>>>> CELEBRATE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK WITH ST. ALPHONSUS, PG. A10-A11
The official newspaper of Cavalier County Theborderlandpress.com
In this issue:
Friday, January 24, 2025
Volume 4, Number 3
Cheering on the cheer team!
Newly established team in Langdon to attend competition after only six months of training
By Hilary Nowatzki
Ag: Farmers for Soil Health cover crop program enrollment closes Feb. 28, Pg. A3
After years without a squad, five dedicated athletes have revamped the Langdon Area-Munich cheer team this school year. Despite only having six months of practice under their belts, the girls are still setting their sights high with a competition awaiting them in Minot in February. The last time the school had a cheer team for both basketball and football was in 2014. The Cardinals did have a cheerleading team up until 2019, however, they only cheered during basketball season. This cheer squad
and asked her if she would be willing to coach a team. Ferdon, who was a cheerleader for years in the past, decided she was up for the challenge; she didn’t want to let the girls down. “I thought about it for a few months, and I was like, You know what? I really want to give these girls the opportunity, and I have the knowledge to do so, so I just got started from there,” said Ferdon. Seven girls would come to sign ups, and the team now has five active
Community: Pembilier Nursing Center hosts their own masters tournament, Pg. A5
The Pom Pom girls showed off their skills during halftime at a recent basketball game. Sierra Ferdon hopes the high school cheer program will continue to grow as these youngsters do. Photo by Larry Stokke.
State: U.S. Supreme Court dismisses case related to voting subdistricts, Pg. B4
is conquering two firsts in one year: cheering for football and basketball, as well as attending a state competition.
cheerleaders. “They are just so dedicated and excited to have this team,” said Ferdon.
It all started last school year when a student approached Sierra Ferdon
cont’d. on page A12
Lifelong Langdon resident honored for 25 years of service By Nick Vorlage
The Cardinals Cheer Team 2024-25. Back row (L-R) Izzy Vikan, Coach Sierra Ferdon, Ruby Davis; front row, Daisy Kuhn, Maci Hoffarth, and Eliot Olson. Submitted photo.
Hanson to retire after more than 40 years of service to LREC By Hilary Nowatzki
Nowatzki’s dedication to public service is apparent throughout his life achievements, having served in Langdon as a city commissioner for 20 years, county commissioner for 16 years, a firefighter for 21.5 years, a JDA member for 10 years, president of the Rural Electric Apprenticeship and Safety Department for 8 years, as well as a member of the ambulance team for 4 years.
“Over the years, we've done a lot of work testing varieties of all the different crops that are grown in the area and a lot of different crops that aren't grown in the area to see if they're adaptable to the area,” he explained. “Then I do other work with crop production research, especially when canola was coming in and farmers needed more information on different crop production practices.”
The North Central Planning Council has eight regional stations throughout the state. They serve six counties in what they call Region III: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette and Towner.
That’s right, canola hasn’t actually been around since the beginning of time in Langdon. According to Hanson, who helped usher new varieties in, the crop was introduced to the area in the middle of the 1990s following a terrible wheat scab outbreak.
According to their website, the group aims to, “work with organized city and county governments and economic development professionals to provide financial and planning resources for economic, infrastructure and housing development. In addition, the council is often called upon either to provide or to arrange for the provision of those services that other public organizations do not provide.” Harold “Ole” Nowatzki was honored for his 25 years of service to Region III through the North Central Planning Council.
Lifelong Langdon resident, Harold “Ole” Nowatzki, was recently honored by the North Central Planning Council, Regional Council for his 25+ years of service to the group.
Nowatzki explained that the group is allocated federal funding on a yearly basis. North Central Planning Council then has its Regional Councils that decide how to disperse the money to communities within the six counties it covers. The group is able to fund projects that small towns and other townships would not be able to cover completely themselves. Nowatzki provided some examples from his time on the council.
Nowatzki found his way to the North Central Planning Council while he was still a Cavalier “We've done a lot of projects in the area. We put County Commissioner. the roof on the Senior Center at Langdon, did “The county commission had to have a seat on the remodeling at the courthouse, remodeling that council, so I took Tom Mann's place,” he at City Hall, put a roof up on the Senior Center at Milton, dug up a well at Hannah, did a sewer stated. project over in Munich when they were having Now at the young age of 87, he will no longer trouble with the lagoon,” said Nowatzki. “Just be commuting to Devils Lake once a month for small things that these small communities can't the meetings. He is happy with the time he has afford to do by themselves, because they just served this board and takes pride in all of their don't have the money.” accomplishments over the years.
“And then canola really started coming in, and it gave a lot more financial incentives to plant canola compared to wheat with all the scab at the time,” Hanson said. Hanson was also around to see the influx of soybeans as a high acreage crop in the northern Borderland region around 2010. Later, he would It’s been more than 41 years since Bryan Hanbe the first agent in the state to test different son applied for his very first job fresh out of colhemp products and how they grow in the region. lege. Photo by Hilary Nowatzki.
Aside from being in the fields, Hanson said he He had studied agronomy at NDSU then attendalso found it rewarding to be able to provide ined Oklahoma State for his masters. He found a formation and data to farmers about how best to piece of mail from Langdon Research Extension manage their fields. Center, where they were hiring an agronomist. He took his shot, and the rest is history. “Being out in the field, bringing the plots in, planting, harvesting, checking notes, I guess Growing up on a farm, Hanson fell in love with that's kind of what my joy was in the job,” said “being in the fields” and was able to turn his pasHanson with a smile. sion into his career. Primarily, Hanson conducts variety trials on seeds to see which weather the Upon retirement, Hanson plans to spend time best in certain regions and under different cirwith his wife, Diane, as well as the rest of his cumstances. family and especially grandchildren.
News
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A2
Rolla man sentenced to 52 years in prison By The Borderland Press staff
Last week, Triston Lee Wallette, 27, of Rolla, pled guilty to crimes of burglary, theft, and criminal mischief in Northeast District Court. According to court records, on December 14, 2023, Wallette drove to the Rugby Municipal Airport in a vehicle which had been stolen in Rolette County. He broke into an airport hangar and entered a Chevy Silverado located inside. Wallette then repeatedly drove the Silverado into other vehicles located in the hangar, including a crop sprayer airplane and the hangar itself, causing damages estimated to be over $1-million. Wallette was arrested in McHenry County on December 15 near a totaled ATV he had stolen from the hangar. Security camera footage and footprints found at the crime scene further placed Wallette at the scene.
News Briefs
From The Borderland News Center John Deere faces lawsuit Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, alongside Illinois Attorney Generals and the Federal Trade Commission, have filed a lawsuit against the tractor manufacturing giant John Deere. The plaintiffs accuse the company of violating state and federal laws for not allowing customers options in repairing farm equipment. Turtle Mountain receives funds for internet capabilities The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa has been awarded $2.7 million dollars to improve internet capabilities within their community. The funds were made through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. They will cover pre-paid broadband services for 200 house-
By Nick Vorlage
Joe Biden, in the final hours of his presidency on Monday, issued a final volley of pardons and commutes, including one for a man from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. In 1977, Leonard Peltier was sentenced to life in prison for the 1975 murder of two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The trial to this day remains a source of dispute with allegations of trial misconduct and witnesses being coerced to testify. Since his conviction, numerous groups and individuals ranging from Amnesty International, the UN Human Rights Council, the Dalai Lama, and Pope Francis have called for his release. Despite these pleas, Peltier had remained incarcerated, being denied parole as recently as July 2024. Biden’s commutation of Peltier’s sentence does not pardon Peltier for the crime. Now 80 years old and reportedly suffering from numerous health issues, Peltier is expected to serve the remainder of his life sentence in home confinement in Belcourt. At time of writing, a time for his arrival back in North Dakota had not been announced.
Weather Jan. 24
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holds and about 1,000 broadband devices for residents and businesses. Blood drive to be hosted in Walhalla Mark your calendars. The Walhalla Student Council will be sponsoring a community blood drive on Thursday, Feb. 6 starting at 12:45pm. Vitalant, the organization collecting the blood, says they are needing 30 donors in this blood drive, and everyone who participates will receive a $10 gift card. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 877-258-4825. New wind farm to be constructed A new wind farm has been announced to be constructed outside of New Rockford. The Flickertail Wind Farm will be operated by Minnesota-based
PRC Wind with Minnkota Power purchasing the energy. Construction of the farm is expected to begin in 2027 and once fully operational could create 300 new jobs and $100-million for the local economy. FDA bans dye The Food and Drug Administration has announced they are banning the use of erythrosine, otherwise known as Red 3 dye, to be used in any food or drug produced or sold in the United States. Red 3 is used in numerous products such as candies, baked goods, fruit products, and medications. Food manufacturers have until January 2027 to comply. Lakota man airlifted after crash The North Dakota Highway Patrol re-
ports an 86-year-old man from Lakota was airlifted to Grand Forks following a single vehicle crash outside of Devils Lake on Thursday. The individual was traveling westbound on Highway 2 when his vehicle exited the road, entered the north ditch, and connected with several trees before coming to a stop. Investigations are ongoing. Grand Forks awarded funds to improve roads The US Department of Commerce has awarded the city of Grand Forks a grant worth $3.2 million. The funds are to be used to improve roads which will be used primarily on the northern side of the city where the Epitome Energy soybean crush plant will be constructed. Development for the plant is anticipated to begin later this year.
Dearth of women in top higher ed leadership in North Dakota causes concern Currently only one woman in a position of leadership among 11 institutions By Michael Standaert/North Dakota News Cooperative
around 33% of those top leadership spots across the country.
It was decided during sentencing that each of the 10 charges laid upon Wallette would run consecutively. Once released, he will be placed on supervised probation for three years.
Peltier to be released to home in Belcourt
The Borderland Press
Former university leaders are raising concern about the lack of women in top leadership positions at North Dakota’s 11 public higher education institutions. Currently only one has a woman president or CEO. This comes at a time when the State Board of Higher Education is beginning the process of filling president vacancies at campuses in Bismarck, Dickinson and Devils Lake. In addition, North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott will leave his position toward the end of the year. Those raising the profile of the issue point out that nationally and within the state, women account for between 50-60% of enrollment and graduation rates in higher education. They believe leadership at those institutions should better reflect those figures. “The SBHE's record for hiring women in CEO positions for the last 25 years shows a pattern and practice of discrimination on the basis of gender,” said Ellen Chaffee, who served 15 years as president at Valley City State University (1993-2008) and nine of those concurrently as president of Mayville State University through 2001. Chaffee notes that five institutions had female presidents during the 1990s. That dropped to zero after 2008, until Valley City had two between 2014-2018, and Dakota College at Bottineau hired a woman leader in 2020. Nationally, rates of women in president or CEO positions at colleges and universities rose by 10% from 2006 to 2022 and currently women comprise
“When it comes right down to it, in my opinion, there needs to be a concerted effort to hire more diversity,” said Debora Dragseth, Baker Boy Professor of Leadership at Dickinson State University who served as vice-president there from 2020-2022. “It’s the right thing to do,” Dragseth said. “It’s ethical. But also the fact that the majority of college students are female. Who’s representing them? Who’s walked in their shoes?” Dragseth calculated that women have served as the top leaders at higher education institutions throughout the state just under 6% of the time over the course of their history. Five of North Dakota’s higher education institutions have never had a formal woman leader, including the University of North Dakota, Minot State University, Dickinson State University, Williston State College, and North Dakota State University (NDSU). NDSU did have an interim woman president for a brief period in 1969. With Bismarck State College, Dickinson State University and Lake Region State College all in the process of searching for presidents, SBHE chair Tim Mihalick said there’s an opportunity to add female leaders at one or more of those schools. “From my perspective, and I think of the board in general, I agree, we need more female representation,” Mihalick said. “When we get the qualifications that match the institution’s needs, I would absolutely see us hiring a female leader.” A big aspect of finding the best candidates is being intentional during the search process, said Kim Lee, director of community strategy and engagement at the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C. ACE has been active for two decades in promoting an initiative to try to
reach parity in hiring top leadership in higher ed called Moving the Needle: Advancing Women in Higher Education Leadership. “We still have more work to do if we want to look at gender parity,” Lee said. She said it would be beneficial for search committees to tap into leadership development programs ACE has developed, and to consider using search firms that strongly consider diversity in their processes. The process of filling a vacancy starts with the chancellor appointing a search committee. A presidential search typically takes 4 to 6 months, according to NDUS staff, with the SBHE providing direction on the use of a search consultant. Procedural rules require the committee to submit at least three candidates for consideration by the SBHE. “It’s probably not out of the reach of the discussion around this to ask the search firms to look for strong female candidates,” Mihalick said. Chaffee said that the best pools of candidates include the best men and best women and are diverse in other key dimensions as well. “You can’t be sure you’re selecting the best if you discount or fail to attract women applicants,” Chaffee said. She also believes the SBHE and the chancellor’s cabinet at the NDUS both need more female representation, and that this could attract more qualified female candidates to president positions. The SBHE currently has just one female voting member.
On Jan. 14, State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler announced six finalists – five men and one woman - for two open seats for the SBHE. Those names have now been forwarded to Gov. Kelly Armstrong for his first SBHE appointments of his new governorship, with terms beginning July 1. “College students need to see and interact with diverse people as part of preparing for success after graduation,” Chaffee said. “If the SBHE does not seek, recruit and hire women, there is virtually no chance they will have strong women applicants and have the best possible new presidents.” Carmen Simone, campus dean and Dakota College at Bottineau, said that while she appreciates the sentiment regarding the need to hire more women leaders, her own experience has been “extremely positive” and she is “grateful for the support we receive as leaders.” Of the SBHE, she said: “I have full confidence that they will carefully consider the qualifications of each candidate and ultimately, they will choose the leaders who they believe will best serve our respective institutions.” The North Dakota News Cooperative is a non-profit news organization providing reliable and independent reporting on issues and events that impact the lives of North Dakotans. The organization increases the public’s access to quality journalism and advances news literacy across the state. For more information about NDNC or to make a charitable contribution, please visit newscoopnd.org.
Agriculture
The Borderland Press
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A3
An alternative to the USDA Organic label could be more accessible for farmers, but can it stick with consumers? By Harshawn Ratanpal, KBIA
ant with the standards.
More flexibility for climate smart farming practices – USDA’s new interim rule for climate-smart crops provides more flexibility for farmers. To qualify for incentives, including the 45Z tax credit, farmers can use cover crops, nutrient management or adopt no-till or reduced tillage practices. This is different than the all-or-none bundled approach in previous rules. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also released the Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator to assess greenhouse gas emissions at the field level. “Agriculture now is in a position to say if we use corn in this county, and we use it in a no-till circumstance with properly timed fertilizer. This is the benefit to the ethanol production facility that will be producing the SAF, so they, in turn, can document to whoever’s purchasing SAF that they did result in a CI score that is more than 50 percent efficient, relative to current jet fuel.” Three crops are recognized as biofuel feedstocks: corn, soybeans, and sorghum. Left out – While corn and soybeans were included as eligible crops in the USDA’s interim climate smart rule, canola was not. Northern Canola Growers Association Executive Director Barry Coleman said more work needs to be done. “We understand that the climate-smart program won’t apply for anything until the Treasury (Department) does a final rule on the 45Z (rule) and if they even decide to incorporate it,” said Coleman. “That all depends on whether Congress repeals the 45Z and all the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) programs; there’s still that question out there. We would certainly like to be part of the climate-smart activities (and) will
“For example, I have to keep very detailed records of planting, seeding, and harvesting,” she said.
be certainly working to do that.” Coleman is also disappointed with the GREET model. Key committee reviews SBARE priorities – The Senate Government Operations Appropriations Committee reviewed funding requests for NDSU Extension, the Research Outreach Centers, Northern Crops Institute and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute this past week. NDSU Extension Vice President of Agriculture Dr. Greg Lardy emphasized the importance of these investments. “These solutions are an investment in the future of North Dakota and provide a return on investment through enhanced yield, productivity, better milling characteristics in grains that lead to enhanced consumer acceptance and additional market opportunities, improved livestock performance, and more cost-effective input solutions. More importantly, these solutions provide a means to enhance the state’s economy and improve the economic condition of our communities large and small across the state.” The State Board of Agricultural Research and Education priorities include funding for the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies, a focus on digital agriculture and precision farming, and an investment in animal health diagnostics. Boehm leads NCI – The Northern Crops Institute has named its new director. David Boehm has been NCI’s technical manager since 2019 and the co-interim director for nearly a year. Previously, Boehm worked for SES VanderHave and AgriPro Wheat.
