Editorial

From us to you

December 23rd, 2019

artwork by Sabrina Hornung

The holiday season is upon us and we are still always surprised just how quickly time flies. That said, it goes without saying how grateful we at HPR are for ALL OF YOU. You see, the High Plains Reader is your paper. Our advertisers are your advertisers. Our mission is to be relevant in your lives.

For those who don’t already know, HPR hits the streets this week on Thursday, Dec. 26, and then we take a two-week vacation. No HPR Jan. 2 and 9. We are back and out in force Jan 16.

The…

Good news for people who like bad news

December 18th, 2019

editorial photo by Raul Gomez - Porto Portugal

As we fall into the full swing of the holiday season, I keep hearing sentiments of shop local, keep it local, etc., etc. A sentiment that we fully support but it’s so much more than just the shopping and supporting your local eateries and watering holes. Don’t get us wrong, these are all very important parts of our community, but we’re forgetting something.

In a world oversaturated with media, how much do you think about the local media you consume? Sure at any given time we’ll…

Do what’s best today for North Dakota’s tomorrow

December 11th, 2019

Chris Hagen - wet plate photograph by Shane Balkowitsch

When I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I met Sam Walton. My father’s hand dwarfed mine as he and the Walmart founder talked from inside a convenience store in Rogers, Arkansas. My memories are vague, but I remember an elderly and kind man who bought me a 25 cent Reece’s peanut butter cup.

In those days, Walmart had just hit its billion-dollar sales mark with 276 stores. Today, there are nearly 12,000 across the world, and current executives make more money in the time it takes to…

Sobering statistics from one of the drunkest cities in America

December 4th, 2019

Cyanotype by Sabrina Hornung

For a number of years, Fargo and Grand Forks have ranked within the top tiers of “Drunkest city in America.” According to worldpopulationreview.com we came in fifth this year, and the other four cities were all in Wisconsin ironically enough. Though according to an article entitled, “Is Fargo among the ‘drunkest cities’ in the US? Police Sergeants don’t think so” The headline says it all.

According to the aforementioned article, “For Fargo, No. 5 on the list, the study…

Could social media be Narcissus’ pond?

November 26th, 2019

Self portrait - by Sabrina Hornung

I might be stating the obvious when I say the Internet is a weird dark place. One would think we’d be advancing as a society by having a world of information at our fingertips, but unfortunately, it seems to have quite the opposite effect. Instead, it’s more of a Pandora’s box of BS, where facts are treated as fiction, fools are idolized and we become so engrossed with our screens that we’re giving Narcissus and his pool a run for their money.

Narcissus was the namesake of…

South Dakota makes a meth of an advertising campaign

November 20th, 2019

Specimen unknown - by Chris Orth

“Twitter can make a joke of it, but when it comes down to it - Meth is a serious problem in SD. We are here to Get. It. OUT.” Tweeted South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, the same day South Dakota launched its “Meth. We’re on it” campaign. The intent of the campaign is to spread awareness of the damaging ripple effect meth has on the community. Some praise the campaign for its straightforwardness and see it as a real taking a-bull-by-the-horns approach, but not everyone sees the…

RIP, Sarah Ann

November 13th, 2019

You'll be missed, Sarah

One more time, our senses are rocked as folks we know are spinning and reeling after yet another tragic suicide of a young woman who was known as a sparkplug in our community, to say the least.

Hardly any of us has not been touched by suicide. And, frankly, far too many of us have had moments where we weigh the value of life and wonder if it’s truly worth it.

Times like this are tough. Friends and family bowled over like they were hit with a Mack truck. Too often there’s no…

Have a little respect

November 6th, 2019

Protest in Fargo - photograph by C.S. Hagen

By Waylon Hedegaard
retiringwithcats@gmail.com

Does everyone find Facebook disturbing nowadays? Oh, I don’t mean the creepy way when after you search for a product, ads for that product are suddenly everywhere like bed bugs. Nor do I mean the way Facebook mines your core personality for every spending or voting habit and then sell that info to the highest bidder… Well, not just that anyway. Admittedly, that’s troublesome.

What really disturbs me is the way so many of us can coldly look…

Let’s take a second to re-evaluate our priorities

October 30th, 2019

Old time one-room North Dakota schoolhouse - photograph by C.S. Hagen

School lunch has been a hot topic of conversation lately, especially with the mounting debt that has accrued. Let’s take a moment and talk about the importance of school lunch. According to frac.org, FRAC standing for Food Research and Action Center, school lunch is imperative to the healthy development of children, especially those in low income environments. It ensures at least one meal, and improves the student's overall health and brain activity. I mean, can you think properly on…

Halloween Shimmers in the Red River Valley

October 23rd, 2019

The Witching Hour - by Mark Elton

By Davin Wait
davin.wait@hcsmuseum.org

Most folks in the Upper Midwest will remember the last week of October 1991 for a singular reason: the weekend heroics of Jack Morris and Kirby Puckett as the Minnesota Twins defeated the Atlanta Braves in 7 games for their last World Series title. Of course, the world was busy with other things, too.

National and local media were still reeling from Anita Hill’s testimony during Clarence Thomas’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Across the…