April 18th, 2024
To the editor:
Farmers and advocates across the country are asking their legislators to support farmers’ access to credit by co-sponsoring the Fair Credit for Farmers Act.
The Fair Credit for Farmers Act directly addresses many of the barriers farmers face as they attempt to access credit at the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Many farm families look to pass their farm to the next generation, credit is an essential tool for farmers to access land, yearly operating funds and the ability…
April 18th, 2024
To the editor:
The USDA has recently just released a new rule regarding Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef products. I’m happy that beef products being born, raised, and slaughtered in the USA will now be the only products that can receive the “Product of the USA” label, “Made in the USA” label, or an American flag on packaging. However, their extension date of Jan 1 of 2026 is way too long to wait to require compliance. Companies can even ask for a deadline extension.…
December 10th, 2023
Degrading the Humanity of All Involved
To the editor:
Learning a new name for someone can be hard, new pronouns, even
moreso. Gender-neutral pronouns seem to vex more than most, though the
grammar has long been a part of our language.
An easy way to remember to use gender-neutral pronouns is to pretend like
you don’t know the gender of the person you’re talking about. (e.g. Someone
left their car keys behind. They’ll come back soon.)
How the media talk about gender can shift societal…
January 18th, 2023
Dear Editor,
The North Dakota legislative session has started to pick up. Many of the bills that have come before the committees are just cleaning up some language; others that are yet to come are troubling.
The bills that I am currently the most concerned about are as follows.
Senate Bill 2150 is meant to clean up and merge the language from multiple other statutes and counter the trigger ban currently in the court system. The new bill is the lesser of two evils; however, it is still a…
January 15th, 2023
To the editor:
After my first week as a Representative in the North Dakota legislature, I found myself spending the weekend with an IV in my arm at the hospital in Hettinger. It wasn’t the legislature’s fault.
Not feeling well while visiting my son’s family in Bowman, I came to Hettinger’s West River Health Services clinic-- 40 miles away and open on a Saturday. From the minute I walked in the door, my medical treatment was equal to any I’ve previously had, which includes Mayo,…
March 20th, 2022
To the editor,
In 2018, I became the first Native Democratic woman elected to the North Dakota State Legislature. I proudly serve my district and advocate for my community. COVID-19 made headlines when it ravaged the Native community, as have many health and wellness issues throughout my life and career.
There’s one health inequity Native populations face that isn’t making headlines anymore - HIV/AIDS.
The U.S. HIV epidemic has become more concentrated in marginalized and…
March 20th, 2021
To the editor,
Five years ago, I nearly lost my life to leukemia because I couldn’t afford my medication. Even though my doctors warned me the cancer would return if I didn’t take the medicine, I did not fill my prescription because I couldn’t afford the $2,400 a month co-pay. Luckily, I found the same medicine at a more affordable cost of $680 a month through a Canadian pharmacy.
My story is shockingly common. Surveys have found that one in three adults did not take a medication as…
February 15th, 2021
To the editor,
As coronavirus vaccines continue to roll out in North Dakota, people without Internet access are asking where they can get vaccination information and how they get signed up for the vaccine.
Getting information to people without online access is critical so they can also get in line until such time when supply of the vaccine meets demand.
Those who don’t have access to a computer should first contact their health care provider. If you don’t have a provider, call the N.D.…
February 11th, 2021
To the Editor:
AARP North Dakota strongly opposes a bill in the N.D. Legislature that grants nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care (LTC) facilities immunity related to COVID-19.
House Bill 1175 strips away the rights of residents and their families to seek legal redress and hold facilities accountable when residents are harmed, neglected, or abused.
In North Dakota, about 10,000 people live in these facilities. More than 840 COVID-related deaths (approximately…
May 24th, 2020
Nyamal Dei, Board Member
The North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
(701) 318-5167
Friday, May 22, 2020
Dear Editor,
An unfortunate situation arose this past week when a news story developed around COVID-19 cases in Fargo-area nursing homes and noted that past federal inspections indicated there were failures to sufficiently address infection control procedures at these facilities.
Comments to Valley News Live from North Dakota Long Term Care President Shelly Peterson gave a false…
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By Maddie Robinsonmaddierobi.mr@gmail.com This article discusses topics related to mental health and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. …
By Michael Millermichael.miller@ndsu.edu As I reflect back on July, I want to share a USA Today article from July 3, 1986, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty. It has been 138 years since 1886 when…
Thursday, August 8, gates 5 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m.Bluestem Amphitheater, 801 50th Avenue S., MoorheadFormed by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer, upright bass player Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom, The Stray Cats…
We’re making progress. By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Yay Kamala! It is such a relief to see a candidate for POTUS who is actually capable of doing the job and preserving our representative democracy. And, of course, she’s…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comMen have made a real mess of the world. We should try estrogen.I didn’t bother to count the countries involved in wars because this column won’t be published for a week. But I don’t think any…
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…
Lamb of God celebrates 20th anniversary of a seminal albumby John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Travis ShinnWhen the band Burn the Priest formed in 1994, they likely did not realize the impact that they would have on…
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…
New Minnesota sculptures include artist’s largest trollBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com According to Danish artist and environmental activist Thomas Dambo, “All trash is treasure.” So far, he and his team have built 138…
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…
JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…
By Chad Obanali.hoffman@ndunited.org North Dakotans know that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. That is certainly the case with the ill-advised constitutional ballot measure to eliminate the ability of local…