Farmers for Soil Health cover crop program enrollment closes Feb. 28 NDSU Extension
Duensing said the paperwork was a major reason she avoided USDA organic certification. “That kind of scares me a little bit to be overwhelmed with all that,” she said.
On a cold winter day in Illinois, three little pigs are resting in a three-sided shed. They have plenty of space to trot around, as they do when Jennifer Duensing approaches. Those footsteps mean it's feeding time. They squeal impatiently, waiting for their usual diet of organic feed, which sometimes includes vegetables like squash grown right here on the farm. There are countless certifications she could have chosen and labels she could slap on her products to try and prove her farm has good practices. In the midst of rising consumer demand for organic foods, a nonprofit called “A Greener World” which “promotes practical, sustainable solutions in agriculture by supporting farmers and educating consumers” has a 15-page guide that attempts to clear up consumer confusion around labels that use terms like “natural,” “humane” and “organic.” Certified Naturally Grown was a perfect fit for how she was already running her farm. “Our certification process is really pretty simple, because we have zero chemical inputs,” she said. “There's nothing we had to justify or have reasoning for, because we just do not use anything.” Started in 2002, the non-profit organization’s standards are modeled after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Certified Organic Label, but they’re designed to give farmers a cheaper and more accessible way to certify and communicate how their farms work. “A lot of farmers are committed to ecological practices, and probably would qualify for organic certification, but they hesitate because of the expense and also the paperwork,” said Alice Varon, CNG’s executive director.
Farmers for Soil Health is a farmer-driven initiative for farmers aimed at improving soil health through the adoption of cover crops. (NDSU photo)
The 2024 Farmers for Soil Health (FSH) enrollment window is closing on Feb. 28. Farmers for Soil Health is a farmer-driven initiative for farmers aimed at improving soil health through the adoption of cover crops. The collaboration among the Soy Checkoff, Pork Checkoff and National Corn Growers Association in partnership with state commodity groups and conservation organizations seeks to double the adoption of cover crops to reach 30 million acres by 2030. North Dakota State University Extension is coordinating the program for North Dakota. Through the Farmers for Soil Health program, enrolled farmers receive incentive payments for adopting cover crops on their farms. The incentives are supported by a $95 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities
“There's some minor differences, but for the most part, it’s just like the National Organic Program.” she added.
grant.
USDA Organic certification vs. CNG
“While traditionally farmers first get enrolled into a program then plant after, Farmers for Soil Health allows enrollment both before and after planting cover crops,” says Rutendo Nyamusamba, NDSU Extension conservation agronomist stationed at the Dickinson Research Extension Center. “This unique feature of enrolling after planting the cover crops gives farmers flexibility in their time management and strategizing of operations.”
Liz Graznak is a certified organic farmer in Jamestown, Mo. The program’s requirements vary by produce and animal, but generally, it requires the use of “eco-friendly pest control,” “natural fertilizers,” and for farmers to allow animals to “roam freely outdoors.” She has to renew her certification every year.
Farmers for Soil Health is a three-year program. Crop fields in a corn and/or soybean rotation are eligible for the Transition Incentive Payments (TIPs) totaling $50 per new acre of cover crops across three years. This is struccont’d. on pageA12
After adopting organic practices, the next step is applying to a USDA-accredited certifying agent. While there are more than 17,000 certified organic farms operating in the U.S, there
are less than 80 certifying agencies. They send inspectors out to interview farmers and check that they are abiding by the USDA standards. “Someone comes to my farm and pretty much spends the entire day at the farm looking through my records, looking through the records of the crop rotations that I use, what was planted in what field last year, what was planted in that field this year,” Graznak said. “I have those records for 14 years of my farming” She pays the certifier for this service, including their travel costs. Her bill is usually $2,000 to $3,000 a year. The USDA does have a cost-sharing program that can help reimburse organic farmers for up to 75% of these costs, which is capped at $750 per certification category, which include “crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling, and state organic program fees.” Varon said the reimbursement is useful, but fronting the cash is still a barrier for small operations. CNG certification costs just $250 a year. That’s because instead of certifying agencies, CNG farmers are peer-reviewed by other CNG farmers, either in-person or online. CNG provides farmers with training and allows them to virtually observe inspections of other farms. “It helps keep the program affordable for the farmers because they're not paying someone to come out and do the annual inspection,” Varon said. “Instead, they agree to conduct a peer review of another farmer if there's someone nearby who needs one.” To be certified organic, farmers must stop using chemical inputs for three years, and the certification process typically takes about six months. According to CNG’s website, it takes one year of growing and selling before farmers can apply, and certification usually takes two months or fewer. The other hurdle CNG is trying to help farmers avoid is laborious bookkeeping. The organic certification requires farmers like Graznak to keep diligent, in-depth and plentiful paperwork of what they do on their farms and when. “It's extremely arduous, an immense amount of record keeping for all things that I do on the farm, from the compost that I buy to the seeds that I buy to the fertilizers that I buy,” Graznak said. It’s such a common challenge that there are even bookkeeping companies to help farmers remain compli-
CNG still requires paperwork, but a lot less. It requires an application that details the farm’s operations, which becomes available to the public. There’s also a form to fill out during annual inspections. They’re also asked to keep receipts of purchases, like seeds, in case an inspector wants to take a look. CNG peaked with around 800 certified farms around 2018. Post-pandemic, they’re down to 600. Varon says that may say less about CNG and more about general trends in farming – the number of farms has been steadily decreasing, while the average farm size has been increasing, according to the USDA. In 2023, the average size of a U.S. farm was 464 acres. Most CNG farms are just 2-10 acres. Varon said they typically ask farmers who choose not to renew their certification why they left the program. “The main reasons are they've stopped farming, or they can't justify the cost and effort of certification with the value it's bringing to them,” she said. The USDA doesn’t publish surveys on the National Organic Program every year, but between 2021 and 2019, there was a 5% increase in the number of organic producers. Label confusion While some seek out certification alternatives to the organic label, Graznak says the cost and “arduous” process of getting USDA’s certification are worth it because the label is both recognizable and trusted. “The public knows what the USDA label is, they recognize that, and it means something,” Graznak said. According to a survey by a trade association of organic businesses, she’s right. The group’s 2024 survey estimates that the label is “trusted by 70 percent of consumers.” Graznak said it's a quick way to communicate how she grows her produce, which is particularly important because she sells in retail and wholesale spaces where she can’t have conversations with every customer. “I sell to 500 plus customers every Saturday (at the farmers market), and I can't have a long detailed conversation with all of them.” she said. With so many labels on the market, there aren’t a lot of things that can cut through the noise like the USDA’s Certified organic label, and there are a lot of gaps in knowledge about what they even mean. David Lovelady purchased produce from Graznak at the Columbia Farmcont’d. on pageA12
Opinion
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A4
The Borderland Press
Letter from the Publisher warmest sweater and put that on, followed by wool socks and fleece lined jeans. Most importantly, don’t leave the house.
These temps are all over the place. How is a girl supposed to know what to wear for the day? Last weekend was easy. Find your
Now that we’ve warmed up a wee bit, the fleece can probably go, but not too far away cause in a day or so you’ll wish for it again. My weather app looks like a series of typos with random numbers in nonsensical order and little clouds and hyphens everywhere. Every now and then it chimes to get my attention so that it can flash some warning or watch or whatever is happening in my area. I tell you what, my area is in my warm livingroom a
few feet away from the fireplace. No other area matters to me. Unfortunately, that’s not entirely true. Life forces me out the door whether I want to go or not, and it usually means going to work. I go willingly, without (much of) a fuss. Certain luxuries, like seat and steering wheel warmers, make it all possible. It didn’t bother me to head to the Dakota Spirit Arena twice last Sunday to watch the Peewees win two games. The overhead heating system upstairs was doing a good job even though my scalp seemed to be at risk of igniting
a time or two. Everything in moderation, right? My half coffee/half hot chocolate was totally worth leaving the house for.
to for the last year. To me, that feels good, and I tend to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. You do you, I’ll do me, and we’ll all be happy.
So we have this new president of the United States. No matter how you feel about the results of the election, we all should at least feel good about it being done, and we’re moving on in some direction that we can all hopefully tolerate. You can turn your tv back on or open your favorite social media page and watch chickens wearing snowshoes or something completely harmless instead of the ridiculousness we’ve been subjected
The Borderland Press makes me happy, and I hope you feel the same! Thank you so much for renewing, subscribing for the first time, or shopping our newsstands. Stay well and to those of you living where I do - stay upright on the ice, it’s out to get us.
and I’m so excited! They’ve also hired ‘Hilary Does Art’, my side gig, to do face painting on the day of the carnival. I can’t wait!
town. In big cities, everyone is in their own head, so much so that they don’t make eye contact with others, smile, much less open a door for a lady or elderly person.
Diane Simmons
Publisher publisher@theborderlandpress.com
Letter from the Editor: the front as well, but this man has been an inspiration to not only me but countless others.
You may have noticed my favorite person made the front page this week! I promise, he didn’t end up there just because he is my best friend. If anyone else was given the honor I would plaster their face on
Throughout my three-plus years living here in Langdon, where he has been a staple of the community his whole life, I’ve never heard anyone say anything ill about Grandpa Ole. In fact, the response is almost always the same when I share that I’m his granddaughter. “OHHHH, Ole! Isn’t he just the best!?” I have to agree with their statements. He is the best. He’s not just a wonderful grandfather, he’s an amazing brother, father, husband, friend, volunteer, and neighbor. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone else
with such a stellar reputation in their community. His commitment to service has inspired me to become more involved with the community as well. I may never be a county commissioner, but I know I can help out in plenty of other ways. I may not have the mind for politics or large committee groups, but I find there are so many other ways to help out around your town with your own unique talents. One that is coming up is an art class I will be holding at St. Alphonsus next week for Catholic Schools week. We will all be making 3-D snowflakes and then painting them however the kids would like. I will have a chance to spend 30 minutes with each class,
Of course, there are plenty of simpler ways to serve your community - smile at a stranger, wave at the car passing by, hold a door open for someone - the list could go on and on of these tiny actions that can have a large ripple effect. You never know, that person you smiled at could be going through the worst day of their lives. That person you waved at on the road was grumpy but remembered he lives in a caring community when someone gives a slight wave or nod. These are all of the things I love about living in a small
We’re all in this together. Start with the small gestures. Be the light you want to see. Lord knows Grandpa is the brightest light in my life, and if I am able to emulate him in the slightest, I will be happy.
Hilary Nowatski Editor
editor@theborderlandpress.com
The Morning Run: Winning the frigid war and a case of frostbite temps on a regular basis in January. On Friday we had a blizzard, and there was no travel advisory. We still had school though.
By Sara Goodman We won! Again! Today, as I type this, it’s Monday, January 20, 2025, and Langdon recorded a frigid low temperature of -32 degrees – actual temperature – making us the “winner,” so to speak, of the coldest temperature in the region contest on WDAY news. Yay, us. This is normal and not unexpected. Nothing to see here folks, just Langdon rocking the worst weather and the coldest
Along with warning us of the dangers of the frigid temperatures and accompanying wind chills, we were given extreme cold safety tips from our friendly newscasters including how to dress for the cold (basically the opposite of your average college student), how to check for signs of frostbite (white, waxy and numb is bad), a general cold weather checklist (please keep your pets inside and have a full tank of gas), and what signs of hypothermia look like. That last one caught my attention. Signs of hypothermia include confusion, shivering, difficulty speaking, sleepiness and stiff muscles. I assumed for anyone over 40, this was normal winter behavior. I have a funny story about a girl I met in college who had frostbite. This
sounds bad, I know, but bear with me. My freshman year one of the girls I became friends with that lived in my dorm had the name Pepper Naas. She pronounced Naas the way a doctor would tell you to open your mouth and say “aaahhhh” only with an “s” on the end and an “n” at the beginning. Over Christmas break she had gone snowmobiling and came back with scabs on her cheeks from frostbite. This was very concerning to her as she couldn’t figure out how to cover these unsightly blemishes with her makeup. When telling the story of how she got the frostbite, she laughed and brushed it off as any young teenager would do. So, that part about her Christmas break and getting frostbite isn’t very funny. What is funny is the story she told of going to Red Lobster with her family and, being the person at the front of the group, she was the one who gave her name to the hostess as P. Naas. Why she didn’t give her full name of Pepper instead of just
giving the P, I have no idea. When the hostess called her group, she had to say, “table is ready for pee-naas” and then immediately asked the waiting crowd of customers if this was a joke. Pepper laughed at the faux pas and proceeded to inform the hostess that her name was Pepper, and it wasn’t a joke, and please lead us to our table for our cheddar biscuits and endless shrimp. I laughed and laughed at that story, and it clearly stuck in the corner of my brain because that was 30 years ago, and the story is still there. Along with Langdon setting frosty records in the frozen tundra of the north, January 20 is also MLK day as well as the second go-round inauguration of Donald Trump. The inauguration ceremony was moved indoors for what the news reporters were calling frigid temps. It’s in the 20’s above zero. That’s 50 degrees warmer than the poor suckers currently living in Langdon, N.D. I won’t be watching the inauguration. I’m not a fan of
pomp and circumstance, I don’t need to see Donald and Melania walk up steps, get in and out of vehicles, ride in motorcades down streets and give unaffectionate hugs for a few agonizing hours prior to the actual ceremony. I could never be a politician. My patience is too thin, and my feet could never withstand the heels. Guess I’ll hunker down with my hypothermia and Ugg boots.
Photo 3 is the map of the run generated by the Strava running software app I have downloaded to my Apple wristwatch. Diane can track me in real time and if I get in trouble can come to my rescue. Fun fact - this year Strava, like everyone else, has added Artificial Intelligence (AI) to it’s software, and it provides you with a critique of your efforts . Here’s what my AI coach
said after my running for nearly a half hour in minus 30 temps.
Photo #2
Photo #3
Sara Goodman is an avid runner who says her best ideas come to her between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. She grew up on a cattle ranch in Watford City, N.D. After recently retiring from 15 years of long-term care consulting, she now helps her husband, Greg, run the family farm near Milton and volunteers on many boards and committees in her church and community. The Goodman house has three kids, two cats, and a dog.
Showing my middle finger to Mother Nature Ponds near Westfield, Mass. Once on the island they’d grill up some hot dogs, warm up with a few gulps of Seagram’s 7 Crown, then swim back to shore. Yup, back in the day when men were men.
