Editorial

Small business incubation

March 9th, 2017

Liz Gelardi of the Denver Channel was In the kitchen of the Comal Restaurant, talking to Silvia Hernandez, who was singing as she made tostadas.

Hernandez is inspired by her mother’s recipes, but she receives restaurant training at Comal. ‘"It's not books, it's not reading, you have to do it every day. So it helps me a lot, because when I'm going to open my business, I'm going to be ready,’”

According to columnist Laura Shunk, the restaurant is part of a community outreach program…

Read more...


The corners that rocked

March 1st, 2017

Spring is here and it doesn’t matter what the weather is. How do we know?

When the Moorhead Dairy Queen opens on March first, it’s officially spring hereabouts.

And a group of eminent Moorheadians is planning to restore downtown Moorhead to its former liveliness.

It is encouraging that such a distinguished group is involved in a challenging and long-term project: Concordia President William J. Craft; MSUM President Anne Blackhurst; Tim Beaton, Executive Director of the Fargo-Moorhead…

Read more...


​Our opinion: Ask questions, express your opinion at Fargo town hall

February 21st, 2017

Citizens and voters, including Republicans, are upset by the the first month of the present administration. Republican leaders advised congresspeople to hold town hall meetings during the week-long Presidents Day recess.

Molly K. Hooper of The Hill spoke to Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). His advice to his colleagues was “Don’t shy away from the public...Be prepared intellectually, knowledge-wise, be polite and don’t fall for the bait if they try to get you in an uncomfortable…

Read more...


Strangers in a strange land

February 15th, 2017

They met in Minneapolis, at the bus station. They were both from Ghana, and both had been refused asylum in the U.S. They decided to go to Canada, and took a bus to Grand Forks.

Razak Iyal, 35, says only that he had political and other problems. Seidu Mohammed, 24, was afraid to go back to his native country. It’s dangerous to be gay in Ghana.

The criminal code of Ghana has no clear-cut definition of homosexuality. A prosecuting attorney will use a portion that talks about “unnatural…

Read more...


​Our opinion: “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.”

February 8th, 2017

“I haven't seen the proposal yet,” said Moorhead Mayor Del Rae Williams, “but there will be a Request For Bids for a commercial/residential project. It is prime downtown space and there has been a lot of interest.”

The space is the vacant lot on the southeast corner of 8th Street and Main Avenue, the former location of the Richards Tesoro gas station, and some of the most important real estate in the city of Moorhead.

It couldn’t be more centrally located. And look at its near…

Read more...


Resisting the Trump agenda

February 1st, 2017

A friend in Washington DC, a high-level Senate staffer who doesn’t wish to be identified, gave us some good advice.

There are two things that all Democrats should be doing all the time right now, and they're by far the most important things.

You should NOT be bothering with online petitions or emailing.

The best thing you can do to be heard and get your congressperson to pay attention is to have face-to-face time. If they have townhalls, go to them. Go to their local offices. If you're…

Read more...


​Gretchen Kaye Carlson Kost (1974-2017)

February 1st, 2017

My little sister, Gretchen Kaye Carlson Kost, died Monday, January 30, 2017. A dearly cherished daughter and sibling, wife and mother, cousin and conspirator, she was a friend first, a friend often, and a friend always.

She was also a displayer of dimples, which as a kid she often labored to hide, scowling in photographs when not in the mood or of the inclination to be told what to do, which was pretty much always. But when the grownups were smart enough not to push, that smile was…

Read more...


​Our opinion: What sells, and what that says about us

January 25th, 2017

Music instructor Kris Kitko was recently in the Kirkwood Mall in Bismarck. She saw a

T-shirt in a store, looked again. On the T-shirt, it said “GRAB AMERICA BY THE PUSSY.”

“Kirkwood Mall is often the site for children’s performances,” said Ms. Kitko, “These shirts were in a front aisle and are easy to see as you just walk in.”

Kris filmed the T-shirt display. “One of the reasons I zoomed in so many times was to let people walk by behind me so that I didn't film them. Do…

Read more...


​Put down the device and mobilize

January 11th, 2017

There’s more than one way to agitate the internet, but as of lately the biggest agitator involves Trumplethinskin’s twitter account--ok I apologize.Name calling is probably the wrong way to start the first editorial of the year but it may have made you laugh or motivated you to write us an angry letter. Good. We like to see the passion in your eyes.

Yes, Trump lacks the eloquence of nearly all of his predecessor’s--that’s obvious. It scares the bejeezus out of me, too, but on the…

Read more...


Happy Holidays

December 21st, 2016

Time flies. It was 20 years ago December 26 that the High Plains Reader changed ownership. The two-plus year old bi-weekly in Grand Forks evolved into what you know

HPR to be today, two decades later.

We owe a debt of gratitude to Founders Ian Swanson, Peter Ryan, Len Schmid, Mark Boswell and Jim Johnson. For the record, it was the Flood of ’97 that dislocated the Reader to Fargo.

Many discounted the possibility that HPR would survive even its first few years. We did, however.

Just think…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry Concordia2 Tracker Pixel for Entry MidwestRoadTripAdventures Tracker Pixel for Entry 7Clans Tracker Pixel for Entry FPL Tracker Pixel for Entry Gruff Tracker Pixel for Entry hjemkomst

Recently in:

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 Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comFM Pride Week returns to the Fargo-Moorhead metro August 3-10. A snapshot of events are listed below. Discover event descriptions and locations as well as volunteer opportunities online at…

September 12-13Brewhalla, 1666 1st Ave N, Fargo Hold onto your hats and step right up to the main event! DrekkerFest 11 kicks off with Timebomb Pro Wrestling on Friday night from 8-10 p.m. Enjoy an evening of suplexes, steel kegs,…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com 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…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comIf a child is drowning in a ditch, will you get your shoes muddy? “Big Moma” Leah Drumwright was a Black slave in the 19th century who had one of her numerous babies and was nursing an infant.…

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 There seems to be a renaissance in Italian restaurants in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area. It’s a welcome change from just sporting an Olive Garden as a lone option. No offense to Marilyn Hagerty’s…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Bluegrass is a genre of music that is often associated with the American South. Many people would express incredulity at being told there is a thriving bluegrass and folk music community…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Now available on HBO after a theatrical debut earlier this year at Tribeca in the Spotlight Documentary section, “Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print” considers the groundbreaking impact of the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com 2025 marks three years of the Annual Vergas Area Backroads Art Crawl. The art crawl is sponsored by the Vergas Arts Club. The Arts Club also happens to be part of the Vegas Community Club and both…

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 Dr. Marc Sapir, MD, MPHjessica@pellienpublicrelations.com Across America, families are quietly struggling with a rising challenge: how to care for aging parents, siblings, grandparents, neighbors and friends. Most seniors want…

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…