstate-35 bridge fell more than 60 feet during the evening rush hour. Ramone Hough (HUE) was on his way home from work in Minneapolis. He was in heavy traffic driving onto the bridge when he heard a noise.
May 9, 2007 - The Minnesota House and Senate approved a $3.2-billion higher education funding bill that now goes on to face Gov. Pawlenty's veto. DFL supporters of the bill contend it sticks to basics and makes up for past underfunding of the state's colleges and universities. Pawlenty calls it uninspiring and devoid of any reform with a ballooning price tag in outlying years. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
May 7, 2007 - Members of a House and Senate conference committee are expected to agree on a higher education spending bill that adds 325-million dollars to current spending on colleges and universities. Legislators are still working on the details of the 2.75-billion dollar spending plan, but some major parts of the bill have been approved. The bill does not contain a provision to allow children of illegal residents to pay in-state tuition, a provision that Governor Pawlenty said would lead him to veto the bill. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.