Today in Minot
A New Way to do the Local News!
News For the Birds!
These birds aren’t going to count themselves, and here’s the good news … we’re doing this on a Saturday morning and it starts at a coffee shop 🙂 Details on the 126th Annual Christmas Bird Count and why it matters are in today’s edition. Your participation is welcomed.
Today in Minot
Today is Monday, December 22nd, 2025. The sun will rise on the 2nd day of winter and the 356th day of the year at 12:00 AM. We will see of daylight before it sets at 12:00 AM.
Today is: National Date Nut Bread Day, Forefathers’ Day
Today’s Featured Happenings
Happy Hour
Pull Tab Happy Hour!
Mon. Dec. 22 — Wed. Dec. 24
BlueRider | Voted North Dakota’s Best Dive Bar!
Kids & Families
Polar Express Party!
Tue. Dec. 23
MainStreetBooks | Stop in, Make Yourself at Home!
The news we share here is ForMinot. You can learn more about what guides our editorial decisions here.
A proposal now before Burke County commissioners could bring a major piece of energy infrastructure just outside Columbus. A company tied to a nearby wind farm wants to build a large battery storage facility designed to hold power until it’s needed most, easing pressure on the grid as demand grows. Supporters see economic opportunity and better reliability, while nearby landowners are raising practical questions about traffic, safety, and long-term impacts. The decision could shape how renewable energy is managed in the county for years to come.
Headed somewhere new for the holidays? Whether you’re visiting family or stealing a few days in an unfamiliar city, how you move through that place matters. Atlas Obscura, Citymapper, and Roasters are three free, under-the-radar apps designed to help you skip the crowds, navigate transit like a local, and find the kinds of experiences most visitors miss. From hidden landmarks to smarter routes and truly good coffee, these tools are about turning holiday travel into something more relaxed, curious, and genuinely memorable. Get the full details from Fast Company.
For years, parents have trusted reassurances that social media companies were learning alongside them—setting guardrails, studying risks, trying to do better. This lawsuit challenges that narrative head-on. Court filings allege that major platforms knew their products were addictive for children, harmful to mental health, and destabilizing to schools, yet pressed forward anyway. Now, thousands of plaintiffs are asking a court to decide whether today’s tech giants should be treated less like neutral platforms and more like the tobacco companies of a previous generation. Maya Sulkin and Frannie Block with The Free Press has the full story.
On This Day
On this day in 1808, Beethoven was leaving his mark on the music world. In 1864, a Union General was offering President Lincoln a Southern treasure, and in 2001 a jerk on a plane inconvenienced the rest of us for decades. In 1921 Minot, our editor had a timeless Christmas message, a local kid was helping lead the League of Nations, and the new Zoo had a beautiful new building that’s still part of Minot today.
On this day in 1808, Ludwig van Beethoven premiered his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies at a famous concert in Vienna, marking a major moment in classical music history.
On this day in 1864, during the American Civil War, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman sent a telegram to President Abraham Lincoln, offering the city of Savannah, Georgia, as a Christmas gift after capturing it.
On this day in 2001, Richard Reid, also known as the “Shoe Bomber,” attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes on a transatlantic flight from Paris to Miami, but was subdued by passengers and crew, leading to heightened airport security measures.
Born & Died: Giacomo Puccini, (Born, 1858) Renowned Italian opera composer, Edwin Arlington Robinson, (Born, 1869) American poet and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Lady Bird Johnson, (Born, 1912) First Lady of the United States and environmental advocate, Barbara Billingsley, (Born, 1915) American actress known for “Leave It to Beaver”, Ralph Fiennes, (Born, 1962) English actor known for roles in “Schindler’s List” and “Harry Potter” films, Steve Garvey, (Born, 1948) American MLB All-Star first baseman, Samuel Beckett, (Died, 1989) Irish novelist, playwright, and Nobel laureate, Beatrix Potter, (Died, 1943) English author and creator of “Peter Rabbit”, Meghan Trainor, (Born, 1993) American singer-songwriter known for her hit “All About That Bass,” Diane Sawyer, (Born, 1945) American television journalist known for her work on ABC News, Joe Cocker, (Died, 2014) British rock and blues singer known for his gritty voice.
Dear Mr. Colcord:— It is a long time since I first thought of writing to you and endeavoring to tell you and your readers, if you think they would be interested, of my experiences with, and view point of, the League of Nations. So much has been written in America against the League, describing it as a super-State, as an endeavor by a few European nations to gain control over international policies, and in the latter months, as an organization which has completely ceased to function, that I thought perhaps you would be interested in having the view-point of one who has been very closely associated with the League since its beginning.
