Unheralded

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. Miami University

The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team advanced to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff next weekend at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul with a 7-1 win over Miami University in clinching the best-of-three quarterfinal series. The Fighting Hawks (26-10-2) defeated the RedHawks ( 7-26-3) 5-1 on Friday night. UND gained the conference semifinals for fourth …


Unheralded

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. Miami University

The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team won the opening game of their National Collegiate Hockey Conference Quarterfinal series with Miami University 5-1 on Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Freshman goalie Hobie Hedquist stepped in for starter Ludvig Persson to lead the Fighting Hawks (25-10-2) over RedHawks (7-25-3). Hedquist stopped 23 shots in covering for Persson, who was …


JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Thin Ice

OK, Doug Burgum, this time you’re on thin ice with me. It’s that time of year. The ice is getting thinner and thinner. but YOUR ice is really thin right now. This past summer, you used your thick billfold to try to become president by offering to send $20 gift cards to anyone sending you a dollar, so you could …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Little Missouri Bridge Work Halted; Judge: ‘Taking Property By Eminent Domain Is An Odious … Process’

“The crux of this case is the preservation of the untouched and dramatic beauty of the Shorts’ property in the North Dakota Bad Lands while the underlying legal issues are resolved. Theodore Roosevelt once described this area in compelling terms: ”From the edges of the valley the land rises abruptly in steep high buttes, whose crests are sharp and jagged. …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. Western Michigan University

The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team won its sixth Penrose Cup with a 3-0 victory over the  Western Michigan University in National Collegiate Hockey Conference play Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The No. 3 Fighting Hawks (24-8-2 overall, 15-6-1 NCHC) received goals from Louis Jamernik V, Jackson Blake and Owen McLaughlin and a 35-save shutout from goalie …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. Western Michigan University

The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team skated to a 5-3 National Collegiate Hockey Conference win over the Western Michigan University on Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena as it closed in on its sixth Penrose Cup. The No. 3 Fighting Hawks (23-8-2 overall, 14-6-1 NCHC) can clinch the title with a win tonight against the Huskies (18-12-1 overall, …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — A Leap Of Faith

My appreciation for Leap Day changed dramatically eight years ago when my mother’s earthly journey ended on Feb 29. The last years of her life were at times a living hell for her, as she battled the most horrific form of Alzheimer’s I’ve ever seen, robbing her of the dignity that defined her life, even as she was still aware …

CHEF JEFF: One Byte At A Time — Mushrooms With Potatoes And Onions

Mushrooms and onions are a good combination when sauteed in butter or olive oil. Add some potatoes to the mix along with coconut milk and you have a pretty delicious entree. This dish would  pair up nicely with just about any meat that you would like. Or if you prefer, a stand-alone meatless meal, which is the way I had …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. University Of Minnesota-Duluth

Jackson Blake scored a goal and added four assists to lead the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team to a 6-0 National Collegiate Hockey Conference win over the University of Minnesota-Duluth on Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Cameron Berg also chipped in two goals and an assist for the Fighting Hawks (21-8-2 overall, 12-6-1 NCHC). Also scoring goals …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — George Santos, Meet Tammy Miller

In the Bismarck Tribune about North Dakota Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller’s announcement that she was running for governor this past week. Tribune reporter Jacob Fulton wrote this: Miller touted her childhood “cleaning toilets and stocking shelves” at the family lumber and hardware business in Brocket; she also said she “defended the store from robbers with her shotgun.” Now I had …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Crabs and Algorithms; Here’s A Shopping List

I said the other day I was going to stick to writing about King Crab Legs. So here goes. OK, Facebook, OK! I like King Crab Legs! You know that, just like you know a hundred other things about me. But did you have to tell every fish house in America? OK, so now I know, for sure, where I …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Billings County Voters Might Get To Vote On The Bridge

The North Dakota Secretary of State’s office says it is OK for Billings County residents to vote in June on whether they want their County Commission to use its power of eminent domain to take land for a road and bridge across the Little Missouri State Scenic River. The vote would not be binding on the commissioners or the bridge’s …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Oops; Maybe Nobody Was Listening After All

This past week, I wrote a story in this space that said the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party had apparently been the victim of electronic eavesdropping after a device that might have been a “bug” was found in a door frame at the party’s former headquarters, the North Dakota Kennedy Center. Turns out that I and several members of the Kennedy …

JIM THIELMAN: Bucket Lists? We Don’t Need No Stinking Bucket Lists

It was pure genius when the crooner who said, “I don’t really like any kind of work” created the grandfather of all golf tournaments. Bing Crosby’s golf tournament was unlike any other. In the 1960s, A-list celebrities like Bob Hope, Danny Thomas and Glen Campbell brought in television sponsorship money, which brought the “The Crosby” and the Pacific Ocean to …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — King Crab Legs; No, Really

