June 12th, 2014
The medical marijuana law passed by the Minnesota Legislature and signed into law recently by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is a carefully crafted compromise unlike any other medical marijuana law in the country. As such, many Minnesotans are unsure exactly how it will work and how effective it will be.
The compromise was crafted after differing bills passed the House and Senate and law enforcement opposition backed by a threatened veto from Gov. Dayton forced the Legislature to come up…
May 29th, 2014
In the midst of North Dakota’s economic boom, the state is experiencing a rise in homelessness.
Thousands of individuals are being drawn to the oil-fields in the western part of the state in search of work, but not everyone can find a job. Even some of the individuals who do find jobs cannot afford the cost of housing. These individuals are faced with a choice: stay and gamble one’s chance at finding work and/or shelter, or seek these basic necessities elsewhere. Many western-North…
May 22nd, 2014
By Nicholas Leingang
Since 2005, energy debate in the United States has been polarized by so-called “unconventional” fuels. These energy sources require additional technological and energy inputs during extraction and refinement — in North Dakota, this means millions of gallons of chemical mixtures, advanced drilling equipment, and high-pressure injections collectively known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” These developments have turned the Bakken Shale formation into one…
May 16th, 2014
The difference between this year’s Red River flood predictions and the resulting flood was substantial enough for residents to wonder “What happened?”
Forecasters predicted at one time that the crest could exceed 40 feet; however, they continued to lower their predictions partially due to snowfall later in the season and the resulting prolonged melt. The Red River peaked a little over 33 feet.
As a result of this difference, costly preparation for a flood that was forecasted to…
April 24th, 2014
A new, forthcoming report from the AFL-CIO on workplace-related deaths in 2012 in the United States shows North Dakota leading the nation, by far, in the number of deaths per 100,000 workers. The report entitled “Death on the Job” is compiled with preliminary numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor and it ranked North Dakota dead last, 50th out of 50 states with 64 workplace-related deaths in 2012, up from 44 in 2011 and 30 in 2010. North Dakota…
April 17th, 2014
Minnesota medical marijuana supporters hoping the state would join the nationwide trend towards legalizing some form of marijuana may be in for a letdown, but hope is still there.
The Minnesota Legislature is currently on Easter break and following that break, sponsors of various medical marijuana bills stuck in committee will push for full votes on the measures in the House and Senate. If it…
March 6th, 2014
“No Keystone XL Black Snake Pipeline will cross Lakota Lands. We will protect our lands and waters and we have our horses ready…” Bryan Brewer, President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe
In mid February, the Keystone XL Pipeline, or the Black Snake found some stronger adversaries. “It poses a threat to our sacred water and the product is coming from the tar sands and our tribes oppose the tar…
January 9th, 2014
Right before the end of the year, our region received what many consider to be an important wake-up call to the dangers of the oil boom in North Dakota. The state has been making national news constantly for all the economic benefits the boom has produced but for once we saw in raw, vivid detail what could be the downside.
The train derailment and subsequent explosion of a 106-car BNSF train carrying crude east…
December 19th, 2013
After years of waiting, relief is coming to Fargo cable customers. Midcontinent Communications, out of Sioux Falls, S.D., recently announced it will enter the Fargo market, supplanting Cable One as Fargo’s lone cable franchise. If, as is expected, the City of Fargo’s Cable Review Committee approves the franchise agreement crafted between the two parties, installation of the expansion will begin in the spring of 2014. Services would be provided in phases over four years.
Why the…
November 7th, 2013
By Rick Abbott
For Winona LaDuke, it’s personal.
A proposed 610-mile pipeline would bring crude oil close to her Minnesota home. That’s part of the reason why she’s now speaking out about what she says are dangers caused by North Dakota’s burgeoning oil business.
A recent report by the Associated Press brought to light nearly 300 pipeline spills in North Dakota since January 2012 that were not reported to the public. These were part of 750 undisclosed oil field “incidents”…
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By Alicia Underlee NelsonLocal groups will speak out against current and projected federal budget cuts in downtown Fargo this Saturday, April 26. The Red River Valley chapters of Fearless and Indivisible will lead a protest from…
By Prairie Rose Seminolems.prairierose@gmail.com I was a child who walked behind my parents into classrooms and kitchens, spaces of song and prayer, where teachings lived in the air and settled on my shoulders. I didn’t yet have…
Saturday, April 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m.Rourke Art Gallery + Museum, 521 Main Ave., MoorheadThings are coming up rosy at the Rourke in a true feast of the senses during the third annual “Gallery in Bloom” exhibit. The pop-up…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…
By Ed Raymondfargogadly@gmail.comThe wizards and kleagles in whites now wear blue suits and red tiesA hundred years ago, more than 30,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan from virtually every state in the Union wearing their white…
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 Gionrickgion@gmail.com After a very inspiring conversation with Kayla Houchin of Sonder Bakehouse a few weeks ago, I decided that it’s an appropriate time to write a column about some of the sweet people who are involved…
Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comRyan Coogler goes big and bold with “Sinners,” a sweaty, bloody vampire movie set in 1932. The filmmaker stuffs this universe with enough ideas to serve a limited-series season of episodic…
By Raul Gomez Modern Man was a gentle soul. If you were down or just wanted a friend, he’d be there for you. I remember the first day I met Modern Man. It was Jeremiah Fuglseth and me. He wanted to write about this legendary…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
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 Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com In 2023, the Superintendent of Fargo Public Schools, Rupak Ghandi, gave a passionate plea to the Fargo School Board to follow federal law, because a recently passed state law would increase…
