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…
April 27th, 2025
By Sabrina Hornung
It’s no secret that there are folks among us who make our communities a more vibrant place through both their actions and means of creative expression. Heck, you could be one of them yourself.
March was a tough month for many in the F-M, as we grieve the loss of friends who helped make our community brighter. We feel it would be remiss to not mention the contributions, legacies and lasting lessons learned from our friends who have passed on this past…
March 15th, 2025
By Sabrina Hornung
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 of the pages and the scent of ink mixed with your morning coffee. It provides a community conversation. It keeps everyone on the same page and can potentially quell (or at least slow down) the small town rumor mill. It offers an air of transparency for county…
February 21st, 2025
By Sabrina Hornung
2025 marks us halfway through the roaring 2020s. Boy, am I glad I didn’t bob my hair for this go-around. It feels like we’re off to the wrong roar, opening Pandora’s box of what-the-Fox news.
Thanks to the interweb, we’ve become accustomed to the world at our fingertips and no speed limit on the information superhighway. Yet why does it feel like it’s leading to our de-evolution? Between this 24-hour news cycle, doomscrolling through social…
January 17th, 2025
By Faye Seidler
As I write this article, it’s January, and the temperatures in North Dakota are negative. I’m living in a house and our furnace just died a forever death after years of quick fixes. Yet, small pockets of the house remain warm by the grace of electric heaters. The water that used to warm our house now still circulates to stop it from freezing, but thankfully our water heater still makes life worth living.
I’ve been writing about queer kids in…
December 19th, 2024
By Sabrina Hornung
I’m really sick of the “Nobody wants to work anymore” narrative. Like, really sick. I can’t hide the eye rolls and I don’t even try to hide them anymore. In fact, I feel like they’ll get stuck in the back of my head if I stifle them.
Instead, when folks bring this up, they need to be challenged with questions about what we’re offering our workforce and ask the tough questions about housing, childcare and the average age of folks around…
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By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comDairy Queen restaurants across the country will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals during Miracle Treat Day on Thursday, July 31. At least one dollar from every Blizzard…
By Michael M. Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu The Northwest Blade, from Eureka, South Dakota, published a wonderful story in August 2020. It’s called “Granddaughter keeps Grandmother’s precious chamomile seeds,” by Cindy…
October 3-5, 2025Memorial Union at NDSU, 1401 Administrative Ave., Fargo With the theme of “Existence is Resistance: Healing Through Unity,” this year’s summit will kick off with a professional development day followed by a…
By John Strandjas@hpr1.com 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…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhat are the four freedoms of Donald John Trump? Nearly a century ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said every citizen in the United States of America should have four freedoms: Freedom from…
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 Gion and Nichole Hensenrickgion@gmail.com The wait is finally over. Those who have visited Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Cafe lately know about the recent major additions and renovations that have taken place over the past…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Dakotah Faye is a hip-hop artist from Minot, North Dakota, and he’s had a busy year. He’s released two albums. This summer he opened for Tech N9ne in Sturgis and will be opening for Bone…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com As a follow-up to “The Whale,” a raucous adaptation of the first novel in Charlie Huston’s Henry Thompson series was a good choice for eclectic auteur Darren Aronofksy, whose bold visions…
By HPR staffsubmit@hpr1.com Mark the first weekend of October on your calendar. It’s the weekend of the Studio Crawl, which takes us all on a wonderful, metro-wide tour of our talented (and often wacky) arts community. On October…
Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comPenn & Teller are returning to their roots. The legendary magic and comedy duo will appear on the Crown Stage at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minnesota, where they first…
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 Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com Loneliness is on the rise in North Dakota, where there is one of the highest rates of people living alone. The challenging winter can be a major contributor, yet North Dakota is not alone.…
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 Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…
