September 14, 2000 - This summer the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled new safety requirements for meat distributed through the nation's school lunch program. Additional regulations that target salmonella and ecoli have caused meat packers to revolt and beef prices to soar. While some school districts will save money by limiting the days beef is on the lunch menu, two states have decided to forgo their share of beef from the school lunch program altogether. Wisconsin is one those of rebel states that has opted instead to purchase all of the meat for the current school year on the open market. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this mainstreet report.
September 6, 2000 - Law enforcement officers from all over the country poured into Winona today to pay tribute to (fallen) Minnesota State Trooper, Corporal Theodore Foss who was killed last week during a routine traffic stop. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this report.
August 23, 2000 - Goodhue County opened the doors of a new, state of the art, jail at the beginning of this year. The county sunk close to 24-million dollars into the sprawling facility, home to the police department, the county court house and the 138-bed jail. After twelve years in the making the Goodhue County jail isn't proving to be the money-maker that some predicted. In fact the jail's not breaking even. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this Mainstreet report. {Goodhue County's law enforcement center is a sprawling structure of fresh concrete in the middle of downtown Red Wing. For months former County Administrator Steve Bloom worked across the street, with a first class view of the county's newest and most expensive public works project. Bloom says officials expect the jail to evolve into a source of revenue.
August 21, 2000 - Canadian grain farmers may grow the same varieties of wheat and barley as their US neighbors, but the countries market their crop in different ways. Canada's grain growers are required to sell their crop through a government-sponsored Wheat Board - a system that agriculture officials in North Dakota have been considering. While North Dakota contemplates a voluntary version of Canada's Wheat Board, farmers across the boarder are itching for its abolishment. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this Mainstreet report. {Art Anse still has a few neighbors along his packed dirt road miles from the nearest town - farms in southern Manitoba are becoming increasingly rare. In 1936 half of Canada's population made their living off of the land. Today, that number has dwindled to fewer than 3%. Surrounded by fields of wheat, beans and yellow canola, Anse wonders how much longer his neighbors will stay on the farm. He argues the problem is the Canadian Wheat Board, a government agency started during World War II which he believes has lost its purpose. Swatting misquotes away, Anse says the board stifles innovation forcing more and more farmers to leave their fields behind.
August 18, 2000 - Erin Galbally reporting on Gore's acceptance speech for party nomination
August 17, 2000 - Canadian grain farmers may grow the same varieties of wheat and barley as their US neighbors, but the countries market their crop in different ways. Canada's grain growers are required to sell their crop through a government-sponsored Wheat Board - a system that agriculture officials in North Dakota have been considering. While North Dakota contemplates a voluntary version of Canada's Wheat Board, farmers across the boarder are itching for its abolishment. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this Mainstreet report. {Art Anse still has a few neighbors along his packed dirt road miles from the nearest town - farms in southern Manitoba are becoming increasingly rare. In 1936 half of Canada's population made their living off of the land. Today, that number has dwindled to fewer than 3%. Surrounded by fields of wheat, beans and yellow canola, Anse wonders how much longer his neighbors will stay on the farm. He argues the problem is the Canadian Wheat Board, a government agency started during World War II which he believes has lost its purpose. Swatting misquotes away, Anse says the board stifles innovation forcing more and more farmers to leave their fields behind.
August 16, 2000 - Canadian grain farmers may grow the same varieties of wheat and barley as their US neighbors, but the countries market their crop in different ways. Canada's grain growers are required to sell their crop through a government-sponsored Wheat Board - a system that agriculture officials in North Dakota have been considering. While North Dakota contemplates a voluntary version of Canada's Wheat Board, farmers across the boarder are itching for its abolishment. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this Mainstreet report. {Art Anse still has a few neighbors along his packed dirt road miles from the nearest town - farms in southern Manitoba are becoming increasingly rare. In 1936 half of Canada's population made their living off of the land. Today, that number has dwindled to fewer than 3%. Surrounded by fields of wheat, beans and yellow canola, Anse wonders how much longer his neighbors will stay on the farm. He argues the problem is the Canadian Wheat Board, a government agency started during World War II which he believes has lost its purpose. Swatting misquotes away, Anse says the board stifles innovation forcing more and more farmers to leave their fields behind.
August 14, 2000 - Farmers, environmentalists and members of the Army Corps of Engineers crammed into the conference room of a giant barge this morning in Wabasha to talk about the future of navigation on the Mississippi River. Today's annual meeting of the Army Corps' Mississippi River Commission marked one of the first public gatherings since a high ranking official accused the agency of "cooking the books" in a bid to expand the lock and dam system. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally has this report. {Early this morning, in the shadow of the 241-foot, cream and red Army Corps vessel, a handful of environmental groups held a press conference to call attention to the plight of the Mississippi River. Representatives from the Sierra Club, the Audobon Society, and others spoke in favor of conservation and against the expansion of the lock and dam system. The Sierra Club's Dean Rebuffoni says expansion would help big business and hurt the river. In fact he says big business is lying to help its cause.
July 26, 2000 - The third annual rural summit wrapped up this afternoon in Rochester with speeches from members of the Ventura administration. For two days a statewide mix of government officials, tribal groups, business leaders and community organizations, focused on techniques for recharging rural economies. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports there's a lot of work ahead. {More than 600 people gathered for this year's rural summit, filling up the main floor of the Mayo Civic center and rotating in and out of tiny meeting rooms for sessions on tourism, technology, business development and agriculture. Duluth resident Carol Willoughby participated in panel called Energizing Entrepreneurs.
July 24, 2000 - Minnesota's third annual rural summit kicks off tomorrow in Rochester. More than 40 public, private and non-profit groups will converge for a two day focus on rural sustainability. With small towns across the state struggling for survival, Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports on a south eastern community that's found a solution.