By Bob Simmons, CEO, Simmons Multimedia As I pen this week’s column, it’s the morning of Inauguration Day. It’s also -30 with a -58 wind chill - a perfect day for a quick little 5k run! Now I know you’re thinking he’s nuts, but I come from a long line of nuts. Back in the 1950s my WW2 Army Ranger dad and his Polar Bear Club buddies would wait for the air temperature to hit freezing then swim out to an island in a local body of water called Hampton
So as an avid runner and marathoner, over the years I’ve come to enjoy running in adverse conditions. I’ve run in blinding blizzards. Ambient outdoor air temps of -30 don’t faze me. I also love running in pouring rain. There are three weather conditions that will keep me indoors. They are 1) lightning storms, 2) high wind events 3) temperatures above 80 degrees. My running and marathon partner, Bob Tapson, is equally as crazy, although he possesses slightly more common sense. Photo #1 pre run - three upper layers. Under Armour base layer, sweatshirt, running jacket. Down below - running shorts, running tights, winter running pants. Feet- one pair tube socks, Brooks Glycerin shoes, ice cleats. Head - Balaclava winter liner, Cold
Avenger outdoor mask, insulated hat, goggles. Hands - Saucony Boulder Winter running mitts. Face – copious amount of petroleum jelly applied to exposed skin. No frostbite here. Photo 2 shows Bobsicle post run. Dad would say, “Get that boy some 7 Crown.”
Photo #1
Good job, Bob - Steady run with consistent anaerobic effort across splits, though slightly slower than your typical performance on this familiar route. UGH! Stupid AI does not take into account 1) minus 30 with nearly minus 60 wind chill, 2) the fact that a guy is wearing about 10 pounds of extra clothes and 3) the roads in Langdon are sheer ice! Of course I’m going slow. Thank you, Strava AI, everyone’s a critic! Shhhez..
Community
The Borderland Press
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A5
Pembilier Nursing Center: The Masters Tournament By Heather Duerre, Life Enrichment Director
holes which give the residents an option as to which one they want to aim for. The bonus is that if they miss one, they may inadvertently make it in the other hole. The glamour of our putting green doesn’t end there; the holes lead to a tunnel which sends the ball back towards the putter. It’s quite ingenious if you ask me! The only thing that would make it better was if we had a golf cart to drive around to collect the shanked balls.
Hello from all of us at PNC! April is when the first Masters tournament of 2025 takes place. Since we didn’t want to wait that long, we decided to have our own Masters Tournament on Friday, January 10. By Masters tournament, I mean we literally rolled out a putting green and played “Putt-Putt Golf.” However, playing in a Masters tournament sounds more prestigious than playing a round of putt-putt golf. We upgraded our putting green a few years ago, which was a major improvement from what we previously had. It stretches over nine feet in length and is covered in a very realistic-looking, plush green turf. It has two
Anyway, we had seven pro golfers participate in our tournament. Kelsey took her place at the foot of the green with the bag of golf balls in hand. I decided to kneel at the end of the green so that I could get some action shots of the pros hitting their golf balls. Although we made sure the golfers did a few “waggles” before they hit the ball, there were still a few balls shanked or “yips” that occurred. Overall, the tournament was a success. There were some aces, and although they aren’t allowed in the real Masters Tournament, we did allow the residents to play mulligans. The day had been a success, and I went home and went to bed full of
pride. I was so proud of our residents and the fact that some could probably earn a place on the Masters Tour if given the opportunity. However, by the morning, my pride and excitement over our golf day quickly was overshadowed by a pain in
Joann (Braget) Woods golfing.
my right thigh muscle. As I got out of bed, it was clear that my thigh muscle was going to make walking today a bit difficult and painful. As I wracked my brain thinking of what I could have possibly done to cause such discomfort, it dawned on me…my thigh was sore from kneeling the day before taking pictures of the golfers! I’m not proud of this fact, and I quickly wondered, “Am I getting old, am I out of shape, or both!?” I hate to admit it, but it’s probably the last option.
Dale taking his swing at golf.
Darlene B. watching to see if she sinks her ball.
Although my thigh muscle took a few days to recover, there were a lot of positives that came out of our golf day. I learned our residents are naturally gifted golfers. Joann Braget is
Langdon Area Middle School honor roll Local students recognized on 2nd Quarter 24-25 “A” Honor Roll 8th Grade Dyson Askvig Lexi Gendron Chase Girodat Hunter Girodat Ella Goodman Liam Johnson Thea Johnson Fenja Lawson Jonathan Mack Korbyn Rollness Mya Swanson Brianna Wild Maci Witzel
7th Grade Jackson Borchardt Mason Brown Lexi Close
Finley Crockett Colby Forest Gavin Gemmill Billie Hanson Carter Harris Harper Jacobson Chloe Koons Finn Lorenz Matthew Martin Oliver Mosher Sophie Myrvik Hallie Overby Tycen Restad Gavin Rime AryAnna Schaefer Sophia Vikan
“B” Honor Roll 8th Grade Tyler Borgen
Liam Cassels-Zito Bensen Fetsch Luke Gilseth Nicole Gross Hailee Hakanson Gracie Johnston Jesse LaPorte Austin Wenzel 7th Grade Alex Bott Carl Henry Demetrius Janis Samuel Johnson Aden Lamping Matthew Martin Maxum Mostad Kynlee Pengilly Dentyn Schill Aiden Vikan
Langdon Area High School honor roll 2nd Quarter 2024-25 “A” Honor Roll
Seniors Devin Bernstrom Kartheek Chapara Claire Chaput James Domres Brock Freer Shanna Gette Catelyn Goodman Tallia Johnston Ciara Kempert Jordan Klindt Jacob Lowery Rylee Medbery Tori Mittleider Mikaela Olson Jaxen Rademacher Meredith Romfo Drew Rostvet Jacob Sanders Reed Scherr Alexandra Westphal Juniors Thomas Blackburn Kenadee Cluchie Madilyn Crump Tyson Gemmill Mya Johnson Christine Joyner Kiera Lien Jonathan Lill Nora Lorenz Sophia Nuelle Chloe Ottem Haven Radway Raeleigh Ratzlaff
Theodore Romfo Levi Swanson Keaton Ullyott Graci Witzel Sophomores Aubrey Badding Erika Bakke Makayla Bartlett Ruby Davis Kennen Forest Max Henderson Maci Hoffarth Matilda Lawson Nadia Lewis Claire Mehlhoff Landon Schneider Danilynn Thompson Isabelle Vikan Freshmen Destiny Aguilar Remmi Bodnar Heidi Crump Carson Entzi Taya Feist Aiden Haraseth Meggy Hetletved Logan Landsem Oliver Lill Hadley Medberry Abby Peterson Patrick Ryan Eastyn Schaefer Christian Tollefson Jacob Tollefson
“B” Honor Roll Seniors Michael Entzi Thomas Gendron Jayden Lee Charlie Zbasnik
Juniors Addison Busse Samuel Davis Jax Johnson Nathan Pengilly McKenzie Regner Jaymee Reidhammer Adrianna Zinzun Sophomores Hayden Balsdon Tucker Gellner Colten Hein Terrell Henderson Olivia Lorenz Maddux Stremick Freshmen Dylan Bott Dawson Downs Mya Hoffman Connor Mitchell Ryder Moser Evan Ottem Ty Ramberg Chase Thielbar
Bismarck State College’s Fall 2024 President's Honor Roll BISMARCK, N.D. -- Bismarck State College (BSC) has announced the President's Honor Roll for the Fall 2024 semester. "Achievements earned as a BSC student create a strong foundation for future career success by developing knowledge, skills and discipline. The dedication shown today paves the way for new opportunities and equips them to confidently face challenges in their chosen career path," said BSC
Interim President Brent Sanford. The following area students have maintained at least a 3.50 GPA on a 4.00 scale while enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of classes and qualify for the BSC President's Honor Roll. *Designates a 4.00 GPA Kadyn Hein, Langdon, N.D. Josie Long, Langdon, N.D.*
St. Alphonsus honor roll Last week these three students 4th graders were not listed on the “A” Honor Roll for St. Alphonsus School. Please join us in congratulating them for their achievements!
Owen Olummer Kenastyn Prichard Shayne Summerfield
changing her name to Joann Woods, and I am now a member of our local gym NOXQs Fitness. Hopefully the next time we golf, I will get more action shots of Joann Woods and the rest of the residents without my thighs paying for it the next day.
Community
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A6
Experimenting can be fun
Adventures of a reporter in the cold By Rebecca Davis
heat that night. I’m pretty sure a penguin had joined us for dinner while I walked around wrapped in several blankets, borrowed a few space heaters from a neighbor, and dug out the sleeping bags. We were determined to make the best of it and “pretend we were camping inside.” It may sound like our house was in the 30s, but when Robert says I keep the house a “terrarium” (I only require it to be between 70 and 72), 58 feels like frostbite could set in at any moment. I’m well aware I’m being overdramatic. This week has been brutal with the temperatures without the windchill, but with the windchill, it’s almost unbearable. It’s during these times that I am quickly reminded that I’m not quite sure I’m “built for this.” Although North Carolina has been seeing its own winter weather the past few weeks, this cold feels personal, like it’s challenging me directly. The week before last, our furnace went out—shout out to John Jenson of Jenson A/C and Heating for coming at 10 p.m. after working on a boiler in Langdon all day to ensure we had
With all that said, being a reporter in the cold is, well, different. Many meetings are rescheduled, moved to online platforms, or cancelled all together. The walk from the parking lot into the Simmons Newsroom becomes a bit more treacherous and feels a whole lot longer. In true North Dakota fashion, life goes on despite the weather. This week, we sat down and reviewed all the articles we had written over the last year to decide which ones to submit for the North Dakota Newspaper Association (NDNA) Awards. It was a great time to reflect on our
Hello from Edmore! By Tammy Berg
Tonight, we start our third book club book, "fierce" women of the Bible we may never have heard about. It sounds interesting. I'm also in the middle of my novel. It's hard for me to stay on track in book club, because once I start, I want to read until I'm done, not just a couple chapters a week. I will have to pace myself. Sorry if this sounds like a slow week in Edmore - but it is. Until next week... take care, stay warm, and do something nice for someone!!
Only one word...Brrrr. Wow, this cold is brutal. Sure is proof of just how tough we are, because we have to be. If nothing else, it's a good topic of conversation!!! On Wednesday we were in Nekoma at the Pain Reliever for chicken. We usually go a couple times a month with my sister and brother-in-law. The food is so good, and the company is ok, too. It's the little things! Our bank, Citizens State, put up a new sign outside with day, temperature, and time, along with bank info and ads. It looks good and adds to our main street. We still have our grocery store. It's pretty small but has a lot to offer. Edval is so good and generous. I know there are people who travel here for the good prices. We have one bar, Beer 30. Karla has a good crew and good food. She is quick to offer up the bar for any fundraisers and to bring people together.
The Borderland Press
work, brainstorm where we wanted to go from here, and remember warmer days.
By Katie Henry, Family and Community Wellness Agent, NDSU Extension – Cavalier County
I couldn’t help but think back to some of the highlights—writing about Sparky’s Espresso Catering and Loren and Lynette Winters’ remarkable collection or covering the joy of community events like Walhalla’s Giant Pumpkinfest and Langdon’s Wine Walk. These were stories that celebrated community spirit, connection, and creativity…the things that make even the coldest N.D. winters feel a little warmer. As I sit here in my “terrarium” of a home, sipping hot coffee and typing away, I realize that the cold may be relentless, but it also shapes the stories we tell. It tests us, brings us together, and gives us something to laugh about when the frost finally thaws. So here’s to more stories, more layers, and eventually, warmer days ahead. Rebecca Davis Reporter rebecca@theborderlandpress.com
An old apple, uncooked noodles, water, and a few other foods that really don’t typically belong together were all part of a dish a 4-year-old child put together lately. It was an experiment by them, and a total freedom to do as they pleased, by their mother. It is the child of someone I follow on Facebook, and they were all having a great time. Was the food something that someone would normally eat? Probably not, at least not all together and certainly some of them not uncooked. The point was that the child used their creativity to create something they thought would be good based on what they like to eat. They learned a lot of lessons along the way and had a great time doing it. We can all be the same. Finding new dishes to make can not only be fun but also eye opening. Take a chance, and try new things. Our taste buds change as we grow and are also affected by things like aging, infections, and medications. If we try new things, we might just find something new and exciting that we enjoy. It’s kind of like telling a child they need to at least TRY the food that is on their plate. You honestly can’t say you don’t really like it if you haven’t tried it yet, right? Experimenting doesn’t have to be huge and extravagant. Take some things you already like and are willing to eat, and put them together. A recipe that I am going to try comes from the American Heart Association. Poached Egg Tostadas with Avocado-Pico de Gallo Salsa Ingredients Servings 4 Serving Size 1 egg and 1/2 cup salsa Ingredients Cooking spray 4 6-inch corn tortillas 4 cups water 1 tablespoon white vinegar 4 large eggs Salsa 1 medium avocado, diced 1 medium Anaheim pepper, seeds and ribs discarded, diced OR 1 medium poblano pepper, seeds and ribs discarded, diced 1 medium tomatillo, papery husk discarded, diced 1/2 medium tomato, diced
1/4 cup diced red onion 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 medium garlic clove, minced 1/8 teaspoon salt Directions Tip: Click on step to mark as complete. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. Arrange the tortillas in a single layer on the foil. Lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray. Using a fork, pierce the tortillas a few times to prevent them from filling with air. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Transfer to serving plates. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, bring the water and vinegar to a boil over high heat. In a medium bowl, gently stir together all the salsa ingredients. Set aside. Once the water has come to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer. Break an egg into a cup and then carefully slip the egg into the simmering water. Repeat with the remaining eggs, placing them in the water so they don’t touch. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the whites are completely set and the yolks are beginning to set, but aren’t hard. Using a slotted spoon, drain the eggs well. Place each egg on a tostada. Serve with the salsa. Cooking Tip: The vinegar helps the egg whites firm up faster and prevents them from spreading too much. Cooking Tip: To boil water faster, use room temperature or warm/hot water from the kitchen faucet rather than cold water from the refrigerator. Tip: Choose hard-fleshed tomatillos, discard the husks just before use, and wash the tomatillos well. To store them, leave the husks on and refrigerate the tomatillos in a paper bag for up to one month. Roasting or grilling them tames the tartness and gives them a sweeter taste. Nutrition Facts: Calories 185 Per Serving; Protein 9g Per Serving; Fiber 3g Per Serving There are several recipes you can choose from on their site at https:// www.heart.org/, as well as our NDSU Extension site https://www.ndsu. edu/agriculture/extension/extension-topics/food-and-nutrition/recipes. There are even several recipe books and recipes that include international cuisine that you might enjoy. You can also stop into our office at the Cavalier County Courthouse, call me at 256-2560 or email me at katie.d.henry@ndsu.edu if you would like some ideas of where to find recipes on our site. If nothing else, experiment on your own with things you think you would enjoy, and have some fun doing it!
Lifestyle
The Borderland Press
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A7
Prairie Fare: Take care of your muscles and joints this winter By Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU Extension food and nutrition specialist
large scarf around my head. Wearing layers during extreme cold and taking breaks is always a good plan. I had a glass of water before continuing. Caffeinated and alcohol-containing drinks are not the best options for hydration. My kind neighbors took pity on me and arrived with a snow blower and shovel.
