Month: May 2017

My wife Lillian and I just did a quick two-day trip on (almost) all 2-lane roads--you can't get out of or into Bismarck without going on a four lane, but our exit and entrance was our only concession to four lanes)--around the northeast quadrant of North Dakota. It was wonderful. That is all I am … Continue reading A Trip Around Northeast North Dakota.

They’ll bury Herb Meschke later this week. I don’t know if it will be in the North Dakota Bad Lands, where he was born and raised, or in Minot, where he spent most of his life. Wherever it is, his presence will enhance the stature of the cemetery. Herb was a cowboy, a lawyer, a … Continue reading Herb Meschke: A Brilliant Mind in a Broken Body

I’ve given some more thought to the issue of Little Missouri River water permits since I last wrote about it on May 3. I reported then that Gov. Doug  Burgum had signed into law an amendment to the Little Missouri State Scenic River Act, making industrial use of Little Missouri water legal for the first … Continue reading Who’s Looking Out for the Little Missouri State Scenic River – Redux

Here's a re-run from a few years ago. Because I can't think of a better story to tell on Mother's Day.   I’m thinking of my mom on this Mother’s Day, as we all are. She’s been gone more than ten years now, but it seems like only yesterday I was making those semi-weekly trips … Continue reading Body and Soul: A Mother’s Day Story

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum may not have been in politics very long, but he has learned the number one rule already: Politics is the art of compromise. To that end, the Governor DID NOT veto the section of North Dakota House Bill 1020, which, now that it is law, legalizes the issuance of industrial … Continue reading No Veto, but No More Industrial Permits, Either–At Least for a While. a Partial Victory for the Little Missouri River.