News Source: Grand Forks Herald

East Grand Forks Theater maintains strong employee retention and satisfaction amid tight labor market

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

It’s heard everywhere these days — young people don’t want to work; employees are impossible to find and keep. But for one East Grand Forks business, the River City Cinema, owner Penny Stai has found success in keeping employees by being flexible, offering perks, and creating a fun business culture. It’s a lesson every struggling

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Grand Forks Schools Investing in New Language Arts Curriculum & Data Monitoring With Community Partners

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A new language arts curriculum for Grand Forks sixth graders has proven itself; the school board is approving a 10-year $320,000 investment that was previously piloted and found to be an improvement. Additionally, the school district is partnering in a data exchange with the Community Violence Intervention Center; the goal is to identify and monitor

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Grand Forks, East Grand Forks council members revisit next step for bridge projects during joint meeting

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Rivers create both challenges in a community, even more so when they divide two communities and two states. Grand Forks and East Grand Forks share the Red River, as such, they also share the challenges of getting across it. And talks of new bridges are bringing them together, literally and figuratively. And one concern getting

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Red Pine Distillery rolls out the barrel for North Dakota Corn Growers Association members

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Grand Forks-based Red Pine Distillery is rolling out special batches of bourbon for members of North Dakota Corn Growers Association. The corn from each barrel will be sourced exclusively from the grower’s farm, aged in oak, and given a special label with details of the harvest. It’s a unique, value-added partnership that’s only possible when

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Does solar power still work in the depths of winter?

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

When it comes to sunlight hours, Northern geographies tend to get less sunlight hours than places further south, but the colder weather actually benefits energy transmission. Get the full story on solar effectiveness up here in the North at Inforum.

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International teachers complete their journey to Grand Forks

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

What do you do when you run a school district and finding teachers is tough? In Grand Forks, they cast their net beyond the U.S. borders, and on their first haul they brought in three new teachers from as far away as Zimbabwe and Ghana. And now that the district has been through the red

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Proposed Snowmobile Trail Along Grand Forks Greenway Sparks Controversy

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A squabble is brewing in Grand Forks over the potential use of the Grand Forks Greenway by snowmobiles. Snowmobile users want better access to downtown Grand Forks and they say the greenway is the path to get there. Opponents of the plan worry about conflicts with other greenway users including pedestrians, cross-country skiers, and cyclists.

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Minnesota Department of Transportation partners with farmers to help keep snow off the roads

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

When the wind blows across the open prairie, there’s little to stop the snow before it hits our ditches and roadways. In Minnesota, the DOT is working with farmers to leave living snow fences of corn, native grasses, wildflowers, and trees and shrubs. The flora catches and helps control the snow before it hits the

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City of Grand Forks sells City-Owned Buildings

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Buildings acquired by the City of Grand Forks and redeveloped following the 1997 flood are being sold back to the private sector. Among the reasons, the City of Grand Forks doesn’t want to be in the business of competing with private landlords. It’s an idea near and dear here in Minot as we’ve made many

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Grand Forks trying to figure out how to connect UND to downtown

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

What impact do 10,000 college students have on a downtown shopping district and center of commerce? Probably a big one. And in Grand Forks, they’re trying to figure out how to make the college experience more closely tied to the urban living experience. Get the full story from the Grand Forks Herald. And ask the

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Grand Forks Commission may add county administrator

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

County government in Grand Forks is exploring some self-reform. The proposed change would add a County Administrator position that becomes — in essence — a chief operating officer for the county. Instead of department heads reporting to the County Commission independently, they’d report to the County Administrator who’d then report to the County Commission. There

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North Dakota Game and Fish changes record policy after walleye controversy

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

It’s official. As result of the controversy surrounding a recently caught largest-ever walleye, the North Dakota Game and Fish are changing their policy on determining records. In the future, when the biggest fish is caught, the Game and Fish will wait 2-weeks before formally declaring it a record. Mike McFeely writing at the Grand Forks

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Dressbarn to close all of its stores, Minot included

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The latest casualty to our cultural retail reorganization — Dressbarn. The national retailer that operates 650 stores across the country announced it will be closing all stores. Minot’s store at Dakota Square Mall is included on that list. Get the full story from the Grand Forks Herald including comments from comments from the Grand Forks

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North Dakota funeral directors weigh in on the future of final disposition

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

In the funeral business, final disposition is the last place we end up. And the business is evolving to reflect the preferences of the people it’s accommodating. The changing nature of funerals was a recent #GoodTalkMinot episode featuring local funeral director Jeff Brose. Now, other local media sources are pursuing the same topic. Check out

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GF School Board team offers ‘unconventional’ contract

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Across the state, school boards are in negotiations with teachers to secure contracts for the upcoming school year. And in Grand Forks, the school board put an offer on the table that included the district picking up 100% of the employee contribution to the retirement fund. Pamela Knudson with the Grand Forks Herald has the

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Josh Duhamel talks about North Dakota roots and Hollywood career

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Minot-native Jush Duhamel was awarded an honorary degree by UND last weekend. As a part of the experience, he sat down with WDAY’s Matt Henson and talked about North Dakota and what it means to him to be from this place. Follow the link below to catch the 7-minute interview.

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