News

Fargo Mayor Walaker dies unexpectedly

December 3rd, 2014

City Commission will set special election to replace him next year

Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker died unexpectedly at his home this week after a battle with kidney cancer. He had just been released from the hospital but collapsed upon his return home causing shockwaves throughout the community. He had been mayor since 2006, re-elected to his third term just this past June.

“It was a real surprise,” said Fargo’s deputy mayor, Dr. Tim Mahoney, who will now take over as acting mayor.…

The Dark Side of Fracking

November 5th, 2014

Artwork by John Pepion / Cover by Raul Gomez

Ban fracking

It is time for a fracked oil and gas moratorium on Ft. Berthold, and Standing Rock reservation, (where possibly up to 200,000 acres is being considered for fracking) needs to pass a ban, indefinitely. Hundreds of municipalities, counties, provinces and countries are. Indian country needs to do the same. North Dakota needs to as well.

For me, this story began at Lake Superior, a place which is sacred to the Anishinaabeg and the source of a fifth of the world’s fresh…

Key Races in ND 2014 election

October 29th, 2014

Four races are among the tightest in ND

With Tuesday’s election fast approaching, the High Plains Reader decided to take a look at some of North Dakota’s most hotly contested and talked about races. By now, voters may be growing tired of the political ads but it is crunch time for deciding who represents you best. We hope to give some insight into the closest races of the 2014 election cycle.

Measure 1

The most talked about measure on the ballot in North Dakota has to be Measure 1, the…

The Measure 5 debate

October 29th, 2014

Photo by J Earl Miller

Multi-million dollar disagreement on how much state funding should go toward environmental conservation

Come Nov. 4, North Dakotans will be able to vote on one of the most environmentally forward measures the state has ever seen. If passed, Measure 5 would set aside 5 percent of gas and oil-extraction tax revenues to be used for clean water, wildlife and parks.

Proponents of the measure say it’s needed to protect the future well-being of our land and water, which could be threatened by…

Measure 1 challenges

October 29th, 2014

All the attention and focus on Measure 1 has led some to focus on challenging the Legislation’s primary sponsors who ended up on the ballot, Senator Margaret Sitte (R-Bismarck) and Representative Bette Grande (R-Fargo).

While the challengers we spoke to said those two Legislators’ fervent support of Measure 1 was one of many factors in deciding to challenge them, those upset over Grande and Sitte’s support of Measure 1 have started sites like Beat Bette and Unseat Sitte to rally…

The Measure 7 Debate

October 22nd, 2014

One of the most talked about and contentious measures on the ballot in North Dakota is Measure 7, which would end North Dakota’s requirement in law that the majority of ownership in a pharmacy be held by a registered pharmacist. The law goes back to 1963 and North Dakota is the only state in the nation that has it. Twice before, opponents have unsuccessfully sought to bring change to the law and have also tried to amend the law in the North Dakota Legislator to no avail.

This year,…

Churches get involved in Measure 1 advocacy

October 16th, 2014

All the campaigning and political activity surrounding Measure 1 in North Dakota has led some to wonder how churches are able to actively and politically advocate on how to vote on the measure. Anyone driving by churches in downtown Fargo has seen various signs on church property asking people to vote Yes on Measure 1; and you may have heard about priests asking parishioners to vote yes or even see marches and rallies on church lawns. The measure, upon voter approval, would amend the…

Breaking Bitcoin

October 2nd, 2014

Two Fargo men have developed a software program that allows them to attach data to bitcoin and other cryptocurrency transactions. This would be advantageous to many because bitcoin and others utilize block chain technology to create a permanent ledger that could become a digital archive to withstand the test of time.

A block chain is a sequential digital transaction database based on the bitcoin protocol. Bitcoin’s ledger is said to have the ability to survive a global thermonuclear…

Governor Mark Dayton sparks FM diversion discussion

September 17th, 2014

Fiery opposition leads to talks and cooling of rhetoric

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton recently created a stir by calling on the federal government to halt construction of the $1.8 billion Fargo-Moorhead diversion project. The result has been a back and forth dialogue between the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Authority and the State of Minnesota, which could potentially lead to the Minnesota DNR rescinding its support for the lawsuit filed against the diversion. However, nothing has been…

War on Women

August 21st, 2014

The campaign to oppose Measure 1 begins

Opponents of Measure 1, the “Life Begins At Conception” amendment on the North Dakota ballot, have officially began their campaign. North Dakotans Against Measure 1 opened their Fargo office this week and began making arguments about why it should not pass. It is sure to be one of the mostly hotly contested issues of the fall campaign and of the eight measures on the statewide ballot.

The measure, upon voter approval, would amend the state…