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Two die in crash at Harvey

HARVEY – Two Harvey residents died in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Highways 52 and 3 at Harvey Tuesday, Nov. 3. According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, at about 5:07 p.m., a Mack truck was traveling west on Highway 3. A Dodge Caravan was stopped at the intersection of Highways 3 and 52. The Dodge proceeded forward, failing to yield to the truck and the truck struck the Dodge. The driver of the Dodge, a 66-year-old Harvey woman, and a passenger in the Dodge, a 28-year-old Harvey man, died at the scene. The driver of the Mack truck, a 40-year-old man from Jordan, ...

Election turnout hits new low

There were 16,645 voters in Ward County who cast ballots in the 2026 General Election, for a turnout rate of 31.79%. The statewide turnout was 39.8%. According to the North Dakota Secretary of State, eligible North Dakota voters cast 239,057 ballots during the 2026 General Election as reported on election night, marking the lowest voter turnout in a general election in North Dakota in the last 50 years. The previous low of 43% was set in the 2022 General Election. Ward County’s turnout in the last mid-term election in 2022 was 33.13%. It had been the lowest turnout in at least 20 ...

Past month had above average temp

The past month of October had an average temperature of 46.3 degrees which is 2.3 degrees above the 119-year, long-term average of 44 degrees, according to Austin Kraklau of the North Central Research Extension Center, south of Minot. He said the lowest temperature of the month was 21 degrees, which occurred on Oct. 27, and the high was 74 degrees on both Oct. 6 and Oct. 10. The total moisture for the month was 0.89 inches which is 0.2 inches below the long-term average of 1.09 inches, according to Kraklau. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 8 a.m., 0.31-inch of moisture was recorded at the NCREC ...

USDA announces food buy to support producers

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced its intent to purchase up to $472.5 million in American-grown and American-raised agricultural commodities to distribute to the charitable food network and other nutrition assistance programs. "America's farmers, ranchers, and fishermen grow and harvest the safest, highest-quality food in the world, and President Trump is making sure their hard work is being rewarded," said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on Thursday, Oct. 29. “Today's $472.5 million investment moves American milk, cheese, lentils, almonds, ...

CHI St. Alexius, Altru finalize agreement

BISMARCK – CommonSpirit Health and Altru Health System have signed a definitive agreement for CHI St. Alexius Health in Bismarck, Turtle Lake and Garrison to join Altru Health System. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, pending regulatory review and customary closing conditions. The agreement follows a non-binding letter of intent announced earlier this year. It builds on an established relationship between the organizations, including their work together in Devils Lake, and reflects a shared commitment to sustaining access to high-quality care in North Dakota, ...

MACF announces October grant awards

The Minot Area Community Foundation has announced a historic month of giving, with $926,347 in funding awards approved by its board of directors in October 2026. This marks the largest monthly funding total in the foundation's history. These funds represent a combination of donor-advised distributions and grants supporting nonprofits, charitable organizations and community initiatives throughout the region. “We are absolutely thrilled to see this record-breaking amount of funding going to organizations throughout our region,” said Jason Zimmerman, president of the Minot Area ...