Today in Minot

For years, teachers have warned that smartphones are hijacking students’ attention — and now, the data backs them up. A new national survey of more than 20,000 educators finds that schools with stricter cellphone policies report happier teachers and more engaged students. The closer the phones are to home — or locked away in lockers — the better the results. Researchers say it’s not about willpower but environment: if the distraction’s in your pocket, focus doesn’t stand a chance. Emily Tate Sullivan with EdSurge has the full story.

For drivers in northeast Minot, the wait — and the detours — are finally over. The Third Street NE bridge, an 80-year-old span that’s been under repair for months, is once again open to full traffic. Crews tackled everything from cracked concrete to lighting upgrades, giving the old bridge a much-needed tune-up. City engineers say the work addresses the most pressing issues, but more improvements may be on the horizon as inspections continue to guide future maintenance plans. Joe Skurzewski with KMOT has the full story.

College hockey is on the brink of its biggest transformation in decades. For the first time in more than 45 years, players from Canada’s top junior leagues — the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL — are eligible to play NCAA hockey, flooding rosters with new talent and rewriting the sport’s balance of power. Coaches call it a “paradigm shift,” with some 200 former major junior players joining U.S. programs this season. The result? Faster play, deeper rosters, and a season that could redefine college hockey’s future.

Sometimes a harsh critique can steer a life’s work in an entirely new direction. When a professor told a young Walter Piehl his landscapes were “lame and insipid,” the Minot artist turned his brush toward what he knew best — the rodeo. Sixty years later, Piehl’s vibrant, motion-filled paintings of cowboys and broncs have become synonymous with North Dakota art. His retrospective at The Rourke in Moorhead celebrates that journey — from humble beginnings to a vivid chronicle of the modern American West. If you’re in the Fargo area sometime soon, check the article from John Lam and Inforum to get details on when to stop in.

The best infill housing, says Regina planner Bill Neher, is the kind you hardly notice — a new home that feels like it’s always been part of the block. That’s the inspiration behind the City of Regina’s Finding Middle Ground design competition, which challenges architects and dreamers alike to rethink “missing middle” housing — duplexes, townhomes, and small apartments that fit naturally into older neighborhoods. The goal: to blend creativity with character, adding density without disrupting the spirit of the streets residents already love.

Missoula is rewriting the rules on where people can live. The city’s draft zoning code clears the path for over 20,000 new housing units to meet demand through 2045—a dramatic shift for a city where 82% of residential land currently allows only single-family homes and duplexes. Under the proposal, apartments would be permitted in 89% of residential areas, and “missing middle” housing like triplexes would fill in the gaps. It’s a wholesale reimagining of growth, streamlining 38 zoning districts down to 22 and responding to both state mandates and community input as the city prepares for 37,000 new residents. Katie Fairbanks with Montana Free Press has the full story.

Two of America’s biggest meat producers are paying up but not admitting guilt. Minnesota-based Cargill and Tyson Foods have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing them of fixing U.S. beef prices — $32.5 million from Cargill and $55 million from Tyson. The case claims the companies deliberately limited supply to drive up costs for consumers between 2014 and 2019. While they deny wrongdoing, the settlements don’t close the book — claims against JBS USA and National Beef Packing are still moving forward. Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval with MPR has the full story.

Ukraine woke Thursday to another night of devastation and resilience. Russian forces launched one of their largest mixed strikes in months — 465 drones and 32 missiles — aimed squarely at Ukraine’s energy grid as winter approaches. Air defenses intercepted most, but deadly fragments still found their mark, killing at least six people, including a child, and injuring dozens more. Cities like Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia endured fresh blackouts and damage, reminders that even as defenses grow stronger, the human toll of this war continues to mount. Martin Fornusek with The Kyiv Independent has the full story.

A new chapter in North Dakota’s industrial story may soon be written in iron and natural gas. North American Iron plans to build a $2 billion, 730-acre pig iron plant in Minot — the first of its kind in the United States. Founder Jim Bougalis says the state’s abundant gas supply, business-friendly climate, and carbon storage potential sealed the deal. The project could create 650 jobs in North Dakota and help shift the U.S. steel industry away from reliance on imports from Russia and Brazil. Jill Schramm with Minot Daily News has the full story.

“What’s your least favorite vegetable and why?” our produce safety workshop leader asked. We were at the workshop to help people produce and process fresh fruits and vegetables safely, and we had a little fun with this icebreaker. “My least favorite vegetable is beets, because they...