News

BISMARCK– The debate over whether the state needs an ethics commission has been ongoing for years, four times defeated by the legislature. This year, however, concerned citizens turned to the power of the initiated measure, and have secured a place on the ballot this November.

What began as early-morning discussions over cookies and coffee at the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum, has now mushroomed into more than 36,000 signatures supporting the creation of an ethics…

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“In 2 ½ years I’ve acquired 221 plates. The end game is 1,000 wet plates of Native Americans and it’s going to take me 15 more years,” Balkowitsch said. When he started the portrait project, his initial goal was to create at least 50 plates. But his real concern was, how could he convince complete strangers to sit for him? Thanks to social media and word of mouth--much to Balkowitsch’s surprise some individuals traveled across the country to sit for him and to be a part of…

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FARGO – On the hottest of summer days, Brandon Medenwald hit the pavement. Comfortably dressed in shorts and a no-sweat polo shirt, he carried brochures in one hand.

In his other hand he carried a mobile phone, frequently pushed buttons while keeping track of how many homes he’d visited since he began his campaign for the state’s legislature. On Monday night, he knocked on door number 1,000. No one answered, so the house didn’t count. He quickly moved on to the next residence…

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FARGO – While on the road campaigning for political office one of the most frequent complaints Josh Boschee and Kylie Oversen hear from North Dakotans is how backward the state government is when it comes to the legalities behind setting up and maintaining a business.

In many cases, fax machines are still used to send information to the current North Dakota Secretary of State’s office, attorney Katie Perleberg of Fredrikson & Byron Law Firm said.

“In North Dakota it’s a long…

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Kaleidoscope is a LGBTQIA+ youth group that meets weekly at the Pride Collective. Teens age 13-18 can meet for activities, play games, and just be teenagers! There’s planned movie nights, activities that involve working together and activities that promote personal growth. They volunteer for Pride events and even took a field trip to Minneapolis for Minneapolis Pride. All made possible through donations.

“It is a time for young people to have a community of people that are…

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When Larry Peterson was retiring he wanted to do something important. He’s part of the The Red River Rainbow Seniors and proposed that the group set out on an oral history project and collect the stories of the LGBTQ elders within their group and throughout North Dakota and Northern Minnesota. They teamed up with public historian Angela Smith and the NDSU archives to present “Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories from the Northern Plains. So far they have done 35 interviews…

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In late June, as thousands clamored to see President Donald J. Trump at Fargo’s Scheels Arena, more than politics were at play. Less than 20 feet from the President’s podium sat current Congressman Kevin Cramer, all smiles, offering awkward man hugs. Doug Burgum, voted Forbes best entrepreneurial governor in the nation and yet cited twice for financial misuse in office, sat next to him. Heir to oil, centralist Kelly Armstrong, brought with him his family’s uncorrupted loathing for…

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JAMESTOWN – The woman charged with crimes related to fake adoption proceedings of Native children turned herself in Wednesday morning and is currently in jail at the Stutsman County Correctional Center.

Betty Jo Krenz, 47, of Woodworth, was charged with theft of property and the unauthorized use of personal identifying information, according to the jail’s roster.

Krenz was the former case manager for the Spirit Lake Tribal Social Services, and has been under investigation for nearly…

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NEW TOWN – Winter’s ice thawed months ago on the Fort Berthold Reservation, but no water search was conducted until last week when volunteers using sonar discovered a pickup truck in Lake Sakakawea that Olivia Lone Bear was seen driving.

Olivia Keri Lone Bear, 32, disappeared nearly nine months ago, and was last seen outside the Sportsman Bar on October 26 driving a teal 2011 Chevy Silverado, license plate 839 BRC, with a silver toolbox in the bed. The truck was pulled from Lake…

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DICKINSON – Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, state Senator Kelly Michael Armstrong, quietly pleaded guilty in June to texting while driving in Stark County, according to North Dakota Court records. The traffic citation came 17 years after Armstrong was convicted of driving under the influence in Virginia.

A records search of Armstrong’s criminal history revealed a 2001 administrative appeal – Kelly Michael Armstrong vs. David Sprynczynatyk, director of the North Dakota…

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