March 20th, 2023
Proposed Bills Could Take Books off Library Shelves
By Laura Simmons
laurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu
The passing of ND House Bill 1205 and ND Senate Bill 2360, which would prevent sexually explicit books from being in public libraries, has prompted national discourse over what some are considering “book bans.”
The North Dakota House and Senate each passed a bill to amend North Dakota Century Code 12.1-27.1, which focuses on obscenity control.
HB 1205 says a public library may not…
March 5th, 2023
By Jim Fuglie
jimfuglie920@gmail.com
It’s been a while since I brought HPR readers up to date on things going on out in the North Dakota Bad Lands. And trust me, there have been some things going on. And not all good things.
There have been a couple of elections out in Billings County, which is home to Medora, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and the Little Missouri State Scenic River. And elections, as they say, have consequences. What’s been going on in Billings County…
February 12th, 2023
By Laura Simmons
laurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu
Although the Grand Forks City Council voted 5-0 February 6 to cancel Fufeng, there are still unresolved issues.
The Chinese-owned corn mill processing plant Fufeng set off national security concerns for being about 12 miles from Grand Forks Air Force base. The Department of the Air Force in Washington D.C. sent a letter to North Dakota senators on January 27 saying Fufeng “presents a significant threat to national security.”
“We…
January 17th, 2023
By Laura Simmons
laurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu
Governor Doug Burgum called for the removal of the anti-corporate farming law during the State of the State Address.
The anti-corporate farming law is a contentious topic. Some believe it is holding back North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers. Others believe the anti-corporate farming law is protecting local farmers and the environment.
“I urge this body to change the long downward trajectory of animal agriculture in North Dakota and…
December 16th, 2022
By Laura Simmons
laurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu
Citizens came to speak before the Grand Forks City Council on December 6, sharing their concerns about the Fufeng Chinese corn mill project.
Fufeng is a $700 million corn processing plant that will extract ingredients for animal nutrition feed formulas. Fufeng has raised concern among citizens who say it will put a toll on local resources, they’re worried about Fufeng’s ties to China and they believe the city council is not…
December 14th, 2022
By Brittney Goodman
goodmanbritg@gmail.com
Whether you have a menorah, a nativity, an artificial or real tree, a kinari, a Krampus costume, or none of the above, the winter holiday season in the Red River Valley is a time of meaning and celebration for many, in a variety of formats. The holiday season includes religious and secular celebrations that include ceremony, food, and gatherings of family and friends.
And in our area, a white Christmas is usually a reality, like it or not. And,…
November 24th, 2022
By Laura Simmons
laurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu
Summit Carbon Solutions approached North Dakota land owner Kurt Swensonin August 2021, requesting to lease out Swenson’s land to sequester, or store, carbon dioxide underground in the pore space, which is the part of soil containing liquid and gas about one to two miles underground.
After reviewing the proposed contract with the help of attorneys, Swenson said that no attorney in the state of North Dakota would recommend signing it.…
October 22nd, 2022
By Sabrina Hornung
sabrina@hpr1.com
Niagara is a peaceful farm town of about 50 or so residents. It is located on Highway 2 in the westernmost stretch of Grand Forks County. One would never have guessed that it was home to a serial killer in the early part of the 20th century. To this day, the story of Eugene Butler and his skeletons in the cellar remains one of our state’s most notable unsolved murder…
October 19th, 2022
By HPR Staff
submit@hpr1.com
Comstock House: Nooks and Crannies Flashlight Tour
Thursdays in October, 7:30-9 pm
Comstock House, 506 8th St. S, Moorhead
Lights out! This special tour allows access to parts of the house otherwise inaccessible to the public. Pre-registration is required: https://www.mnhs.org/comstock
Haunted History Downtown Tours (Bismarck)
Fridays and Saturdays in October at 7 and 8 p.m.
A walking haunted history tour of downtown Bismarck. Gunfights, stabbings, hangings,…
September 14th, 2022
By Laura Simmons
laurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu
Howes Township is frustrated with a court decision and a 2019 bill that lessened local control, giving it back to the state.
Howes Township has been fighting the addition of a concentrated animal feeding operation since 2016 when it was first proposed. The court’s decision in North Dakota Farm Bureau vs. Howes Township was released late July 2022, siding with each of North Dakota Farm Bureau’s claims, allowing a pig barn to be built…
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By Bryce HaugenNot everyone detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is an undocumented immigrant. After a Jan. 12 scuffle at a local Walmart, Tim Catlett, a resident of St. Cloud, Minn., was held at the Bishop…
By Kooper Shagena Just off of I-94 and Highway 83 on State Street in Bismarck, an abandoned Kmart sits behind an empty parking lot, watching the cars roll on and off the interstate exchange. It has been standing there quietly since…
Saturday, January 31, mingling at 6:15 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.Fine Arts Club, 601 4th St. S., FargoThe FM Symphony is getting intimate by launching a “Small Stages” chamber music series and it's bringing folks together via…
By John Strand If you are reading this editorial and you too are worried sick about the state of our country, keep reading. Maybe we can inspire each other. It was near closing time. We were discussing our values crisis. So this…
By Ed RaymondA mind that snapped, cracked, and popped at one hundredI wasn’t going to read a long column called “Centenarian: A Diary of a Hundredth Year” by Calvin Tomkins celebrating his birthday on December 17 of 2025…
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 GionSince the much-dreaded Covid years, there has been much ebb and flow in the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant scene. In 2025, that trend continued with some major additions and closings. Let’s start the New Year on a positive…
Saturday, January 17, doors at 7:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include members of The Ergs!, Dillinger…
By Greg Carlson Writer-director Naomi Jaye adapts fellow Canadian Martha Baillie’s 2009 novel “The Incident Report” as a potent and introspective character study. Retitled “Darkest Miriam,” Jaye’s movie stars Britt…
By Jacinta ZensThe Guerrilla Girls, an internationally renowned anonymous feminist art collective, have been bringing attention to the gender and racial imbalances in contemporary art institutions for the last 40 years. They have…
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 Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com At the beginning of the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the Grinch is introduced as having a smaller than average heart, but as the movie progresses, his heart increases three…
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 Vern Thompson Benjamin Franklin offered one of the most sobering warnings in American history. When asked what kind of government the framers had created in 1787, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Few words…
