Affordable housing is a challenge across the country. In Minot, we’ve spent many tens of millions of dollars over the past ten years attempting to move the needle. But maybe we should be looking at solutions beyond direct subsidies? In Montana, our neighbors to the west are taking a novel approach — forcing the law
Read & Share sourced from: Montana Free Press
The state of Washington has some of the highest recycling rates in the country, but usage is on the decline and landfills are still filling up. But they aren’t one to ignore the problem. And a new law is proposing a new approach — shift the waste stream burden from consumers to producers. It’s a
Read & Share sourced from: Route Fifty
What do you do when there’s snow and so many parked cars that it begins to make the streets too narrow and dangerous? In Minneapolis, the answer is elegant. Implement a snow emergency law that only allows parking on one side of the street. And then there’s this story from the Star Tribune, too. If
Read & Share sourced from: MPR
A fat tire bike is exactly what it sounds like — a bike with really fat tires. The fun they add is they make riding on soft surfaces like snow possible. And if you give people a place to ride, they’ll enjoy North Dakota winters even on bikes. Get the full story from Kim Fundingsland
Read & Share sourced from: The Dakotan
Minot’s Atypical Brewery & Barrelworks is making a name for itself in the beer world. Their beer Gin & Spruce was one of 100 out 11,000 entries at last year’s World Beer Cup that earned a gold medal. It’s heady recognition, and it got the attention of the editors of Canvas Rebel, an online journal
Read & Share sourced from: Canvas Rebel
There are 11 American Indian lawmakers in the Montana legislature, nine democrats and two republicans. It’s a number that mirrors the percentage of American Indians in Montana’s population as a whole. And on issues of particular importance to the tribes, they’ll often act together. Get the full story from the Missoulian linked below. And why
Read & Share sourced from: The MissoulianWhat’s a solid sign that the climate may be changing at a really slow pace? Are crops growing in places that were previously inhospitable to them an answer? On the question of climate change, maybe its a clue. But new crops in new places isn’t speculation, it’s a reality. Cotton in Kansas, new grape varieties
Read & Share sourced from: GristBill Gates has built himself a fortune. In part, through his ability to shape the future, in part through his ability to predict the future and position his business interests in alignment. In those acts some people see a villain, but whatever his motives, it’s hard to ignore his track record. And he recently wrote
Read & Share sourced from: Gates Notes
When an elderly person falls, it often leads to an emergency services call. It’s a circumstance that opens the door — literally — to educating senior citizens on the services available that may help them, get health care, or prevent the next fall. And West Fargo is implementing a program to ensure they take advantage
Read & Share sourced from: InForumIn North Dakota, the legislature has a bill in front of them that would ban libraries from keeping legislatively defined ‘sexually explicit’ books in their collections. In Florida, a law cut from the same cloth — defining what can be kept in school libraries — is further along. It’s passed and it’s being implemented, and school
Read & Share sourced from: News 4 Jacksonville
How do you take a new music and arts festival to a cosmic level right out of the gates? Schedule it in conjunction with a full moon, and build up to it with quarter moon and half moon celebrations. The Winter Moon Festival premiered last week in Regina; the focus of the multi-venue event music,
Read & Share sourced from: Regina Leader PostBISMARCK, N.D. – Toddlers and preschoolers are invited to the free interactive learning series “Little Kids, Big World” at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum. These interactive 30-minute programs introduce children to North Dakota’s fascinating history. The programs are Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. All children must be accompanied by a parent or
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Have you noticed that here on the Northern Plains, we just want to get along? We’re a pretty conflict-averse culture. It leads to a lot of smiling and agreeable encounters; it also leads to a lot of passive aggression. We’re masters at it, and that isn’t a good thing. But there are ways to deal
Read & Share sourced from: Entrepreneur
When it comes to democracy and the freedoms we live under, there are global trends at play as we speak, but without the data, it’s hard to see them. That’s where ‘Our World in Data’ steps in; they’re a non profit focused on gathering data and research on the big problems we’re facing together and
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It doesn’t matter where you look, recruitment of workers and staffing are the challenges facing communities. This story from The Regina Leader-Post highlights the Saskatchewan’s provincial need for nurses. Those on the job are burning out at a faster and faster rate, and the impact on health care is becoming evident. What are they doing
Read & Share sourced from: Regina Leader Post
It’s hard to tell what prices may be going up faster than food, but it’s possible farm land is one of them. It’s a circumstance — the high cost of land — that makes entering farming business difficult. But there are solutions that emerge if the right parties can get connected. And in Ohio, where
Read & Share sourced from: Public News Service