Today in Minot

Most people in prison eventually return to society. The question is: what kind of people do we want them to be when they do? This piece — part personal account, part policy critique — explores how truth-in-sentencing laws strip away the very incentives that help people change. Through the story of one man who turned his life around because he had the chance, it makes a powerful case: longer sentences may feel tough, but they often leave us all worse off — less safe, and with more lost potential.

John Leverso is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati; he knows the issue intimately and he shares what he’s learned here in this commentary provided to The Conversation.It’s worth also noting, the North Dakota legislature is debating this very topic right now with SB 2128 working it’s way through the bill making process.

Minot’s new Economic Development Committee is shifting from listening to leading — and the growing pains are showing. At its latest meeting, members clashed over whether to restore a key city position cut from the budget and wrestled with how to balance business growth with taxpayer expectations. Child care shortages emerged as a major barrier to workforce stability, prompting calls for creative solutions. It’s early days, but the committee’s work is already surfacing the tough tradeoffs behind a stronger, more resilient local economy.

For the full report, this article from The Dakotan has a good recap of Friday’s debate.

Ten seasons, a national title, and five conference championships — Brad Berry’s run as head coach of UND men’s hockey was anything but ordinary. But after missing the NCAA tournament again, the program is turning the page. Berry exits with one of the best winning percentages in the nation, yet recent near-misses began to overshadow past triumphs. Now, with a strong roster and the transfer portal about to open, UND faces a familiar but high-stakes challenge: finding the right leader, and doing it fast.

Brad Elliott Schlossman has the full story on turning the page in one of North Dakota’s most storied athletic programs.

Canada’s political landscape is shifting fast — and the race to lead the country through rising global tensions and domestic pressures is officially on. With an election set for April 28, new Liberal leader Mark Carney faces off against a confident Pierre Poilievre and a vocal Jagmeet Singh, all staking claims on the economy, health care, and Canada’s place in a world reshaped by Trump’s return. The campaign begins not with fanfare, but with urgency — and high stakes for what comes next.

For two decades, Alex Ovechkin has been chasing greatness — and now, he’s within seven goals of hockey’s most unbreakable record. The number 895 hangs over every Capitals game like a countdown, drawing fans, legends, and history itself into the arena. What’s unfolding isn’t just about stats or legacy — it’s about endurance, identity, and a player who’s refused to slow down, even as time and age pressed in. This is the final stretch of a story few believed was possible.

For the full story on Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of the Great One’s goal record, this story from NPR ties together the full depth of the moment.

When a community fails to see its most vulnerable children, someone has to step forward and refuse to look away. This deeply personal commentary doesn’t just describe North Dakota’s legislative battles — it lays bare what’s at stake: the lives of kids like Chance and Nex, who needed care more than politics. Through grief, exhaustion, and hard-won hope, Faye Seidler writing for the North Dakota Monitor offers more than a critique. It’s a call to protect, to listen, and to build a state where no child feels invisible — or alone.