Today in Minot

Grab your phone, tablet, or laptop - kick back in the sun - and catch up on everything happening in the Minot area through the June issue of The Communicator! We're excited to share a wide variety of stories including our paricipation in an Agriculture Trade...

A $35 million housing veto that wasn’t meant to be has landed North Dakota’s branches of government in unfamiliar territory. Governor Armstrong calls it a markup error. Legislative Council says it’s legally binding. Attorney General Wrigley insists it’s none of their business. At stake: funding for housing programs, the boundaries of executive power, and whether a special session — costing $65,000 a day — will be needed to sort it all out. Michael Achterling with North Dakota Monitor has the full story.

Team USA left no doubt in Buffalo, dominating Canada 6-1 to reclaim the World Para Ice Hockey Championship. A hat trick from Jack Wallace and standout play from MVP Declan Farmer powered the U.S. to its seventh world title — and second on home ice. Behind the bench was head coach David Hoff, a Bottineau native and former high school coach, now in his sixth season leading the national team. Assistant coach Corey Gorder, also from Bottineau, shared in the moment — a team USA a global win with some North Dakota roots. Daniel Christian Gagne with World Para Ice Hockey has the full story.

For some Minot homeowners near Milla Vista Park, the backyard is starting to feel less like private property and more like an open invitation. Visitors have mistaken the coulee behind their homes for public land — bringing with them trash, fire pits, and the occasional campsite. Residents are pushing back, putting up signs and calling for help. With safety, liability, and basic respect on the line, the conversation now turns to clearer boundaries — and a shared sense of responsibility. Jill Schramm with Minot Daily News has the full story.

For a city already battling low turnout, Minot’s decision to skip early voting in this summer’s mayoral special could make things even tougher. On August 5, voters will need to cast their ballots in person or return an absentee by mail or drop-off—no exceptions, no extensions. The move, prompted by legal deadlines and the special election’s citizen-driven origins, has left some residents frustrated. With polls open just one day, the spotlight now shifts to how many will actually show up. K.L. Collom with The Dakotan has the full story.

Williston voters head to the polls Tuesday with a key choice on the table: keep funding parks through a one percent sales tax or shift the burden back to property owners. Since 2012, the sales tax has helped support local recreation without raising mill levies — a strategy leaders say captures more from out-of-town visitors. With the Area Rec Center nearly paid off, the vote would extend that tax permanently, keeping future projects like golf and ice facilities on track. Polls open 8 a.m. at the ARC board room.

I was figuring out the food activity our 4-H club wanted to do at the next monthly meeting — this was back when I was a club leader.

“Let’s make ice cream in a bag!” the children said.

“We just made ice cream tonight, so maybe we should make something else,” I noted.

“OK, let’s make chocolate ice cream or strawberry ice cream!” they countered.

I think we made pretzel dough in a bag, but we celebrated the year with flavored ice cream with various add-ins at the final meeting.

When you confine the mixing to zipper-top bags, it saves on cleanup.

June is Dairy Month. Hat’s off to the cows that produce about 6.5 gallons of milk per cow daily and the farmers who care for them.

Dairy products include milk, cheese and yogurt. Dairy products provide 13 essential nutrients to nourish our bodies at all stages of our lives.

We all need calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein and other nutrients to maintain our health. Milk is fortified with vitamin D to help build and maintain strong bones and perform many other functions.

In fact, dairy foods provide about half of the calcium and vitamin D consumed by Americans.

Dairy products are fortified with vitamin A to keep our eyes, skin and immune system healthy.

But, what about all those other “milks” on the grocery store shelf? How do they compare to dairy?

Plant-based milks, such as almond, peanut, rice, oat, cashew and others, are not as high in protein. Most of the nutrition they provide has been added. Read and compare the Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient statements on the alternative milk choices. Some alternative beverages cost more, too, and those with nut allergies need to avoid the nut-based milks.

Plant-based beverages provide options for people following a vegetarian or vegan diet. People who are allergic to the protein in dairy milk must avoid it. Ingredient statements carry a “Contains milk” statement to alert people with allergies.

Soy milk is an option for people allergic to the protein in dairy or following a vegetarian diet. It is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids. However, dairy milk typically has more zinc, vitamin B12 and calcium than soy milk. Note that soy protein is also among the nine leading allergens.

Some people are intolerant to the natural sugar, lactose, in milk and may experience gastric issues if they drink milk. Lactose-free milk is available, and tablets are available to help digest milk. People with lactose intolerance may be able to consume small amounts of milk or enjoy milk with meals, according to some research.

Most people, however, can benefit from the unique nutritional profile of milk and the products made from it. Consuming dairy may reduce our risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Researchers have shown that dairy consumption may reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes.

We may reduce our risk of osteoporosis, a bone-weakening disease, by consuming adequate calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus and magnesium conveniently found in dairy products.

Most of us have heard of the “gut microbiome” because that is an area of current research. We need to “feed” the healthy bacteria that reside within us. Fermented dairy products contain live cultures. “Kefir” (a fermented dairy drink) or yogurt supports gut health.

Have you ever made ice cream? It is a lesson in food science and a fun activity for people of all ages. When you mix the milk or cream with sugar and incorporate air through shaking in a bag, you are creating a creamy emulsified mixture.

Adding salt to ice allows the ice to become colder than ice without added salt. When we made ice cream in a bag with our 4-H club, I wrapped the bags in bath towels because they were very cold.

Are you ready to try making your own frozen dessert? This is a lower-fat version of ice cream made with whole milk or half and half, but you could use cream for the full-fat version or reduced-fat milk for a lighter dessert. Try different extract flavors such as mint, green coloring and mini chocolate chips, or try pineapple extract with coconut flakes.

Ice Cream in a Bag for One

½ cup whole milk or half-and-half
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the ingredients in a pint-sized freezer bag and seal the zipper well. In a separate gallon-sized freezer bag, place 4 cups of ice cubes and ½ cup of rock salt (or table salt will work). Place the small bag in the large bag and seal the outer bag. Wrap the bag with a towel or use oven mitts to protect your hands. Shake for at least 5 minutes.

When the ice cream is firm, remove it from the outer bag, place it in a bowl and add toppings such as chopped strawberries – or eat it directly from the small bag.

Makes one serving. When made with whole milk, each serving has 130 calories, 4 grams (g) fat, 4 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate and 55 milligrams sodium.

(Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., R.D., L.R.D., is a North Dakota State University Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.)

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NDSU Agriculture Communication – June 5, 2025

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working on shoring up Garrison Dam’s spillway, which is used to release water from Lake Sakakawea when water levels are high. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., announced in a news release Friday that the Corps was spending $24 million for...

In Ellendale, North Dakota — a town of just 1,100 people — something big is happening. A $7 billion lease deal with an artificial intelligence firm has transformed the quiet prairie into a power-hungry hub of high-performance computing. Applied Digital’s sprawling campus now hosts CoreWeave, an AI company fueling generative tech that demands hundreds of megawatts. For locals, it’s a mix of excitement and unease — a new chapter that brings jobs, housing, and growth, but also questions about identity, energy, and what it means to welcome the future. Peyton Haug with InForum has the full story.