Bob CollinsIf we lived in a Frank Capra world, something special would be happening in Little Falls, Minn., right around now.
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MPR News Reflections and observations on the news
By Bob Collins
Bob Collins retired from Minnesota Public Radio in 2019 after 12 years of writing NewsCut and pointing out to complainants that posts weren’t news stories. A son of Massachusetts, he was a news editor 1992-1998, created the MPR News regional website in 1999, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started several blogs, and every day lamented that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.
The weekend tear-duct check came from Shirley Wang, who told the story on WBUR’s Only a Game broadcast about her dad, a cat litter scientist in Muscatine, Iowa who somehow became Charles Barkley’s friend. Read more →
Who knew there was a pent-up demand for thumb-wrestling in Winona? River City Wrestling and Island City Brewing Company teamed up for the first annual thumb wrestling championship in the city on Saturday, known as the Thumbs Up Throw Down.
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We have another theft of Jesus, people. Last week, someone stole a baby Jesus from the nativity scene in St. Cloud. Today, we learn the owners of the Cedar Rose Inn in Alexandria report someone stole theirs too. Read more →
Here are the stories, topics, and guests you’ll hear today on MPR News. Read more →
Not much has worked to stem the tide of distracted and dangerous driving. By now everyone has heard the warnings, but a glance over in either lane on your way home or to work on your next commute will likely tell you all you need to know about whether anyone’s listening.
So people probably won’t pay much attention to Bruce Benson, who was 16 when he killed his best friend 30 years ago. Read more →
Sandy Hook elementary, where these people were murdered six years ago today, was evacuated and school dismissed today. Someone phoned in a bomb threat.
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Pro tip: Keep a shovel in your vehicle in winter months in case you see someone in a wheelchair struggling to get across an intersection. Read more →
Someone has lifted Baby Jesus from a nativity scene that’s been on display in St. Cloud since the end of World War II. Read more →
There’s nothing we like better than a good, old neighborly feud that results in an art installation. And by “art installation,” we mean a large sculpture of a hand with its middle finger extended. Read more →
Too many journalists never learn an important lesson and from the sound of press releases flying around about a TV show investigating the disappearance of Iowa anchorwoman Jodi Huisentruit, who hasn’t been seen since disappearing 23 years ago, a common mistake is about to be repeated. Read more →
Here are the stories, topics, and guests you’ll hear today on MPR News. Read more →
The time might be up for turkeys in Ashwaubenon after one chased a little kid down the street, forcing a woman to intervene. Read more →
It was just another day in New Jersey this morning when an armored truck spilled money over the highway in East Rutherford.
People risked being hit by cars to pick up a few dollars.
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In Birchwood, Wis., northwest of Barron and Rice Lake, the kids in Nicole Schlapper’s kindergarten class start the day greeting one of their classmates. They get to pick how they want to do it — hug, handshake, high five etc. Read more →