Why we published it:
First, this story and the central player, Mr. Huston, have been featured numerous times in this column. Second, imagine the literacy and the patience of the newspaper reader that would take on this article and and editor who knew they could handle it. Third, though the language has changed since this time, the criticisms against the “League” and now United Nations sound suspiciously similar to our own time.
The splendid new animal house has been completed in Riverside Park and it was opened to the public Sunday at 2 o’clock. It will be opened each day from 9 until 5 o’clock and on Tuesday and Sunday evenings from 7 to 10. The house was built to house the smaller animals of the zoo, such as the monkeys and other animals requiring artificial heat during the winter. Fully two-thirds of the exhibition room will be given over to the bird exhibit.
Why we published it:
This building still graces the Roosevelt Park Zoo and the description still holds.
Photograph of the new U. S. submarine S-48 standing on her bow near Bridgeport, Conn., with rescue tug standing by. The submarine sank during a trial trip and her crew, shifting ballast until she stood on end, escaped through the torpedo tubes.
Why we published it:
Two weeks after sinking due to an unsecured hatch, the submarine was raised an later recommissioned, and continued service through World War II.
And so we say, may we all continue to display this unselfish spirit during the year to come — the spirit first shown by our Saviour, more than two thousand years ago.
Why we published it:
A noble idea — to keep the Christmas spirit of unselfishness rolling throughout the year — is always worth a reshare.
On Recognition of a Lasting Cultural Force
“Beethoven’s instrumental music opens up to us the realm of the colossal and the immeasurable … the symphony leads the listener irresistibly into the spirit world of the infinite.”
— E.T.A. Hoffmann, review of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (1810)
Today’s Markets
These are the commodities that move Minot’s economy. See how they’re doing here.
Upcoming Fun
Fun coming up that’s worth knowing about. Scroll for more at SavorMinot.com.
Learning & Listening
126th Annual Christmas Bird Count
Sat. Dec. 27
MinotHappenings | Our Hub for User Submitted Happenings!
Live Music
Logan Cassell
Sat. Dec. 27
BlueRider | Voted North Dakota’s Best Dive Bar!
Let’s Celebrate!
Pie & A Pint | New Year’s Eve Special!
Wed. Dec. 31
Atypical | Stop in & Warm Up With a Great Local Beer!
Today’s Happenings
Taste & Experience
Mule Monday! @StarvingRooster
Mon. Dec. 22
Celebrate Mule Monday at The Starving Rooster in downtown Minot on December 22 with $5 handcrafted Moscow Mules all day long! Don’t miss this delicious way to kick off your week and enjoy a local favorite. #MuleMonday #MinotEats #SavorMinot
Monthly Features
The KOAGIE | December’s Hoagie of the Month @MagicCityHoagies
Mon. Dec. 1 — Wed. Dec. 31
Taste the bold flavors of December’s Hoagie of the Month at Magic City Hoagies—The KOAGIE, a Korean BBQ roast beef hoagie loaded with cheddar, kimchi slaw, and garlic Sriracha aioli. Celebrate the season with this fresh, flavorful sandwich available all month long in downtown Minot! #HoagieLove #MinotEats #SavorMinot
Happy Hour
Pull Tab Happy Hour! @BlueRider
Mon. Dec. 22 — Wed. Dec. 24
Get lucky at Blue Rider’s Pull Tab Happy Hour from Dec. 22-24 in downtown Minot—open a pull tab for a chance to win discounts or free drinks. Don’t miss the daily $7 beer and Fernet shot special, plus free popcorn to keep the good times rolling. #DiveBarDeals #MinotHappyHour #SavorMinot
Sales & Specials
Monday Madness! (Take Out Specials) @NiteTrain
Mon. Dec. 22
Craving a deal? On Monday, Dec. 22, Nite Train Pizza is offering a 16″ pizza for the price of a 12″—dine in or pick up to enjoy this Monday Madness special! #PizzaLovers #MinotEats #SavorMinot
Let’s Celebrate!
Sertoma Christmas in the Park @MinotSertoma
Fri. Nov. 28 — Wed. Dec. 31
Experience the magic of the season at Sertoma Christmas in the Park, lighting up Minot’s Oak Park from November 28 through December 31. Enjoy a beautiful holiday light display perfect for family and friends, open nightly with a $5 per car admission. #MinotHolidays #ChristmasLights #SavorMinot
