News Source: Forbes

How This Engineer Is Bringing Biodiversity Back Into Our Cities Through Living Walls

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The Japanese term shinrin-yoku translates closely as ‘forest bathing’; it was born from the idea that emersion in a natural setting is good for us — mind and body. Unfortunately, the reality of urban environments and busy schedules can make it difficult to practice. But what if we could bring the natural setting closer to

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Gerdau Is Shaping A More Collaborative, Inclusive, Sustainable Future — Plus they have Metal Recycling in Minot

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Recycling is in the Minot news and wind recently. The City of Minot is gearing up to launch its curbside program this coming July, but in the meantime, there’s another place to recycle in Minot you might not know about. Gerdau Ameristeel is on East Burdick and they’ll pay you for your aluminum cans and

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Meet The Property Entrepreneurs Solving The Dilemma Of Derelict Homes

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

In Minot, it took nearly a decade following the 2011 flood to deal with the abandoned and derelict homes that resulted. It was a problem on many levels from community morale to safety.  But it’s not just disasters we have to worry about, many circumstances lead to a lack of care and maintenance that can

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4 Scandinavian Habits For A Healthier Life

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The simple facts tell the story, our Scandinavian relatives live longer than we do, at least we compare our current nationalities. But what makes it so? Maybe it’s the friluftsliv. Or could it be the hygge? Maybe their words are just more fun to pronounce and that makes all the difference? With Minot as the

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The North American ‘Amazon’ You’ve Never Heard Of—And Why It’s In Peril

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Conservationists are sounding the alarm on enormous declines in bird populations — a loss of nearly 3 billion since the 1970s — and the key to turning the tide is an area as vital to North American as the Amazon is to South America. And it’s right here in North Dakota. It’s the prairie pothole

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What can Minot look like 20-years from now?

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

What’s the vision and how do we get there? These are the central questions of any town or place in transformation, and in Minot, we’re very much in the process of asking them. For us, both answers are in flux, but if there’s a common thread in all the competing answers it’s ‘prosperity’; each idea

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Homegrown innovation spaces are transforming cities

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

What does it take for a place to support small businesses and start-ups? Many cities are finding that physical space is a key ingredient. The most common forms are as incubators and co-working spaces, but some places are implementing innovation districts as well. Get the full story on the factors fueling the Midwest’s startup scenes

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Both people and investors trust small businesses more

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Are we in the midst of a small business Renaissance? When change is taking place around us, it’s often hard to identify, but research suggests that both consumers and investors are trending towards more support of small businesses. The reason — trust. Get the full story from Forbes.

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Are the Internet decks stacked against the Minot’s ‘shop local’ message?

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Shop local! It’s the mantra preached, spoken, sung, by community-minded people across the world. It makes sense — dollars that stay have a bigger impact than those that drive away. And there’s plenty of evidence that suggests these small changes in behavior have big impacts on places. But in a global market place where local

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Who Is Creating Jobs In America?

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Did you catch the report last week that unemployment in the U.S. is at the lowest level in a half century? It’s one sign that the larger American economy is showing strong signs, but what if we want to distill this information into something meaningful for Minot? We might ask who is creating those jobs?

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Shoe retailer Payless files for bankruptcy; hundreds of stores expected to close

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Another day and another story of a major national retailing filing for bankruptcy. The economic disruption caused by the Internet and online retailers like Amazon is just starting to ripple through our communities in a manner we can see and touch. No word yet on if Minot’s Payless ShoeSource will be among the 400 stores

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Forbes: ND among best states for business

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

North Dakota is a good state for business. Forbes ranks states annually on factors like costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, and others, and it has put North Dakota in the eighth spot on the list.

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EPA’s Fracking Analysis: Something For Everyone

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The news around North Dakota yesterday was that the EPA’s fracking analysis declared fracking safe for drinking water. But for those who oppose fracking, they found what they wanted in the report too. Here’s the analytical coverage of the media coverage.

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It’s the Dollar, Not the Price of Oil, Pushing Boom & Bust Cycles

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

If you’re up for some economic analysis this morning, John Tamny at Forbes offers up some commentary on what the real culprit is when it comes to oil price swings and the resulting market expansion and contractions.

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