A group of dedicated North Dakotans has put together a proposal that will bring significant recognition to the North Dakota Bad Lands. They are my heroes. Their project is the creation of a new National Monument, the Maah Daah Hey National Monument. If they succeed, it will be an immense source of pride for all … Continue reading A New National Monument In North Dakota!
Bad Lands Justice? Maybe.
The five most dangerous words in the English language for a journalist (of which I am one, of a sort—I keep this online journal) are “I’m not a lawyer, but . . . “ Okay, so there’s been this legal case going on for about ten years involving Billings County and the Short family over … Continue reading Bad Lands Justice? Maybe.
Lost Another Good Friend
You probably didn’t know Vern Frederick. He was a quiet, humble rancher/farmer from down near Flasher (one of the best town names ever), a big, strong, hard-working man, dedicated to his loving wife Bonnie, a polio victim tied to a wheelchair most of her adult life, whose farming operation was always on the cutting edge … Continue reading Lost Another Good Friend
What The Hell Do We Do Now?
Relax. Take a deep breath. Things are going to be okay. Not easy, but okay. Just imagine what might be going on in our country today if Kamala Harris had been elected president in a very close election, let’s say a handful of electoral votes, with very close races in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada or Georgia. … Continue reading What The Hell Do We Do Now?
What The Hell Just Happened?
That headline is a reprisal of the one I wrote in this space eight years ago, when Doug Burgum dashed the hopes of Wayne Stenehjem ever becoming Governor of North Daktoa, by beating him the June 2016 Primary. As I wrote then, I didn't see that one coming. Okay, so much for my Predictability Quotient. … Continue reading What The Hell Just Happened?
It’s Election Day! It’s Over! Celebrate! Have A Beer!
Here's a slightly updated re-run of a column I first posted on this site ten years ago, on November 4, 2014. It came to mind because of a question I got this week from my friend, Colleen Stebbins down in Bowman, North Dakota, about the bars being closed in North Dakota on Election Day. Some … Continue reading It’s Election Day! It’s Over! Celebrate! Have A Beer!
A Little Election Weekend Reading
There’s a list at the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, and if you live in North Dakota, you’re on it. You and about half a million of your neighbors. It's a big list. Probably the biggest list in the state. How do I know you're on it? Because every North Dakotan who regularly reads … Continue reading A Little Election Weekend Reading
Election Chaos
(Note: This article first appeared in the October issue of HIgh Plains Reader, and on their website.) As a political columnist, I know I should be writing an election preview for the issue of this paper that comes out just a couple weeks before what is being labeled, once again, as “the most important election … Continue reading Election Chaos
Miracle Rain
The headlines in the papers are using the word “historic” to describe the fires burning in western North Dakota right now, and over the past few days. Well, let me tell you a story about a historic fire from a few years back. Almost 50 years, in fact. It’s a story worth telling. And retelling. … Continue reading Miracle Rain
Another One Of The Best Days Of My Life
“How’s your day goin’?” the young woman tending the cash register in the Linton convenience store yesterday afternoon asked me as I laid my ice cream bar on the counter and reached for my wallet. “I need some ice cream,” I replied, handing her some cash. “That wasn’t what I asked you,” she said, somewhat … Continue reading Another One Of The Best Days Of My Life
The Prairie Blog 