June 15th, 2026
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 readers. Our content, past and future, is our currency and our legacy.
Yet journalism is under attack. Costs are rising and local publications are folding. We desperately need you to help us preserve local journalism for the next generation.
The High Plains…
May 19th, 2026
By Sabrina Hornung
As the school year comes to a close, a new crop of young people are starting a new chapter in their lives. As a former young person, I’d like to offer my unsolicited advice.
As cliche as it may sound, be the change you want to see in the world. Get involved civically. whether it be volunteering for an organization that aligns with your values or your passions or stepping up and getting involved with a board. Use your voice. Seek out strong mentors for guidance. And…
April 15th, 2026
By Sabrina Hornung
In the last week of March, we heard about an AI education droid visiting the White House as the first lady made a pitch to replace teachers with androids. In an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson, JD Vance talked about his obsession with UFO files and his belief that aliens are “outer space demons.” We added the term “bimbofication” to our vocabularies and the White House launched onlyfarms.gov, a website built to tout the administration’s…
March 16th, 2026
By John Strand
Disclaimer: This editorial is the work of someone who’s spent most of his adult life working in the media — most of those years co-owning this very entity, the High Plains Reader, since 1996.
The notion that folks in my career lane are branded as the “Enemy of the People” and “fake” by our sitting president speaks volumes. Perhaps more so about him than those of us in the “Fourth Estate.”
Be that as it may, we now exist in a world of name calling, innuendo,…
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…
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Summer is a tough time for families who depend on free or reduced-price school meals, so YMCA of the Northern Sky will provide nutritious, no-cost meals to kids 18 and under through August 26. Breakfast and lunch are available…
By Jeff Armstrong Despite a history dating back many centuries and a reputation as fierce resistance fighters, the Kurds remain the largest stateless nation in the world. Divided by colonial post-WWI borders and subsumed into four…
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 RaymondIf something can go terribly wrong, it will happen on planet EarthSomewhere in the universe, there may be a planet created by a Perfect God where there are no viruses, all babies are born at immaculate conceptions and…
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…
July 8th, 5:30-8 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead We’re celebrating America’s 250th birthday, Minnesota style. Moorhead Parks and Recreation and HCSCC are hosting the ultimate potluck. Whether you’re bringing…
Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m.Parachigo, 14 8th St. S., Fargo Inspired by folk and rock influences, Bielanski's upbeat catchy tunes have gone worldwide — literally. He’s played 2,500 shows, 311 of which were performed last year alone.…
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By Greg CarlsonAlex Ross Perry follows his excellent “Pavements” by tackling the essay film with “Videoheaven,” a nearly 3-hour long analysis of the rise and fall of brick and mortar movie rental. Stimulating and satisfying…
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 It was in the mid-90s when I heard of homeopathy for the first time. I was at university, and it was through word of mouth. Some friends were seeking homeopathy to solve minor health issues, such as weight gain,…
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…
