Briefs: Antismoking group to get much of settlement

Published Tuesday, September 1, 1998

Briefs: Antismoking group to get much of settlement

A new foundation for smoking cessation programs and tobacco control research will get $202 million of Minnesota's $6.1 billion tobacco settlement, a Ramsey County district judge ordered Monday.

The only change Chief District Judge Lawrence Cohen made to a plan submitted by Attorney General Hubert Humphrey III was to add to the foundation's board two members who "have demonstrated special skills in community organizing."

The foundation, the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco, fulfills a provision in the May settlement.

The group would be led initially by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and Dr. David Kessler, former director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"These funds will be used over 25 years to ensure a generation of commitment to beating the pediatric epidemic of tobacco use that kills more Americans than any other preventable cause," Humphrey said in a release.

Humphrey, who is running for governor, also will ask the Legislature to give the foundation $650 million from the settlement to pay for antismoking advertising, classroom education and stronger enforcement of tobacco laws.

-- Associated Press

Foundation awards more than $2 million

The Blandin Foundation's board has approved 32 grants totaling $2.2 million, most of which focus on environmental education, the arts and community development, the foundation announced.

The largest of the grants, approved in early August, is $1.16 million over three years to the School Nature Area Project.

$103,000 was awarded to COMPAS, a St. Paul arts group, for the Minnesota Rural Arts Initiative. It will provide technical assistance to 24 communities and disseminate the findings of the project.

$114,000 for the new Blandin Community Investment Partnership program, an initiative to help more than 200 rural Minnesota communities identify issues and help solve problems.

Grants to 13 arts organizations for rural outreach activities and to 14 communities and organizations in the Grand Rapids area for economic and arts programs.

The mission of the foundation, based in Grand Rapids, is to strengthen rural Minnesota communities.

Nuclear plant is back in service after repairs

Northern States Power Co.'s Monticello nuclear plant was operating at full power Monday after being taken out of service Thursday night for maintenance and electrical repairs, the company said.

The plant was restarted Saturday afternoon and was operating at full power by 4 a.m. Monday, said manager Mike Hammer.

The electrical problem was related to equipment that transfers energy from a motor-generator set to recirculation pumps. The equipment isn't part of the plant's safety systems and posed no threat to public safety, Hammer said.

While the generating unit was out of service, NSP purchased power from other utilities and generated electricity at its other plants.

-- Associated Press

Labor Day gas prices should be unusually low

With Labor Day approaching, low demand and high production levels have kept gas prices at low inflation-adjusted levels, according to AAA.

The average statewide price of self-service regular unleaded gasoline is $1.063 per gallon, down more than 23 cents from one year ago.

The statewide average means a round trip between Fargo, N.D., and the Twin Cities at 20 miles per gallon will cost $5.52 less than last year.