Are we growing at the right pace…

It doesn’t matter where you go in North Dakota, you’re going to find that retail, health care, government, farming, education and even sports franchises have job openings. Just walk down the street in almost any community and you will see signs in windows that say “now hiring.” Those messages used to say “now accepting applications,” […]

New Year’s Resolutions

An Apology of SortsWe received notification that the 69th Bomb Squadron would be returning before Christmas, more than likely on the 23rd of December. Normally The Northern Sentry would be on hand to greet the deployed personnel as they returned to Minot Air Force Base, and the front page of our paper on December 27th […]

A Seat at the Table: Finding Connection This Christmas

Last week, I walked into a building many people in town don’t know exists. I, for one, lived here for years before I discovered it: the Minot Adult Learning Center (MALC). As soon as I opened the door, the reason for my visit was apparent. The mingled scents of potluck dishes filled the air as […]

Christmas Memories

It is the time of the year when we often reflect on memories from past Christmas seasons. These reflections can be both positive and of course negative. What I have found over the years is that some of those memories that once brought tears to my eyes, can now bring smiles. I hope that by […]

A shot in the arm for Ellendale…

Could Ellendale, North Dakota become the next Silicon Valley?There’s a new and interesting development happening there that could completely transform the entire community and all of Dickey County. A Dallas company called Applied Digital is in the process of building a data center just south of Ellendale, near the South Dakota state line that is […]

“Spritz”ing Into Christmas-Easy To Make Holiday Favorites

I first want to start my column by admitting that “I am not a baker”. And to be truthful, I am not a very good assistant to my wife, Sue, when it comes to Christmas baking. I think she humors me and lets me think I am an important cog in the process of baking […]

Where do you put the lefse?

On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up with a burning question on my mind: Where does a lefse go in a Hotdish Land holiday buffet line?A couple months ago I made cookie salad for my first time, and documented the experience on Instagram. Nearly 100k views and hundreds comments and messages later, I had gotten many […]

Fargo’s population boom…

We all know that Fargo is the state’s largest city and has been most likely throughout the state’s history. But now, we’re beginning to see that Fargo is larger than we think. The most recent population estimate puts the city of Fargo at 133,000. When the 2020 census was taken, the population was round about […]

Holiday Traditions are Important

Let’s Start With Winter SportsThis past week I was able to touch base with the 3 ski areas in North Dakota, and although the cold weather has tested our resilience a bit, it has allowed all 3 areas, Huff Hills south of Bismarck, Bottineau Winter Park near Lake Metigoshe and Frost Fire near Cavalier, ND, […]

I have a lot to be thankful for again this year

Laughter, a positive attitude, and always looking for the opportunity…these words have helped guide my time as a public servant. It’s not that I want to “piggy back” on the term coined by Gov. Doug Burgum, but this is a time for gratitude. However…I will use “I am Thankful.” I AM THANKFUL for the residents […]