News

​Heitkamp defends bank regulatory rollback bill

March 19th, 2018

Senator Heidi Heitkamp during interview - photograph by Raul GomezGRAND FORKS - Five years of efforts working on passing Senate Bill 2155, or to roll back a part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial regulatory overhaul, has not won Senator Heidi Heitkamp favors among some in her own party. Senator Elizabeth Warren calls the bill the “Bank Lobbyist Act,” and she’s given multiple speeches on the Senate floor calling for Democrats to halt the bill’s passage.

Dan Rather, a journalist and former “CBS Evening News” anchor now working with “The…

Read more...


​‘Drain the prairie’

March 17th, 2018

Former Vice President Joe Biden speaking at the ND Dem-NPL Convention - photograph by C.S. HagenGRAND FORKS – Behind the bright roving lights and trendy pop tunes, the button-pushing student pages and fiery political speeches, a group of volunteers work feverishly in a nondescript room. They’re the gatekeepers, the convention’s nerve center. Without them, the voting system at the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Convention would collapse.

Years ago, delegates used punch cards, Charlie Barber, who has been working with the credentials center for nearly 50 years, said. Today,…

Read more...


‘Out of this darkness, the resistance was born’

March 16th, 2018

North Dakota Democratic-NPL kicksoff - photograph by C.S. HagenGRAND FORKS - Enthused for change, hundreds of delegates, 650 to be precise, kicked off the 2018 North Dakota Democratic-NPL Convention Friday morning at the Alerus Center.

A year and a half after President Donald Trump took office, a “political tsunami is sweeping across this state,” Casey Buchmann from Washburn said. He became the first candidate to receive a North Dakota Democratic-NPL endorsement, and he’s planning on running for the Public Service Commission.

“We need to…

Read more...


Film lovers’ paradise: Fargo Film Festival 2018

March 14th, 2018

Design by Raul GomezA sign of the coming spring and a time for old friends and new to make connections while celebrating films, the Fargo Film Festival returns to Downtown Fargo.

Emily Beck, executive director of the Fargo Theatre since 2011, is also director and programmer for the Fargo Film Festival. Emily emphasizes the continued importance of the event to the community, saying, “The Fargo Film Festival enriches the cultural fabric of our community by offering a program of innovative independent film,…

Read more...


​Fargo joins student-led walkouts for school safety

March 14th, 2018

At 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, students across the country, including at Fargo's Ben Franklin Middle School, walked out of class in support of school safety - photograph by C.S. HagenFARGO – Schools in Fargo/Moorhead joined the ranks of millions of children across the nation Wednesday morning, lending their voices to the fight to keep schools safe. While some students, boisterous and playful, intermingled with others quietly sitting in solidarity at Ben Franklin Middle School, their message was clear: they know what’s going on, and they all want to feel safe and free.

The walkouts were student-led, and occurred in many middle and secondary schools at 10am,…

Read more...


​Man killed in police shooting

March 13th, 2018

Justin Lee Dietrich - Cass County JailWEST FARGO – A 32-year-old man was shot and killed by police Monday night after ramming a K9 vehicle. The incident began at a traffic stop, where West Fargo Police were attempting to locate stolen handguns, and quickly spiraled into a short chase and nearly two hours of negotiations with SWAT and Negotiations teams.

“During the attempted negotiations, at approximately 10:37 p.m. the suspect exited his vehicle, refused to follow commands, and posed an imminent threat to the SWAT…

Read more...


​Minot woman sentenced for sexually exploiting her own daughter

March 13th, 2018

Ashley Moore - Burleigh County Detention CenterBISMARCK – A Minot woman was sentenced Monday to a total of 45 years imprisonment for the sexual exploitation of her own daughter, according to the Department of Justice.

Ashley Marie Moore, 29, was found guilty of the sexual exploitation of a child, and distributing images depicting sexual exploitation of children, according to Department of Justice United States Attorney Christopher C. Myers. Moore received 25 years imprisonment for the first charge, and 20 years for count two. Both…

Read more...