“Take small scoops, and lift with your legs – not your back,” I said to myself. I was clearing an unexpected snowfall and high winds that led to drifting. The city snow plow had dropped a very generous amount of snow at the end of my driveway. I needed to be somewhere in an hour. I should have been retrained on the use of our snow blower before my husband’s knee surgery. We ran out of time for my tutorial, so I just hoped for no snow in January. Obviously, wishful thinking was not my friend. For the past 16 years, I had turned over nearly all major snow removal duties to my husband after he recovered from his previous joint replacement. I had taken care of snow removal prior to the major flooding of 2009, and I retired from that task. I may need to work out with weights before I work with our large snow blower again. I went in the house and wrapped a
As I drove away, I felt the strain I had put on my muscles, but my knees and hip joints seemed to be working OK. Most of us know many people who have had hip, knee, shoulder or ankle joint replacements. We are fortunate to live in a time when these medical procedures are available. Diseases such as arthritis and overuse through work or sports can wear away joints. Genetics can sometimes play a strong role. Maintaining a healthy weight is important, because extra weight can put added strain on your joints. As my husband and I watched the pre-surgery videos to prepare for his operation, I was happy to hear the medical experts talk about eating a healthy diet. The video did not go into detail about nutrition. Some foods can worsen inflammation and arthritis pain, which often underlies the need for joint replacement. Which foods promote joint health and which foods might make the pain worse? Here are some tips based on arthritis and nutrition research: Aim for a balanced diet with all five
food groups, including two to three cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables. Have some vegetable soup or a casserole made with a variety of colorful vegetables as the ultimate winter comfort food. Use lean meats in your food preparation, instead of highly processed meats. Lean meats, poultry and seafood are high in protein that can help nourish your muscles and joints. Add more fish to your diet. Salmon and other fatty types of fish are rich in omega-3 fats, which may reduce inflammation. Avoid excess sugar in your diet. Having a candy bar or highly sweetened beverages such as pop may taste good but trigger inflammation. Read and compare nutrition facts labels, which now includes “added sugars” as a component. Consume more whole grains such as oatmeal and whole-grain breads in place of refined grains.
whole-grain rice are other examples. For more tips about eating healthfully for all body systems, visit www.ag.ndsu.edu/nourish and check out the online and face-to-face classes being offered by NDSU Extension. For more tips on snow shoveling, read NDSU Extension’s “The Scoop on Snow Shoveling Safety.” January is National Soup Month for good reason. Soup is warm and nourishing. Pair this soup with whole-grain rolls, baked apples and milk. Split Pea Soup 2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped peeled carrots 8 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth 2 teaspoons dried leaf marjoram 1½ cups green split peas, dry Heat oil in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté un-
til vegetables begin to soften, about eight minutes. Add marjoram; stir one minute. Add peas, then broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medi-
um-low. Partially cover pot; simmer soup until vegetables are tender and peas fall apart (about one hour), stirring often. Makes six servings. Each serving has 260 calories, 5 grams (g) fat, 13 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 14 g fiber and 220 milligrams sodium. Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.
Choose low-fat dairy options, such as fat-free milk. Choose fewer ultra-processed foods and fried foods that may be high in trans fats. Ultra-processed foods have very long, complicated ingredient statements on the food packages. Cook more often “from scratch” using one- or few-ingredient foods that you can find throughout the grocery store. For example, choose frozen or canned vegetables and fruits without added salt or sweeteners. Budget-friendly dry beans, lentils, split peas and
Overuse and arthritis wears away at joints. (Pixabay photo)
Prairie Doc® Perspective: It’s here… By Debra Johnston, MD
started ringing in my brain during our last monthly clinic meeting, when our lab director reported on the previous day’s influenza statistics. Nearly 90% of the tests were positive. Respiratory viruses may not seem like a natural comparison to malevolent ghosts, but they’re here, and things are likely to get worse before they get better.
still get influenza. Generally it is between 40-60% effective at preventing infection. Still, those who had the shot and get sick anyway are significantly less likely to be hospitalized. So long as influenza is circulating you should still get your shot. It isn’t too late even if you already had influenza, as the shot contains three different strains.
Last season, there were over 20,000 confirmed cases of influenza in South Dakota. Over 800 people were hospitalized. Nearly 50 died.
Of course, things like washing your hands, not touching your face, and avoiding sick people are also useful. It can be hard to distinguish one respiratory virus from another.
Lately I’ve been reminded of a blockbuster movie from my youth. It contains a scene that even those who never saw the film are likely to recognize. A sleeping family is jolted awake, and from the foot of the bed the young daughter sings “they’re here!”
When I diagnose someone with influenza, I warn them to expect misery. They will likely have fevers, body aches, exhaustion, and of course cough. Some people are out of commission for only a few days, others for two weeks. Some people can barely get out of bed, and some people just feel a bit run down.
One might wonder why I’m thinking so much about Poltergeist. That quote
The flu shot helps, but it is far from perfect. People who get the shot can
Influenza tends to strike more suddenly than many others, but symptoms have significant overlap. Testing is the best way to distinguish whether or not your illness is influenza. Influenza is also one of the few viruses for which we have specific treatments, so getting that answer can be useful. Treatment is generally used for those at higher risk, such as young children, people over 65, those who have
chronic health conditions or are pregnant. Importantly, medicine should be started within the first 48 hours of illness.
So what can you do if you get sick? First, stay home! Get lots of rest. Drink lots of fluids. Fever reducers and over the counter pain medications can help you be more comfortable. Pseudoephedrine can help the congestion. Guaifenesin can help thin the mucus. Dextromethorphan or honey can help soothe the cough.
Finally, watch out for signs that you are getting sicker instead of better. Influenza can lead to ear infections, sinus infections, pneumonia, and things that are even more serious, like bloodstream infections, inflammation of the heart or brain, and kidney failure. If something doesn’t seem right, get it checked out. Debra Johnston, MD. is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices as a Family Medicine Doctor at Avera Medical Group in Brookings, South Dakota. Follow The Prairie Doc® at www.prairiedoc.org, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Threads. Prairie Doc Programming includes On Call with the Prairie Doc®, a medical Q&A show (most Thursdays at 7pm streaming on Facebook), two podcasts, and a Radio program (on SDPB), providing health information based on science, built on trust.
Dakota Gardener: Providing feedback on the proposed listing of the monarch butterfly as threatened By Esther E. McGinnis, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension
were found in 2023. Alarmed by declining numbers, the FWS concluded that the monarch merited listing as a threatened species due to decreases in breeding, migratory and overwintering habitat, insecticide exposure and climate change. The proposal’s cornerstone is designating 4,395 acres of critical habitat in California where the western monarchs overwinter. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lacks jurisdiction over the Mexican wintering reserves. We take the graceful beauty of the monarch butterfly for granted. This iconic species undertakes one of the world’s greatest migrations from central Mexico to southern Canada and back again each year. Despite its travel endurance, the species is still fragile as reflected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) proposal to list the monarch as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The two main North American populations have experienced dramatic declines. The eastern population overwinters in high altitude fir trees west of Mexico City and then migrates into the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains. The much smaller west of the Rockies population overwinters in coastal California, competing with humans for prime real estate. The eastern population is quantified in terms of area it occupies in Mexican wintering grounds. Since the 1996-97 winter, the population has plummeted over the years from 18 to 0.9 hectares in 2023-24. The tiny western population is individually counted and only 230,000 butterflies
In the past, the Endangered Species Act protections for relatively obscure species have generated controversy amongst different groups. How does this proposal affect gardeners and homeowners in our region? The FWS seems to understand that an overly rigid approach does not work when the threatened species is dis-
proposal to kill, injure, harass or take monarch adults or caterpillars, numerous exemptions exist to prevent unintended legal consequences. Individuals will not be held liable for hitting a butterfly with a car. Captive rearing of fewer than 250 monarchs is allowed for educational and inspi-
rational purposes. Most importantly, gardeners can still manage and remove milkweed in their gardens. The proposal to list the monarch as a threatened species is not a done deal. The FWS invites comments from the general public and stakeholder groups through March 12, 2025. If interested, follow the link at the end of the article to review the proposal
persed across 49 states and not just a small niche habitat. In order for monarch populations to stabilize and recover, the agency realizes that it needs the general public’s support and participation to aid recovery efforts by planting milkweed and nectar plants. While it is illegal under the
and submit comments, concerns and suggestions to improve the proposal. As a horticulturist, I cannot speak on the impacts for the agronomic and ranching communities. However, we all hope for a final rule that conserves monarchs for our grandchildren while avoiding unintended consequences for our region’s agricultural industry. The key to striking a balance is extensive scientific data and submitting
Rebecca Davis
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. (NDSU photo)
comments to ensure feedback from a variety of stakeholders. To read the proposal and submit comments, visit https://bit.ly/monarchproposal. To learn how to design a monarch conservation garden, visit ndsu.ag/ monarchgarden.
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A8
Church
The Borderland Press
From the Pastor’s Desk: “Arise and shine”
By Pastor Robert Blackburn/Langdon United Methodist Church natural that in order to be spiritually alive, we must live in the spiritual light of God. Darkness means confusion and hopelessness. We were created to live in the light. God has given us the sun to light the day and the moon and stars to give light to the night.
What would your mother say to you in the morning to wake you up? “Arise and shine!” are the words of many mothers to their children in the morning. God says this to us through the prophet Isaiah, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you” Isaiah 60:1. The first Sunday of January is Epiphany. The word epiphany means: appearing, bringing something to light, making evident or visible what was once concealed and veiled, and it is about light. In December, we celebrated Christmas--the birth of God in human form. Our light has come through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Will we arise and shine in that light, or remain in the darkness? If you are not a morning person, it may be difficult for you to jump right out of bed when the alarm goes off, or respond to someone saying, “Arise and shine!” You probably want to close your eyes and try for a little more sleep. Unfortunately, when we keep on sleeping, we miss out on the light of the day, and not much gets accomplished. The same is true with the light of God. When we ignore that light and return to the darkness, we miss out on the experience of living as children of God, and we would get nothing accomplished. When we arise and shine in the morning, we are wide awake and happy to tackle a new day of accomplishments. The same happens when we allow the light of God to shine upon us. When we arise in that light our lives begin to shine, and we are thankful. It’s only
Only at the judgement is there utter darkness for those who refuse to have the light of God’s love shine upon them. Sin loves darkness and uses darkness as its cover. Sin draws us into the darkness. It tries to blot out the light--to kill the light. Sin hates the light and refuses to come out into the light. John chapter 3 reads, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” We hide in the darkness when we close our ears to God’s Word, when we turn away from the Church, and when we choose to go with the flow of the world. Verse 2 of Isaiah chapter 60 says, “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples.” Without Christ there is only darkness, but the glory of God shines upon God’s people. What is our place in the light? Are we hiding from it or are we accepting it and letting it shine through us?
Obituaries
The Borderland Press He lent his services during the floods in 1997. He transported lab tests from Altru to Fargo hospitals for testing. Chad later moved to Fargo to work for Dakota Hospital then to Dakota Clinic and Innovis Health, later called Essentia Health, for about 27 years. Chad was an active child, participating in youth baseball, golfing, and numerous watersports while at Rock Lake in Manitoba. He was also active in Math Counts and the Science Olympiad in high school. After college, Chad played racquetball and was a big football fan. He loved his nieces and nephews.
Chad Steinwand A memorial service was held January 11, 2025, at Boulger Funeral Home in Fargo, N.D., for Chad Steinwand, 50, who passed away on January 3, 2025, at Essentia Hospital in Fargo. Chad was born in Langdon, N.D., to Reuben and Jeannie (Lundgren) Steinwand on May 5, 1974. He grew up on the farm near Wales, N.D., and graduated from Langdon High School in 1992. He later enrolled at UND to complete his bachelor’s degree in medical technologies.
Chad is survived by his mother, Jeannie Steinwand; brothers, Wade and Dean (Marnie) Steinwand; nieces, Isabella and Sophia; and nephews, Gavin and Gabriel Steinwand. He is preceded in death by his father, Reuben Steinwand. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Boulger Funeral Home in Fargo, N.D. To sign the online guestbook, please visit their website at www.boulgerfuneralhome.com.
Cavalier County Senior Menu
Cavalier County Senior Meals & Services, Langdon Monday, Jan. 27 Full cost of a meal: $8.00. SugChicken Kiev/Tri-colored Pota- gested Donation: $5.50 for those toes/Mixed Veggies/Fruit over 60 years of age. Please contribute what you can. Those Tuesday, Jan. 28 under 60 are required to pay Tatertot Hotdish/Green Beans/ the full cost of the meal. Menus Fruit are subject to change. Due to COVID-19, we have been experiWednesday, Jan. 29 encing shipping issues and food Turkey with Stuffing/Mashed Po- shortages. tatoes/Gravy/Corn/Ice Cream Cavalier County Senior Meals & Thursday, Jan. 30 Services is located at 211 8th Beef Taco Salad/Chips and Sal- Ave. in Langdon and can be sa/Fruit reached by phone at 256-2828. Friday, Jan. 31 Beef Cheese Soup/Crackers/ Tuna Sandwich /Side Salad/Fruit EBT/SNAP accepted.
Walhalla Senior Meals Menu Monday, Jan. 27 Ham•Scalloped Potatoes•Broccoli Normandy•Tropical Fruit Tuesday, Jan. 28 Lasagna•Romaine Salad with Dressing•Green Beans Peaches•1 WW Breadstick Wednesday, Jan. 29 Polish Sausage•Sauerkraut•Mashed Potatoes•Green Beans•Mandarin Oranges Thursday, Jan. 30 Turkey with Dressing•Mashed Potatoes•Yams•Pumpkin Dessert with Topping Friday, Jan. 31 Meatloaf•Baked Potato•Carrots•Apple Crisp with Topping This is a menu for the Walhalla Title III Older Americans Act Food Program. The full cost of the meal is $10.00. Suggested donation for those 60 and older is $4.00. EBT/SNAP accepted. Under 60 are required to pay $10.00. Meal site is Waters Family Restaurant, 1108 Central Ave., Walhalla. Call 701-549-2443 before 10:00 a.m. to place an order for congregate, pick up, or home delivered meals.
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A9
DAKOTA DATEBOOK: Threat to Cattle January 27, 2025 – On this date in 1904, the Bismarck Tribune announced an outbreak of cattle scab in North Dakota. It was noted that the disease infected the finest herds in the state. The origin was traced to a cattle sale in Fargo involving cattle owned by a well-known Minnesota breeder. The breeder was not blamed, as an examination determined that his herd at home was free of the disease. However, a railcar in which he shipped his cattle had been used to transport animals from Montana or Texas. Those animals carried scabies and the car hadn’t been disinfected. Scabies is a contagious disease caused by a parasite so small it can barely be seen by the naked eye. It causes severe skin inflammation and itching. Common scab was prevalent among cattle on the range throughout western states until about 1938.
herd. It can quickly infect the entire group, with serious consequences. Infected cattle can be so uncomfortable and spend so much time itching that they don’t eat properly and lose weight. The consequences are worse for range cattle. Any injury combined with weakness, poor nutrition, or severe cold can result in death. Rubbing and scratching by cows can also interfere with nursing calves. Losses can mount into the millions. In 1904, the Department of Agriculture made a serious effort to rid the range of scabies. It worked in conjunction with state livestock officials and local ranchers. More than one million cattle in the West were inspected. Over 160,000 heads were dipped to try to cure them of the disease. The following year, the Department put veterinarians in the field and instituted a quarantine where the disease was prevalent.
cline. By 1938, the disease was considered almost entirely under control. Dakota Datebook written by Carole Butcher “Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic.org.
The disease spreads rapidly through direct contact. It usually begins when In spite of the precautions, scabies one animal with lesions too small to spread rapidly until about 1911. After be noticed is introduced into a clean that, there was a slow but steady de-
DAKOTA DATEBOOK: Street Lighting in Cando January 28, 2025 – Darkness ruled the night on city streets until streetlights illuminated avenues with kindly light. On this date in 1914, the Grand Forks Herald published an article proclaiming that the town of Cando had completed a new “White Way” of electric streetlights. The “White Way” terminology came from Broadway in New York City, which had a “Great White Way” of tungsten-filament electric streetlights and illuminated signs on storefronts. Broadway’s Great White Way was considered the most talked about street in “North and South America and the most prosperous avenue in the world.”
Health Tip
Provided by Cavalier County Health District Jan 24: Test your home for radon, especially during the winter when it can become trapped indoors. Long-term exposure increases the risk of lung cancer. Cavalier County Health District offers a free radon detector loaner program to help you get started.
