American Education Week
In honor of American Education Week from November 17th-21st, I write this Letter of Thanks to our students, educators, and community: Thank you, students, for continuing to learn, grow, and thrive amidst an ever-changing political climate in which parents/guardians may inadvertently share their frustrations. Your focus and drive to excel has not gone unnoticed, as […]
43 Times In A Row
Congratulations …to the crew of Air Force Security Police who man the front gate(s) at Minot Air Force base. Today, which is Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, you eclipsed the record. What record you ask? The record of being greeted 43 times in a row with a warm smile and a friendly greeting as I entered […]
The importance of the newspaper
As a lifelong journalist, I’m always going to be partial to newspapers. After all, my paycheck throughout my professional career of 31 years came from newspapers where I held various positions. And, in past articles, I’ve described how a newspaper is important because of weddings, births, obituaries, high school sports reports and so on. This […]
The first newspaper
A question came up the other day asking do you know the name of the first newspaper in Dakota Territory?Between 1861, when Dakota Territory was established, until statehood in 1889, 160 newspapers sprang up in the territory. That’s kind of remarkable, but then, the territory included all of present-day South Dakota as well. But the […]
Not a Hard Story to Tell-or Are They?
When this edition of the Northern Sentry arrives in homes and businesses the activities of Veteran’s Day 2025 will be over. On the 11th hour of the 11th Day of the 11th month of 1918, the Armistice was signed to end World War 1. As it was explained to me when I was younger, Veteran’s […]
National Veterans and Military Families Month – Connect with One Another
November is important, because it is officially recognized as Natonal Veterans and Military Families Month. In fact, the President signs a proclamation each November honoring the sacrifices and contributions of service members and their families. Around the time of this publication, two Veterans Day assemblies will be held on November 7th, 2025, at our Dakota […]
Farmers Market and Growers look forward
New leadership and a new vision was on display during the recent North Dakota Farmers’ Market & Growers Association’s local foods conference held in Carrington. It was the first time in its 21-year history that the conference was held in the fall rather than late winter. Attendance was down because some farmers’ markets were still […]
Halloween In The Rear View Mirror-Full Steam Ahead to the Holidays!
In recent years that has been a definite increase in Halloween displays in people’s yards. It could be that it is warmer in September and October and those big orange bags not only work for hauling leaves, but make nice decorations, too.We did get out a couple of nights and saw everything from complete graveyard […]
Don’t wait for January, this is the perfect time to declutter
Last year, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, I found myself bouncing from thrift store to thrift store on a mission. I was on the hunt for Hot Wheels accessories—tracks, garages, anything to add to my son’s growing collection.I’m all for making my kids’ Christmas dreams come true, but I draw the line at […]
The Ghost of Students Past
Back in May 2025, I had the privilege of meeting Ms. Shelly Weppler, INSPIRITUS Community Health Foundation President. She shared her past as a student who graduated from Minot High School and time spent serving our country as a military member. I could have listened to her stories for hours, but our time was short. […]