Progress & Innovation – Page 5

How much would it cost for a municipality to shovel all the sidewalks?

by: Josh Wolsky | January 7, 2023

We’ve been covering sidewalk accessibility this week on TheMinotVoice. Two stories, the City of Minot’s initial failure to timely clean sidewalks in their portfolio, and the follow-up comments from elected officials opened the thread. There’s more coverage to come; we’ve filed a FOIA request with the City with hopes that shining a light inside exposes

Read & Share sourced from: Star Tribune

Trinity Hospital Costs & Completion Date Updated, Estimated Price Now Above $500 Million

by: Josh Wolsky | September 3, 2020

In an internal exchange email sent this morning (included below) to employees of Trinity Health, hospital administrators released revised cost estimates of the new medical campus under construction in Southwest Minot. The project, which is now being managed by JE Dunn Construction, has been plagued by contractor turnover as well as a construction-stopping explosion in

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The History of Humans Looking at Animals in Zoos

by: Josh Wolsky | July 18, 2019

Spending an afternoon at the zoo is a Minot privilege we’ve enjoyed for nearly a hundred years. Visit the zoo today and you’ll immediately see the commitment and respect our Zoo staff has for their facility and the animals they’re charged with caring for. It’s in light of our current and future investments at the

Read & Share sourced from: CityLab

Kids left in cars in summer heat, a sobering reminder to set a reminder

by: Josh Wolsky | July 18, 2019

Since laws keeping kids from front seats have been implemented, more and more are forgotten in the back seat. It’s not a matter of being a bad parent, it’s a matter of remembering. And if a parent misses just once, the consequences can be tragic. Check out this story out of South Carolin that serves

Read & Share sourced from: The State

Snow plows and marijuana laws on Minot City Council agenda for July 1, 2019

by: Josh Wolsky | June 28, 2019

Minot City Council will meet Monday, July 1st, 5:30 pm at Minot City Hall to consider the agenda below. City Council meetings are open to the public or can be viewed on the City’s Youtube channel here or Facebook page here. 1. ROLL CALL 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. PERSONAL APPEARANCES 4. PUBLIC HEARING- BUILDING

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Washington’s wealthiest town — home to Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates — going broke due to property tax restrictions

by: Josh Wolsky | June 26, 2019

Outside of Seattle, the town of Medina is home to both Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. But claiming fame due to two wealthy citizens doesn’t excuse the city from financial woes created by Washington’s property tax restrictions. In Washington, a 2007 law prevents municipalities from increasing property tax revenue by more than 1% annually unless

Read & Share sourced from: CNBC

Rural emergency: North Dakota ambulance services fight alarming lack of EMTs

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2019

There’s an emerging emergency in North Dakota’s small towns — a lack of people trained and willing to work as emergency medical professionals. The jobs are stressful, and in small towns, often involve responding to incidents involving people first responders know. Plus, if there’s pay, its minimal. Get the full story from the Fargo Forum.

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Williston Chamber celebrates young entrepreneurs with ‘Lemonade Day’

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2019

How do get kids excited about business and introduce them to the entrepreneurial spirit? Host ‘Lemonade Day’ and offer rewards. The event organized by the Williston Chamber of Commerce delivered 58 lemonade stands across the city and saw participation from nearly 200 kids. Get the full story from the Williston Herald.

Read & Share sourced from: Williston Herald

OSU study says pitbulls and dogs with wide mouths cause most damage when bites occur

by: Josh Wolsky | June 21, 2019

In a study on dog bite severity by breed and type conducted by Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, researchers looked at data from 15 years of emergency room visits and information from other studies. Their findings: injuries from pitbulls are more frequent and severe. Watch the video recap of the study and read the full

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If City Hall doesn’t succeed, neither do we

by: Jim Maxson | June 17, 2019

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this was incorrectly attributed to Josh Wolsky. This has been updated to reflect the correct author, Jim Maxson. If there are more thankless jobs than being on the Minot City Council or being Minot’s Mayor, I have no idea what they may be. The present administration inherited some pre-existing

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Minot City Council Agenda, Monday, June 17, 2019

by: Josh Wolsky | June 17, 2019

Minot’s City Council will meet for their second of two regular monthly meetings to consider the agenda below on Monday, June 17th at 5:30 p.m. All meetings are open to the public and can be attended at Minot City Hall or watched via Internet livestream through the City’s Facebook page here or Youtube Channel here.

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Blight is eating American cities. Mobile, Alabama, stopped it

by: Josh Wolsky | June 13, 2019

In Minot, we’re not immune to blight. Through the help of HUD resources, we’re making progress on flood-impacted zombie homes, but that’s far from a solution to the larger systemic challenges and root causes. And the scary thing about blight — it breeds more blight. It’s like a cancer or a weed that spreads. In

Read & Share sourced from: Fast Company

Little steps in the habitat restoration playbook

by: Josh Wolsky | June 13, 2019

“We’re capable of destroying in minutes what it took mother nature eons to create.” In Minot, our loss of habitat is most acutely observed in the loss of our natural river channel and the stench of the — though natural — not flowing dead loops. What can be done about it? Nothing will come fast,

Read & Share sourced from: Scientific American

Rural students often go unnoticed by colleges. Can virtual counseling put them on the map?

by: Josh Wolsky | June 12, 2019

One perceived disadvantage we have in a rural place like North Dakota is that access to the best information, guidance, and practices is limited. In rural schools, this is often more than a perceived disadvantage, it’s an actual one. But what if schools provided these services in a virtual environment? Check out this story from

Read & Share sourced from: The Hechinger Report

Summer fun is blowing up in Brandon

by: Josh Wolsky | June 12, 2019

Is the future of outdoor water recreation inflated? This year in Brandon, the answer is yes. Check out this story from the Brandon Sun (pictures included) that shows one neighboring city’s new approach to summer water recreation. Cover image credit goes to Tim Smith of the Brandon Sun.

Read & Share sourced from: Brandon Sun

Are you willing to secretly pay more for Walmart, Menards, Target, Home Depot and other big box stores?

by: Josh Wolsky | June 7, 2019

Have you heard of the retail apocalypse? It’s in the news on a regular basis; think of the headlines of all the big retailers like Sears closing stores. The impact of these closings and the often-distressed sale or lease of the associated properties is creating a record of low-value market comparables. When it comes to

Read & Share sourced from: CityLab