A “White Way” lit up downtown streets so that shoppers would flock to the blazing lights just like moths. Even a small town like Cando, in Towner County, wanted to have a “white way” to show that its downtown business district was a thriving place. Cando’s boosters boasted about 28 newly installed streetlamps that made “everything bright” with a “new radiance” along the town’s two main business blocks. The article reported that “pedestrians smiled in a pleased sort of way” at the “bright zone” of light in their progressive little city. The White Way system was part of the “City Beautiful Movement” from 1900 through the 1920s, in which communities worked to improve all aspects of city life. The rapid growth of American cities after the Civil War had created haphazard development of business and industrial areas, plagued by poor sewerage and sanitation, with muddy streets polluted by horse manure and uncollected garbage. The City Beautiful Movement brought paved avenues, manicured parks and boulevards, and municipal sewer, electric, and water works. The White Way brought new light and life to downtown businesses across the face of North Dakota by promot-
ing extended shopping hours in the evening; while its brilliant beams also deterred crime. Grand Forks led the “White Way” movement in the state, installing tungsten lights in 1911. Underground wiring eliminated the ugly overhead wires from earlier arc lights; and ornamental lamp posts with white-glass globes brought beauty to its downtown avenues. Other towns built their own “white ways” – Hatton, Dickinson and Ray in 1912; Kenmare, Minot, Wahpeton and Devils Lake in 1913. And on this date in 1914 it was Cando’s turn, with the “White Way” of streetlights showing the town’s spirit of “civic pride, prosperity … safety … [and] enterprise.” Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Steve Hoffbeck “Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic.org.
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A10
Catholic School Week
A Saint’s Shoutout: Celebrating our littlest Saints By Carrie Hope
tickets and closed those sales so we could start drawing winners.
Schools: United in Faith and Community.” We’re proud to participate!
We scheduled 31 draws, which includes a winner for each day of the month of January. Winners get $25, $100, or $500. It’s been so fun to see the names drawn and congratulate our winners.
You are welcome to join us for our Winter Carnival event, which will help us kick off the Catholic Schools Week celebration. It will be held from Noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26 at the St. Alphonsus School. Punch cards will be available to purchase so kids can play a variety of carnival games including the fish pond, football throw, hockey pass, ski ball, and cake walk (and of course, much more.)
We want to thank our students for selling the raffle tickets and to everyone who purchased tickets. The proceeds from the ticket sales go toward updating curriculum at our school. As a small, private school, we do a lot of fundraising. I’m so grateful to all of you for supporting our various fundraising efforts. It’s our way to make sure our little Saints have everything they need to learn and grow. As far as fundraisers, it’s likely that by now you have your favorites. We do a lot of fun things around here, and we’re so happy that you join us. I’ll give you a report of our recent fundraiser and our upcoming events, so you can be ready and mark them on your calendars. We sold $25 raffle
Catholic Schools Week is coming up fast! It’s on the calendar for Sunday, Jan. 26 to Saturday, Feb. 1. Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week has been the annual celebration of Catholic education in the U.S. Through the many events planned at schools throughout the country, schools are able to show the value that Catholic education provides to students and its contribution to our church, community, and nation. Our theme for the year is “Catholic
Our annual Spaghetti Supper will be held Wednesday, Jan 29. Join us for a wonderful spaghetti meal with all the sides and yummy desserts you’ve come to expect. Thank you for supporting our school and our fundraising efforts. We sincerely thank you for helping our students and our school grow. Carrie Hope is in her 6th year as principal at St. Alphonsus School. To reach the school office, please dial 701-256-2354.
The Borderland Press
The Borderland Press
A homecoming of faith
St. Alphonsus school kicking off with a carnival to celebrate faith and unity By Hilary Nowatzki
For Sue Bata, a 7th and 8th grade language arts and social studies teacher at St. Alphonsus School, faith is a lifelong journey of continuous growth and learning. Faith and unity are also the main theme of this year’s National Catholic Schools Week, which is celebrated from Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2025. As the students of St. Alphonsus School prepare to kick off their annual celebration, the sense of community and unity is palpable. This week-long event is a time for the school to come together and reflect on the values that make their institution so special.
“This year we took a quote from I Corinthians. ‘Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous, be strong,’” said Bata. “It promotes our faith in the fact that we are actually taking a whole week to celebrate with the students. [It’s] no different than any school that’s going to celebrate a theme week; you’re acknowledging the students, you’re acknowledging their hard work in school, you’re acknowledging, and building their faith in that week.” The festivities begin on Sunday with a carnival organized by the school committee, setting the tone for a week filled with faith and fun. From there, the school week is jam-packed with activities for students of all ages. “Starting Monday, we have Father Gunwall opening the week with school wide prayer, and then in the afternoon. We have Katie Henry from the NDSU Extension office presenting a nutrition unit,” Bata said. “And then Min Gette is going to join the older kids in presenting a cuisine of her heritage. And then the younger grades are going to do their own charcuterie nutrition snack.” Tuesday brings a lineup of community members visiting the school to share their professions with the students. “We have Angelo Mondragon, Sid Brant from LBC, who will be letting students know what the actual process is in building,” Bata explained. On that same day, the artistic Lisa Thompson will be coming in to do face painting. Debbie Dawley from Munich will also be doing a geography project with the students. Wednesday is a more traditional school day,with Mass in the morning and a spaghetti supper and bingo in the evening. Thursday is when things really get interesting with a full day of learning stations covering a wide range of subjects and activities. The students will also get to enjoy a dance party! “We have learning stations all day. They include STEAM activities, crafts, exercise activities. We have a dance party, just a little bit of everything, and we just rotate every half hour. Hopefully, they get to experience something different at each station,” Bata explained. The week comes to a close on Friday with the younger students going skating at the Dakota Spirit Arena in the afternoon and the older ones hitting the slopes at Frost Fire Park for a ski trip, a long-standing tradition at the school. While the week is packed with fun and engaging events, the true meaning of Catholic Schools Week lies in the school’s commitment to faith and community. As Bata explains, “The National Catholic Schools Week, it’s faith in your community, faith in your school, faith in your family.” This focus on faith and unity is what sets St. Alphonsus apart, according to Bata. “Unity is a big one,” emphasized Bata. “We all try to work together; K-8 we just don’t separate ourselves. We try to do a lot of activities that incorporate everyone.” Bata testified that all of the students at St. Alphonsus know each other, regardless of the eight year age gap. The small size of the school with class sizes ranging from as few as three students to as many as 10, also contributes to the close-knit community.
“We continue to pass on those values and the morals and in what we believe in our faith to be true, to all students,” said Bata. “Faith means continuous growth. You’re never going to learn it all. Faith is a journey.”
Catholic School Week
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A11
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page A12
The Borderland Press
Cont’d. From Page A1 Cheering on the cheer team!
Cont’d. From Page A3 Farmers for Soil Health cover crop program
Although she was an experienced cheerleader, having competed in high school and college, Ferdon had to take numerous hours of classes to be granted her certification to coach. She is now a member of the North Dakota Cheer Coaches Association and has taken all of the safety courses to be able to teach the girls stunting, not just cheering.
don. “So that would just be amazing in their first year to place at a competition."
“I mean, you can coach a cheer team without stunting, and that would be a lot less classes, but what's cheer without stunting?” questioned Ferdon. “So I really wanted them to be able to do that, so I went through all of that training.”
"You can just tell these girls who started, they were super quiet, at least what I heard. They were quiet girls, and it just brought something out in them," Ferdon stated.
tured as $25 the first year, $15 the second year and $10 the third year. The program is also offering Signing Incentive Payments (SIPs) of $2 per acre for existing cover-cropped fields. A field that has a cover crop planted in it for the first time in 2024 is eligible for TIPs. If a field has a cover crop that was planted in 2024, and the same field was also planted with cover crops in the 2023/2024 season, then it qualifies for SIPs.
The girls started with the basics: how to move their arms, basic cheers, and technical placements of wrists, fingers, and toes. In August, the girls attended a stunt camp with a UCA member from Minot attending to help Ferdon get the girls started. “Then we just really took off from there, and I just can't even believe how well they were doing,” said Ferdon on the girls’ progress. In fact, the team's skill level has far exceeded even Ferdon’s expectations. With only six months of experience under their belts, they are performing stunts that Ferdon didn’t even do until she was at the college level. "We weren't even going to go to competition this year, but they have improved so much more,” said Ferdon. “They're doing an extended heel stretch, and, you know, maybe some [readers] will know what I'm talking about, but I didn't do that until I was in college, and these girls are only six months in and can do these stunts. It's just amazing to me." Inspired by her team's rapid progress, Sierra has decided to enter them in the upcoming North Dakota Cheer Competition in Minot on February 15. She beams with pride as she describes their routines they will compete in at Minot. "We have our regular cheer dance routine where they dance and they stunt, and it's a two minute routine. Then we're going to do the timeout division, which is just a cheer, and then I have a couple girls who are going to do a jump off, and then I have a couple of girls who are doing top sideline, which is where they go out, and they cheer all by themselves in front of everyone." While the competition will be fierce with cheer teams from across the state, Sierra is confident in her squad. "I feel like my girls are just as good, and they definitely have a shot, I think, at placing this year,” explained Fer-
Beyond the athletic and competitive aspect of cheerleading, Ferdon has also seen an internal transformation within her girls, noting how the sport has brought out new qualities in her team members.
Many squads save practice for practice time. However, these cheer members are putting in overtime, according to Ferdon, to develop their passion from home as well as on the mat. “You can tell they're working at home to do it,” Ferdon said. “They just look amazing, and everyone tells me, just, you know, how good they look, and it just shows how much work that they're putting in. I'm just so impressed with them, and I tell them that all the time that I can't believe you're doing this, but they put in the work.” Ferdon is certainly excited for the future of cheerleading at Langdon Area Schools. Although she doesn’t have any members from Munich School this year, she is hoping with time and exposure that will change. “I had heard that there was some interest there, and I hope within the next couple years that I get some girls from there,” said Ferdon. “But it's just a new thing, and people just need to see it, and I think within the next coming years, that I'll definitely have some more interest.” This will certainly be true when the area’s Pom Pom team gets a little older. Ferdon not only coaches high school cheerleading but also hosts an annual camp with fellow cheer enthusiast Alyssa Plummer for young girls. “These girls are going to be growing, you know, in the next coming years, old enough to be part of the high school team, which I'm very excited about,” said Ferdon. Ferdon continued to explain what makes cheerleading and the competition, in particular, so special. "The thing about cheerleading is how it's different from other sports, is we cheer on the other sports,” she explained. “We are excited for them, and we're trying to keep people excited for them, but people don't do that for cheerleading, and that's why this competition, I feel like, is so important, because it's actually for our sport."
Farmers for Soil Health can be staked with other programs if those pro-
grams are paying for something other than the cover crop practice. North Dakota State University Extension is coordinating the program for North Dakota. “When a farmer takes the step to plant cover crops, but the establishment falls behind the expectations, FSH understands that such a farmer will still reap benefits from that cover crop,” shares Nyamusamba. ”Do not let the fear of crop establishment keep you from adopting cover crops.
That is the reason for FSH – to help you start the journey of cover cropping.” Enrollment into FSH is rolling. After March 1, the enrollment year becomes 2025. Visit FarmersforSoilHealth.com for information on eligibility and how to enroll online for cover crop payments. For questions regarding the program, contact Rutendo Nyamusamba at rutendo.nyamusamba@ndsu.edu or 701-456-1113.
Cont’d. From Page A3 An alternative to the USDA Organic label ers Market. Eating healthy is important to him, but he says the current labeling system is confusing.. “It’s a leap of faith,” he said. “There will probably be an additional cost to these particular labels, (like USDA Certified Organic) but I don't mind that. I want to make sure that I put good fuel in my body, because I feel it's a temple, so I want to make sure that I get what I pay for.” Another customer, Barbara Parker, agreed. “It’s kind of like playing Russian roulette with your food,” Parker said. “You want to know that your cows ate grass, you don't want to know that your cows ate ‘question mark.’” An uphill battle Sharon Gray at the University of Connecticut’s Department of Extension works on fixing the knowledge gap around labels. She said consumers sometimes see terms like “natural” as buzzwords without backing, so Certified Naturally Grown might be in an uphill battle to earn trust and recognition. “People do like purchasing natural foods,” Gray said. “I think right now, it's just the definition isn't clear enough that people buy it, and it's not necessarily regulated.” CNG is making an effort to increase
its name recognition and opportunities for certified producers. “We have some funding from the USDA for a three-year project to really invest in expanding customer awareness of what it means for a farm to be Certified Naturally Grown,” Varon said. The grant was given through the USDA’s Farmers Market Promotion Program. CNG received over $400,000 for the project, with the goal of “Opening Doors and Boosting Sales for Local and Certified Producers.” It will start in western Virginia and central Arkansas and will roll out to a third location sometime in the next three years. “We really want to expand the purchasing of local direct sales from farmers to independent grocers of locally produced food, and then help those grocers feature what food is local and what food is certified,” Varon said. With the money, they’ll also train farmers in marketing their business and reach out to grocers, influencers and media to do outreach about local producers and what labels like CNG mean. But some CNG farmers don’t seem too worried about the label’s recognition. Duensing, of Illinois Country Harvest, has a small operation and sells directly to consumers. She’s not in
retail stores and she’s able to directly show and tell her customers exactly how her animals are treated and how her produce is grown. She said that communicates more than any label could. For her, being Certified Naturally Grown is to prove to her consumers, and herself, that she’s following those standards correctly. “I feel like some people who say that they grow naturally and don't go through the certification process may not have the correct understanding of what growing naturally is,” Duesning said. Just like consumers, producers aren’t always correct about what food labels mean, she said, and the CNG helps give both sides that assurance. As someone on both sides, Duensing is glad that both her family and her customers can feel confident in her food. “It's how we want to live,” she said. “It's not only how we want to put our products out there… this is how we want to eat. We want to eat chemical-free. We want to live chemical-free.” This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation.
NEW GROUP TO FIGHT CENSORSHIP AND SUPPORT LIBRARIES IN NORTH DAKOTA Right to Read ND, a nonpartisan group of North Dakotans dedicated to protecting intellectual freedom and fighting censorship, officially launched on January 16, 2025. Right to Read ND is a group of parents and citizens who have come together in response to the growing movement in the state to limit access to books and materials in our libraries and schools.
"Our libraries and schools are facing unprecedented attacks from politicians, including legislative proposals that censor books and restrict access to information,” said Randi Monley, Right to Read ND Co-Chair. “These vital institutions are the foundation of our communities—providing education, resources, and opportunities for all.” Right to Read ND will defend against censorship, work to ensure public libraries and schools have adequate funding, and support the professionals in our libraries and schools who are curating content. The group will oppose efforts to limit access to infor-
mation or undermine the rights and liberties of all North Dakotans to think and read freely. “We are committed to ensuring that North Dakotans have access to a wide range of books, materials, and ideas in our libraries and schools,” said Mariah Ralston, Right to Read ND Co-Chair. “We’ll be working to empower citizens across the state to engage in advocacy to protect our freedom to read.” North Dakotans who are interested in learning more or joining Right to Read ND can find more information at righttoreadnd.org.
The ND League of Cities announces the 2025 "If I Were Mayor" Essay Contest
The North Dakota League of Cities (NDLC) is excited to announce its annual "If I Were Mayor" essay contest, open to all third- and seventh-grade students living in North Dakota. This contest encourages young people to think creatively about public service and future community leadership. Eligibility and guidelines • Students can be enrolled in public, private, or homeschool settings. • Each grade level will be judged separately. • Essays must be original, one page in length, and typed or handwritten. Students should answer the following questions: What makes your city great? What sets it apart? What would you do to improve it if you were mayor? Submission and deadline • Students can submit essays individually or through their classroom teacher. • The deadline for submission is March 14, 2025. • Submission requirements can be found at (link unavailable). Awards and recognition • Winners will receive a $150 cash prize. • Winning essays will be featured in the NDLC's publication, CITYScan. • Winners will be announced during City Government Week, April 7-11, 2025.
