Would you consider adding a tiny home in your backyard or a small apartment above a detached garage? While many would say yes, there’s a good chance that your city’s zoning law prohibits or restricts your ability to do so. In Durango, Colorado, they relaxed the laws and saw an increase in affordable housing. In
Read & Share sourced from: CityLab
Equal and available parking for all the cars in all the places all the time! I don’t remember the street protest and social activism that secured this ‘right’ for us, but there’s no doubt that the wheels of government drove us straight to our current state of parking utopia. Through on-street parking in front of
Read & Share sourced from: City Observatory
As oil production grows and investments and production in the Bakken stabilize, demand for housing and all the other amenities that accompany a quality life increase. In Watford City and Williston, they remain in the midst of a surge in demand for all these things, but they’re still finding the supply behind. Check out this
Read & Share sourced from: Williston HeraldIf you’re a regular or casual reader of TheMinotVoice, you’ve probably caught coverage of beer-related issues. It’s an ongoing topic because when valued as an integral part of a local economy; the returns are measurable. Here’s a smattering of recent stories relevant to the topic. Mandan Bar Owner Wins Appeal to Keep Mural A mural
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Cover image credit to Prairie Sky Breads, find them on their website or on Facebook here. As more of our civic discourse moves online, we become less connected to our communities and real people — unless you frequent a local library, bakery, cafe, or bar. And it’s where we live in relation to these amenities
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There aren’t many days that go by that there isn’t a story about a new coal-fired power plant being decommissioned. We lost one in North Dakota last year; yesterday, there was a story out of Estevan on final dates for their plants. Since 2010, nearly 300 of these plants have closed across the country? Political
Read & Share sourced from: NPR
Recycling. It’s been a regular topic of conversation in Minot recently. People — this writer included — want to see us be better stewards of the environment. Others — this writer included — aren’t sure we should be making big public investments in an industry that’s being turned upside down. Where’s it all going to
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The ripples of health care policy are constantly bouncing around in our lives, and among the bigger trends shaping rural landscapes are the loss of rural hospitals and near access to healthcare. NPR has both sides of the story — patients and providers — on the challenges facing health care in places like Minot. One
Read & Share sourced from: NPR
The cities of Fargo and West Fargo are putting $400k apiece along with $4 million from the private sector toward the Fueling Our Future initiative spearheaded by the chamber of commerce and economic development corporation. While specific projects aren’t outlined, the focus will be on workforce development and quality of life projects. The goal —
Read & Share sourced from: InForum
In a world headed towards less carbon-based energy, what do you do with a coal-fired power plant that’s nearing the end of its service life but still has a viable energy distribution network surrounding it? If you’re the Saskatchewan Legislature, the answer is to start talking transitions and alternatives and one that gets mentioned early
Read & Share sourced from: Estevan MercuryWhat does Minot have in common with a West Virginia former coal town? Like all towns, we’re all struggling to create a unique identity and make ourselves attractive to both those in migration and our rising youth. In other words, our fight to survive is the point in common. Few places have felt the urgency
Read & Share sourced from: Yes!
The latest casualty to our cultural retail reorganization — Dressbarn. The national retailer that operates 650 stores across the country announced it will be closing all stores. Minot’s store at Dakota Square Mall is included on that list. Get the full story from the Grand Forks Herald including comments from comments from the Grand Forks
Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald
When it comes to liquor, the City of Minneapolis chose to take a step back and do a little deregulating. As a step of confirmation, they offered the idea to the citizens through a city charter change; the public supported it overwhelmingly (72% yes). And now, in the first season that restaurants were offered the
Read & Share sourced from: Star Tribune
If you were running a business and your customer base went from 70% of the population to 50% of the population, what would you do? That’s the environment churches find themselves in over the past 20 years. Lloyd Omdahl writing an opinion piece for Forum Communications has more on the topic.
Read & Share sourced from: InForum
Property taxes — we all hate them. Naturally, as a result of our disdain, we seek to remove that which we don’t like. This attitude is prevalent in North Dakota. In the past, we’ve voted down initiated measures that sought to eliminate property tax; in the recently closed legislative session, the House killed a bill
Read & Share sourced from: Los Angeles Times
It’s the place where everything’s flat — except the beer! It’s part of Fargo’s effort to capture and celebrate beer, food, and dining as part of the culture and an attraction for the region. Get the full story on what seems like an obvious win for the tourism department from the Fargo Forum.
Read & Share sourced from: InForum