Minnesota Now

20 year old Nicole Cash from Farmington, Minnesota just won a national 4-H award for her robotics invention that helps toddlers. She talks with Cathy Wurzer about the robot and the magic of urban 4-H.

Dr. Pablo de León is the director of the Human Spaceflight Laboratory at the University of North Dakota and he’s working with NASA to find ways to help astronauts with physical disabilities go into space. He talks with Cathy Wurzer about his work.

Minneapolis police chief nominee Brian O’Hara talks with Cathy Wurzer about his past police work in Newark, New Jersey, his record and his plans for the Minneapolis force.

A Star Tribune article told the story of a 10-year-old boy with severe autism and aggression who has been living for seven months in an emergency room in Waconia.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talked with Traci LaLiberte, executive director for the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota, for a more in-depth look at this growing problem in Minnesota.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. They will appear here when ready.

Sifting through old boxes in their collection a few years ago, curators at the History Center of Olmsted County in Rochester, Minn., wondered what to do with the dozens of old, slightly off dolls in their possession.

Their answer? Scare the stuffing out of us — and have a little fun too.

Launched in 2019, the creepy doll contest and exhibit has transmogrified into a Halloween tradition that’s taken off on social media. The polls are open now on which doll should be named creepiest of them all for 2022.

Each doll has a story, and while they may be creepy to us now in the 21st century they weren’t to their original owners, Wayne Gannaway, the history center’s executive director, told MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Wednesday.

“They are really hallmarks of their particular time period,” said Gannaway. “We want to educate people that besides being creepy, they inform us about our own national history both in terms of the commercial world and marketing world.”

The contest helps the history center connect with more residents, especially people they don’t usually reach, he added.

With more than 100 dolls in the collection, it’ll be a while before they exhaust their supply for the yearly contest. Gannaway said people are sending the center more dolls.

The theme for this year’s contest is cult classics. Each doll is named in accordance with the theme. This year there is Samantha Raimis, Chuck E., Carrie Torrence, Pamela Crumb, Frida Hitchcock, Blair Hanscom, Sally Strode, Rosie Romero and Wendy Craven.

Online voting will close at noon on Saturday but in-person voting will still be available until 7 p.m. at the Creepy Doll Cocktail Party at the Rochester Art Center where the 2022 winner will be announced and of course, crowned in creepy glory.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

The Star Tribune recently ran a story about a 10-year-old boy who has spent the past seven months in the emergency room at Ridgeview Hospital in Waconia.

Since he has special needs and can be violent, officials say placing him in a permanent home is challenging. Emergency rooms are required to care for everyone, so these children are being dumped in hospitals large and small across the state and country.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer sat down with Hoang Murphy, the founder and executive director of Foster advocates, an advocacy organization working to improve foster care in Minnesota. They took a more in-depth look at an unfortunate situation becoming more common in foster care.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

Minneapolis police chief nominee Brian O'Hara is the subject of a hearing at city hall this afternoon. MPR News senior reporter Nina Moini traveled to Newark, New Jersey to learn more about the work O’Hara did during his 20 years working in the city.

A Star Tribune investigation into young people with severe mental health issues being left in emergency rooms around the state has us asking questions.

And Halloween has us excited for all things spooky — especially the Creepy Doll contest and exhibit at the History Center of Olmstead County in Rochester.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

MPR News senior reporter Nina Moini joined Cathy Wurzer to share what she learned about Brian O’Hara during her time in Newark, New Jersey, their conversation taking place shortly before a Minneapolis city council hearing for Mayor Frey’s nominee.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

Tuesday mid-morning a shelter in place order was issued in Ramsey County and then lifted. We'll tell you what happened.

And Minnesota's 4th and 8th graders test scores have dropped again- what's going on and what are schools doing about it?

Today we remember Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone on the 20th anniversary of his death.

Election day is exactly two weeks away - we take an in-depth look at the track record of the party endorsed candidates running for governor.

And with this up-down weather we'll talk with master gardener Meg Cowden about what's happening in the garden right now.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  

We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here. 

Republican gubernatorial challenger Scott Jensen spent one term in the Minnesota Legislature and often vented about how the place operated. He’s now fighting to get back to the Capitol as the Republican nominee for governor.

Brian Bakst brought us an examination of Jensen’s track record.