STARBASE ND Director Retires
Mr. Jon Dawson has devoted 12 years to the STARBASE ND program on Minot Air Force Base. This program provides 25 hours of hands-on STEAM training to 5th graders on base and within the local community. These students are given a unique opportunity to “engage with positive role models and the technological environment found on […]
California Dreamin’
You can’t really define 1,562 miles on the road until you’ve done it 6 months after major back surgery, but here we are in San Clemente, California. In the morning we can kind of see the Pacific ocean. We are less than a mile from the beach, but between us is a couple of rows […]
It’s not summer, it’s construction season
We’ve all heard the phrase North Dakota has two seasons, winter and construction season. We all complain about it because let’s face it, construction can sometimes instantly screw up your day. And it seems to be happening everywhere; city streets, county roads, state highways, federal highways, bridges, approaches, shoulders, you name it, some of us […]
Your BFFs Guide to Summer in Minot
Before moving to North Dakota, many people told me to prepare for the extreme winter. Therefore, the sub-zero windchills came as no surprise. What I wasn’t prepared for was how absolutely idyllic the North Dakota summer truly is. With sunlight that arrives at 4 a.m. and stretches late into the night, the days are primed […]
I Think They Call It Goulash
Some articles that I pen for the Northern Sentry come together with relative ease. Good examples would be the retirement articles for Col. Jimmy Schlabach and his Chief, CMSgt Becky Thomas. I invite you to check out Becky’s article (she is now officially Becky) in this edition of the Northern Sentry, or online at northernsentry.com. […]
Coming to a data center near you
It’s about time we address the elephant in the room. There’s a growing disparity between the general public and these AI data centers that are so often talked about in news circles. What seems to be the problem? On Sunday, May 24 during a graduation reception, data centers were the topic of conversation among the […]
Goodbye School!
School Year 2025-2026 has now come to a close. It was one exciting year chockfull of new North Dakota legislation, Executive Orders on education, and the introduction of our state’s new Legendary Learners book! Through it all, our students prevailed—their minds filled and expanded—evidence of which was sent home in end-of-year backpacks stuffed with heavily […]
A Special Tribute to Mrs. Lamarand: Leading Lady Positively Impacting Learners
The 5th Bomb Wing Commander, Col Jesse Lamarand, is responsible for the successful operations on Minot AFB. The 5th Bomb Wing is the host wing and I must say, I have been extremely blessed to have such an incredible hostess—Mrs. Nathalie Lamarand—assist me with five School Liaison Program’ partnership initiatives! Together, we enhanced our base […]
Fire-Smart Starts Here: SPARKY’s May Safety Tips
The Sky Is…
Summer is officially under way, and Mother Nature made sure we were officially notified with those couple of 90+ degree days over the Memorial Day weekend and into this week. The weather folks kept saying that normal temps for Memorial Day were around 70-75 degrees. This was probably one of the warmest Memorial Days that […]