I am a sucker for seafood. No, wait, let me shorten that sentence. I am a sucker. You’d think by now, at my ripe old age, I’d know to be mindful of the old saying “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” In my case, I’d change “probably” to “definitely.” I got scammed. Really, really scammed. …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. University Of Denver

The No. 5-ranked University of North Dakota men’s hockey team handed No. 4 University of Denver a 4-2 defeat in National Collegiate Hockey Conference play Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena and in doing so completed a weekend sweep. UND won Friday night’s contest 5-2. The win for the Fighting Hawks (18-6-2 overall, 9-4-1 NCHC) solidified their first-place standing in …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. University Of Denver

The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team, ranked fifth in the nation, defeated No. 4 University of Denver 5-2 in National Collegiate Hockey Conference play Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Five different players — Dylan James, Griffin Ness, Jackson Blake, Cameron Berg and Ben Strinden — scored for the Fighting Hawks (17-6-2 overall, 8-4-1 NCHC), who took sole …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — The Future Of The Bad Lands Is In The Hands Of A Judge

The only thing we know for sure after Monday morning’s court hearing on the proposed bridge over the Little Missouri State Scenic River is that the bridge is not going to get built before March 1. U.S. District Judge Dan Traynor made sure of that because he’s not going to issue a decision on whether he’s going to grant a …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 11

Our last full day on the ship started early. Very early. Around 4 a.m., both Janel and I woke up when a series of swells and waves covered our window on the fourth floor of the ship. Later, I heard that it did the same for people on the fifth floor. This is a huge ship. That was a huge …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 10

Our time on the continent was over, so we set out to once again to  cross the Drake Passage, which takes two days. We had been forewarned that our trip across was average, but the return trip would be the Drake shake. I spent most of the morning birdwatching. I was particularly interested in the albatross species that were flying …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 9

Today was the day that I had been thinking about and debating over since I first decided to take this cruise to Antarctica: the day of the polar plunge. When thinking about jumping into the water, I knew I could not do it, not out of fear but out of solid sense of safety. The form of asthma I have …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 8

Sometimes the best laid  plans don’t pan out and even better plans take their place. That is what transpired today. The intent had been to land at a site and do quite a steep walk to the top of a vista where there would’ve been many many Chinstrap penguins and had yet another chance to get a good workout in …

CHEF JEFF: One Byte At A Time — Cabbage Sauerkraut Soup

The combination of cabbage and sauerkraut might seem like a cruciferous overkill to some, but to those who are aficionados of superfoods, that would be right up their alley. The following soup recipe has both cabbage and sauerkraut, as well as several other vegetables including carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, some of my favorites. So when I spotted it on the …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. University Of Nebraska-Omaha

The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team once again came up short in overtime, dropping a 5-4 National Collegiate Hockey Conference decision to the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Hawks (14-6-1 overall, 5-4-0 NCHC) blew three leads in the game to the Mavericks (11-6-2 overall, 4-4-1 NCHC) before dropping their fourth straight …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, The Campout

When I first begin to explore going on a cruise to Antarctica, I read about the opportunity to go camping on the continent. Of course, every fiber of my outdoor being hoped and prayed that I would be able to take advantage of such a unique and incredible opportunity. However I was fully aware that because of conditions and limited …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 6

After a superb sleep, which I can’t help but think was the result of a nice hot tub and sauna before bed in Antarctic temperatures, we woke up a bit more leisurely than we had in the past few days because our cruise around Port Lockroy wasn’t until the second grouping. I’ve had a few questions about clothing and temperature, …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Anybody Need A New Tent Or Vacuum Cleaner Or Pool Table?

This space can get awfully discouraging much of the time, as I go after oil barons and county commissioners and politicians and other bad guys, and most of my friends will tell you pessimism is not generally my demeanor, so I continually go looking for things to get me back on the “sunny side of life.” From time to time, …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 5

I woke up early in the morning and looked outside and immediately thought of the end of the movie “Fifty First Dates,” when Drew Barrymore comes out from the ship and sees herself surrounded by icebergs. Although I was more prepared for it than the character in the movie, it was nonetheless just as shockingly stunning. Completely surrounded by such …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 4: Drake Passage

Today we continued our journey through the Drake Passage. To be completely honest, I had one of my better sleeps in a long time, and a large part is because of the rocking of the boat. It kind of reminded me of the days when I had a waterbed. Organizers tell us that the waves are not as big as …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 3: Drake Passage

Today was all about the Drake Passage and acclimatizing to the ship and sea travel. The Drake Passage is the body of water between South America’s Cape Horn, Chile, Argentina and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean. According to Wikipedia, “The Drake Passage …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. University of Alaska Fairbanks

