May 19th, 2026
By Bryce Vincent Haugen
brycevincenthaugen@gmail.com
The High Plains Reader has compiled a guide to inform West Fargo voters about candidates and issues. On June 9, West Fargoans will elect a new mayor —who is running unopposed — as well as two new commissioners from four candidates. (The two incumbents declined to seek reelection.)
Voters will also elect three park board members from four candidates. Two park board members are vying for reelection and one decided against it.
Four…
May 19th, 2026
By Bryce Vincent Haugen
In order for Fargo School District residents to become informed about the candidates and issues ahead of the June 9 election, the High Plains Reader has compiled a Voter Guide featuring six out of the seven candidates for School Board.
There are four incumbents (Melissa Burkland, Katie Christensen Mineer, Greg Clark and Robin Nelson) and three challengers (Jolene Garty, Carissa Geske and Paul Mohror) competing for five spots on the board. Board member Nyamal Dei…
April 15th, 2026
By Bryce Vincent Haugen
There are three Fargo Park Board seats up for election June 9. Park Board President Vicki Dawson and long-time member Dr. Joe Deutsch announced their reelection bids, but board member Aaron Hill is vacating his seat to run for city commission. Emily Secor May, Andrzej Noyszewski and Tyler Sand have also announced bids.
In addition to providing a biography, we asked each of the five candidates in the race three questions. First, how does their background prepare…
April 15th, 2026
By Bryce Vincent Haugen
High Plains Reader has assembled a Voter Guide to introduce readers to candidates in the June 9 Fargo election. Here we’ll meet candidates for mayor and Fargo City Commission. Each candidate answered the same three questions.
Additional coverage of Fargo and West Fargo candidates
Look for additional coverage of the Fargo Park Board online at hpr1.com. In our May issue, we will cover the Fargo School Board race and interview candidates for West Fargo Mayor, West…
March 31st, 2026
By Bryce Vincent Haugen
On Palm Sunday two thousand years ago, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey to directly take on the authoritarian Roman rulers of the region, according to Christian scripture. It was an overtly political act, standing up to those who ruled by fear and subjugation, said Matt Peterson, senior pastor of Moorhead’s Trinity Lutheran Church, the city’s largest Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregation.
Peterson was one of 14 local pastors — …
February 16th, 2026
By Bryce Vincent Haugen
By his own account, Edwin Chinchilla is lucky to still be in the United States.
As a 12-year-old Salvadoran, he and his brother were packed into a semi with a couple dozen other people and given fake documents before making the arduous trip from El Salvador to the U.S.-Mexico border at Tijuana with the help of a coyote — common parlance for a human trafficker in Latin America. There, joined by an older woman he pretended was his grandma, he entered the United…
January 27th, 2026
By Bryce Vincent Haugen
More than 300 people gathered at Trinity Lutheran Church in central Moorhead on Jan. 27 for “constitutional observer” training. Led by the Immigrant Defense Network and supported locally by the West Area Labor Council and the Northern Plains United Labor Council, the event — part of a statewide tour — focused on training attendees to be the most effective documentarians of federal immigration enforcement activities.
Lead trainer Edwin Torres DeSantiago quoted…
January 27th, 2026
By Bryce Haugen
The High Plains Reader audience and the general public have a brand new way to show solidarity with Minnesotans amid ongoing turmoil in the Twin Cities over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. Created by HPR and inspired by the last line of co-owner John Strand’s monthly editorial, standwithmn.com is a widget that allows users to customize messages of support on social media.
“The very last line in our editorial this week is asking people to stand…
January 26th, 2026
By Bryce Vincent Haugen
Additional reporting by Alicia Underlee Nelson
For the second time this month, federal immigration agents shot an American citizen dead in the streets of south Minneapolis. And for the second time, the official narrative does not correspond to the video evidence. Elected officials across Minnesota and North Dakota refuted the account provided by the federal government. Protestors took to the streets in Minnesota and North Dakota in the hours following the…
January 24th, 2026
By Alicia Underlee Nelson
A 37-year-old man from Minneapolis was shot during an incident involving federal immigration officers on Jan. 24. Hospital records obtained by the Associated Press (AP) stated that the man was pronounced dead at Hennepin County Medical Center. The victim was identified as Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and ICU nurse.
The event occurred near 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood on Saturday morning. This stretch of Nicollet Avenue in south…
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By Bryce Vincent Haugenbrycevincenthaugen@gmail.comThe High Plains Reader has compiled a guide to inform West Fargo voters about candidates and issues. On June 9, West Fargoans will elect a new mayor —who is running unopposed — as…
By Michael M. Miller Francie M. Berg, native of Hettinger, N.D., edited an impressive book, “Ethnic Heritage in North Dakota,” published in 1983. She grew up on a ranch near Miles City, Montana. Her son, Richard Berg, is…
Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m.Fargodome, 1800 University Dr. N, FargoHeralded as "The Nicest Man in Stand-Up" by The Atlantic, Nate Bargatze is also one of the top-grossing comedians, breaking both streaming and attendance records. Now…
By Sabrina Hornung As the school year comes to a close, a new crop of young people are starting a new chapter in their lives. As a former young person, I’d like to offer my unsolicited advice. As cliche as it may sound, be the…
By Ed RaymondWere women created to do the work of God?One of the first requests made by new Pope Leo XIV was to invite an expert on the alt-right conservative Catholic organization known as Opus Dei to brief him about its…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gion A brand new food event called the "ONE BITE Challenge" will launch in downtown Fargo on May 23. Rocky Schneider, executive director of the Downtown Community Partnership told us more. HPR: Hi Rocky. Thank you for…
By John ShowalterIt’s that time of year again. The long-running battle of the bands at The Aquarium, Battle of the Hamm’s, is entering its twentieth year, and local bands will be facing off against last year’s champs,…
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By Greg Carlson The perpetually busy documentarian Morgan Neville profiles the perpetually busy producer Lorne Michaels in another of the moviemaker’s sturdy celebrity profiles. Following closely on the heels of nostalgia…
By Sabrina Hornung The Plains Art Museum has been a trailblazing force in the North Dakota art scene since its inception and it’s not slowing down any time soon. In fact, this summer they are preparing to break ground on a major…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liverani In November 2025, the FDA initiated the removal of the “black box” warning from Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The “black box” warning is a FAD safety warning for healthcare providers and patients…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By Jim Fuglie Okay, here I go again, warning (whining? complaining?) about another threat to the North Dakota badlands. Sorry. Please put up with me for a few hundred more words. Now, some folks I don’t think want to put a…
