Hope to hear more from young candidates

September 13, 2025

Patricia Marquard, Minot This letter should have been written a long time ago. Procrastination is the excuse. It is never too late to recognize leadership in the younger generation. Josiah Roise ran an excellent campaign for the mayor position in Minot. Jantzer, the winning candidate, had exposure and years of experience. I was very impressed with Josaih’s platform, especially his key points on fiscal responsibility in local government. I hope we see and hear more from him in regards to local government and involvement in community affairs.

Military street patrols should not be normal

August 30, 2025

Bob McNamara, Upham Ever notice how things become normal incrementally. Paying for checked baggage was unheard of until it became normal. Wearing seat belts was unheard of when I was young but is now normal. These things happened in small increments over time until we just accepted them as normal. I wonder if we are now seeing another thing become normal. The US is a country where police, not the military, have always enforced the law. When I see the military patrolling city streets I think of third world countries. Maybe communist countries or socialist countries but not free ...

Thank you to local representative

August 23, 2025

Debra Zavada, Wolford On May 13, 2025, bad actors on the dark web hacked my North Dakota Teachers’ Fund for Retirement account and were able to have my June 1st pension sent to Green Dot Bank. I discovered this on June 2. The North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office was unable to recover my funds. So, I filed a claim with the ND Office of Management and Budget for these funds. This claim was originally denied. Thanks to the help of state representative Jon Nelson and the director of the ND OMB, Joe Morrissette, I did receive these funds this past week. Lesson learned: ...

Why voting matters in mayoral election

August 2, 2025

Miranda Schuler, Minot When most people think of elections, their minds jump to Washington, D.C. But the truth is, some of the most critical decisions that shape our lives happen right here at home. On Tuesday, August 5th, Minot voters will choose the city’s next mayor in a special election. And while it may not come with the glitz of a national race, this election will have a direct impact on our everyday lives — from how we address public safety and flood protection to the way we invest in local businesses, neighborhoods, and quality of life here in Minot. Yet historically, ...

Legislators must address frozen education funding

July 26, 2025

Bob Valeu, Bismarck Over $25 million in education funding for North Dakota has been recklessly frozen by the U.S. Department of Education. These funds provide critical support for over 100 after-school programs, essential teacher training, and academic support for students across the state. School Districts are in limbo. They have been informed that they will have to use local dollars at their own risk, as federal reimbursement isn’t guaranteed. Unfortunately, our Republican supermajority seems unbothered by this funding emergency. They either don’t care how this will impact ...

When compromise becomes collapse

July 19, 2025

Tony Koons, Bottineau What do you do when the house is on fire — and the firefighters decide to wait until after the next election to turn on the hose? That’s exactly what it feels like watching the Democratic Party roll over for the so-called “Big Beautiful Budget Bill,” a piece of legislation that doesn’t just cut funding. It amputates core functions of the federal government: healthcare, education, environmental protections, veterans’ services, FEMA, the DOJ. Programs that keep people alive, safe, and supported have been slashed or sabotaged, all in the name of ...