Riese Gaber and Owen McLaughlin each scored two goals to lead the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team to a 6-4 win over University of Alaska Fairbanks on Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Cameron Berg and Louis Jamernik V score the other goals for the Fighting Hawks (13-6-1), who snapped a three-game losing streak. The Nanooks (10-8-1) received …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 2.5: How I Chose Hurtigruten Expeditions

I thought it might be nice to explain a bit of why we chose to take a cruise with Hurtigruten Expeditions. Priorities for me, and I believe I also speak for Janel, a fellow pastor and my traveling companion, were: Sustainability and eco-friendliness. Size of cruise. Ability to do landings on the continent. Cost. Reputation. Ability to learn about climate …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 2: Ushuaia And Tierra Del Fuego National Park

Our flight from Buenos Aires took us to Ushuaia, a city known as the “End of the World,”  since the town is located at the southernmost tip of South America and therefore is the  southernmost city in the world. The cruise arranged for a tour of Tierra del Fuego National Park (The Land of Fire), at the base of the …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

That’s the title of a storied 1969 movie starring Jane Fonda. The first time I saw it was the first time I fell in love with Jane Fonda. God, she was hot. I was a lad of barely 20, and she was 10 years older than me, but I’ve been in love with her from a distance ever since. No …

PAULA MEHMEL: Shoot The Rapids — Antarctica Journey, Day 1: Buenos Aires

Sometimes good energy pays off and the beginning of my journey to Antarctica illustrates that. I’m a pastor and my trip to Antarctica was originally part of a Lily Sabbatical grant that I lost after leaving the congregation I was serving. I was called to move the church from a charity model to one focused on systemic racism. However, the …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — A New Year’s Etymology Lesson

Sunday night (New Year’s Eve) over supper with family and friends (Lillian’s extraordinary Swedish Meatballs with her secret ******berry ingredient and homemade egg noodles), we had one of those end-of-the-year conversations about the state of things. We decided things are not so good. Oh, our personal lives are pretty much OK, considering those around the table had survived car crashes, …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — Season’s Greetings From Red Oak House

Lillian and I have cut back on our Christmas mailing this year, so we’re using our blogs to send out our 2023 short Christmas letter. Dear Friends and Family, 2023 was a travel year for us. Including last December, when we were away from home the entire month, the states and provinces we’ve been to: Hawaii (2 new national parks). …

JIM FUGLIE: View From The Prairie — So Which Cabinet Post Should Burgum Pick?

It’s almost here. 2024, an election year. I get the feeling that most North Dakotans, like their fellow Americans, shudder at the thought. That’s OK. Politics in America, which I used to call “my favorite spectator sport,” has taken a sad turn away from what used to be the path to the most successful democracy in the world. Elections, too. …

TERRY DULLUM: The Dullum File — Santa Village: A Brief History

It’s a Grand Forks holiday tradition if there ever was one. Santa Village opens its doors each year to visitors just after Thanksgiving until just before Christmas. It is visited by “children” of all ages, the oldest on record is 101. Lynne Roche and several other Grand Forks Park District workers created Santa Village something like 20 years ago. At …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. Bemidji State University

The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team solidified its No. 1 ranking in  the country with a 5-0 victory over Bemidji State University on Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena to complete a weekend sweep of the Beavers. The Fighting Hawks (11-2-1) received goals from five different players — Jackson Blake, Dane Montgomery, Ben Strinden, Jackson Kunz and Garrett …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. Bemidji State University

Jackson Blake scored 50 seconds into overtime to give the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team a 3-2 win over Bemidji State University on Friday Night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Hawks UND (10-2-1) rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Beavers (5-8-0). Cameron Berg scored the other two UND goals, while Kasper Magnussen and Jackson Jutting …

TIM MADIGAN: Anything Mentionable — The Coach (And Friend) Who Loved Me Into Being

This happened 50 years ago almost to the day, but I remember it down to the overcast skies outside and fading autumn light of that late afternoon in northern Minnesota. There were about 30 of us aspiring young hockey players gathered in the classroom that day, and it’s safe to say that none of us were particularly concerned about the …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. Miami University

Riese Gaber scored two goals to lead the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team to a 5-1 victory over Miami University on Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Hawks (9-2-1 overall, 4-0-0 National Collegiate Hockey Conference) also received goals from Jackson Blake, Griffin Ness and Jayden Perron. UND netminder Ludvig Persson had 21 saves. The lone goal …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — University of North Dakota Vs. Miami University

The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team remained unbeaten in conference play with a 6-4 victory over Miami University on Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Hawks (8-2-1 overall, 3-0-0 National Collegiate Hockey Conference) were led by Jackson Blake who had a goal and and two assists and Owen McLaughlin who chipped in a goal and an …