Editorial

Starting anew

July 29th, 2015

Welcome, Sabrina Hornung and Chris Hennen; a grateful send-off for Diane Miller

We’ve known for several months that HPR editor Diane Miller will be moving to the Twin Cities. We fully expect she’ll soar to new heights in her new environs.

That said, it will be with full hearts as we wrap up Diane’s tenure as editor-in-chief here at the High Plains Reader. She’s done a stellar job to say the least and we love and respect her.

When the inevitable move away from Fargo became apparent,…

Read more...


Don’t trample rights of individuals

July 23rd, 2015

A week ago, as HPR was preparing to go to press, a firestorm was unfolding in our community. Long story short – as most of you know this well – a Fargo resident was targeted on social media and it was implied that he was inappropriately taking pictures of young children at the Island Park swimming pool.

The original Facebook post included pictures of 37-year-old Kirk Ludwig, as well as his car and license plate. That post went viral. It was like someone opened a flood gate. A tsunami…

Read more...


​Public safety in question

July 15th, 2015

Fargo was in a bit of an uproar this week after a man was allegedly caught taking pictures of kids swimming at Island Park Pool. While he can’t be criminally charged, he was promptly banned by the Fargo Park District from all city parks. Also, Police identified the man and cited him for pot possession.

Much debate ensued on social media about the rights of the swimmers and the freedom of speech rights of the photographer. While it’s important for everyone involved to follow the law,…

Read more...


​Adventures in Eating: Accident Forgiveness

July 9th, 2015

Remember that reality TV series “Boiling Points”? It was a hidden camera show that survived a few season on MTV about a decade ago.

Actors would pretend they were workers in restaurants or other service-industry establishments and they’d test people’s patience essentially by being awful. They’d make people wait, sell them faulty products that they’d deny were faulty, ask odd questions and be irksome in dozens of other ways. If the customers reached their “boiling points”…

Read more...


​Our Opinion / The Supreme Court’s landmark 5-4 ruling on same-sex marriage rocked the country

July 1st, 2015

Love is Love

SCOTUS on marriage equality

The Supreme Court’s landmark 5-4 ruling on same-sex marriage rocked the country and the message rippled out around the world. Hear, hear!

North Dakota is one of the states that had embedded into its constitution definitions of marriage to be between one man and one woman. That too, now shall pass.

The public reaction to this ruling, predictably, has been mixed. The younger generation, especially, is ebullient. They are our future and they could not…

Read more...


​Downtown crime getting worse?

June 24th, 2015

Recent stories have us worried

The recent spate of violence in Fargo, including two murders, has many wondering just what is happening in our fine little city -- which doesn’t seem so small any more. Just as HPR was going to press, I witnessed an unprovoked assault outside a downtown bar in Fargo.

It’s true that with growth come changes. That’s to be expected. But all of this seems a little too much, too soon for all of us. There is so much to be proud of about in downtown Fargo.…

Read more...


In honor of Marguerite’s Music

June 17th, 2015

Marguerite's Music, a store that has served the community of Fargo-Moorhead since 1975, will close at the end of June.

HPR would like to dedicate this music-related editorial to the wonderful store and its staff. Over the years, Marguerite’s assisted thousands of traveling professional musicians, local musicians, aspiring musicians and closet musicians -- myself included. I bought my first C.F. Martin guitar, loop-station pedal, foot-pedal tuner and banjo from Marguerite’s. I took…

Read more...


​Thoughts on the news

June 12th, 2015

By Chris Hennen

As HPR was going to press, we learned that Colleen Sheehy, director and CEO of the Plains Art Museum since 2008, will be leaving her post later this year. While we will be sad to see her go, we are thankful for the time we’ve had her and wish her the best of the luck in the future.

Under Sheehy’s stewardship, the Plains Art Museum has continued its role as a jewel of downtown Fargo and a beacon in the arts scene. The annual Spring Gala has thrived in recent years and…

Read more...


HATS OFF TO THE BEST ​

June 3rd, 2015

Our Opinion/ We extend a hearty thanks to the 300 or so people who showed up Thursday night

Fifty winners were announced May 28 at HPR’s Best of the Best awards night. The annual contest reflects the cream of the crop in our local arts and entertainment world.

The original “Best of” contest in the Fargo region, HPR’s Best of the Best began in 1997. Over the years, the categories have evolved, some new ones, some weeded out over time. This year 50 certificates were awarded.

Next…

Read more...


​Drug Task Force Back In Action

May 29th, 2015

Andrew Sadek

They’re back. Recently, we learned that SEMCA (Southeast Multi-County Agency Drug Task Force) is back in action on the campus of the ND State College of Science in Wahpeton.

You may remember this same task force was responsible for busting Andrew Sadek on campus at NDSCS, which ultimately lead to his work as an informant. Sadek ended up dead right before his graduation. The case still has not been solved.

Sadek was reportedly threatened with over 20 years of jail time for selling $80…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry staveq1 Tracker Pixel for Entry FPL1 Tracker Pixel for Entry Stave2 Tracker Pixel for Entry athena3 Tracker Pixel for Entry Bismarck Tracker Pixel for Entry WurstWest

Recently in:

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…

By Michael M. Miller Rev. Salomon Joachim, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Beulah, North Dakota., delivered an address to the Western Conference of the Dakota District of the American Lutheran Church in 1939. His presentation was…

Wednesday, March 25, Group lesson 7 p.m., Dance 9 p.m.Sons of Norway, 722 2nd Avenue North, FargoCare to dance? If you don’t already know how to dance, the Northern Lights Dance Club can show you a thing or two about social…

By John StrandDisclaimer: 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…

By Ed RaymondThe bells are ringing for everybody on the planet As ICE, the worst of the worst law enforcement agencies in the Divided States of America, continues to use unconstitutional procedures to find the worst of the worst…

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 Sabrina Hornung There’s a Bosnian saying that states simply, “It’s a sin to throw away bread,” which really resonates with me — especially growing up with grandparents who lived through the Second World War and the Great…

The Slow Death at The AquariumSaturday, March 21, 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…

By Sabrina HornungJD Provorse is a horror movie enthusiast and Fargo-based podcast host. Both he and cohost Michelle Roller have a comedy background and started the wildly entertaining podcast “We Watch Shudder” in 2022 as an…

By Jacinta ZensGraffiti is something we all see routinely on trains as they pass through the metro. If you pay attention even a little bit, you will notice that some graffiti pieces on train cars look much better than others in…

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 November 2025, the FDA initiated the removal of the “black box” warning from Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). The “black box” warning is a FAD safety warning for healthcare providers and patients…

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 Jim FuglieI’m feeling a little mean right now. It doesn’t happen often, but I tend to pay attention to politics and politicians and I’m pretty disappointed in one of our politicians right now. So I’m going to be mean to…