October 17, 2000 -
October 13, 2000 - It's been four years since U.S. immigration officials began jailing everyone seeking political asylum. Nationwide, thousands of asylum seekers may await a decision on their status from a cell. Because relatively few try to enter the country through Minnesota, the number who end up in our county jails and state lockups is small -- only nineteen. But Minnesotans who have worked on the cases say they illustrate the problems with the system.
October 2, 2000 - Ground is broken today Monday in north Minneapolis to build a new neighborhood on land once occupied by public housing. The decision to demolish hundreds of low income units during an affordable housing crisis drew sharp criticism. But supporters say the new development will create a mixed income neighborhood without the concentration of poverty that plagued the public housing projects. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports.
September 27, 2000 -
September 22, 2000 -
September 12, 2000 -
September 7, 2000 - St.Paul officials are counting on young singles and empty nesters to buy hundreds of new downtown housing units being built near the city's lowertown area. Ground was broken today for the fifty million dollar condominium and apartment development. Located on what's called downtown's 'north quadrant', the development displaces hundreds of surface parking lot spaces. Public subsidies make up a quarter of the project's financing. Officials say downtown housing can't be built without taxpayer help. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan OIson reports.
September 6, 2000 - Money problems have delayed today's (Weds) expected announcement from the Metropolitan Council that it has awarded a major contract for light rail construction. Officials expect to make the announcement next week, but in the meantime planners are recommending the Metropolitan Airports Commission increase it's contribution to the project as a way to help cover a higher-than-expected bid for the light line tunnel at the airport. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson reports. {Last week project managers said they were ready to recommend that the Metropolitan Council award the three hundred million Hiawatha Avenue light rail line construction contract to California-based Granite Construction Company and Minnesota-based C. S. McCrossan Company. But Tuesday, Metropolitan Council officials said a final vote on the award is delayed so planners can try find a way to cover a twenty five million dollar gap that appeared at the end of August. That's when officials learned the low bid for building the mile and half long light rail tunnel under the Twin Cities airport is one hundred ten million dollars compared to the eighty five million alloted for the project. The Metropolitan Airports Commission is managing tunnel construction. The MAC's Nigel Finney says the airport commission may need to contribute more to the project. audio . . . .we've been talking previously about a contribution of seventy million dollars. We'll be recommending at least as a staff to the commission they increase that level of participation to help offset the costs. (what might be increase?) I'd say on the order of sixteen to eighteen million dollars.
August 30, 2000 -
August 29, 2000 -