Winter
SPORT S
Lady Cards push winning streak to six; receive votes in current media poll By Jake Kulland, Sports Editor It was just after New Year's Day on Jan. 3 when the Langdon-Munich Cardinals girls basketball team lost their fourth game in a row to Benson County, who is the number one Class B team in the state. That put the Lady Cards on a four-game losing streak, but they have responded with a fourgame winning streak, including four in a six-day span. They beat North Star in Cando 53-35 on Jan. 16, won an epic battle against eighth-ranked May-Port-C-G 70-66 on Jan. 18, won at home in Munich over North Prairie 69-42 Jan. 20, then tore through Drayton-Valley-Edinburg 66-36 on Jan.21. Langdon-Munich is now 9-5 on the season and received votes in the latest Class B girls basketball poll, just missing the top 10. They will play at Cavalier on Jan. 24 then host Park River-Fordville-Lankin on Jan. 28. The Cardinals will travel all the way to Kenmare to play the fifth-ranked Kenmare-Bowbells Honkers on Jan. 30 with an early tip-off of 6:00pm. Here is a recap of their last four games: Langdon-Munich 53, North Star 35 Sometimes in girls basketball, you have to win ugly, and that's what the Lady Cards did at North Star. After falling behind 9-5 in the first quarter, Langdon-Munich battled to take a 1612 lead after the first quarter with seven points from Meredith Romfo. The Cardinals moved out to an eightpoint lead at halftime, 30-22, as Aubrey Badding had seven in the second quarter. Langdon-Munich senior Mikaela Olson played her best game of the season and was steady the whole night, reaching double figures for the first time this season with 10 points, including two 3-pointers. Romfo finished with 13 points, while Badding had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, along with five steals. Mattea Wanzek was the only Bearcat in double digits with 10 points. There were 42 free throws shot in the game for both teams combined. LANGDON-MUNICH 53, NORTH STAR 35 LM -- 16 14 11 12 -- 53 NS -- 12 10 7 6 -- 35 Langdon-Munich -- Meredith Romfo 13, Aubrey Badding 11, Mikaela Ol-
Still, the Lady Cards had a lead of 5545 in the fourth quarter before MPCG again came back. Langdon-Munich missed a couple of free throws down the stretch, but Kemi Morstad had a huge three-point play late in the fourth. It looked like the Cardinals would win the game before they turned it over with seconds left, which was followed by a basket from Paetyn Strand at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. In the extra session, the Cards dominated. Meredith Romfo scored two big buckets, and Morstad and Lorenz combined to go five of six from the free throw line for the win. Lorenz had 23 points for the Lady Cards, followed by 20 from Romfo and 10 from Hilary Haaven. Aubrey Badding pulled down 11 rebounds for Langdon-Munich, while Haaven had eight. LANGDON-MUNICH 70, MAY-PORT-C-G 66 (OT) MPCG -- 16 11 16 18 5 -- 66 LM -- 16 16 15 14 9 -- 70 Langdon-Munich -- Avery Lorenz 23, Meredith Romfo 20, Hilary Haaven 10, Kemi Morstad 9, Aubrey Badding 5, Mikaela Olson 3 May-Port-C-G -- Kiaza Carlson 25, Jordyn Carpenter 15, Hudson Zerface 15, Paetyn Strand 6, Carrisa Mueller 2 Rebounds -- LM: 39 (Badding 11, Lorenz 8); MPCG: 43 (Strand 11, Mueller 10) Assists -- LM: 8; MPCG: 2 Steals -- LM: 7; MPCG: 11 Turnovers -- LM: 17; MPCG: 12 Field goal percentage -- LM: 23/59 (39.0%); MPCG: 24/66 (36.4%) Free throw percentage -- LM: 16/25 (64.0%); MPCG: 12/19 (63.2%) Langdon-Munich 69, North Prairie 42 A run late in the first quarter and in the start of the second got the Cardinals the win over the Cougars. Meredith Romfo had four 3-pointers and 14 points in the first half, while Avery Lorenz had 10. Langdon-Munich kept the heat on in the third, outscoring NP 21-12 to runaway with the win. Romfo, in her last game in the Munich gym, had 20 points for the Cardinals, while Lorenz finished with 17 and Hilary Haaven 14. Eighth grader, 6-foot-2 inch center Olivia Berginski had 16 to lead the Cougars. LANGDON-MUNICH 69, NORTH PRAIRIE 42 NP - 13 9 12 8 -- 42 LM -- 23 19 21 6 -- 69 Langdon-Munich -- Meredith Romfo 20, Avery Lorenz 17, Hilary Haaven 14, Aubrey Badding 8, Mikaela Olson 4, Erika Bakke 3, Kemi Morstad 3 North Prairie -- Olivia Berginski 16, Ella Peterson 10, Jenna Rosinski 7, Payton DeMers 4, Alaeja Grant 3, Alex Kraft 2
Aubrey Badding blocks a shot from a MPCG player. Photo by Larry Stokke.
son 10, Hilary Haaven 6, Avery Lorenz 5, Kemi Morstad 4, Meggy Hetletved 2, Erika Bakke 2 North Star -- Mattea Wanzek 10, Kristine Erickstad 9, Anna Griedl 8, Jorie Ahlberg 4, Claire Weber 4, Rebounds -- LM: 29 (Badding 11, Lorenz 4); NS: 33 (Wanzek 8) Assists -- LM: 10 (Badding 3); NS: 6 Steals -- LM: 14 (Badding 5, Lorenz 4); NS: 7 Turnovers -- LM: 12; NS: 22 Field goal percentage -- LM: 20/50 (40.0%); NS: 13/38 (34.2%) Free throw percentage -- LM: 11/22 (50.0%); NS: 9/20 (45.0%)
Mikaela Olson drains one of her two 3-point baskets in Cando on Jan. 16. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Meredith Romfo with a layup in the Cards' win over MPCG in Langdon on Jan. 18. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Avery Lorenz drops in a 3-point bucket on Jan. 18 in Langdon during the win over MPCG. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Hilary Haaven eyes the rim and adds two points to the Cards' score in the win over the Patriots. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Mikaela Olson puts pressure on a Patriot player causing a turnover. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Meredith Romfo was Player of the Game against North Prairie in Munich on Jan 20. She nailed four 3-three point baskets and went four for four from the free throw line. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Avery Lorenz drops in a layup at the game against the Cougars. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Langdon-Munich 66, Drayton-Valley-Edinburg 36 An early 7-0 run in the first quarter sparked the Lady Cards against the Titans. Langdon-Munich sprinted out to a 39-20 lead at halftime with 15 points by Meredith Romfo and 11 by Avery Lorenz, with hers all in the second quarter. Lorenz had three 3-pointers on the night, two in the third quarter, and Hilary Haaven reached double figures in scoring with 15. Romfo had a game high 22 and Lorenz 18. Brooke Gullickson had 15 points and Elizabeth Fedje 11 for DVE. LANGDON-MUNICH 66, DRAYTON-VALLEY-EDINBURG 36 DVE -- 8 12 10 6 -- 36 LM -- 18 21 18 9 -- 66 Langdon-Munich -- Meredith Romfo 22, Avery Lorenz 18, Hilary Haaven 15, Aubrey Badding 5, Mya Swanson 4, Kemi Morstad 2 Drayton-Valley-Edinburg -- Brooke Gullickson 15, Elizabeth Fedje 11, Jaelyn Johnson 6, Jacey Nelson 3, Aleah Pokyzwinski 2, Greta Burrell 2
Langdon-Munich 70, May-Port-C-G 66 (OT) The Cards were ready to play against the top 10 Patriots. After a 16 all tie going into the second quarter, Avery Lorenz went off with 10 points to help the Cardinals to a double digit lead, which MPCG got down to five points at halftime, 32-27. Kiaza Carlson, one of the main cogs left over from Patriots state championship, caught fire in the second half, scoring 22 Marty Amble won the halftime fundraiser by making and sending his of her game high paper airplane the furthest in Munich at the girls basketball game. 25 points.
Photo by Larry Stokke.
After the girls game against the Cougars in Munich, a cake walk was held for some very great looking desserts. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Hilary Haaven lays in a basket in the Cards' win over North Star. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Sports
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page B2
The Borderland Press
Jake’s Take on Sports winter sports are at their busiest for our area. So many things are going on in basketball, hockey and wrestling that it is tough to keep it all straight, although we are trying our level best to do so. We went through a cold snap that saw -30 plus below degree temperatures, and now the hope is for a warm up to get ready for Tournament Time that starts the second week of February. Lots of things are happening or are about to happen, so let’s talk about a few of them.
By Jake Kulland, Sports Editor The height of nervous breakdown season As we finally see the end of January as the light at the end of the tunnel,
North Border Eagles complete a comeback for the ages Let’s start this week by talking up a highly entertaining boys basketball game between eighth-ranked Midway-Minto playing at third-ranked North Border on Jan. 21. It’s not often in our little corner of the world that we get two teams in the top 10 in the
state playing each other, so we savor those moments. What a game it was! The Eagles were down 18 points with under two minutes in the third quarter, grabbed a four-point lead, saw the Mustangs tie it up, then North Border won on a buzzer beating 3-pointer from Grant Cosley to win the game. Just a great Class B boys basketball game. It’s awesome to hear that a big crowd packed the Walhalla Civic Center for the contest, and people are already looking forward to when the two teams play again at the Midway school on Feb. 20th. Round two between the squads should be just as exciting. Langdon-Munich Cardinals boys’ team to host a Burger Night fundraiser Jan. 24 The Langdon-Munich boys’ basketball team will be holding a Burger Night
fundraiser on Jan. 24 at the Langdon Eagles Club. It will be held at 5:00pm and will be an opportunity to meet the Cardinals boys’ squad and have a nice meal on top of it. All proceeds will go towards the team and the program for a variety of needs. They hope to see you Jan. 24! Langdon Blades junior gold team ready for their biggest homestand of the season In hockey this weekend, the Langdon Blades junior gold hockey team have three home games set up at Dakota Spirit Arena. The Blades will host the Grand Forks Stallions on Jan. 24 at 6:00pm, Watford City Jan. 25 at 1pm, and the Richland Rangers on Jan. 26 at 12 Noon. Langdon just got done winning two of three games on their annual western road trip, and their league record is now 5-2 on the sea-
son, which is good for third place at the present time. Get out to the DSA, and show your support for the young team that they have out this year. PCN boys wrestlers to host a triangular in Walhalla Jan. 28 The Pembina County North boys wrestling team will host a rare triangular in Walhalla on Jan. 28. The Grizzlies will be on the mat with teams from Northern Cass and Roseau, Minn. This will be a great chance for grappling fans to see the team go at it in person, as they have had a fun year so far. It begins between 4:00-5:00pm with PCN wrestling first and third in the afternoon. Get out and cheer them on! “See ya!” next week! The Vikes are 6-2! Skol, and “See ya!” next week!
Cardinals boys lose, win and have game postponed in latest run By Jake Kulland, Sports Editor The Langdon-Munich boys basketball team had an interesting week. They had a game at Park River-Fordville-Lankin postponed on Jan. 17, lost at Griggs-Midkota 66-57 on Jan. 18, then played one of their best games of the season in winning at home over Drayton-Valley-Edinburg on Jan. 21. The Cards are now 5-3 on the season and played at Cavalier on Jan. 23. They will host Northern Cass the afternoon of Jan. 25 with a varsity tip-off scheduled for 4:30pm. In the week ahead, the Cardinals play at Thompson on Jan. 27 then have a big District 3 game at home versus North Border Jan. 31. The game at PRFL has been rescheduled for Feb. 11, and the team and program will be hosting a Burger Night fundraiser at the Langdon Eagles Club on Jan. 24 from 5-8:00pm.
The Cardinals pulled away in the fourth quarter to win with the help of nearly everyone on their roster, as
they had eight different players score to finish the game out.
Schaefer had 16 points and Swanson 15 to lead Langdon-Munich, while Jayden Lee and Cody Amble each had 12. The Titans were led by Drew Passa with points and Jack Langerud 10.
LANGDON-MUNICH 71, DRAYTON-VALLEY-EDINBURG 47 DVE -- 6 15 20 6 -- 47 LM -- 13 17 24 17 -- 71 Langdon-Munich -- Eastyn Schaefer 16, Levi Swanson 15, Jayden Lee 12, Cody Amble 12, Connor Mitchell 8, Tanner McDonald 4, Maddux Stremick 2, Caleb McDonald 2 Drayton-Valley-Edinburg -- Drew Passa 12, Jack Langerud 10, Quinn Passa 7, Trenton Keena 7, Issac Feltman 5, Brady Reilly 3, Tripp Kartes 1
Player of the Game Levi Swanson drives to the net and splits two Titan defenders, dropping in a basket in the Cards win at Langdon over the DVE Titans. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Jayden Lee gets the Cards going with a 3-point shot and finished with 12 points in the win over DVE. Photo by Larry Stokke.
The Cardinal Cheerleaders once again kept the Cardinal fans fired up cheering the boys on to a win. Photo by Larry Stokke.
In their game with Drayton-Valley-Edinburg, the Cardinals jumped out to an 8-2 lead, and a buzzer beating 3-pointer by Eastyn Schaefer made it 13-6 after the first quarter. Levi Swanson came alive in the second quarter for Langdon-Munich with seven points to help push the lead to 3021 at halftime. The two teams got the ball through the hoop a lot in the third quarter. The Cardinals outscored the Titans 24-20. Connor Mitchell came off the bench and hit two clutch 3-pointers in the frame.
Cody Amble drives to the basket and lays in a bucket in the win over the Titans. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Caleb McDonald lays in a nice right hand layup in the win over the Titans. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Eastyn Schaefer drops in a layup to add to his team high 16-point night. Photo by Larry Stokke.
Sports
The Borderland Press
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page B3
EPIC COMEBACK! NORTH BORDER ERASES 20-POINT DEFICIT IN SECOND HALF TO BEAT M-M Grant Cosley banks in 3-pointer at the buzzer to keep Eagles undefeated at 9-0 By Jake Kulland, Sports Editor
The North Border Eagles had a big second half to beat Richland in a boys basketball game at Colfax, winning 63-40 by outscoring the Colts 37-22 after intermission. The third-ranked
Eagles took that big finish to another level when they hosted #8 Midway-Minto in Walhalla on Jan. 21. The Mustangs looked like they had the game locked up when they were up by 20 points going into the third quarter, but North Border showed heart and did not give up. They won the game 68-65 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Grant Cosley as time ran out. The two wins puts the Eagles record at a perfect 9-0. After they played at Park River-Fordville-Lankin on Jan. 23, they will entertain Hatton-Northwood in Walhalla in the afternoon of Jan. 25, host Cavalier on Walhalla on Jan. 27, then will
Kade Schafer leaps for the bucket against the Mustangs. Photo by Ashley Schafer.
have a big clash at Langdon-Munich on Jan. 31. In their game with Midway-Minto, a big crowd was on hand at the Walhalla Civic Center that saw the Mustangs get out to a big lead at halftime. After a tight first quarter, M-M outscored the Eagles 25-12 in the second quarter to build a 43-38 advantage at the half. Kade Schafer had nine points before intermission to help keep the Eagles within shouting distance. The Mustangs kept the lead at 20 points with five minutes left in the third quarter and still led 56-38 with
Berg led the Eagles with 22 points, followed by 18 from Cosley and 13 by Schafer. Aiden Lunski led M-M with 22 points. NORTH BORDER 68, MIDWAY-MINTO 65 MM -- 18 25 13 9 -- 65 NB -- 16 12 19 21 -- 68 North Border -- Brody Berg 22, Grant Cosley 18, Kade Schafer 13, Kaden Moore 10, Weston Cosley 3, Colton Bailly 2 Midway-Minto -- Aidan Lunski 22, Ezra Robinson 18, Trent Sitzer 11, Eli Robinson 6, Nolan Sogge 2, Andrew Riske 2, Ben Gudajtes 2, Merek Osowski 2
Kaden Moore drops in a layup in the Eagles’ game against the Mustangs. Photo by Ashley Schafer.
