Apparently old dogs really can learn new tricks … at least, when their daughters take over the training. After years of vehement denial, Russ has acquired a smartphone. It’s a day I never saw coming. The man has not merely resisted change: He has railed against it since his first sight of the iPhone nearly a decade ago. He continued …
The University of North Dakota men’s basketball team’s season came to an abrupt end Wednesday night in Betty Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Hawks suffered a heartbreaking 89-86 defeat at the hands of the University of California-Irvine in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. UND freshman Geno Crandall scored a career-high 22 points in a game that featured 14 ties and …
Anyone who knows me has probably been wondering when I would get around to some legal topics. Their wait is over. Our communities have a Safe Community Coalition. Part of its function is to monitor licensed liquor establishments for sales to minors and other violations. They release the results to the media on a regular basis. Fines are supposedly imposed …
WAIT A MINUTE OK, the story below about state Sen. Nicole Poolman is funny, but according to her husband, it is not quite true. Almost, but not quite. The real story is even funnier. Way at the very end of this blog, I repeated a story that’s been making the rounds in political circles these days. A story about state …
We’re spending a few days at our family retreat, La Farm, between Ashby and Battle Lake, Minn., so I thought I’d share some spring photos taken in the area. Tomorrow’s forecast may bring snow, but as I glance over ― between playing our favorite card game Hand and Foot ― at the photo calendar I made for our family last …
I don’t know much, but I do know that music therapy is pretty close to being cutting edge. Cutting edge like the drone technology the University of North Dakota has so broadly embraced in the last few years. Too bad UND administrators can’t see the connection. Without going into detail, music therapy has helped countless people, from infants to the aged, in …
Pasta and broccoli is a winning combination. And no matter what you complement those two with, the outcome is sure to be a palate pleaser. I have several favorite recipes that feature broccoli and pasta. One is Broccoli with Rigatoni, which comes from a cookbook by the late Dom DeLuise, “Eat This … It’ll Make You Feel Better!” DeLuise describes broccoli and rigatoni …
The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team said goodbye for another season to Ralph Engelstad Arena on Saturday night, easily handling Colorado College 5-1 to sweep its National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoff series with the Tigers, sending the Fighting Hawks to this weekend’s Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis, where they will meet the University of Minnesota-Duluth at 7:38 p.m. Friday in Target Center. …
The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team is one game away from next weekend’s National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Frozen Faceoff after a convincing 7-1 in the opening game win over Colorado College in their best-of-three series Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Nick Schmaltz scored a career-high two goals to lead the Fighting Hawks (29-5-3). Chipping in one goal each were Coltyn Sanderson, …
On March 1, I spent an entire late afternoon and early evening at City Hall observing a group of north-side neighborhood citizens presenting the Fargo Planning Commission with the reasons why they oppose the proposed rezoning of the property commonly known as Ponyland — the trace northeast of 32nd Avenue North and University Drive. The presentations by both the developer and …
What would you call a dish that’s a cross between a casserole and lasagna, two of the ultimate comfort foods? That’s a tough one, for which I haven’t come up with an answer. But there are three things that I do know: Some of these concoctions can be very nutritious, mighty tasty and pretty easy to make. The last quality is important for working parents who have …
Eric Bergeson recently visited the Tucson (Ariz.) Botanical Gardens, named by Reader’s Digest as the “BEST Secret Garden in America.” According to the its website, “The Tucson Botanical Gardens promotes responsible and appropriate use of plants and water in a desert environment through education and demonstration and provides a place of beauty and tranquility for Tucson residents and visitors.” The 40-year-old facility offers year-round tours, community events, classes and art exhibits and includes specialty gardens including the Cactus & Succulent Garden, Barrio Garden and Herb Garden, which highlight the diversity of native plants while offering …
A third and final passage from the late Arch Monroe’s book “The Lighter Side of the Law.” It’s his tribute to his friend, Wayne Lubenow. “Out of the ‘Roughrider Country,’ which brought our nation Maxwell Anderson, Louis L’Amour and Lawrence Welk, comes Lubenow. He’s the Will Rogers, Damon Runyon and Art Buchwald of the prairies. His column appears in a …
If there’s one big lesson we’ve learned from the latest Republican debates, it’s that this nation desperately needs more women in politics. And not just any women. What front-runners Trump, Cruz and Rubio badly require to upgrade their discourse are a few battle-hardened sixth-grade teachers. I’m talking about true Old School ninja schoolmarms — the female professionals who have earned …
