News

Fargo City Commission candidate Q & A

June 8th, 2016

On June 14^th, voters in the city of Fargo will head to the polls to elect two new City Commission members. Races were close in recent years with hundreds of votes separating the winners. HPR reached out to all 11 candidates running in the race for answers on issues important to our readers. All but one, Matt Keubler, responded by press time. On the ballot this time are Fargo Planning Commissioner Mara Brust, Fargo School Board member John Strand (also of the High Plains Reader), former…

Citizens of Buffalo still waiting on hog farm decision

June 8th, 2016

By Matthew Musacchia

“We’ve been called a lot of bad things” began Randy Coon, “anti-agricultural, anti-livestock…and that’s just not true. We’re not against any of those things. Our fight is with this one individual CAFO.”

Coon was speaking on behalf of the Concerned Citizens of Buffalo. The group was formed last February in in opposition to the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) that is being proposed near the small town of Buffalo, North Dakota, in western Cass…

Voting as easy as pie in North Dakota?

June 1st, 2016

[Editor’s note: the following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.]

As we approach election time in North Dakota, we hear and read stories about voters affected by the state’s Voter ID law passed in 2013 and altered in 2015. As we approach the June 14 primary, how does the state respond to that criticism? And just what exactly do you need to be able to vote that day and later in the November general election?

To get answers, HPR sat down with longtime ND Secretary of…

Anything For Ratings

May 26th, 2016

By C.S. Hagen and Cindy Gomez-Schempp

FARGO – Under the shadow of KVLY’s towering signboard, approximately 200 protesters rallied Sunday demanding a change of what they call the Fargo television station’s recent fear-mongering agenda.

It was the fourteenth of such broadcasts in as many months.

“These guys are spreading lies and creating animosity between the mainstream and ethnic communities,” Hukun Abdullahi, organizer of the rally said.

Abdullahi, originally from Kenya,…

Economist speaks against corporate agriculture

May 25th, 2016

By Matthew Musacchia

To an outside observer it might have looked like a traditional service at Fargo’s Plymouth Congregational Church last Tuesday, complete with filled pews, a speaker, and even a guitarist. But the attendees, many from the small town of Buffalo, North Dakota, were not there for a religious service.

They were there to hear Dr. John Ikerd, professor emeritus of the University of Missouri, talk about something very different- the effects of corporate agriculture on…

Caucus versus Primary in North Dakota

May 25th, 2016

Next month, voters in North Dakota will have the opportunity to go to the polls twice if they want to vote for the Presidential nominees on the Democratic ticket in the caucus and also have their voice heard in the party preferences of State races, Congressional races, Legislative races as well as city election in Fargo which will happen on June 14 for the primary. North Dakota Republicans picked their preference for President at their state party convention in March. What is the…

Can Bernie Sanders Win The North Dakota Caucus?

May 18th, 2016

Can Bernie win in North Dakota? His campaign obviously thinks so. He drew overflow crowds at two rallies in Fargo and Bismarck. The Hillary Clinton campaign responded by announcing former President Bill Clinton would visit Fargo this week and naming a state director who began the process of reaching out to Democrats in the state.

The Sanders campaign is hopeful because they’ve done well in states with open registration caucuses, like North Dakota. That means that even if you haven’t…

Bill Clinton to visit Fargo on Friday

May 18th, 2016

Former President Bill Clinton will visit Fargo on Friday, May 20 to campaign for his wife Hillary Clinton, who is running for President. The event is at 3:30 pm at the Rheault Farm located at 2902 25th Street South in Fargo. Doors will open at 2:30 pm.

Bill Clinton last campaigned in Fargo for Heidi Heitkamp in 2012. This happens ahead of the North Dakota caucus on June 7th.

The event is open to the public. The public is asked to RSVP here

Power Problems: Outages in Fargo

May 11th, 2016

There were several power outages within a two-week span in Fargo. We wondered if these were signs of bigger problems within the power system or just because of the recent warmer weather. For answers, we spoke with Mark Nisbet, North Dakota Manager for Xcel Energy, to find out what they’ve learned about the outages.

High Plains Reader: There have been a lot of outages in the Fargo area in the last few weeks. Can you tell me how many and why this is happening?

Mark Nisbet: Over the last…

Keeping the bees

May 11th, 2016

John Gehrke drives truck around the country, hauling lumber, steers, electronics, building materials, hay and almost anything that can ride on a flatbed trailer.

Including honeybees.

Gehrke said he started hauling bees 25 years ago and enjoyed it. He continues to transport the pollinators between California and North Dakota, about 408 to 512 hives per load.

“I think it will keep me busy until I decide to retire,” Gehrke said.

North Dakota is the nation’s top honey producing state,…