Today in Minot

Soon, North Dakota’s landscapes will shimmer with golden sunflower blooms — and now travelers have a roadmap to find them. The state’s 2025 Sunflower Field Map highlights more than 20 locations where visitors can admire this vibrant symbol of North Dakota’s agricultural roots and Ukrainian heritage....

A patch of county land near Minot’s Holiday Village Mobile Home Park has become an unauthorized homeless encampment, and local officials say rising crime has forced action. Sheriff Bob Roed told commissioners that recent investigations revealed outstanding warrants and a registered sex offender among those camped there, raising safety concerns for nearby residents. This week, Ward County’s commission gave initial approval to an ordinance that would allow authorities to clear such encampments. Lindsey Miller with KMOT has the full story.

At a time when reliable local information feels more precious than ever, Prairie Public faces a sharp financial blow. With North Dakota’s congressional delegation — Kevin Cramer, John Hoeven, and Julie Fedorchak — backing a federal bill that would slash funding for public broadcasting, Prairie Public stands to lose roughly a quarter of its budget. Though these same leaders praise its work, they argue federal support no longer makes sense. Prairie Public now begins a difficult reckoning: how to serve North Dakotans with far fewer resources.

Delta Airlines is about to make shopping for flights even murkier: soon, 20% of its fares will be set by AI-driven “surveillance pricing,” tailoring prices to what you — personally — seem willing to pay. It’s a step beyond dynamic pricing, using your data to quietly charge different rates for the same seat. And it’s spreading. Some states, like New York, are pushing for transparency, but critics warn disclosure alone won’t protect consumers in a world where every click could cost you more. Pat Garofalo writing on his Substack Boondoggle has the full story.

What if the most valuable properties in your city aren’t the biggest or newest — but the ones hiding in plain sight? In Austin, Minnesota, a value-per-acre analysis conducted by Urban3 is flipping assumptions and exposing the surprising ways different parts of town shape the city’s...

Minot and other local governments are feeling the squeeze from a new state mandate capping property tax increases at 3%. City Manager Harold Stewart says the cuts needed to stay under the cap — from staff reductions to deferred equipment and infrastructure projects — will catch up quickly, with deeper impacts expected by 2028. Leaders from the city, schools, parks, and county all echoed a similar refrain: this cap may be politically popular, but its practical consequences are already starting to bite. Jill Shramm with Minot Daily News has the full story.

Next month, Camp Atterbury in Indiana will host a new kind of Top Gun: a high-stakes training ground for military drone pilots mastering first-person kamikaze drones—the kind that have reshaped the battlefield in Ukraine. The Pentagon is leaning hard into this technology, aiming for what it calls “American drone dominance,” but the path isn’t simple. From supply chains reliant on Chinese components to the challenge of replicating real-world combat conditions, U.S. officials know they have catching up to do—and they’re looking to Ukraine’s hard-earned experience for guidance. Patrick Tucker with Defense One has the full story.

North Dakota’s schools are heading into a new era this fall: bell-to-bell cell phone bans. From Casselton to Devils Lake, superintendents like Morgan Forness and Ned Clooten are working out the logistics — where to store phones, how to manage exceptions, and how to enforce the rules fairly. The goal behind this law is clear: reduce distractions, encourage focus, and improve mental health. But as administrators acknowledge, it will take time — and plenty of cooperation from parents and students — to make the transition stick. Ryan McNamara with InForum has the full story.

Seventy years ago, Disneyland opened its gates—and promptly melted in the California sun. Asphalt stuck to shoes, water fountains didn’t work, and rides broke down, but Walt Disney’s bold vision endured. From that messy first day, Disneyland transformed amusement parks into clean, family-friendly destinations designed for joy at any age. Today, with 12 parks worldwide and billions in annual revenue, Disneyland remains a testament to imagination, reinvention, and the lesson that getting better matters more than getting it perfect the first time. Shannon Cudd with Fast Company has the full story.