May 20th, 2016
Start seeing motorcycles
It’s that time of year, the weather’s beautiful, and there’s nothing better than feeling the sun in your face and the wind in your hair. Needless to say--bike season and lake season is in full swing.
As motorists it is our duty to be fully alert while behind the wheel. We must realize that while in a vehicle we have a ton of components moving at an unmeasured velocity. Bikers and bicyclists don’t stand much of a chance when it comes to impact.
According…
May 6th, 2016
Last week John Strand mentioned how fortunate our community is to have access to so many wonderful amenities such as our many large and small concert venues, theaters, and gallery spaces. Not only do they aim to entertain but they also aid in the cultivation of community and overall awareness of the arts no matter what age you are.
As the largest city in the state of North Dakota -- the size of our community aids in our advantages. These facilities would not be here if there were no…
April 20th, 2016
Wednesdays at The High Plains Reader office have a frantic yet positive energy to them as we strive to make our deadline and give Fargo-Moorhead the best darn paper we can. Though this morning,with a smile on his face, John Strand urged us to look out the window and to observe a few NDSU students outside picking up garbage in observance of Earth Week.
Earth Day has been in our consciousness since the spring of 1970. According to earthday.org, it was founded by Gaylord Nelson a US…
April 14th, 2016
It’s hard to believe that the movie “Fargo” was released 20 years ago. If it wasn’t for “Fargo,” would bomber hats have such a spot on our heads and in our hearts? Would the phrase “Uffda” be spoken with simultaneous irony and sincerity? Yeah, sure you betcha--but no one else would know or care as much. With its dark humor, frigid cold outdoor imagery and Midwest kitsch.
The Coen brothers certainly put us on the map. First with the “Fargo” feature, and once the…
April 7th, 2016
The tragedy of heroin use and overdoses is landing at our feet and our community and state are unprepared. Lives are in the balance.
While most compassionate people are surprised by this happening here, they also are grasping for understanding and for ways to help.
Make no mistake, this is a Fargo problem, a Moorhead problem, a West Fargo problem, a North Dakota and a Minnesota problem.
A too-common sentiment is, “Well, shouldn’t people take responsibility for their own…
March 30th, 2016
It’s about that time when we ask our readers to call the shots. The Best of the Best is coming around the corner and we at the High Plains Readers want you to tell us the best bands, the top artists, the best eats, drinks, and everything in between.
On another note-- what are we missing? What would you the readers like to see in the Best of the Best? Are there music categories that we are missing? Are there sub genres of art, craft, and theater that are non-existent? Should we involve…
March 30th, 2016
I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time in nursing homes lately. One for my grandmother’s two week rehab after a broken hip and also participating in the North Dakota Council on the Arts Art for life program, which we’ll elaborate on later. This experience has opened my eyes for the better.
Yes, there are negative connotations as far as nursing homes go, such as over medicating, theft, elder abuse etc, but not every nursing home or every experience in a nursing home is…
March 16th, 2016
HPR’s cover this week depicts three flags flying half mast. The flagpoles are syringes, such as those used to inject heroin.
Our community has been rocked. Three men died in seven days due to heroin overdoses. There have been other near misses. Law enforcement officials notified the public Sunday that heroin arriving recently in Fargo-Moorhead and the region may be tainted and or laced with fentanyl.
This situation is not only urgent, but tragic beyond words.
We have family members,…
March 9th, 2016
Many state residents watched the North Dakota Republican Gubernatorial debate last week with Wayne Stenehjem, Rick Becker and Doug Burgum at the podiums. It was insightful and intriguing.
The predominant focus on declining oil revenues tells us a lot. Listening to the questions posed, one after another, a listener might think that oil is the only industry in the state.
But it’s not. North Dakota first and foremost is an agricultural state and a breadbasket of the…
March 2nd, 2016
Gender and sexuality have always been a hot button issue.. wait, let’s rephrase that. Sexuality has always been a hot button issue and a hot topic in gossip and conversation, but gender has been generating a lot of buzz in mainstream conversation as of late, thanks to Caitlyn Jenner.
The two do tend go hand in hand. Sure, one can assume that we’ve all been assigned a biological gender. Nurseries have been color coded for generations, but what happens when society no longer fits in a…
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By Bryce HaugenNot everyone detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is an undocumented immigrant. After a Jan. 12 scuffle at a local Walmart, Tim Catlett, a resident of St. Cloud, Minn., was held at the Bishop…
By Kooper Shagena Just off of I-94 and Highway 83 on State Street in Bismarck, an abandoned Kmart sits behind an empty parking lot, watching the cars roll on and off the interstate exchange. It has been standing there quietly since…
Saturday, January 31, mingling at 6:15 p.m. and program at 7 p.m.Fine Arts Club, 601 4th St. S., FargoThe FM Symphony is getting intimate by launching a “Small Stages” chamber music series and it's bringing folks together via…
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…
By Ed RaymondA mind that snapped, cracked, and popped at one hundredI wasn’t going to read a long column called “Centenarian: A Diary of a Hundredth Year” by Calvin Tomkins celebrating his birthday on December 17 of 2025…
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 Greg Carlson There is a great scene in the middle of Kelly Reichardt’s excellent movie “The Mastermind” when protagonist James Blaine Mooney (Josh O’Connor) is chastised by criminally-connected wheelman Jerry (the…
By Jacinta ZensThe Guerrilla Girls, an internationally renowned anonymous feminist art collective, have been bringing attention to the gender and racial imbalances in contemporary art institutions for the last 40 years. They have…
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 Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com At the beginning of the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the Grinch is introduced as having a smaller than average heart, but as the movie progresses, his heart increases three…
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…
