News
New and beginning farmers hope to build local food system
There is a small but growing number of new and beginning farmers coming of age as their baby boomer parents retire or desire to, and many would like to see a renewed focus on the local and the sustainable. They see the hollowing out of rural communities, the spread of food deserts and grocery stores closing in a sea of bountiful agricultural production and wonder if that must be the reality.
With advancements, EVs could make more sense for rural ND
Vehicle owners will have to weigh the pros and cons themselves as they go forward, but increasingly EVs and hybrids will start to make sense to more people in the state, those monitoring the transition say.
For people with disabilities, affordable accessible housing a major challenge
Pilot projects make some strides in making affordable accessible housing available but more needs to be done statewide.
Manitoba border towns offer lessons for ND development
The towns of Langdon in northeastern North Dakota and Morden in southern Manitoba province were once mirror images of each other. In the 1950s they each had populations hovering around 1,800 people. These prairie communities separated by an international border and around 40 miles of farmland were both incorporated in the 1880s as railroads expanded westward. The new towns were peopled with mostly European immigrants settling to farm the fertile land of the Red River Valley region. Today, the two couldn’t be more different.
Carbon capture potential hot button issue for 2024 election cycle
From environmental rights activists on the left, to property rights advocates on the right, a motley coalition has formed to push back against efforts to build a pipeline to pump CO2 from ethanol plants across the Midwest to store deep below the ground in central North Dakota. A new North Dakota Poll released Feb. 20 found that only 16% of eligible voters in the state believe capturing carbon dioxide will reduce the impacts of climate change. Another 40% are unsure, and 27% believe it won’t work. The poll was conducted by WPA Intelligence in Washington, D.C for the North Dakota News Cooperative.
North Dakotans split on climate concerns, causes, solutions
North Dakotans appear split on whether climate change is a serious threat and whether it’s caused by humans or naturally occurring patterns, a new statewide poll from the North Dakota News Cooperative (NDNC) found. Approximately 43% of eligible North Dakota voters participating in the poll believe climate change poses a threat to their future way of life. A closer look at the numbers shows a stark partisan divide with 87% of Democrats and 45% of Independents saying they are concerned, while only 26% of Republicans say the same.
Voters want more say on use of Legacy Fund
Eligible voters across North Dakota favor major overhauls in how the state’s Legacy Fund is managed and how its accumulating funds are used, a new North Dakota Poll conducted by the North Dakota News Cooperative (NDNC) found.
While officials defend Legacy Fund decisions, others see ‘mission drift’
Legacy Fund leaders and decision makers say a recent poll fails to capture the work already being done to steer investments back to the state. Others, however, say the overall mission of the Legacy Fund has not been adequately defined or has shifted from its original purpose.
Better coordination, funding needed for homeless, providers say
Discussions with homeless people and those who provide food, shelter and care for them, paint a picture of haphazard municipal management, a lack of overall funding, and little direction from the state.
Statewide tourism could suffer without wild horses
These equine influencers go by names like Grizz, Arrowhead, Flax, Little Bear. They’re neither pets, nor livestock, and they roam wild in North Dakota’s only national park. That may change pending an anticipated 2024 management decision by Theodore Roosevelt National Park staff to remove the nearly 200 horses, or cull to a greatly reduced number. The decision is being closely watched by many who’ve followed and named the horses on social media posts over the years and by owners of businesses in and around Medora, the gateway town synonymous with the park.