The North Border Eagles getting warmed up for their game against Midway-Minto. Photo by Ashley Schafer.
under two minutes left in the third. North Border then mounted their comeback. Brody Berg had two buckets, including a 3-pointer, and Schafer had a hoop to cut the lead to nine points after three.
Brody Berg goes up for the shot during the game against the Mustangs on Jan. 21. Photo by Ashley Schafer.
In the fourth quarter, North Border leaned on their captain, senior Grant Cosley, and he delivered 13 points down the stretch. The Eagles actually grabbed the lead at 62-60 with 1:42 left in regulation. North Border saw a late four-point lead evaporate, and the score was tied at 65 with seconds left when the Mustangs were called for over and back on a controversial call for the officials. The Eagles got the ball, and Cosley banked in a triple from the top of the key to win the game in very dramatic fashion.
Blades win two of three junior gold games on western road trip Ramberg gets first career hat trick in loss to Richland By Jake Kulland, Sports Editor
The Langdon junior gold hockey team was looking to get back on the ice after having a weekend off. The Blades got back to business and played three games on their annual western road swing to Watford City, Richland and Crosby the weekend of Jan. 18-20. They beat the Oilers 6-2, lost to the Rangers 7-6, then beat the Comets 4-2. Langdon now has a record of 5-2 in league games and are ready to play three games at home in Dakota Spirit Arena on Jan. 24-26. They will be hosting Grand Forks, Watford City and Richland. The Langdon 19U girls team also had two games out west on Jan. 18-19 and lost twice - to Watford City 3-2 then in a shutout to Richland 3-0. For the junior gold boys, their trip west got off to a late start, as a blizzard pushed the Crosby game set for Jan. 17 back to Jan. 20 at 10:00am. The first game of the weekend was at Watford City, where the Blades got the scoring going with Ben Berg scoring unassisted, then after a goal by the Oilers, Langdon scored five straight times. Carter Lein, Max Henderson, Colten Hein, and Kennen Forest all lit the lamp to give the Blades a 5-1 lead in the third period. Carter Mosher had two assists in the scoring with Henderson and Berg getting one each. After Watford City scored their second goal, Langdon got an unassisted insurance goal by Ty Ramberg. Ryder Moser had 19 saves in goal for Langdon, as they outshot the Oilers 39-21 in the game. The wildest game Langdon played was at Richland on Jan. 19. After the Rangers jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first period, the Blades got on the board with an unassisted power play goal by Ramberg. He would score again to help keep Langdon in the game, as they were down by two after two frames. The third period saw seven goals get in the nets; the Blades scored three straight times to get it going on goals by Hakanson, Landon Schneider and Mosher. Henderson, Forest and Keaton Ullyott all had assists. After Richland scored, Ramberg answered, assisted by Schneider, to give Langdon a one goal lead with 5:22 left to play and give Ramberg his first junior gold hat trick. The Rangers rallied with two scores, both on the power plays, to win the game. Shots on goal were hard to get in the game, as both teams had 27 shots on goal. In their final game at Crosby, the Blades got off to a great start with first period goals by Mosher and Ramberg. Schneider was credited with an assist on the first score. The Comets got on the board in the second before Forest and Ramberg scored the decisive goals to win the game. Mosher assisted on the Ramberg score. Moser had 24 saves, and Langdon outshot Crosby 39-26.
State
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page B4
The Borderland Press
Supreme Court upholds North Dakota’s majority-Native legislative subdistricts By: Mary Steurer/The North Dakota Monitor
subdistricts in 2021. District 4A follows the boundaries of the Fort Berthold Reservation, while District 9A includes the Turtle Mountain Reservation and some surrounding communities. Neighbor to 9A, district 9B encompasses the majority of Cavalier County. A three-judge district court panel found in 2023 that the map was constitutional.
North Dakota Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, D-Mandaree, speaks during a news conference Nov. 22, 2024, in Bismarck. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld legislative subdistricts in North Dakota, including one she represents. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)
The U.S. Supreme Court settled a North Dakota voting rights case last week, leaving in place two majority-Native American subdistricts challenged as unconstitutional. “I’m glad that it’s finally been resolved,” said Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation who represents one of the subdistricts. “It’s very important that we’re able to represent our needs at the table.” The lawsuit, brought by two non-Native North Dakota residents, one of whom resides in Calvin, N.D., alleged that the subdistricts are racial gerry-
manders — meaning the Legislature established them based predominantly on the racial makeup of their communities, rather than looking at other criteria like geography, population size or the political interests of residents. The plaintiffs argued the Legislature relied heavily on anecdotal evidence, not legitimate research, when it created the districts. The plaintiffs claimed the subdistricts violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment by strengthening the voting power of Native American residents at the expense of constituents who aren’t Native American. The Legislature established the two
The panel wrote that even if the Legislature did look to race when making the map, federal courts have previously found that states may consider race in a “narrowly tailored” capacity when drawing district lines to comply with the Voting Rights Act. Unsatisfied with that decision, the plaintiffs asked the U.S. Supreme Court to send the lawsuit back to a lower court for further proceedings, or to accept the case. The high court on Monday dismissed the appeal of District 9A and affirmed the district court’s decision on District 4A. The court did not explain its reasoning. Robert Harms, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, called the decision disappointing. “The troubling aspect of this whole case is that the North Dakota Legisla-
ture didn’t have in front of it any statistical analysis,” he said. The lawsuit was filed by Charles Walen and Paul Henderson, both of whom are former district chairs for the North Dakota Republican Party, Harms said. Walen last year successfully ran as a Republican for a District 4 state Senate seat. The boundaries of District 9A and District 9B changed for the 2024 election after a federal judge imposed a new map following a separate voting rights lawsuit brought by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. The MHA Nation, Finley-DeVille and MHA citizen Cesar Alvarez joined Walen and Henderson’s lawsuit on the side of the state, arguing that the Legislature had gathered sufficient evidence to warrant the creation of the subdistricts. That included testimony from tribal representatives, information about the use of subdistricts for Native American reservations in South Dakota and previous redistricting litigation, according to a brief filed by the MHA Nation, Finley-DeVille and Alvarez. MHA Chairman Mark Fox testified during the redistricting process that candidates favored by Native residents of District 4 had been repeatedly defeated by the district’s white
majority. The plaintiffs disagreed. In one response, they argued that even before the subdistricts were created, voters in District 4 and District 9 were able to elect Native lawmakers to the Legislature, and that therefore the subdistricts are not necessary. The brief cites Rep. Dawn Charging and Sen. Richard Marcellais as two Indigenous lawmakers elected in District 4 and District 9, respectively. The U.S. Department of Justice in a December brief advised the Supreme Court against considering the case. In an unusual move, North Dakota came out against the district court’s ruling, despite that the court had ruled in the state’s favor. In a memo filed this spring, the state said that the Legislature did not rely on race as a predominant factor in the redistricting process, and that the district court was wrong to rule that such behavior would be permissible in any circumstance. The state asked the Supreme Court to send the case back to district court for further proceedings. “We said before and we maintain now that race was not the predominant motivator for the redistricting,” North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said.
North Dakota House Bill 1145 sparks debate over displaying the Ten Commandments in schools By Ann Estvold, North Dakota Newspaper Association Legislative Intern
North Dakota’s school boards already have a state law that gives them the ability to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, if they are accompanied by other historical documents. Now, lawmakers are debating whether to require posting the commandments in every public K-12 and college classroom. The debate is among advocates who say the Ten Commandments provide a foundation of morals and values -- and that teaching them in schools was once broadly accepted -- and opponents who say the compulsory posting of them in public classrooms would violate the U.S. Constitution’s ban on establishing a state religion. One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Mark Enget, R-Powers Lake, said the commandments are historically and morally important outside of their Christian religious context. “They are pure
and good and build strong families which in turn build a strong society,” said Enget.
lishment clause should be interpreted by reference to historical practices and understandings.
The House Judiciary Committee is reviewing HB 1145, which would require posting the Ten Commandments in the state’s public K-12 and college classrooms. The panel held a hearing Jan. 14 and did not make an immediate recommendation about whether the bill should be approved or defeated. Dozens of interested people have posted testimony on the Legislature’s website, with the majority being opposed to the bill. Dozens of people also attended the hearing in person, although time limits prevented many of them from testifying.
In light of the Kennedy ruling, House Bill 1145 would not violate the First Amendment, because there is a long history and tradition of the Ten Commandments being taught in schools, argued Janice Lorrah of the Pacific Justice Institute, a legal nonprofit that describes itself as focusing on defending civil liberties.
Tim Barton, president of WallBuilders, a Texas based organization that promotes the teaching of Christian history, said the Ten Commandments were taught in schools until after a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case, called Lemon v. Kurtzman. The Supreme Court has since reinterpreted aspects of the “Lemon test.” In a 2022 case, Kennedy v. Bremerton, the Supreme Court ruled the estab-
approved by the Louisiana legislature last year, which has been challenged in federal court. Last November, U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles ruled the law was unconstitutional, saying the Louisiana law did not provide “any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments.”
“The passage of HB 1145 will enable students in the state of North Dakota to know the history and traditions of our legal system,” said Lorrah.
Cody Schuler, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union, said many students in N.D. practice different religious beliefs, and they may openly discuss them in school already. State law also gives school boards the ability to post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms already, he said.
KrisAn Norby-Jahner, legal counsel for North Dakota School Boards Association, and other opponents of the bill said HB 1145 differs from the Kennedy case, which was filed after a football coach was fired for praying with his players after a game.
However, under HB 1145, posting the Ten Commandments “would be not only endorsed by the school, it would be endorsed by the state, it would be the state showing preference to a particular religious tradition,” said Schuler.
“A school employee choosing to exercise a constitutional right is different from a public school being required to adopt and display a specific religious observation,” said Norby-Jahner.
Supporters of the legislation said the Ten Commandments would teach students about morality and values.
Norby-Jahner said the language of HB 1145 is almost the same as a bill
“There is a long-standing history and
tradition of the Ten Commandments being used in education, not because it was a promotion of religion but a promotion of morality,” said Barton. Pat Dean, a former school principal and advocate for the bill, said it was “rooted in history and morals, not religion and the changing thereof.” If students were instructed about the Ten Commandments, some of today’s student behavioral problems could be avoided, he said. Olivia Data, of Mandan, said posting the Ten Commandments would not address urgent problems facing public schools. “Surely issues like teacher shortages, equitable funding, or post-COVID behavioral and academic declines should take priority over what posters are displayed in the classroom,” said Data. According to the bill, the Ten Commandments display must be a poster or framed document that is at least 11 by 14 inches and printed in a large and easily readable font.
Bill aimed at ‘kratom’ defeated By The Borderland Press staff
Earlier last week, the North Dakota House Judiciary Committee held a bill hearing on House Bill 11-01, which looked to classify mitragynine, which is found in a substance known as kratom, as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Kratom, which comes from the leaves of an evergreen tree called ‘Mitragyna Speciosa,’ is sometimes sold as a nutritional supplement or in smoke shops and affects the brain’s opioid receptors. Kratom users claim the substance assists in alleviating fatigue and pain, while others claim it has assisted in addiction recovery. However, the FDA says kratom does not serve any medical purpose. Kratom is not regulated in the US but is banned in six US states. During the bill’s hearing, the committee received dozens of testimonies from individuals as well as representatives of businesses and organizations both in favor and opposed to the bill. Looking at the testimonies purely in a numerical sense, those in opposition of banning kratom in North Dakota outweighed those in favor of a ban. The North Dakota House later voted 77-15 to defeat House Bill 11-01. Despite this defeat, lawmakers plan to present another bill which would only regulate the substance in the state.
State
The Borderland Press
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page B5
Legislative update By Janne Myrdal, District 19 Senator
ly, that I have been in for three sessions now. There is a new and strong push to tax our AG producers for all storage of commodities and I firmly oppose it. If it is a facility where value and commercial activity is present, then yes. But storage and protective measures as in drying, then no. The senate Tax committee has not voted it out of committee yet but will likely come to the floor this coming week.
While winter is showing its fury with bitter cold, we finished the second week of the legislative session. We have gavelled in only six days and acted on mostly "easy" bills. However, as always, some that are before us are controversial. I will share about some of these here. SB 2039: Amending tax title to include for purposes of clarification that "raising agricultural crops" includes storage of harvested crops and cannot be excluded as agricultural property. This is not a new tax exemption but rather a clarification needed for equity in taxation. This is an ongoing battle, frank-
In the Judiciary committee we heard 23 bills just this week. These covered topics like scheduling of controlled substances, establishment and enforcement of child support, master jury list, tribal arrest warrants, court fees, Juvenile justice, digital forensic, sensitive crash site images and many more. It is a committee that usually has the most bills due to the variety of topics covered under the judiciary. The AG and Veterans Affairs committee heard the report from AG Commodity groups this week jointly with the House. The status of these groups is encouraging as the AG industry is growing. Yet, there are many infrastructure needs in areas of agriculture that hopefully the 69th Session will answer. We are currently (into
Friday afternoon) hearing SB2137 regarding feeding and baiting large animals. This is always a contentious topic. I would love to hear from you where you stand. The issue is whether the Game and Fish Department should continue to disallow harvesting large animals that are baited or plot fed in certain areas they deem at risk for Chronic Waste Disease. The 2025 Senate Appropriations Committee is deep into agency budget hearings after receiving the revenue projections from S&P and Governor Armstrong’s budget proposal. It is important that we are all engaged and informed on this process so I wanted to share with you what is happening . There are 49 state agency bills that are assigned to the Appropriation Committees, half to the House and half to the Senate. The majority of the bills will be heard by the end of the week. They will begin to dig into the details this coming week, and some of the small agency bills will be settled by the end of the week once they establish what the salary compensation will be. There will be policy committee bills coming with appropriations attached to them that
will have to be heard once the policy committees (my world) bring them to the floor and then they will be referred to Appropriations if there is money required to support the policy passed. That is why you will not see a lot of Appropriation bills on the floor until close to crossover because all the “orphan bills” will need to be heard and attached to the appropriate agency budgets if they receive a positive vote from the committee. Feel free to visit with any Appropriation member if you have any questions, As all this takes place the main policy issue early in session has been property tax relief. We are not wanting to rush these considerations as it has to be a well vetted and sustainable reform of our tax system. I will update on this process as we go along and would love input!.
gaming. The Attorney General's office oversees charitable gambling and needed clarification from the legislature of what the original intent was. This was debated over the past three sessions and put into an extensive study over the interim. It is a hot topic issue both here in Bismarck and throughout the state. We have seen an enormous expansion of charitable gaming after the introduction of the pull time machines and out of state vendors are cashing in heavily. It was never intended that these machines would become the sole provider of monies for charities, so I expect the conversation to continue. When one deals with billion-dollar industries there will be strong debates. Stay warm, stay safe, and please text or email me with concerns or questions.
One bill that received a handful of emails this week was SB 2025 that came from the Interim Judiciary committee in regards to charitable gambling. It removed adult athletics and the broad definition of tourism in order to get back to the original intent of "public spirited" within charitable
Senator Janne Myrdal North Dakota District 19 jmyrdal@ndlegis.gov 1-701-331-0946
A heated debate In the North Dakota legislature last week, things reportedly got heated during testimonies for and against HB 11-45, which aims to have the 10 Commandments posted in every public school and college classroom in the state. Proponents of the bill claim it provides a moral system for students; opponents say it’s a violation of the Constitution.
