August 31st, 2016
In case the North Dakota governor’s office has not figured it out yet, someone needs to tell them what an embarrassment they are. The Dalrymple-Wrigley team could not mishandle the Standing Rock protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline more than they already have, short of deploying the National Guard.
In our America it’s a fundamental right to stand up and voice disagreement with government. These rights are guaranteed and protected: free speech, assembly, religion, and redress of…
August 24th, 2016
There’s something to be said about our cover story this week. To say that the people’s fight against the pipeline is inspiring would be the understatement of the decade. The people versus Big Oil, youths making a 2,000 mile relay from North Dakota to DC to raise awareness of what’s going on and make their voices heard. That’s what we call true grit folks, and that is hard to find.
We think the rest of North Dakota could learn from this: multiple generations and races banding…
August 19th, 2016
By Tom Bixby
tom@hpr1.com
Malvina Massey kept a house of prostitution in Fargo from about 1891 to 1905. She was the main madam, the most successful, then and now the most famous. Partly because she was black and barred from other professions, she’s a monumental personage in the history of Fargo-Moorhead.
Her house, the Crystal Palace, was in the neighborhood called The Hollow, a low spot now filled in, below what used to be the City Hall parking lot, on the northwest corner of Third…
August 3rd, 2016
It may be a cliché to say it, but time flies when you are having fun--it’s true. I’ve been your humble--okay, maybe not so humble editor--for a little over a year now, and to say that it has been rewarding would be the understatement of the year.
I started writing for the Reader nearly a year and a half before I came on as editor, because I wanted to enhance my résumé and make a contribution to the art community. In doing so I killed two birds with one stone.
I returned to my…
July 20th, 2016
As clichéd as it is to say that you learn something new everyday, it always seems to hold true, though some things have a lot more intellectual value than others.
This week the High Plains Reader had the privilege of interviewing Mud Morganfield, bluesman and son of blues legend Muddy Waters. We also spoke to Canned Heat drummer Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra, prior to their appearance at the 2016 Fargo Blues Festival.
Both provided unique perspectives on the genre. Morganfield spoke of…
July 14th, 2016
Winnipeg Folk Fest
Last weekend we ventured way up north to the great Winnipeg Folk Festival. It was my first outdoor festival camping experience and what an experience it was. The acts were a lively mixture of folk (obviously), rock, electronic, gypsy punk, indie, and anything else one can imagine.
Acts that caught our eye included The Wainright Sisters, Loudon Wainright III, Milky Chance, Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers, The Funk Bandits, The Lemon Bucket Orchestra, and Ryan Adams.
The…
July 6th, 2016
It’s been about a week since we returned from Norway. The experience itself was life changing. While Raul and I were there for ten days, the students had a month to immerse themselves in the culture of Oslo and dig their fingers deep into the underground dirt of what makes the city truly unique.
Three people out of 11 had the opportunity to meet up with their Norwegian relatives, while your editor had an opportunity to reunite with her German cousin. Exploring a foreign city with two…
June 23rd, 2016
By Tom Bixby
On July 22, 2011, Anders Breivik murdered 77 young people on the island of Utoya, in Norway. Norwegians call it 22 juli, July 22nd, and it’s as familiar to them as 9/11 is to us.
In Norway, to own a gun, you apply to the police authority in your district for an acquisition permit (ervervstillatelsen). You specify the firearms for which you will be responsible. The permit to buy is valid for a year.
The dealer selling the gun sends the original permit to buy to the police,…
June 15th, 2016
Words will not do justice to what’s on my mind. This will not be a traditional editorial. Rather, it’s a personal communication to HPR’s readers and others in our community.
I’ve had many titles over the years, here at HPR and elsewhere. There is nothing I’m more proud of than being part of The Little Newspaper That Could’s storied journey for two-plus decades. The bond with thousands of readers is not easily explained, yet it is real and heartfelt.
This week something big…
June 9th, 2016
It’s time to let the cat out of the bag. We will be working with ieiMedia, Valley City State University journalism instructor Steve Listopad and eight journalism students from across the nation and Canada. They have been overseas since the end of May. Their intent is to imbed themselves in Norwegian musical and cultural events as part of their “Oslo Rocks!” Project. And Rock it does..On June 12 Raul and I will be skipping across the pond to Oslo Norway to join them.
This particular…
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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…
February 28, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.March 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.1883 Stutsman County Courthouse State Historic Site504 3rd Ave. S.E., Jamestown, NDThe 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse and the 164th Infantry Remembrance Association are joining…
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…
By Rick GionSince the much-dreaded Covid years, there has been much ebb and flow in the Fargo-Moorhead restaurant scene. In 2025, that trend continued with some major additions and closings. Let’s start the New Year on a positive…
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 Sabrina Hornung There's a certain kind of magic to the Fargo Theatre. It’s a place to escape to for the small fee of the price of admission. It's a place of shared communal joy (or any other kind of shared emotion for that…
By Jacinta ZensIt may sound cliché, but the 90s in Minneapolis were pretty magical. Underground punk and hip-hop shows occurred weekly, zines were all the rage, colorful, exquisitely executed graffiti started popping up everywhere…
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…
