October 26, 2004 - In this installment of our occasional series "Every Vote Counts," Mainstreet Radio’s Cara Hetland reports on South Dakota's close race for the U.S. Senate. The margin for a victory could be just a few hundred votes, and Native American votes could be the deciding factor.
October 22, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports that six people have been charged with crimes stemming from a Republican get-out-the-vote campaign. All but one were employed by the Republican party. The case raises questions about whether the ballots will count, and it's looking more and more like South Dakota's election could be decided in court.
August 25, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports on Ralph Nader’s visit to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In a speech, Nader says the only way to change government is to get involved. He talked for more than two hours criticizing corporate greed, the Bush administration, and the war in Iraq. Nader says historically the nation's best laws have been a reaction to citizen outrage.
June 15, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio has compiled a series of stories on meth and the effect it is having on the state for the first half of a two-hour special report, “Methamphetamine Madness.” Methamphetamine is one of the most addictive, most abused and most readily available drugs in America. Experts are calling it an epidemic, and Minnesota is anything but sheltered from it.
June 14, 2004 - As part of the Mainstreet Radio series “Meth in Minnesota,” MPR’s Cara Hetland reports on the unintended victims of meth…children.
May 18, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports that The Weiner Memorial Hospital in Marshall is announcing it's merge with a regional health care system. For the last year the board has struggled between independence and the desire to grow. Officials have decided the benefits of joining with a larger system outweigh the loss of autonomy.
January 21, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio’s Cara Hetland presents “That's Just Janklow," a documentary on Bill Janklow, one of the most powerful figures in South Dakota history. The one time juvenile delinquent went on to become a 4-term governor, and then a Congressman. It all ended in a car crash.
December 9, 2003 - Bill Janklow has resigned. The South Dakota Congressman released a letter last night which he'll send to House Speaker Dennis Hastert today (Tuesday). Janklow's announcement came just hours after his conviction of felony manslaughter and three misdemeanors related to a fatal accident in August. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland has been covering the trial and has this report:
December 9, 2003 - Observers say it's too soon to predict what's next in South Dakota politics. US Representative Bill Janklow resigned Monday evening after a jury convicted him of felony manslaughter for an August accident that killed a Minnesota motorcyclist. Now South Dakotans are wondering what's next for Bill Janklow and what's next for his seat. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports:
December 5, 2003 - Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle testified Thursday in the felony manslaughter trial of South Dakota Congressman Bill Janklow. The defense contends Janklow who is an insulin dependent diabetic was having a reaction at the time of an accident that killed Randy Scott. The defense also offered its own version in reconstructing the accident. Mainstreet Radio's Cara Hetland reports: