Progress & Innovation – Page 16

The most forward-thinking, future-proof college in America teaches every student the exact same stuff

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2017

There are few debates raging more loudly in North Dakota and nationally than the one over higher education, its value, and its future. But one college has maintained it’s role and is now emerging as a leader in producing capable students, and they’ve done so by through strict adhearance to an old-fashioned idea, the classical,

Read & Share sourced from: Quartz

What to Expect From the Future of Server Farm Design

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2017

As we sit here in North Dakota trying to imagine how to reinvent and diversify our economy, the amount of information stored on computers quietly doubles. As that happens, the server farms that store that data become an ever more important cog in the world’s machinery. And what do server farms need? They need electricity,

Read & Share sourced from: Motherboard

Opioid epidemic is swamping U.S. hospitals with 1.3M ER trips, hospitalizations

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2017

The opioid drug crisis is one of those issues that might not hit home unless you have a personal experience with a family member or friend, but the trickle-down impacts of the problem are effecting all of us in less obvious ways. And one area where the crisis is putting pressure on our systems is

Read & Share sourced from: The Washington Post

Crowded Waters Require Courteous Boaters

by: Doug Leier | June 21, 2017

No matter where in North Dakota you call home, finding a place to wet a line or relax on a boating excursion is not too far away. It’s kind of an interesting thought, as the state has more waters than ever to use for all recreation, and we also have more people registering watercraft than

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Minnesota State Fair announces 31 new foods, 4 new vendors

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2017

“Breakfast Buddy Bowl: Waffle bowl filled with hash browns, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon, and topped with a biscuit, country sausage gravy and green onions. LuLu’s Public House, West End Market, south of the Schilling Amphitheater.” This is just one example. The Minnesota State Fair’s food culture is driving a lot of

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

The Story One Elementary School Reinventing itself

by: Josh Wolsky | June 20, 2017

For one elementary school in New Hampshire, the status quo was no longer an option. Plummeting test scores, high staff turnover, low morale, and an ongoing community opioid crisis were creating challenges in the classroom. The solution was what is described as ‘whole child development’, and the story of their successful turnaround is worth reading.

Read & Share sourced from: EdSurge

Are You a Magnet for Mosquitoes?

by: Josh Wolsky | June 20, 2017

When it comes to mosquitoes, we either know the person or we assume we are the person that gets bit more often than everyone else. It’s a phenomenon that we know little about — at least scientifically, but one research study is setting out to change that using a hundred sets of twins and a

Read & Share sourced from: Scientific American

Resident Perception of Souris River Less Than Favorable

by: Josh Wolsky | June 2, 2017

Over the winter, The Friends of the Souris River (@sourisfriends) conducted survey of Minot residents’ perceptions of the river. As was expected, people in Minot view the river in a less-than-favorable light. The full news release from the Friends of the Souris written by Vista Volunteer Andrianna Betts follows below. — Official News Release, Friends

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How do we retain talent? We can start by supporting it!

by: Josh Wolsky | May 31, 2017

I hope you caught the Minot Daily’s editorial a couple days ago on retaining talent. If you didn’t, go back and read it. In my mind, this is one of the bigger must-solve challenges facing Minot. North Dakota ingenuity, common sense, and our remarkable work ethic are BY FAR the most valuable commodities we produce,

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New digital citizenship curriculum is an idea worth copying

by: Josh Wolsky | May 30, 2017

Here in North Dakota, we occasionally dismiss outside ideas — particularly those from more liberal-leaning parts of the country — because those places don’t identify as closely with our values. Sometimes that’s good; sometimes that’s bad. The story below comes from the Washington state, and it’s absolutely an outside idea that we should be appropriating. Technology

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Evidence for a New Economic Development Model?

by: Josh Wolsky | May 11, 2017

Economic growth, economic diversity, these are buzzwords in North Dakota and in Minot right now. The City’s NDR application talks about it; our consultant on the project, CDM Smith, even has a $300,000 budget to create an ‘Economic Development Strategic Plan for Minot & Ward County’. We also have the MAGIC fund, a sales-tax-funded pot

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Bismarck High School Solves IT Challenges with Tech Club

by: Josh Wolsky | May 11, 2017

Bismarck’s Legacy High School is on the newer end of the spectrum, but it’s not just the building that has a different feel — there’s also some new approaches to education. One example, instead of employing an IT staff to take care school’s computers and tech hardware, they’ve insourced the job directly to students. The

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Initiative to Fix First Ave Getting Underway

by: Josh Wolsky | May 4, 2017

If you’ve ever negotiated the potholes along the road that connects the Amtrak Station and the areas to the East including downtown, you know that the road — while difficult to travel – is often worth the effort because it’s such a valuable shortcut. The road’s condition has been the topic of reader-contributed content here on

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Struggles with Downtown Parking Garages Continue

by: Josh Wolsky | May 4, 2017

Tom Barry, Minot’s City Manager, give a candid and complete update on the status of Minot’s downtown parking garages at Monday’s City Council meeting. If you’re interested in having the best information on where the project is headed, Mr. Barry’s update is the first-hand source. You can watch it below. Additionally, following Monday’s meeting, Jill

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Suggest a Question, Commentary on Conflicts, and Setting a New Standard

by: Josh Wolsky | April 13, 2017

This June’s City Council election is the culmination of a nearly two-year discussion on how we do things at the City level and ultimately, what we want our community to look like in the future. But here’s the thing about elections — the results we get are only as good as the information about the

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3 Big Myths about Modern Agriculture

by: Josh Wolsky | April 6, 2017

In a part of the world where farming is our bedrock industry, it’s important that we’re doing it in a manner that’s both efficient and sustainable. And the anecdotal evidence discovered by one researcher who traveled the world’s farms — including some in North and South Dakota — suggests there are some commonly held myths

Read & Share sourced from: Scientific American