West Fargo joins the flock of cities that allow backyard chickens

West Fargo residents can now apply for permits to keep chickens in their backyard, following the approval of a new ordinance. While some are concerned about potential issues like attracting predators and messy yards, others believe it’s a positive move in line with other nearby cities. The ordinance will require an annual permit for up

Read & Share   sourced from: InForum

Should We Start Painting Intersections in Minot With Art if it Makes Them Safer?

Part of making communities desirable places to live is making them safe. That can be a challenge when there are so many potential conflict points between cars and people. And when those two face off, the cars always win. But what if the simple act of turning an intersection into a work of art made

Read & Share   sourced from: Next City

A Place Where Local Food Meets an Engaging Atmosphere

The importance of farmers markets and community engagement is something we’re all familiar with here in Minot. It’s always inspiring to hear of successful ventures in this sphere, like the one in Humble, Texas. In 2015, Jonathan and Andrea Haskin opened Fall Creek Farmers Market, turning it into a vibrant hub of diverse vendors and

Read & Share   sourced from: Entrepreneur

Snow Days Tell Us a Lot About the Fragility of Our Cities

Snow is a truth-teller. When it’s freshly fallen, it becomes an instant record of how we move about in our communities. And if we listen to what it’s telling us, it can help us shape and build more successful places. Edward Erfurt develops this idea more fully in this article from Strong Towns. And with

Read & Share   sourced from: Strong Towns

‘Canoe safari,’ riverfront walk and more among proposed features in Cedar Rapids’ Greenway Plan

As Minot continues to rebuild and add protection following the 2011 flood, we need to be on the look out for other communities on the same path. Cedar Rapids is one of those places. They are currently seeking community input for their riverfront Greenway Plan, which aims to enhance the area with new parks, sports

Read & Share   sourced from: Cedar Rapids Gazette

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FTC Holds Up Mega Grocery Merger Due to Consumer Harm

The Federal Trade Commission is trying to stop Kroger from buying Albertsons for a huge $24.6 billion. They say this, the biggest supermarket merger in U.S. history, would make prices go up and be bad for people who work in the grocery business. Minot’s market is dominated by a single grocery firm. So when the

Read & Share   sourced from: Quartz

West Fargo School Growth Offers Minot a Point of Place to Place Comparison

West Fargo Public Schools is on a trajectory to outpace all North Dakota school districts, including our own in Minot, and become the largest within the next three years. Current projections indicate an influx of over 1,300 students by the 2028-29 academic year, pushing total enrollment to nearly 14,255. Factors such as residential growth, demographic

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Minot’s School Budget Crunch Not Unique

In the wake of Minot Public Schools grappling with potential closures of two elementary schools due to budget constraints, a similar scenario is unfolding in Iowa City. The school district there is deliberating on how to cut costs by $7.5 million over the next two years, with options such as changing class size rules and

Read & Share   sourced from: https://www.thegazette.com/k/iowa-city-schools-reviews-elementary-costs-as-district-prepares-to-trim-7-5-million-from-budget-ove/

ND Game & Fish Releases New Outdoor Mobile App

Need a last-minute fishing license? Want to double-check the law while you’re out in the field? North Dakota Game and Fish has developed a mobile to make both and a whole lot more easier. Check out the video below to get the details. The App is available in the Google Play and Apple app stores.

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Grand Forks citizens question conflicts following Fufeng

The plan to develop a Chinese-owned corn mill in Grand Forks is dead following alarms raised by the U.S. Air Force, but the conversation over the project continues. In the wake of the project’s end, Grand Forks citizens are questioning the close ties between the City of Grand Forks and the Grand Forks Region Economic

Read & Share   sourced from: Grand Forks Herald

Early Winter Sends Birds Flying

The early arrival of winter likely had many North Dakota snowbirds questioning if they should have left before Thanksgiving. The following wave of snow and cold through Christmas and New Year’s may have sealed the deal for some of not returning until well after Easter.  As much as a cold, snowy and dark season can frustrate me, I still don’t see myself heading south for winter and I’m

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With Gardening Decisions on the Horizon, One Variety Peas Outperforms the Others

There is nothing better than eating fresh peas in the garden. You pop open a pea pod and the green pearls inside are as sweet as candy. At North Dakota State University, we have worked with hundreds of families to identify the best peas for our state. The finest pea is Lincoln, an heirloom variety

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10 things to know about how social media affects teens’ brains

Kids today are among the first generation of humans to grow up with social media as a dominant factor in their lives. After hundreds of thousands of years of evolving and adapting to the natural world, we’re now dealing with the challenges of evolving and adapting to a much faster-moving technological world. It’s a great

Read & Share   sourced from: NPR

Swedish Students Get Winter Survival Lesson in “isvaksovning”

What do you do if you’re out ice fishing and you fall through the ice? You’ll know if you’ve had a lesson in ‘isvaksovning’. That’s the hole-in-the-ice exercise that Swedish students take part in through their physical education class in the Sollentuna municipality. Participation is not required; all the students participate. Get the full story

Read & Share   sourced from: France24

Montana students standing up for their futures

Speaking toward the future, there’s no one more impacted by the issues of the day than the young people among us. From curriculum to climate change, the younger you are the longer you’ll have to live with the decisions made today. And in Montana, youth engagement in political action becoming a force to reckon with.

Read & Share   sourced from: Montana Free Press

The Anatomy of North Dakota Forestry

This semester, I’m teaching an on-campus class called River and Stream Resource Management. I’m having a blast with the class, but I’m struggling a little with some of the terminology. I’m a forester and a lot of the material is new to me. If you can explain “entrenchment ratio” to me, I’d appreciate it. Technical

Read & Share   sourced from: Dakota Gardener