I appreciate the responses, on Facebook and privately, to my post Sunday about my old friend Arch Monroe’s book of letters, “The Lighter Side of the Law.” I can’t resist adding a bit more about him. University of North Dakota President Tom Clifford hired Arch in 1983 and assigned him to the public relations office to assist with UND’s Centennial …
Five different players scored as the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team came from behind to beat Western Michigan University 5-4 on Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The win gave the Fighting Hawks, 28-5-3 overall and 19-4-1 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, their 11th series sweep this season and moved them to No. 1 in the Pairwise Rankings, …
Some of my friends may recall a slightly eccentric individual, the late Arch Monroe, who worked for me briefly at the University of North Dakota. A few years earlier, Arch had published a book with replies to his request for humorous stories from judges, lawyers and politicians. Many responded, among them Supreme Court Justice Tom Clark, Sen. Sam Ervin and Congressman …
The University of North Dakota clinched its second straight National Collegiate Hockey Conference championship and Penrose Cup with an 8-1 win over Western Michigan University on Friday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. The Fighting Sioux were paced by its top line of Brock Boeser, Nick Schmaltz and Drake Caggiula. Boeser had two goals and two assists, Schmaltz had his …
Many parents have told me that their child does well in the batting cage, but when playing in a game, it looks like they’ve never swung a bat. Pressure causes the mind to race, the muscles to tighten and the body to fall out of rhythm. Therefore, an understanding of how to keep emotions in check is crucial for the …
The University of North Dakota women’s basketball team, behind junior Leah Szabla’s 20 points, four assists and three steals, defeated Big Sky Conference leader Montana State University 77-76 in a thrilling contest Friday afternoon in Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The win denied the first-place Bobcats (21-8, 14-4) an outright conference championship. The Fighting Hawks, 17-12 overall and 13-5 in the BSC, won for the …
Every time I hear the phrase “return to the scene of the crime” I smile and chuckle a little inside. It goes back to an evening about 10 years ago when Lillian and I and her two teenage daughters were living on a small farmstead north of Dickinson, N.D. One early spring evening, just after dark, I was driving Chelsea to …
Grand Forks Red River High School’s boys and girls basketball teams advanced in the North Dakota East Region Tournament with home victories Tuesday night. The boys (14-8), behind Braeden Hanson’s 23 points, defeated Fargo Shanley 79-62, while the girls (19-3) topped Devils Lake 76-63. Austin Slaughter chipped in 18 points and Paul Miller 14 for the boys, who meet West …
Fashions wildly wax and wane in clothing, cars and home furnishings … but, somehow, when it comes to your own name, it gets personal. “Nancy” was once among the leaders of the Mid-Century Modern pack, back when naming female infants entailed a snappy syllable or two usually ending in “y.” On a whim, I googled its rank among popular baby …
Watching the Academy Awards Sunday, I wondered why Vice President Joe Biden would be making an appearance. He introduced Lady Gaga, and I thought that was odd, too — until he spoke and she sang, with a group of college-aged men and women in the background. Then Biden spoke of the sexual assaults taking place on college campuses. Lady Gaga …
Older cooks will remember when stainless steel and nonstick skillets became the rage the 1950s and ’60s, taking the drudgery out of preparing meals. In fact, many people tossed aside their beloved cast iron that had been around for ages. But these days, the former kitchen staple once again finds itself in vogue in kitchens around the country. And it’s for good reason. Cast iron is the perfect …
Senior Mia Lloyd continued her impressive play down the stretch, scoring 15 points adding 15 rebounds as the University of North Dakota women’s basketball team handed the University of Montana a 73-61 Big Sky Conference loss Wednesday night in Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The double-double was Lloyd’s 35th of her UND career and her 10th of the season. The victory gave …
Here are some February shots from Bloomington, Minn., photographer Dave Vorland.
Super Tuesday. Republicans and Democrats all over America will line up tomorrow to cast their votes for their favorite presidential candidates. By the end of the night, we might have a pretty clear picture of who the two national party candidates will be, although 34 states and a handful of territories won’t have completed their processes yet. Including North Dakota. …
Quinton Hooker picked up where he left off Thursday (he scored a record-setting 38 points in a victory over Portland State University) with a 34-point performance in the University of North Dakota men’s basketball team’s 97-71 rout of Sacramento State University on Saturday in Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Hooker was 11-for-12 from the field for the Fighting Hawks, who upped their Big Sky …
Alexandria, Va., photographer Jeff Olson shares a month’s worth of beautiful photos of our nation’s capital.
