News

Meaningful Mileage

July 13th, 2016

By Ben Haugmo

Nate Perez, Patrick Taylor, and Alexander Vassiliadis are 41 days into a two-month jaunt across the 48 continental United States. While this may seem like the roadtrip of a lifetime, they aren’t merely traveling to see the sights. They have an important message to share.

All while piloting a car shaped like a chicken.

The Mental Illness Awareness tour is coming to Fargo next week, with the goal of spreading awareness and eliminating the stigma surrounding mental illness.…

North Dakota Libertarian runs for Congress

July 6th, 2016

With all the dissatisfaction we are seeing over whether to vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, and people upset at the two-party system, it’s important to highlight the alternatives to those in our own state.

Businessman Jack Seaman is running for Congress against the incumbent Republican Congressman Kevin Cramer in North Dakota for the second straight time. This time around however, the Libertarian presidential candidate is polling nationally at some of the highest levels…

Sober high school goes statewide in Minnesota

June 29th, 2016

The following interview was edited for length and clarity

PEASE Academy in Minneapolis, the nation’s oldest recovery high school, recently joined with Minnesota Virtual High School to offer sober education online for middle and high school students across the state. Exactly how does this work and why is it needed? We caught up with Michael Durchslag, director of the PEASE Academy.

High Plains Reader: Public schools are supposed to be drug-free zones, students are supposed to be sober,…

ND revenue picture gets even more bleak

June 22nd, 2016

When the State of North Dakota recently released the May revenue totals, it was revealed that if things continue as they’ve been going, the state’s rainy day fund of $75 million, also known as the budget stabilization fund, may be depleted by the end of the year, potentially causing the need for a special session which up until this point, Governor Jack Dalrymple has resisted calls for.

This follows the last revenue projection which saw the Governor implement across-the-board budget…

Q & A with Fargo City Commissioner Mike Williams

June 15th, 2016

Fargo City Commissioner Mike Williams was first elected to office in 2004 and re-elected twice. Now because of term limits, he must vacate his position. On the eve of his leaving office, HPR caught up with him to discuss his legacy on the City Commission and hopes for the future.

High Plains Reader: First off, let me get your reaction to the City Commission election results.

Mike Williams: Having eleven people wanting to be on the City Commission just shows how important it is to have an…

ND Governor’s candidate Q & A

June 8th, 2016

Ahead of the June 14^th primary for candidates in North Dakota, HPR asked questions of the two men running on the Republican side, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who received the party’s endorsement in March, and challenger Fargo businessman Doug Burgum as well as state legislator Marvin Nelson, who received the ND Democratic-NPL endorsement and is running unopposed. Below find their responses. Answers may have edited by length because of space constraints.

HPR: Do you think the oil…

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,…