CAIR asks for investigation into local anti-government group’s display of hatred against Muslims

March 8th, 2018

Members of the North Dakota Security Force III% practicing at targets before blowing up mosque replica - video snapshotFARGO – A civil liberties and advocacy organization is asking state and federal agencies to investigate the North Dakota Security Force III% after the anti-government group posted an anti-Muslim video on YouTube. 

In the video, four men – one of whom was identified as working in Fargo – carrying assault-style weapons practice quasi-military formation while target practicing on a replica of a mosque. 

Pictures of bacon and bacon-flavored crackers are shown at the beginning of the…

Read more...


​‘Truth & Lies’: 49th Annual UND Writers Conference

March 7th, 2018

According to 1975 UND Writers Conference alumnus William H. Gass, starting around the 17th century, "History and fiction began their vulgar copulation, or, if you prefer, their diabolical dance. The techniques of fiction infected history; the materials of history were fed the novelist's greed. It is now difficult, sometimes, to tell one from the other. It is now difficult to find anyone who wants to bother."

Although worries about the "corruption" of history have been of concern since at…

Read more...


​Officer involved shooting sends one to hospital and one to jail

March 5th, 2018

MnDOT plow cam on I-94 on Monday morning - Minnesota State Highway PatrolMOORHEAD – A car incident on I-94 east of Moorhead led to an officer-involved shooting Monday morning, according to officials.

A Minnesota State Patrol Trooper responded to the incident before 10:30 a.m., and discovered a vehicle had lost control, striking the median barrier, according to Minnesota State Patrol Sergeant Jesse Grabow. At the scene, the responding trooper found one male and one female.

At some point during the encounter, the trooper discharged a weapon, striking the…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry P&P Tracker Pixel for Entry EmpireAUG2021 Tracker Pixel for Entry Nicholes2 Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem2 Tracker Pixel for Entry Gruff1 Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem1B

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee NelsonMore than 1,000 pro-worker events are planned for Thursday, May 1 across the country, including rallies in Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks, Minot and Jamestown. East Grand Forks and Bismarck will host protests…

From concerts and car shows to Japanese art and Juneteenth celebrations, there's so much going on around the region this summer. This year's High Plains Reader Summer Events Calendar is back and bigger than ever. It's packed with…

Saturday, May 17, 7- 9 p.m.Spirit Room, 111 Broadway N., Fargo Armed with a 12 string guitar, multi-octave voice and a mountain dulcimer, Claudia Schmidt combines story, song, poetry and a dash of theatre in a one-of-a-kind…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comIt’s no secret that there are folks among us who make our communities a more vibrant place through both their actions and means of creative expression. Heck, you could be one of them yourself.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comIn which century would you love to live, the 14th or the 22nd?History tells me we are in a period where Americans are fighting for their choice. Just 48 hours after Adolf Hitler was appointed…

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 Gionrickgion@gmail.com After a very inspiring conversation with Kayla Houchin of Sonder Bakehouse a few weeks ago, I decided that it’s an appropriate time to write a column about some of the sweet people who are involved…

Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Of the many photographs that help tell the story “I Know Catherine, the Log Lady,” the one of David Lynch dressed as FBI Regional Bureau Chief (and later Deputy Director) Gordon Cole saying…

By Raul Gomez Modern Man was a gentle soul. If you were down or just wanted a friend, he’d be there for you. I remember the first day I met Modern Man. It was Jeremiah Fuglseth and me. He wanted to write about this legendary…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

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 Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com I remember when I was young, probably 11 years ago. One morning I was not feeling well because of my period. After I got ready to go to school, I went back to bed and it was hard to get up…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson.nd7@gmail.com Our trucking business has me driving almost daily from gas plants in western North Dakota's oil patch to Canada. I haul natural gas liquids (NGLs) products we used to see flared off at…