April 28, 2003 - On Wednesday All Things Considered will broadcast live from Preston in southeastern Minnesota. We'll bring you a story on a proposed tire burning plant that has the community in turmoil. But Preston isn't the only town in the region struggling to keep its economy alive. Today we turn to Albert Lea. It's been close to two years since fire claimed the Farmland Foods plant. The blaze gutted the building and left roughly 500 workers without jobs. The city hasn't had much luck luring new business. But now there's hope on the horizon in the form of a brand new state-of-the-art hog processing facility. If the plan goes through Albert Lea could soon return to its meatpacking roots. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports:
April 23, 2003 - A panel of national wildlife experts meet in Wisconsin this week. The scientists will judge how successfully the state has dealt with chronic wasting disease. Just over a year ago, the disease was discovered in Wisconsin's wild deer population. The finding triggered a dramatic and controversial response from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally has more....
April 15, 2003 -
April 8, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally profiles Somali singer Hibo Mohamed Nuur. The Somali superstar is unrecognized by most people in her new home in Rochester. For decades, Nuur's legendary voice drew thousands to concerts from Mogadishu to Toronto. Fans still call her the “James Brown” of Somali music. Nuur is hopeful she'll sing again in Somalia.
March 17, 2003 - The gun legislation at the capitol has already been debated hard in the community. Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports on reaction in Olmsted County.
March 14, 2003 -
March 11, 2003 - Nanotechnology uses components built at the molecular level to improve everyday products. They're already being used everywhere from the gas pump to the department store. The Bush Administration plans to invest close to a billion dollars next year to help develop the industry. So far here in Minnesota, the nanotech revolution is off to a slow start. But Mainstreet Radio's Erin Galbally reports one small southeastern Minnesota town is betting big on nanotechnology.
February 17, 2003 - General Mills officials say the company's future looks positive. Sales are expected to increase roughly 6-percent over the next three years, while share prices should jump more than 10-percent. If those projections prove true, by 2006 General Mills will be able to pay down roughly 2-billion dollars of debt associated with its purchase of Pillsbury. But in the near future company leaders are less certain they'll be able to avoid paying millions of additional dollars for acquiring the food giant. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports:
February 7, 2003 -
January 23, 2003 -