May 26, 2003 - One of Minnesota's oldest cemetaries marked two occasions today . As it has since 1870, St. Paul's Oakland Cemetery hosted a Memorial Day service honoring the veterans buried there. But this year the cemetery also celebrates its 150th anniversary. Oakland has long been one of Minnesota's lesser-known historical treasures. But in the past few years volunteers have uncovered a wealth of new details about the veterans buried there. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports on the effort to find and honor Oakland's veterans.
May 19, 2003 - There are signs of better months ahead for the airline industry -- just at the time when Northwest says it needs painful sacrifices from workers. Northwest says it needs to save 950 million dollars a year by cutting jobs, wages, and benefits. The pilots have said they are willing to discuss new cuts. Other unions have yet to formally respond, but have angrily questioned the need for concessions. As Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports, winning givebacks from workers may be all the more difficult with air travel headed into the strong summer season.
May 12, 2003 - Governor Pawlenty convened more than 600 scientists, entrepreneurs, and executives in Minneapolis today for the "Governor's Biosciences Summit." Pawlenty told the crowd Minnesota has the people and ideas to be a biotech leader. "Biotechnology" involves using living organisms to make anything from medicines to plastic. Critics of the governor say Minnesota may have a tough time competing, and Pawlenty should focus on more important priorities. Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
April 29, 2003 - Since the economy turned sour, the job market has become a rather forbidding place for young people. Corporate scouts don't stake out college campuses the way they used to. Many 20-somethings send out reams of resumes, only to wind up in jobs that don't make them happy. A few bypass the job market altogether to start a new business of their own. Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich visited with young Minnesotans who say in some ways, there's no better time to be your own boss.
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April 8, 2003 - Governor Tim Pawlenty continues to push hard for his program of Job Opportunity Building Zones. It's known by its acronym: "JOBZ," spelled with a "z." The JOBZ program would create pockets of land outside the metro area that are essentially tax-free. The proposal is still awaiting approval by lawmakers. But communities in outstate Minnesota are already compiling their evidence to convince state officials that *they're* the ones who need the extra boost. Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich reports.
March 18, 2003 - A performance Friday in St. Cloud brings together a Korean folksinger, a Cuban drummer, and a quartet performing beat poetry. "Earth Springs" is the latest in a series of world music showcases in the city. The music the events bring to St. Cloud is far from typical -- and so is the 10-year-old boy who puts them together. Vaji Tomas VA-gee toe-MAHS is slightly more driven than your typical fifth grader. Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich talked with him about his latest concert.
March 17, 2003 - Mordechai Vanunu is a convicted traitor, accused of jeopardizing Israel's national security. His smuggled photos exposed Israel's nuclear program to the world in 1986. He is also a hero to anti-nuclear activists around the globe. They say no one in the western world has spent longer in solitary confinement. Vanunu, traitor and international martyr, is also the adopted son of a retired couple who have lived all their lives in St. Paul. Mainstreet Radio's Jeff Horwich explains.
March 6, 2003 - MPR’s Jeff Horwich reports on an old business with a new owner. The Renville Locker butchered meat under the same family ownership for 38 years in southwestern Minnesota. Over that time the population of the region has changed, and more change is on the way. There may be no better symbol of the shift than the new face behind the meat market counter.