August 24, 2000 - A swan song of summer gets underway as the 2000 edition of the Minnesota State Fair opens at the grounds in Falcon Heights. The popularity of the fair can make transportation and parking a challenge in the area for the next twelve days, but some visitors and exhibitors avoid traffic headaches by camping at the fair.
August 22, 2000 - The Minnesota Twins may try again next year to gain permission to play a few outdoor baseball games at a temporary ballpark. A proposal to put up a temporary ballpark in Bloomington in time for three games next month was rejected by Major League Baseball officials last week. The commissioners who run the Metrodome also had some reservations about the plan, fearing it could set a precedent that would cause the Dome's other disgruntled tenant - the Vikings - to seek changes in their lease agreement. The situation reflects the tangle of interests intertwined in the Twin Cities stadium landscape. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen offers this overview...
July 25, 2000 - Hundreds of Minneapoils police will be in the vicinity of the Hyatt Regency again today following the arrests of about eighty demonstrators outside a conference of scientists who specialize in animal genetics. Authorities are also investigating whether protesters are connected to suspicious canisters found around the city, including one that contained traces of cyanide. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has this report.
July 21, 2000 - The barricades are up, the traffic is being re-directed, and police have riot gear ready if they need it, all of which means the Twin Cities feel prepared for the protests at an animal genetics conference starting this weekend. The long list of precautions taken near a downtown Minneapolis hotel stems from the expectation that critics of biotechnology will demonstrate outside the meeting of the International Society of Animal Genetics. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports on the differing views of genetic engineering that have converged in Minneapolis.
July 18, 2000 - The four DFLers seeking to succeed Bruce Vento in Congress jockeyed for position at a candidates forum in Oakdale today (Tuesday). The winner of the September 12th primary will move into a general election race expected to include Republican state Senator Linda Runbeck and Independence Party candidate Pam Ellison.
July 13, 2000 - Saint Paul will provide financial help for a new retail, office, and parking development in the heart of the city's most successful shopping district. City council members last night approved a compromise agreement forged with a private developer and neighborhood groups in the area of Grand and Victoria Avenues. Under the deal, the developer scaled back the size of the new building in response to neighborhood concerns. The city provides a tax break and a loan to help cover the expense of underground parking. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.
July 11, 2000 - The president of Minnesota Brewing says newly installed equipment has reduced the odor from ethanol production at the Saint Paul plant ... and further steps may eliminate the odor complaints that have plauged the West Seventh neighborhood for the last two months. But residents attending a community meeting last (Mon) night insisted the stench remains a problem. Some say the smell is causing health problems and they hope to stop ehtanol production at the plant. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen has more...
July 6, 2000 - Immigrant arrivals and crowded schoolrooms have Saint Paul officials anticipating the 2000 census will show the city's population increased in the past decade. What's more, Saint Paul expects continued growth in coming years, even though the city limits remain fixed. The hot housing market has city planners earmarking locations for new homes. It also has many renters scrambling to pay rising rents that are the by-product of a one percent vacancy rate. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports...
December 10, 1999 - When the new Science Museum of Minnesota opens its doors tomorrow morning, it will mark the opening of a new era not only for the museum but also for its host city. Saint Paul officials say the museum's new location makes it a key to linking downtown with the Mississippi River.
November 24, 1999 - Thousands of maroon-and-gold-clad Minnesotans will ring in the new millenium in El Paso, Texas, where the University of Minnesota football team will play in the Sun Bowl. The University announced today it accepted the invitation to play Pacific Ten Conference runner up Oregon in the New Years Eve game.