Letters to the Editor

The Fair Credit for Farmers Act will improve the lives of farmers in North Dakota

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…

Read more...


​The Country of Origin labeling fight is not settled yet

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.…

Read more...


Em Christie, Letter to the Editor

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…

Read more...


​ND State Senator Ryan Braunberger

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…

Read more...


​Hettinger’s West River Health Services

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,…

Read more...


Ruth Buffalo: National Native HIV-AIDS Awareness Day

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…

Read more...


Unaffordable Prescription Drugs

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…

Read more...


Where to Get Vaccination Info Without Internet Access

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.…

Read more...


No Immunity for Nursing Homes

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…

Read more...


New Americans Vital to ND Long Term Facilities

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…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry empire Tracker Pixel for Entry FPL Tracker Pixel for Entry Bismarck Tracker Pixel for Entry artfest1 Tracker Pixel for Entry artfest2 Tracker Pixel for Entry Blackbird

Recently in:

By Bryce Vincent Haugen There are three Fargo Park Board seats up for election June 9. Park Board President Vicki Dawson and long-time member Dr. Joe Deutsch announced their reelection bids, but board member Aaron Hill is vacating…

By Michael M. Miller Francie M. Berg, native of Hettinger, N.D., edited an impressive book, “Ethnic Heritage in North Dakota,” published in 1983. She grew up on a ranch near Miles City, Montana. Her son, Richard Berg, is…

Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m.Fargodome, 1800 University Dr. N, FargoHeralded as "The Nicest Man in Stand-Up" by The Atlantic, Nate Bargatze is also one of the top-grossing comedians, breaking both streaming and attendance records. Now…

By Sabrina Hornung In the last week of March, we heard about an AI education droid visiting the White House as the first lady made a pitch to replace teachers with androids. In an interview with conservative commentator Benny…

About the leader who sits so far-right from God he can’t see Him I have been reading Harvard PHD Heather Cox Richardson for more than a decade because she knows how important Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is in the study…

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 Gion A brand new food event called the "ONE BITE Challenge" will launch in downtown Fargo on May 23. Rocky Schneider, executive director of the Downtown Community Partnership told us more. HPR: Hi Rocky. Thank you for…

By John ShowalterAs hip-hop started to make its way into the national spotlight in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was largely split into two camps, “East Coast” and “West Coast”. Not content to be left out of a…

By Greg CarlsonKristen Stewart’s critically well-received directorial debut should do better in its second life on digital streaming platforms and VOD than it did during the very limited theatrical release it received stateside…

Friday, May 8 - Sunday, May 10, 2-8 p.m.Brewhalla, 1702 1st Ave. N., FargoAmarok Tattoo is working with our pals at Drekker Brewing/Brewhalla to celebrate ink and everything odd and a little macabre. See some of the best in the…

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 Fuglie Okay, here I go again, warning (whining? complaining?) about another threat to the North Dakota badlands. Sorry. Please put up with me for a few hundred more words. Now, some folks I don’t think want to put a…