February 16th, 2026
By Sabrina Hornung
The quote, "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command” from George Orwell’s iconic novel “1984” has come up in conversation more times than I care to admit this month, which only re-establishes the fact that boots on the ground journalism is more important now than ever. As we see folks filming their reality and posting it in real time, government officials scramble to tell the public a very…
January 15th, 2026
By John Strand
If you are reading this editorial and you too are worried sick about the state of our country, keep reading. Maybe we can inspire each other.
It was near closing time. We were discussing our values crisis. So this guy turns around and says “Tell somebody who gives a shit.”
If you are of the other school of thought, and you are relishing the collapse of American values, stop reading now. You, frankly, need to own up to your actions and the consequences now borne by…
December 18th, 2025
By Darrell Dorgan
I’ve been digging around for information on a company called High Plains Acres. High Plains, which has a presence in Jamestown, Bismarck and five North Dakota counties, owned thousands of acres of North Dakota farmland until early December. It’s listed as an LLP, owned apparently by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his marital partner John Freeman. North Dakotans ought to be interested in this business arrangement.
Bessent was appointed…
November 18th, 2025
By Sabrina Hornung
I scroll through comment threads on the news stories in my social media feed and come across the retort, “You voted for this.” Sure the vote’s in…but when someone’s livelihood is at stake, rubbing their nose in it won’t help. If we’re trying to exercise our moral superiority, maybe the correct approach would be some mild bit of empathy. Or, of course, you can just scroll on.
We live in North Dakota, folks voting against their own best…
October 15th, 2025
By Sabrina Hornung
At the end of September, downtown Fargo said goodbye to another old friend; the Spirit Room closed its doors, marking the end of an era. The Spirit Room room has been a fixture downtown for the past 25 years, with a mission “to enrich people’s lives through the development and practice of creative, contemplative, and healing arts.”
Enrich our lives, it did.
The news rang out like news does when you lose a friend that you haven’t seen in a…
September 16th, 2025
By John Strand
Yes, we know, everywhere you look, the world situation is mental. It’s almost inescapable just how tenuous life’s circumstances are. And how they are mostly — pretty much entirely — out of our control.
So in that context (knowing the lack of surprise, were we to focus on our shared fear and misery as the world unravels), we instead are going to focus on a good news story right here in front of our noses. The High Plains Reader just turned 31, which means…
August 19th, 2025
By Sabrina Hornung
I’m going to go ahead and say it. I have trust issues with a lot of things and artificial intelligence (AI) is one of them.
Yes, it’s a tool that can sit shotgun and make your everyday tasks and life easier as a whole. Sure, I appreciate my transcription apps, Spotify playlists, and I appreciate Alexa’s nonjudgemental input when I ask her random questions throughout the day.
Like anything, it’s a double-edged sword — just look at social media.…
July 15th, 2025
By Sabrina Hornung
On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by consuming 70.5 hotdogs and buns, his previous record being 76 set in 2021. Sudo earned her 11th title by ingesting 31 hot dogs, her previous record being 51.
What’s more American than celebrating how many hotdogs a guy can stuff in his mouth while over 50…
June 17th, 2025
Fighting the good fight
By Sabrina Hornung
Over two thousand rallies took place nationwide June 14 as part of the “No Kings" protest. Ten of those protests were held in North Dakota, with thousands in attendance. We’re fired up, met more like-minded people, bounced some facts, figures and shared concerns off of each other. We’re fired up because we got together and made our voices heard.
How do we keep up the momentum?
Call your lawmakers, write your lawmakers,…
May 15th, 2025
By John Strand
One description that perhaps aptly describes the mental state of many lately is that they feel they are attached to a string. Or several strings.
Call it the notion that people are played like puppets, the sensation of a pulling on one’s own lifeline — and the knowledge that others are similarly situated. Everywhere you turn, vast numbers are bobbing up or down according to the tugs on their strings.
This is not an ordinary or customary historical experience…
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By Bryce Vincent Haugen By his own account, Edwin Chinchilla is lucky to still be in the United States. As a 12-year-old Salvadoran, he and his brother were packed into a semi with a couple dozen other people and given fake…
By Michael M. Miller Rev. Salomon Joachim, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Beulah, North Dakota., delivered an address to the Western Conference of the Dakota District of the American Lutheran Church in 1939. His presentation was…
February 21, 6-8 p.m.Turtle River State Park, Arvilla, NDEnjoy a self-guided hike in the picturesque woods of Turtle River State Park. The trails will be lit with luminary candles. After the hike, warm those bones by the fire at…
By Sabrina HornungThe quote, "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command” from George Orwell’s iconic novel “1984” has come up in conversation more times than…
By Ed Raymond‘Dakota Attitude’ should be read by all North Dakota studentsI have been meaning to write about this book by James Puppe for several years, but the world has been in such a mess I thought I should write about …
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…
Friday, March 13, 4-10 p.m.Brewhalla, Fargo, 1702 1st Ave. N., FargoPolish up those dancing shoes and come hungry for this ticketed event you won’t want to miss. Expect unlimited samples paired with wine and beer from 20+…
Saturday, January 17, doors at 7:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, FargoThe Slow Death is a punk supergroup led by Jesse Thorson, with members and collaborators that include members of The Ergs!, Dillinger…
By Reagan Mueller Movie theaters have always been a place for people to take time out of their busy lives to watch the latest releases on the silver screen. In such a bustling world, it can be difficult to find the motivation to…
By Jacinta ZensWhile researching the upcoming exhibition, “Re-Arming Language: Post-Graffiti Artists,” which opens March 5 at the North Dakota Museum of Art (261 Centennial Dr. in Grand Forks), I spoke with graffiti expert and…
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 Ellie Liverani In January 2026, the 2026-2030 dietary guidelines for Americans were released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They are supposed to be revolutionary and a “reset” from the previous ones.…
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…
By Vern Thompson Benjamin Franklin offered one of the most sobering warnings in American history. When asked what kind of government the framers had created in 1787, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Few words…