It is never easy to lose a friend. It is even more difficult when that friend is Scott Miller. The radio voice of North Dakota State football and basketball — and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball — died Feb. 25 in Fargo after a four-year battle with cancer. Scott was not just an outstanding sportscaster; he was simply a quality individual, as genuine …
Grand Forks Red River’s boys high school hockey team did something that no other North Dakota team has done in almost 50 years: The Roughriders finished the season undefeated — 27-0 — and along the way won their 17th state title by defeating Bismarck High 4-3 on Saturday night in the championship game of the North Dakota Boys High School Hockey …
Meghan Dufault, Becca Kohler and Amy Menke totaled eight points, including five goals, as the University of North Dakota women’s hockey shut out St. Cloud State University 6-0 Saturday afternoon in Ralph Engelstad Arena. By sweeping the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff series, the Fighting Hawks clinched their sixth-straight WCHA Final Face-Off appearance. UND won 6-1 Friday. With the sweep, the Fighting …
Forward Meghan Dufault scored two goals and added two assists as the University of North Dakota women’s hockey team defeated St. Cloud State University 6-1 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association postseason play Friday afternoon in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The line of Becca Kohler (one goal, two assists), Amy Menke (one goal and one assist) and Dufault totaled 10 points in the win …
Here are the latest photos — including the Grand Forks Red River-Bismarck High championship game — from Russ Hons of the North Dakota Boys High School Hockey Tournament on Thursday in Ralph Engelstad Arena. More photos from Russ Hons here.
It was the Quenton Hooker show Thursday night in Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The junior guard scored a career-high 38 point and surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his UND career as the Fighting Hawks defeated Portland State University 80-77 in a Big Sky Conference men’s basketball contest. Hooker broke UND’s Division I single-game scoring record as the Fighting Hawks, 14-12 overall …
Carl Griffin first stepped onto the Moorhead State College campus 49 years ago. He was one of just seven students who happened to be black. That was a very different time in Moorhead and Fargo, before Project E-Quality and other recruitment efforts introduced a substantial contingent of students of color into cities as predictably white and unruffled as homogenized milk. …
Once again, the purveyors of stupid pills are making a fortune in causing some elected leaders or appointed boards to make some very bad decisions relating to both North and South Fargo. It’s time for the people to let them know they represent us. That’s why they exist! Let’s take the Don and Mary Kinzler home in South Fargo as …
Anyone who’s grown up in Minnesota or North Dakota doesn’t need to be told about the role of hotdish in Midwest culture. Not only are they easy to make, hotdishes also are the perfect fare for events such as family reunions, funerals, church suppers and potlucks. A good example of how popular and diverse they are is the annual hotdish-making competition hosted by Sen. Al …
I just can’t help myself. I love trying to scam the scammers. The ones who pretend to be your Facebook friends as they attempt to separate you from your personal information. Below is my latest, actual conversation with the newest scam artiste. Scammer: Hello how are you doing? Me: Hi, Les. We’re good. Scammer: Good to hear from you how is life …
From Catalina State Park north of Tuscon to Sabino Canyon in the Santa Catalina Mountains to San Pedro Riparian National Wildlife Refuge east of Sierra Vista to Madera Canyon south of Tucson, photographer Eric Bergeson — aka The Country Scribe — captures many spectacular images of the Southwest. Among them: California poppies, a cactus wren, calliandra shrubs, a group of women hikers (snowbirds from all over the …
Readers of this blog may recall that I like chatting online with scammers. You know, the ones who pretend to be Facebook friends in an effort to separate you from your personal information. It’s sort of a hobby with me. Below is my latest, actual scammer conversation. This one is with “Jerry.” Enjoy. Scammer: Hello … how are you today? have you heard about the good …
On Valentine’s Day 2016, Minnesota Wild fans probably felt heartbroken. For the third consecutive year, their hockey team had slumped in midseason. But this dry spell had become so extended, so desperate, that Head Coach Mike Yeo was given a pink slip instead of a red box of candy. Eight consecutive losses. Thirteen of 14 defeats shortly after the new …
The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team completed a weekend sweep of National Collegiate Hockey Conference foe the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a 2-1 win on Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Hawks, 24-5-3 overall and 15-4-1 in the NCHC, won the game on Brock Boeser’s 20th goal of the season at 14:39 of the third period to keep pace with …