News

Who will run for North Dakota Governor in 2016?

June 17th, 2015

HPR looks at the potential field of candidates

North Dakota political observers have already started speculating about who might run for governor in 2016 as those choices and the ultimate winner could shape the North Dakota political landscape for a long time. While Republicans have had a stranglehold on statewide offices for some time now, Democrats are hoping that the governor’s race in 2016 will be their time to snag the executive branch.

While it may be a bit before we know who runs…

Read more...


​Unfinished bill sends ND Legislature back in session

June 10th, 2015

Democratic chairwoman explains why work wasn’t complete

When the North Dakota Legislative session ended, many were surprised to learn that their work was unfinished, partly because the GOP majority didn’t pass one bill. It seemed hard to believe the legislature may have to return just to pass one budget bill.

HPR got some answers from Rep. Kylie Oversen (D-Grand Forks), who was recently named the state’s new Democratic chairwoman. At the age of 26, she’s one of the youngest party…

Read more...


​Landowner in ND headed to trial over pipeline

June 3rd, 2015

Photo by Jared WinmilCould be only dispute as pipeline gets fast-tracked

James Botsford, a Wisconsin attorney who owns property in Grand Forks County, is likely to be the lone holdout as Enbridge Energy Partners tries to build the Sandpiper Pipeline across the upper Midwest. Enbridge’s pipeline, through a partnership with Marathon Petroleum Corporation, will bring Bakken crude oil to Canada.

Botsford is a North Dakota native and went to school at the University of North Dakota. He owns land a couple miles…

Read more...


Is the Fargo PD profiling a local rap show?

May 28th, 2015

Cover by Raul Gomez

A new gang task force comprised of area law enforcement agencies warned a local venue about the gang affiliation of one of the performers, which resulted in the cancellation of an entire concert.

SpringJam was set to be held at the Fargo Elks Lodge in late April. It was promoted by rapper J Sauce, whose real name is Jason Grant. After the concert was announced, the Fargo Police Department told the Elks Lodge one of the performers had gang affiliations.

General manager Ken Evanson took…

Read more...


​Legislative leader recaps highlights and lowlights

May 13th, 2015

Sen. Mac Schneider on this year’s Legislative session

It’s no easy task being the minority in the ND Legislature to a Republican super majority that always seems to get its way -- particularly in the ND House. Couple that with Republican strongholds in statewide offices including the Governor’s office and it’s a wonder Democrats can get any victories during a Legislative session.

However, with so much going on in the state related to the oil boom and so much money coming into the…

Read more...


Uber launches in Fargo

May 13th, 2015

Courtesy of Uber

Starting Thursday morning, F-M residents will have another option for travel throughout town. Uber, the car service app that has become a popular transportation service in major cities across the U.S., has landed in Fargo.

The service operates without a dispatcher, putting the power in the hands of the consumer and driver who find each other via a map that shows who’s available. The advantage of Uber is that, most of the time, passengers can find a ride within a few minutes.

This past…

Read more...


Danger Zone: Why does North Dakota have the highest worker death rate in the country?

May 6th, 2015

A new report from the AFL-CIO shows North Dakota had the highest job fatality rate in the nation for three years in a row. The report “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect” compiles results from 2013 and shows that the state’s job fatality rate of 14.9 per 100,000 was more than four times the national average. The fatality rate and number of deaths per year have more than doubled since 2007.

The next closest state to North Dakota in the report is Wyoming, which had 9.5 deaths for…

Read more...


UND secretary charged with theft

April 22nd, 2015

Illustration by Megan Redfield

Woman alleged to have forged travel vouchers and overtime hours

A former University of North Dakota administrative secretary is facing felony theft charges for allegedly falsifying 31 travel vouchers, submitting 152 trips for reimbursement totaling over $47,000 and 397 false overtime hours totaling over $10,000.

Lori Pesch, East Grand Forks, has a preliminary hearing May 1 in Grand Forks County District Court, where her attorney Alexander Reichert says she will enter a plea of guilty.…

Read more...


Fargo Votes: Q&A with the special election candidates

April 15th, 2015

Graphic by Alexis Dietz

Fargo Mayoral Candidates Q & A

Following the passing of the late Mayor Dennis Walaker, voters in Fargo will head to the polls on April 28 to choose a new mayor. For our election preview, HPR spoke with both candidates for mayor in Fargo about their vision for leading the city and the issues facing its citizens.

Brad Wimmer 

Brad Wimmer is a former Fargo City Commissioner and owner of Wimmer’s Diamonds in Fargo. He unsuccessfully challenged Mayor Walker in 2014.

HPR: How will you keep…

Read more...


​Group opens Moorhead business to treat overdoses

April 11th, 2015

Missy Patterson, Jeremy Kelly, Warren Stevenson and Jenenne Guffey.

Offers free needles, opiate reversal drugs and training

An organization called The Fargo Moorhead Good Neighbor Project recently opened up a storefront in Moorhead, where it distributes free needles and Naloxone, the opiate overdose reversal drug, which can reverse the effects of a heroin overdose as well as painkillers. It also offers free training to anyone in administering the drug and conducting rescue breathing.

The organization first received training themselves to administer the…

Read more...


Recently in:

By Bryce Vincent Haugen The Republican Party of Minnesota nominated business executive and Army veteran Kendall Qualls for governor at its convention in Duluth the last weekend of May. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, one of…

Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.Paradox Comics-N-Cards, 814 Main Ave., FargoCalling all nerds: it’s time to get down and nerdy with vendors aplenty, who are selling comics, toys, video games, board games, various collectibles…

June 6-7StatewideYou grab a line and I’ll grab a pole — and if you’re a North Dakota resident, you can head on down to your favorite fishing hole, no license needed (for this weekend, anyway). All other rules still apply…

By John Strand It took us over 30 years for us to reach out and ask for your help. The High Plains Reader has always been subscription free and paywall free. Our content has — and always will be — free to access for all of our…

By Ed RaymondWere women created to do the work of God?One of the first requests made by new Pope Leo XIV was to invite an expert on the alt-right conservative Catholic organization known as Opus Dei to brief him about its…

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 GionThe scarfing of canned fish and seafood products by online food influencer types is hard to miss on social media these days. Some of the consumed morsels range from exquisite to downright nasty. However, there are many…

By Bryce Vincent Haugen The curtain has come down on Jade Presents. Fargo-Moorhead’s largest event promoter has brought thousands of shows — more than 150 per year — and hundreds of artists to the area over the past 36 years. On…

By Greg Carlson The feature directorial debut of established internet phenomenon and entertainment hyphenate Hayley Kiyoko — known unironically to her fans as “Lesbian Jesus” — carries with it a curious backstory becoming more…

By Jacinta Zens I recently sat down for a chat with ceramicist Louie Albertson, Clay and Studio Program Manager at the Plains Art Museum. Before the interview, I had the pleasure of getting to know him a bit as a colleague when I…

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 Eli Liverani Cholesterol is probably one of the first molecules I have ever heard of in my childhood. Most of the relatives on my mother's side had high cholesterol in their blood, and apparently, levels above a certain range…

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…

Chris M. Stoner I was recently dismissed from my role as drag show director and emcee for Dakota OutRight, a role I had been fulfilling for more than two decades. The reason given? My political commentary during shows, while…