Today in Minot

WASHINGTON–Oct. 21, 2025 - National Geographic today unveiled its annual list of the 25 most awe-inspiring, meaningful and immersive travel experiences for the upcoming year. From Rwandan safaris to the Moroccan oases, this year’s edition of BEST OF THE WORLD encourages readers to rethink how they...

(Bismarck, ND) – The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) has released its monthly airline passenger report for the state’s eight commercial service airports. In September 2025, North Dakota airports recorded 103,559 passenger boardings, setting a new all-time high for the month of September. This surpasses the...

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong today appointed West Fargo School District Business Manager Levi Bachmeier to serve as North Dakota’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction, citing his strong track record of supporting innovation and accountability in the K-12 education system. “Levi has established himself as...

Minot police officers will soon use a private platform to manage their off-duty work, ending the city’s direct role in coordinating and paying for those shifts. Under a new agreement, the Texas-based company RollKall will handle scheduling and payments for security jobs at local events, from hockey games to concerts. Officers will now work as independent contractors instead of city employees for those hours — a change aimed at easing administrative burdens and addressing federal pay compliance concerns. Sebastian Mendoza with KX News has the full story.

A proposal to loosen how Minot spends its first-penny sales tax dollars failed at Monday night’s City Council meeting. The plan would have let the city redirect a portion of the 15% set aside for economic development toward flood control or property tax relief. It passed on first reading but fell 3–4 on the second, with Mayor Mark Jantzer flipping his vote. The decision leaves a nearly $1 million gap in the 2026 general fund — and renewed frustration over budget flexibility. Jill Schramm with Minot Daily News has the full story.

A North Dakota ranching family known for turning tough ground into thriving grassland has earned one of the nation’s top conservation honors. Brian and Vicki Maddock of Maddock have been named recipients of the 2025 Leopold Conservation Award, recognizing decades of work restoring soil and reshaping their 4,000-acre ranch through rotational grazing and regenerative practices. What began as a financial pivot in the 1990s has become a model for how working lands can rebuild themselves — and sustain the families who depend on them. Michael Standaert with North Dakota News Cooperative has the full story.

A federally funded wildlife research center in North Dakota has been targeted for layoffs, putting its survival in question. The Interior Department plans to cut 28 of the 40 positions at the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, a court document indicates. John Bradley, executive...

Saturday’s Dakota Marker showdown has everything you’d want in a college football rivalry — No. 1 vs. No. 2, playoff implications, and a quarterback question that could shift the balance. South Dakota State’s Chase Mason is listed day-to-day after leaving last week’s game with an ankle injury, but his presence — or absence — looms large over the matchup with North Dakota State. The winner takes command of the FCS playoff race, bragging rights in the Dakotas, and maybe a path to the national title.Mike McFeely with InForum has the full story.

The Des Lacs-Burlington Lakers are heading into the postseason with confidence earned the hard way. After a 7-2 regular season — their fifth seven-win campaign in a decade — the Lakers face seventh-seeded Dickinson Trinity in Saturday’s first-round matchup. DLB has proven tough under pressure, winning all four of its one-score games this year. Head coach Taylor Teske says that resilience could be their edge now, as a team that’s learned to battle back looks to make a deeper playoff run. John Jacklin with KMOT has the full story.

A new threat has quietly surfaced in Minnesota’s soybean fields. Red crown rot — a soilborne fungus that attacks roots and leaves — has been confirmed in the state for the first time. The discovery stunned researchers, who aren’t sure how it arrived from Missouri without appearing in neighboring states. There’s no cure, and its spread remains a mystery. For now, scientists plan to use the winter months to study the fungus and prepare farmers for what could come next spring. Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval with MPR has the full story.

Only in Oregon could racing across a lake in a hollowed-out pumpkin be considered a serious sport. But for Gary Kristensen — this year’s “Elf”-costumed champion of the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta — it’s more than fun and spectacle. The longtime competitor paddled his 936-pound gourd to victory in Tualatin, where costumed racers, forklifts, and soggy fans turned a gray weekend into pure autumn joy. For Kristensen and fellow growers, it’s part tradition, part obsession — and all pumpkin-powered pride. Claire Rush with Associated Press has the full story.

As Alberta’s teachers’ strike enters a third week, pressure is mounting on both sides — and the provincial government is signaling it may soon step in. Premier Danielle Smith says teachers can “fully expect” back-to-work legislation if classrooms remain closed when lawmakers return next week. Critics warn that move could deepen the divide, leaving teachers feeling unheard and key issues like class size unresolved. With 750,000 students still out of school, the standoff is testing patience — and political resolve — across the province.

For the first time in recorded history, mosquitoes have arrived in Iceland — a country once famous for being bug-free. The discovery of three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes this month marks more than an entomological curiosity; it’s a signal of a warming world reshaping even the coldest corners of the planet. Scientists say the insects likely won’t be leaving, thanks to rising temperatures that make survival possible — another reminder that climate change is rewriting the boundaries of nature itself. Kristin Toussaint with Fast Company has the full story.

When a frustrated parent took to social media to complain about an unreturned email from her child’s teacher, something surprising happened — the internet didn’t pile on. Instead, parents filled the comments with empathy and perspective, reminding everyone how chaotic the first week of school can be. That exchange anchors educator Ms. Jackson’s reflection on what happens when families and teachers meet each other with understanding — and how classrooms thrive when both sides see themselves on the same team. Read the full commentary on the potential in parent-teacher partnerships at EdSurge.

After decades of warning parents to keep peanuts away from babies, new research confirms that early exposure may have been the key all along. A decade after pediatricians reversed course and began recommending peanut products for infants, cases of peanut allergy in young children have dropped by more than 40%, according to a new Pediatrics study. Researchers say the data shows the policy shift is paying off — and may finally be slowing the nation’s long rise in childhood food allergies. Bill Chappell with NPR has the full story.