Legislation to cover AI North Dakota lawmakers on Monday discussed House Bill 13-86 which aims to create stricter penalties on individuals using technology like AI to create deepfake child sex abuse material. The bill would categorize such material as a Class C felony or a Class B felony if the material depicts anyone under the age of 12.
Legislative updates From The Borderland News Center
Measure aims to replace drones The North Dakota House has approved a measure which aims to replace drones made in China which are owned by the state. The decision to replace over 300 drones from the state’s fleet arose over continuing concerns about the devices potentially transferring data to Chinese adversaries. The cost to replace the devices is expected to be around $15-million. Recommendation given concerning blue laws Lawmakers in the North Dakota House Industry, Business, and Labor Committee have given a 10-4 “do not pass” recommendation towards HB 11-50, which looks to return blue laws back to North Dakota. Blue laws are used to forbid or regulate business on Sundays or religious holidays. Opponents of the bill claim a return to blue laws could negatively impact the
state’s economy. The House will be voting on the bill at a later date. Distressed ambulance service In other North Dakota Legislative news, the ND Senate Human Services Committee gave a 5-1 “do pass” recommendation towards SB 20-33 which, if passed into law, would create a distressed ambulance service program that would be managed by the state’s Health and Human Service Department. The bill now heads to the Senate Appropriations committee. Bill aims to ban cellphones in classrooms The North Dakota House Education Committee this morning will be holding a bill hearing for HB-11-60, which aims to prohibit the use of cell phones in classrooms across the state. The one-page bill clarifies cell phones would not be allowed during instruc-
tional time but would be permitted during times such as lunch, recess, and before and after classes. Proponents of the bill testified removing cell phones in the classroom allowed students to focus better. Opponents, however, argue such regulations should be made on a local level. Burgum anticipated to helm Interior Department Former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum appeared before a Senate confirmation hearing last Thursday morning. Burgum is anticipated to helm the Interior Department, as well as a newly created National Energy Council. During Thursday’s hearing, Senators focused on topics such as federal disaster relief for Los Angeles, drilling for oil on protected lands, and climate change.
Changes for charitable gambling The North Dakota legislation voted 27-20 in approval of Senate Bill 20-35, which aims to change which organizations can operate charity gambling events. The bill was introduced by the Senate Legislative Management Committee. Edinburg Senator Janna Myrdal, who is part of the committee, said the bill is meant to provide guidance to the state’s charitable gambling laws.
Bill to prevent certain builders fails by one vote In the North Dakota Senate on Monday, SB 20-26, which looked to prohibit individuals or businesses from a “country of concern” from purchasing property in the North Dakota Senate, failed by a final vote of 23-24. Opponents of the bill argued placing such prohibitions would not accomplish its intended goal and would only create further confusion on a local level.
Capitol briefs
By Ann Estvold, NDNA Legislative Intern Creating a state rock House Bill 1186 received a 13-0 “Do Pass” recommendation, naming an official state rock of North Dakota. One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Vollmer, R- Willow City, said the bill was inspired by elementary students from Bottineau who realized North Dakota lacked a state rock, so they suggested Knife River flint.
shell, obsidian and cloth. Most Knife River flint is found in N.D. along the Knife River and surrounding areas but has been found in archaeological sites as far away as Pennsylvania, New York and New Mexico.
Knife River flint was a prized toolmaking material among North America’s indigenous peoples because it was easy to work into projectile points, knives and scraping tools and could be traded for other materials such as
If Knife River flint becomes N.D.’s state rock, it will join a gallery of official state symbols including the state beverage (milk), fruit (chokecherry), bird (Western meadowlark), dance (square dance), fish (Northern pike)
Vollmer said students testified at the hearing and also toured the Capitol building before giving their testimony.
and flower (wild prairie rose). Bills to name a state troubadour and state vegetable have also been introduced this session. Cardiac arrest training for student athletes and coaches Senate Bill 2099 would require student athletes to review information about cardiac arrest and coaches to undergo training about it. The bill says students must read an information sheet describing cardiac arrest symptoms and warning signs and the risks associated with continuing to play or practice after ex-
periencing symptoms. Students and their guardian would be required to sign a form acknowledging the information before the student could participate in the sport. Coaches must hold an informational meeting before each season to discuss symptoms and warning signs. Any student who is removed from practice or a game after displaying symptoms of cardiac problems would have to be evaluated and get written medical clearance to resume participation. Senators play prank on new legislator in first floor session It is a tradition for the senators to
prank their new colleagues early in the session. One such prank happened during the Senate’s first floor session on Jan. 10. Sen. Jose Castaneda, a new Republican from District 40 in Minot, found out about this tradition during his explanation for Senate Bill 2055, which corrects a minor citation error in state law. After a brief presentation in which he asked his colleagues to support the bill, Sen. Castaneda saw the Senate’s electronic voting board light up with opposing “red” votes. Shortly before the vote became final, the “dissenters” switched their votes to green, for yes.
Public Notices
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page B6
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PERFORM CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR CAVALIER COUNTY
SC-1006(079), PCN 23760 - Cavalier County Highway 6 (CMC 1006) & Cavalier County Highway 17 (CMC 1017) Mill & HMA Overlays Cavalier County will engage the services of a prequalified engineering firm to perform Construction Engineering on the following projects in Cavalier County scheduled to be completed in 2025. SC-1006(079), PCN 23760 - Cavalier County Highway 6 project is located on County Highway 6 (CMC 1006), beginning at the intersection of Cavalier County Road 55 by Wales, ND and extending approximately 6 miles North and approximately 4 miles West to the intersection of Cavalier County Road 13 by Hannah, ND. Key project elements include milling, hot mix asphalt overlay and incidentals.
Cavalier County Highway 17 project is located on County Highway 17 (CMC 1017), beginning at the Intersection of Cavalier County Highway 17 and ND Highway 5 and extending approximately 9 miles North to the intersection of Cavalier County Road 55 by Wales, ND. Key project elements include milling, hot mix asphalt overlay and incidentals. Work to be performed by Consultant includes: Construction Services: Perform Project Management, Project Administration, Construction Observation, Construction Survey, Materials Testing, and Final Record Keeping. The work will need to follow NDDOT standards and procedures. Additional services, if required, may be negotiated and supplemental agreements issued based on the consultant’s performance, the consultant’s proposal and available funding. Firms are invited to submit a proposal for the projects listed above. The Proposals shall provide the following information:
Past Performance Ability of professional personnel Willingness to meet time and budget requirements Location Recent, current, and projected workloads of the persons and/or firms Related experience on similar projects Recent and current work for the County Project understanding, issues, & approach The proposal pages shall be numbered and must be limited to 10 pages in length. Proposals that exceed the 10 page length requirement will not be considered. The cover letter will not be counted as one of the 10 pages. The proposal should list the personnel who will be assigned to work on the project, including titles, education, and work experience. Cavalier County will only consider proposals received prior to 10:00 AM, February 10, 2025. Late proposals will be deemed unresponsive. The consultant’s proposal may include an appendix. Resumes, references, a statement of qualifications and other materials outlining experience may be included in an appendix.
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The appendix will not be considered as a part of the 10 page proposal. Each proposal will be evaluated by a selection committee. Cavalier County will conduct interviews. The County plans to interview up to three (3) of the most qualified engineering firms based on whose proposals most clearly meet the RFP requirements. Interviews will take place on a date to be determined by the County. Firms not selected to be interviewed will be notified in writing. Separate fees for each project shall be negotiated with the successful firm. SC-1006(079), PCN 23760 Cavalier County Highway 6 will be contracted through the NDDOT. Cavalier County Highway 17 will be contracted directly with Cavalier County. If the fees cannot be agreed upon, the County reserves the right to terminate negotiations, and then negotiate with the second and third ranked firms in order, if necessary, until a satisfactory contract has been negotiated. All costs associated with the proposal shall be borne by the proposer. The County reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals and to not award contracts for any and/or all projects.
Engineering firms interested in performing the work shall submit six (6) hard bound copies and an electronic pdf file of their proposal to: visor
Cavalier County Road Super-
901 3rd St STE #9 Langdon, ND 58249 SC-1006(079), PCN 23760 CAVALIER COUNTY HWY 6 AND CAVALIER COUNTY HWY 17 701-256-2161 tjohnsto@nd.gov Title VI assures that no person or group of persons may, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or handicap or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any and all programs or activities administered by the Department. For information regarding the Title VI Program see the NDDOT website at: http:// www.dot.nd.gov/divisions/civilrights/ titlevi.htm Published January 10th, 17th, and 24th, 2025
DAKOTA DATEBOOK: Power Plant January 29, 2025 – On this date in 1940, more than 800 people gathered in Park River to discuss a proposed power plant in Grand Forks. The Nodak Rural Electric Cooperative facility would be powered by diesel fuel, supplying electric energy to a combined group of REA projects, including several in Minnesota.
However, many residents in eastern North Dakota opposed the proposal, and the Walsh County Press reported that at this meeting, “charges of ‘railroading,’ politics and an alleged dictatorial policy of the REA in Washington were hurled by speakers, both from the floor and from the platform.” The Walsh County Press was very outspoken about the matter. It stated that if the plant were built elsewhere along the Soo Railroad lines, such as Fordville in Walsh County, North Dakota lignite could be used to power it, instead of diesel fuel, and claimed that “politics played the major part” in deciding the location. After reporting on the meeting, the newspaper claimed, “Those who heard [the man from the REA offices in Washington] speak … could not help but be impressed with the idea he tried to put across, which can be expressed in these words: ‘We know that a diesel plant at Grand Forks is the best thing for you, and if you want REA energy, you’d better take it and like it.’” The newspaper called him a “so-called ‘research engineer,’” stating that he was really ignorant of the comparative costs of lignite and diesel fuel, and that “This paper hopes when Mr. Wood returns to Washington he will report that a lot of rural people
in Walsh and adjoining counties are not yet willing to take all orders from Washington, and they are ready and anxious to fight for what they believe is right.” The Walsh County Press included some irate comments for the Grand Forks Herald. The Press stated that the Herald did not publish and even withheld information about these goings-on, writing: “We are not surprised at The Herald’s dull editorial policy. It dates back for years. We recall how Jerry Bacon used to fight the Nonpartisan League until the state mill and elevator was built in Grand Forks, whereupon a hush-hush policy was adopted and has been followed to this day.” And also this: “Question: When does a newspaper cease to be a newspaper? Answer: When it is the Grand Forks Herald.” Despite the protests, the plan moved ahead, and that July, the Rural Electrification Administration announced a $60,000 loan to build the plant in Grand Forks. Dakota Datebook written by Sarah Walker “Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic.org.
DAKOTA DATEBOOK: Burlington Subsistence Homestead Project January 30, 2025 – The town of Burlington, eight miles west of Minot, was a coal-mining town since its founding in 1883. The first Burlington mines were small operations that provided lignite coal for the local area and some for shipment to Grand Forks. By the 1920s, Burlington’s small mines struggled, due to competition from large strip mining operations and the underground mines at Wilton, but the small coal mines still gave
employment to about 70 miners. Of these, 30 were immigrants, mostly from Eastern Europe. As the Great Depression hit in 1930, the coal veins near Burlington had nearly been depleted. The mines provided some income for miners during the fall and winter months, but demand for coal declined as the economy worsened and the miners worked only a few days per week. Summer work on farms for the men also de-
clined, since rainfall dropped below normal from 1928 to 1934. The miners were reduced to living in rented shacks. During the dry summer of 1934, two local men, coal-miner Bob Oliver and businessman Einer A. Madsen, developed a plan to help the demoralized coal-miners and their families. The men sought funding from the North Dakota Rural Rehabilitation Corporation, the state agency created to channel New Deal funding to worthwhile projects. Mr. Oliver and Mr. Madsen asked for authorization to establish “homestead units” for unemployed miners on land near the junction of the Des Lacs and Mouse
rivers, just northwest of Burlington. Miners would grow vegetables, mainly potatoes, in the summer and work in local coal mines in the winter. The construction of a dam would provide irrigation for the vegetables. The plan, dubbed the “Burlington Project,” gained approval in November, 1934. The project eventually consisted of thirty-five housing units on plots of land eight to ten acres in size. On this date in 1936, a local newspaper reported that 15 of the homesteads in the Burlington Project would be built by the Huston and Mackley Construction Company of Minot. Each of the homesteads consisted of a
modest-sized house, a small barn “for a cow or two,” a chicken house, and a pig shed “for several porkers.” This federal resettlement project assisted 35 families until 1946, when the federal government ended its role in the Burlington Project, turning it over to the state of North Dakota. Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Steve Hoffbeck “Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic.org.
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Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page B7
Friday, January 24, 2025 - Page B8
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North Dakota Game and Fish updates Hunter education classes If you were born after 1961 and are 12 years or older, you must take a home study or traditional classroom certified hunter education course before you can get a firearm or bowhunting license in N.D. The home study, or hybrid course, requires 7-10 hours of online and six hours of in-person classroom time. The six hours of classroom time consists of an in-person session prior to starting the online class and at the end of the class to complete testing. Traditional classroom courses require at least 14 hours of in-person class time, and most classes are held from January through May. Individuals interested in taking a hunter education class in 2025 must click on the education link at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. To register
for a class, click on “enroll” next to the specific class, and follow the simple instructions. Personal information is required. Classes are listed by city and can also be sorted by start date. Classes will be added throughout the year as they become finalized. Individuals interested in receiving a notice by email or SMS text message when each hunter education class is added can click on the “subscribe to news and alerts” link below the news section on the Game and Fish home page. Check the box labeled “hunter education” under the education program updates. Participants must turn 12 during the calendar year to take the home study course and age 11 during the calendar year to take the traditional class. Watch the webcast with hunter education coordinator Brian Shaffer.
DAKOTA DATEBOOK: Jim Kleinsasser, Minnesota Vikings January 31, 2025 – On this date in 1977 in Carrington, former Minnesota Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser was born. While playing for Carrington High, Kleinsasser was twice named All-Region, All-State, and Gatorade Circle of Champions North Dakota Player of the Year. He also played in the North Dakota Shrine game and the Montana-North Dakota All-Star game. After high school, Kleinsasser played for UND, where he won a long list of awards, including All-American and unanimous All-NCC first team pick. Kleinsasser was selected as a tight end by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 1999 National Football League draft. He was moved to the fullback position for a short time where he quickly gained a reputation as a ferocious blocker for the other running backs. He was moved back to his natural position of tight end in 2001 and remained there until his retirement in 2011. Former Vikings head coach Mike Tice said, “If people look at the true requirements of the position, then I think they would agree that Jimmy is the best all-around tight end in the league.” Quarterback Daunte Culpepper agreed. “In my mind, he’s probably
one of the top three players on this team,” Culpepper said in referring to himself and Randy Moss. “He’s a great player. And we’re definitely going to need him to be successful.” Tice went on to say, “We think that Jim is one of the best. He can block at the point, he can pass protect, he can catch, he can run after the catch. We made him our franchise player, so we think his role will expand. To what extent, who knows?” “Growing up in North Dakota gave me the skills and values needed to be successful in life,” Kleinsasser said. “Don’t ever take for granted growing up in this great state, because the opportunities are available to you if you want to succeed. North Dakota has a strong educational system, good work ethics, and positive core values.” Happy Birthday, Jim! Dakota Datebook written by Merry Helm “Dakota Datebook” is a radio series from Prairie Public in partnership with the State Historical Society of North Dakota and with funding from the North Dakota Humanities Council. See all the Dakota Datebooks at prairiepublic.org, subscribe to the “Dakota Datebook” podcast, or buy the Dakota Datebook book at shopprairiepublic.org.
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