November 20, 2000 - After years of wrangling, the University of North Dakota is preparing to decide the future of the schools Fighting Sioux nickname. The Sioux name was chosen in 1930, and is a focus of school pride. Since the 1960s people have challenged the name, some charging it is offensive to Native Americans. A commission studying the use of the Sioux nickname held its final meeting today. Next month the U-N-D president will recommend keeping or changing the nickname. The states board of higher education will make the final decision. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson reports.
November 7, 2000 - When voters in the small western Minnesota town of Rothsay go to the polls, they'll select a mayor and two city council members. But there are no names on the ballot. No one, including the incumbents filed for election. The empty ballot is something of a Rothsay tradition. The mayor has been elected by write-in ballots seven times despite never being a candidate. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
October 18, 2000 - Increasing oil and natural gas prices mean home heating costs may double this winter. That has a lot of people thinking about alternative heating sources like wood. Wood furnace sales are up sharply, and in the northeastern U.S. there are reports of firewood shortages. But experts say consumers should be cautious. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
October 17, 2000 - To some people the double crested cormorant is a environmental success story. It has made a remarkable recovery since nearly being wiped out in the early 1970s. But for others, the bird represents government run amuck. The cormorant has been under federal protection since 1972. Now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is developing a new management plan in response to complaints from anglers and fish farmers. They claim the bird is vacuuming its way through fish stocks and should now be hunted. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
October 12, 2000 - Studies show Diabetes strikes Hispanics at twice the rate it affects the general U.S. population. For migrant farm workers with no health insurance and no regular doctor, identifying and treating diabetes is often difficult. Now, Migrant health workers in Minnesota and North Dakota are starting a new project they hope will save lives. Public Health workers are meeting in Moorhead this week to learn more. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
September 25, 2000 - The Minnesota Historical Society is in the first year of a four year project to help people preserve their family heirlooms. The Society's Chief Conservator is traveling to towns across the state, and finding enthusiastic audiences. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
September 22, 2000 - Sugar beet farmers in Minnesota and North Dakota are gearing up for the fall harvest, and at the same time, plowing under thousands of acres of beets. The federal goverment is paying farmers to destroy part of the crop in hopes of reducing a sugar surplus. It also appears sugar cooperatives will default on government loans, leaving the government with thousands of tons of sugar. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
September 19, 2000 - Anthrax has now claimed 30 animals in northern Minnesota. About the same number of animals have died in Manitoba, and there have been nearly 200 anthrax related animal deaths in North Dakota this year. As state officials work to control the anthrax outbreak, they also find themselves trying to control the rumors and fear caused by the relatively rare, and somewhat mysterious bacteria. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
September 18, 2000 - A symposium underway at Concordia College in Moorhead is examining the relationship between spirituality and healing. Healing is part of the religious tradition, from ancient rites of early human history, through the miracles described in the Bible to the melodrama of contemporary televangelists. Recent medical research indicates faith can affect physical healing. A growing number of people may be turning to a higher power for healing. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
September 15, 2000 - The annual Faith, Reason and World Affairs symposium opens today at Concordia College in Moorhead. The topic is spirituality and healing, among those participating are six Tibetian monks who are performing a ritualistic intricate sand painting they believe will provide healing to the entire planet. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.