News

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…

Working OUT

August 14th, 2014

GLBT members of the Fargo-Moorhead community say things are getting better

Coming out as gay, lesbian, bi or transgender to your family and friends can seem tough, even with people you love and trust. But what about being proudly GLBT in the workplace? Do employees who come out face harassment or ostracization from their co-workers or have we progressed enough as a society to where it isn’t as big of an issue? What about our community? How does Fargo-Moorhead match up to other cities…

American Indian Public Health

July 31st, 2014

Dr. Warne at TEDxFargo / Photo by Dan Francis

Dr. Donald Warne is now favorably positioned to become majorly responsible for squashing American Indian health disparities in North Dakota.

Thanks to a $1.4 million grant, North Dakota State University now has the resources to fund its brand new American Indian Public Health Resource Center, which will officially begin work on Aug. 1.

Warne, director of NDSU’s Master of Public Health program and the new center, said he’s feeling very optimistic of its potential to help our struggling…

Surveillance City

July 17th, 2014

The Fargo Police Department, which started monitoring downtown crime with cameras in 2012 with three stationary cameras after a rash of vandalism and thefts, also has three moveable portable cameras used for real-time monitoring of large events such as the Fargo Marathon, ESPN Game Day, large events at the Fargodome and this week at the Fargo Street Fair. The moveable cameras act as an eye in the sky for highly crowded events.

“(B)ecause of the uniqueness of large crowds, they provide…

Drones on the Farm

July 3rd, 2014

North Dakota is at the forefront of a movement to use drones or unmanned aircraft for agricultural purposes.

It’s natural that the state and this industry would combine forces early on. Agriculture is the largest industry in North Dakota and the state is positioning itself with changed missions at the Grand Forks Air Force Base and North Dakota Air National Guard to capitalize on the burgeoning unmanned aircraft industry.

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International…

Conservative marijuana

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…