Today in Minot

Some North Dakota communities are becoming more familiar with the rush to consider farms linked to industrial agriculture. Residents assisting with pushback describe the possibility of towns no longer looking the same if projects go through. North Dakota currently has nearly one-hundred licensed Concentrated Animal Feeding...

For drivers in Minot, it’s been a long summer of detours and delays — but 16th Street Southwest is finally open again. The $11.4 million project rebuilt aging infrastructure, added stormwater ponds, and upgraded traffic signals along one of the city’s busiest corridors. After months of rain delays and rerouting, commuters are back to their usual paths, shaving minutes off their drives and frustrations off their days. The last few touches — lights and signals — will wrap up before winter sets in. Lindsey Miller with KMOT has the full story.

Medora is preparing for a transformation. Construction crews are busy reshaping roads and infrastructure ahead of next summer’s opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library — a project expected to turn the small Badlands town into a year-round destination. The July 4, 2026 opening will coincide with America’s 250th anniversary, bringing visitors, dignitaries, and new energy to the community. Local businesses are gearing up, hopeful that the once-seasonal rhythm of Medora will evolve into a steady beat of activity through every season. Michael Standaert with North Dakota News Cooperative has the full story.

A committee of North Dakota lawmakers this week began sifting through an ocean of recommendations for how to spend a $500 million federal rural health care grant as the state races to meet a Nov. 5 application deadline. The state will have a number of complex...

Wyoming wildlife officials have confirmed another case of chronic wasting disease — a deadly illness that affects elk, deer, and moose — this time in elk hunt area 116 near the Black Hills. The discovery expands the footprint of a disease that’s been creeping across the region for years. So far, only one infected elk has been found, but Game and Fish officials are urging hunters to help track its spread by submitting samples from their harvests for testing. Staff with Oil City News has the full story.

A major new study is giving parents one more reason to rethink how much time kids spend online. Published in JAMA, the research followed more than 6,000 children starting at age nine and found a clear link between heavier social media use and lower scores in reading, memory, and listening comprehension two years later. While the findings don’t suggest kids should avoid social media entirely, they do point to a growing reality: the more time spent scrolling, the less attention and language ability seem to grow. Taylor Hatmaker with Fast Company has the full story.

Bismarck’s long-running debate over backyard chickens is finally coming to a head. City commissioners will vote tonight on whether to let residents keep hens within city limits — a decision that’s divided the community almost evenly. The proposal would allow up to six hens, housed in secure coops behind a six-foot fence, while also removing setback rules for rural-edge properties. It’s a small issue with big feelings attached, as residents weigh urban order against the appeal of fresh eggs and a touch of farm life.

Japan is facing an unusually early flu season, with health officials declaring a nationwide epidemic weeks before winter’s usual arrival. More than 6,000 cases have been reported, forcing over 100 school closures and filling hospitals—especially with young patients. Researchers point to factors like climate shifts, global travel, and weakened immunity after the pandemic as possible causes. While experts say the outbreak isn’t expected to spark a global pandemic, it could influence flu patterns across Northern climates in the months ahead. Rachel Fieldhouse with Nature has the full story.

Former scientists are warning that sweeping layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have left the agency without much of its leadership or expertise. More than 600 employees were cut over the weekend, part of a larger reduction in force ordered by the Trump administration during the ongoing federal budget shutdown. The firings affected specialists in areas such as measles, child health, and Ebola response. Health officials later called some terminations a “coding error,” though former employees dispute that explanation.

For the first time in nearly 50 years, the U.S. Army is returning to nuclear power — but on a much smaller scale. The newly announced Janus Program aims to build the Army’s first microreactor by 2027, capable of keeping bases running even if the power grid fails. Backed by the Department of Energy, the plan marks a major step toward energy independence for the military. Supporters see it as innovation in motion; critics warn it’s a high-stakes experiment with nuclear ambitions. Thomas Novelly with Defense One has the full story.

In firefighting, seconds count — and the right tools can make the difference between rescue and tragedy. Thanks to a donation from Hess Corporation, the Minot Fire Department is upgrading its thermal imaging cameras, a vital tool for finding hidden fires and missing people. The new devices can switch between multiple modes — from search and rescue to crash response — giving crews sharper eyes in the darkest, smokiest moments. For a $27,000 investment, Minot gains something priceless: a clearer view when lives are on the line. Jack Meyer with KX News has the full story.

North of Minot, the RCMP is taking flight with a new kind of border security test. Over the next several days, law enforcement in southern Manitoba will use restricted airspace between the Tolstoi port of entry and the International Peace Garden to test a range of drone systems. The project is part of Canada’s RPAS Corridor initiative — an effort to explore how remotely piloted aircraft can safely and effectively patrol stretches of the 5,500-mile Canada–U.S. border. The trial runs through October 25.

Ohio’s energy future is at a crossroads — and the battleground is old coal mines and brownfields. Lawmakers designed House Bill 15 to open these sites for renewable development, but a tangle of local restrictions still stands in the way. One-third of Ohio’s counties have bans on wind or solar, and whether those bans apply to reclaimed land now depends on how regulators interpret a few key words. The coming months will reveal whether clean energy can truly take root where fossil fuels once ruled. Kathiann M. Kowalski with Canary Media has the full story.