January 18th, 2016
By Elaine Beitelspacher
In light of recent events I have spent some time educating myself on the history of the Middle East. Needless to say, this is an enormous topic and I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I have learned a few things that I think would be helpful for people to know. To make a very long story short, the history of the Middle East is a history of the rise and fall of empires. There were the Assyrians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans and the Ottoman Turks to…
January 18th, 2016
by Merrill Piepkorn
Over 50 years ago, Bob Dylan penned the lyrics, “The times, they are a-changin’.” It seems as though the current North Dakota state legislature is reluctant to accept what has happened since: The times, they have a-changed. While our present lawmakers seem bent on building barriers to social change, I believe that most North Dakotans — certainly those in my district, District 44 — embrace social change, acceptance, and individual responsibility.
I am announcing…
December 25th, 2015
by Chris Fradkin, PhD
It’s in the theaters. Star Wars is cleaning up and breaking all the records. Which for scientists like me shouldn’t mean a lot, I know. But inside, part of me is smiling.
It’s the Christmas lights? you say. No. The children singing carols? Uh, uh. For me, the reason runs much deeper. It’s because a study I co-authored, just released and gathering interest, is indirectly tied to Star Wars.
George Lucas, the…
December 18th, 2015
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves; They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 32: 7,8
“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” - Mark 12: 31
“What you do…
December 9th, 2015
“See no Science, Hear no Science, Speak No Science” - Wealthy Republican Oligarchs before Party fundraisers at their Exclusive Club for Know-Nothings.
“I’m not a scientist either, but I can use my brain, and I can talk to one.” - Former Republican Governor Charlie Crist [D-FL], July 26, 2014
“It seems clear to me...that climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation." - Pope Francis, Washington, D.C., Sept. 23, 2015
Despite the overwhelming…
November 24th, 2015
By Bob Valeu
North Dakota voter ID requirement is the most restrictive voter ID law in the nation. It is corrupted, violates federal law and threatens to disenfranchise thousands of voters in 2016.
In their zeal to gain political advantage, the Republican-controlled legislature managed to push through a new law without any significant vetting.
The law comingles voter ID procedures with driver’s licensing ID rules. Voters are required to “register” if using a driver license form of…
November 20th, 2015
By Josh Boschee
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is new to most of us. It is a federal agency founded in response to the predatory lending practices that led to the 2007-2009 recession, with a mission to consolidate consumer financial protections authority in one place. The responsibility of the CFPB is to watch out for and protect American consumers in the market for loans and other consumer financial products and services from predatory lending and discrimination, and…
November 20th, 2015
By Rilie Ray Morgan
As Chairperson of the North Dakota Medical Marijuana Committee, I feel compelled to respond to my old college professor, Lloyd Omdahl and his column on Medical Cannabis. Omdahl’s comments have some fatal flaws.
In fairness he does have a couple of things right, the first being that the initiated measure was started because of the inactivity of the North Dakota legislature. Had the legislature even considered studying the idea, we would not even be talking about an…
September 10th, 2015
By Samuel Bondy
When I pondered the idea of writing a political opinion piece my brain flooded with passion but also the fear of angry mobs. Being someone who challenges the status quo in a state filled with generational bias is similar to not understanding what the fuss is behind twerking or Snapchat. You aren’t in on the big party.
With the campaign already prematurely in full swing we are all probably sick of the constant pointless updates on every little thing. CNN is on its way to…
July 29th, 2015
Someone said "SOMA" to describe to me the location of Island Park in Fargo and I couldn't stop laughing when I found out what it meant. In fact, I'm still laughing.
SOMA means "South of Main Avenue" for people too lazy to say all four words consecutively. I imagine the alphabet soup was brewed in some cauldron by three witches to describe a business and arts district as something intrinsically different than the hell gate that has become downtown Fargo.
Everyone will tell you that good…
By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.com The business of Indian Hating is a lucrative one. It’s historically been designed to dehumanize Native people so that it’s easier to take their land. ‘Kill the Indian, save the man,”…
By Johnathan Campbell history@nd.gov Since Halloween is just around the corner, I thought I’d share three mysterious — and mildly creepy folktales — that have been shared about the Former Governors' Mansion State Historic Site,…
November 1-2, 9 p.m.Downtown VFW, 202 N Broadway, FargoEden Parker hosts two nights of music and mayhem with everything from original music, piano bar sing-alongs, to Halloween hymns. Dress up for the costume contest, drink up and…
By Jim Fugliejimfuglie920@gmail.com As a political columnist, I know I should be writing an election preview for the issue of this paper that comes out just a couple weeks before what is being labeled, once again, as “the most…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comCitizens United Turned Billionaires Into Oligarchs, Dictators, and KingsWe have reached a stage in Divided States of America politics where if the Democratic Party decreed that zebras have black…
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 In this land of hotdish and ham, the knoephla soup of German-Russian heritage seems to reign supreme. In my opinion though, the French have the superior soup. With a cheesy top layer, toasted baguette…
North Dakota’s All Star Tribute to John Prine at the Fargo TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comOn November 3, The Radio Stars are rounding up a number of North Dakota’s finest musicians from Watford City to the Red River…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Writer-director Nicole Riegel’s sophomore feature “Dandelion” is now playing in theaters following a world premiere at South by Southwest in March. The movie stars KiKi Layne as the…
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By HPR Contributorssubmit@hpr1.com They are the inventive, passionate, adaptable, resourceful, sometimes over-enthusiastic, wack-tacular people who create art in our community, and they’re opening their studio doors to you for…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
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 John Showalter john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…
Rynn WillgohsJanuary 25, 1972-October 8, 2024 Rynn Azerial Willgohs, age 52, of Vantaa, Finland, died by suicide on October 8, 2024. Rynn became her true-self March 31, 2020. She immediately became a vocal and involved activist…
By Curtis Stofferahncurtis.stofferahn@email.und.edu In1915, Arthur Townley, an organizer for North Dakota's Socialist Party, witnessed a session of the state legislature where legislators were poised to discuss the establishment of…
