The Art of Designing a Dangerous-Looking Playground

How do we introduce kids to a world of wonder while keeping them safe? How about give them places to play that spur their imagination, tease their adventure bone, but do it in a chaotic-looking but intentionally safe form. If that’s the answer you were thinking, than you’re going to love the article linked below

Read & Share   sourced from: Bloomberg

Minnesota company is finding success building apartment homes on an assembly line

There are a lot of ways to deliver more affordable housing into our communities, and one Minnesota company, Rise Modular, is doing it through efficiency of design and construction. They build modular apartment buildings that are built in a factory, shipped to the location, and assembled on site. Get the full story on innovation in

Read & Share   sourced from: Star Tribune

These 4 Communities Are Leading the Way in Making Their Places Stronger

When it comes to places, the Bismarcks, and Minots of the world are more alike than they are different. We struggle in the same ways, we copy each others ideas, and the results we get leave little to get excited about. It’s a whole lot of meh. So, what does it take to make a

Read & Share   sourced from: Strong Towns

5 Reasons Minot Should Create More Green Spaces

Minot’s got a great park system. And it may be providing more benefits than we give it credit for. It turns out public green spaces are key ingredients in successful places, and worthy of continued investment. And we’re not the ones saying it. The article linked below from Route Fifty points to research from the

Read & Share   sourced from: Route Fifty

Fargo scraps curbside glass recycling

What does it make sense to recycle? That’s not an answer under control of municipalities with recycling programs, because it depends on what the MRFs (material recovery facilities) will accept. And the Minneapolis-based MRF Fargo sends their recycling to is no longer accepting glass. It just doesn’t pay. It’s causing an abrupt change to Fargo’s

Read & Share   sourced from: InForum

Subscribe to Today in Minot!

It's the free, easy way to stay informed about what's happening in Minot, and it helps support independent local news and journalism.

Watch out, Minneapolis: The tow truck cometh to make room for the snow plow

When the snow falls and has to be moved, it’s the parked cars that become the biggest problems. There’s just no way to push snow over the top of them. The solution isn’t fun, but it is effective, if it’s used. And in Minneapolis, street snow is has caused enough challenges this season that they’re

Read & Share   sourced from: MPR

Meet the telehealth company that’s treated treated 20,000 opioid addiction patients

In a place like North Dakota, where do you turn when there’s no where to turn? When it comes to addiction, rural can be real challenge. The services and resources common in larger populations centers simply don’t exist. But what if you could get help over the phone or an Internet connection? And what if

Read & Share   sourced from: Fast Company

Making the most of an icy winter in St. Paul

When winter gives them cold and ice, they make the most of it in St. Paul. And it turns out cold and ice are the exact ingredients needed to spin up an ice sculpting competition. Watch the full story at the Star Tribune video linked below.

Read & Share   sourced from: Star Tribune

Alberta landowners fear repeat of orphan well crisis as renewable energy booms

The oil business is known for its boom and bust cycles. Everyone loves it when times are good. And in the past, everyone pays for it when times are bad. At least, that’s what everyone in Alberta remembers about the last time it went bad. Because when it went, it left cities and towns holding

Read & Share   sourced from: CBC

Listen: Sweden, Norway and Finland cooperating to attract workers to the far north

For our Scandinavian friends, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, they’re short workers. But only all types of workers and only everywhere. It’s a problem that’s prompting a creative solution — working together beyond national borders. Why does it matter in Minot? As home of the Norsk Høstfest, we’re obligated to bring you stories from Scandinavia. But

Read & Share   sourced from: Radio Sweden

Montana Bill would force Montana cities to allow smaller home lots

Affordable housing is a challenge across the country. In Minot, we’ve spent many tens of millions of dollars over the past ten years attempting to move the needle. But maybe we should be looking at solutions beyond direct subsidies? In Montana, our neighbors to the west are taking a novel approach — forcing the law

Read & Share   sourced from: Montana Free Press

Subscribe to Today in Minot!

It's the free, easy way to stay informed about what's happening in Minot, and it helps support independent local news and journalism.

A New Bill in Washington State Would Reduce Unneeded Packaging and Other Recycling News

The state of Washington has some of the highest recycling rates in the country, but usage is on the decline and landfills are still filling up. But they aren’t one to ignore the problem. And a new law is proposing a new approach — shift the waste stream burden from consumers to producers. It’s a

Read & Share   sourced from: Route Fifty

After Heavy Snows, Minneapolis Snow Removal Solutions Get Creative

What do you do when there’s snow and so many parked cars that it begins to make the streets too narrow and dangerous? In Minneapolis, the answer is elegant. Implement a snow emergency law that only allows parking on one side of the street.  And then there’s this story from the Star Tribune, too. If

Read & Share   sourced from: MPR

Winter Doesn’t Slow Down Fat Tire Riders

A fat tire bike is exactly what it sounds like — a bike with really fat tires. The fun they add is they make riding on soft surfaces like snow possible. And if you give people a place to ride, they’ll enjoy North Dakota winters even on bikes. Get the full story from Kim Fundingsland

Read & Share   sourced from: The Dakotan

Meet Eric Johnson, Brewer at Minot’s Atypical Brewery & Barrelworks

Minot’s Atypical Brewery & Barrelworks is making a name for itself in the beer world. Their beer Gin & Spruce was one of 100 out 11,000 entries at last year’s World Beer Cup that earned a gold medal. It’s heady recognition, and it got the attention of the editors of Canvas Rebel, an online journal

Read & Share   sourced from: Canvas Rebel

Montana’s American Indian Caucus in State Legislature Mirrors Population

There are 11 American Indian lawmakers in the Montana legislature, nine democrats and two republicans. It’s a number that mirrors the percentage of American Indians in Montana’s population as a whole. And on issues of particular importance to the tribes, they’ll often act together. Get the full story from the Missoulian linked below. And why

Read & Share   sourced from: The Missoulian