Latest news with #NorthDakotan
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
North Dakota confirms 3 new measles cases, bringing total to 4
Vials of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are displayed on a counter at a Walgreens Pharmacy on Jan. 26, 2015. (Photo by Illustration) North Dakota now has four confirmed measles cases, the Department of Health and Human Services said Monday. All four cases are in Williams County in northwest North Dakota involving people who were not vaccinated, said Molly Howell, immunization director for the department. The department announced Friday the first confirmed case, a Williams County child who is believed to have contracted measles from an out-of-state visitor. The three additional cases are people who had contact with the child, Howell said. The cases are the first reemergence of measles in North Dakota since 2011, Howell said. A North Dakotan tested positive for measles in 2018, but after additional testing, the department confirmed that person did not have the illness, Howell said. 'Our advice to anyone in North Dakota is to be up to date with your immunizations, especially the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine,' Howell said. 'Everyone starting at 12 to 15 months of age should receive their first dose of MMR vaccine and the second dose is recommended at 4 to 6 years of age.' As of May 1, 935 people have contracted measles across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those cases, 68% are people age 19 and younger. The federal health organization also said 121 people have been hospitalized and three deaths have resulted from the disease this year. Poll: Belief in false measles claims correlated with lower vaccination rates Howell said infant vaccination rates in North Dakota are at about 81% and school-aged children have about a 90% rate, but those rates differ depending on location. She added there are no immediate plans to roll out mobile vaccination clinics because the vaccines are readily available at local health care providers. 'It's more concerning in areas where there are lower vaccination rates, so ideally, we're hoping parents have a conversation with their trusted health care provider,' she said. With measles being a highly contagious illness, Howell said a 95% vaccination rate is recommended to contain the spread of the disease locally. Howell said North Dakota public health agencies did lose some COVID-19 pandemic-related funding from the federal government in recent weeks, but she doesn't believe the cuts will affect the state's ability to respond to the measles cases. 'We'll continue to ensure that North Dakotans across the state have access to MMR vaccines, and other vaccines,' she said. Howell said people should not downplay the seriousness of measles, but she did not want people to panic either. 'What we want is for people to be informed of the benefits of vaccination versus the risks of the disease,' she said. 'We used to have 5,000 to 6,000 cases per year before the vaccine was available, but people died and were hospitalized. And now we have a way to prevent it and there's no reason for anyone to have to deal with this terrible disease.' Howell said the department will continue to update its measles-dedicated website as more information becomes available. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Dakota Office of Legal Immigration proposes rebranding itself as Office of Global Talent
Katie Ralston Howe, director of workforce development for the North Dakota Department of Commerce, delivers remarks Aug. 21, 2024, during a Global Talent Summit at the Heritage Center. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) The North Dakota Office of Legal Immigration – which some lawmakers wanted to eliminate – seeks a name change to better reflect the agency's work. The new name would be Office of Global Talent as proposed in an amendment to the budget bill for the Department of Commerce. The legislation, Senate Bill 2018, passed the Senate last month and advances to the House. The proposal comes after Rep. Nico Rios, R-Williston, sponsored House Bill 1493 to get rid of the office entirely. That bill failed in the House on Feb. 18 with a 67-22 vote. More 2025 legislative session coverage Lawmakers created the Office of Legal Immigration in 2023 as part of a solution to address ongoing workforce shortages across the state. Katie Ralston Howe, director of the workforce division of the Department of Commerce, said the name Office of Global Talent better reflects the mission, which is helping employers attract talent from outside of the United States. The office does not process visa applications or work with foreign workers directly. 'Language is important,' Ralston Howe said. In the past 18 months, members of the office have been doing a lot of clarification on what the office doesn't do because 'legal immigration' is in the name. She added she understands the confusion because online searches for 'immigration support' or 'immigration help' list the Office of Legal Immigration as one of the top results. During legislative discussion, Sen. Michael Dwyer, R-Bismarck, said Office of Global Talent is a better name. 'With the hot button issue that immigration is today, it just seems like a more appropriate term,' Dwyer said. The office has recently hired a global talent coordinator who will begin work in the coming weeks, bringing the total number of employees to two with additional leadership support from the Department of Commerce, Ralston Howe said. The office does not provide any immigration or customs enforcement, legal counseling for immigrants, or employer certification for potential visa applicants, which falls under the U.S. Department of Labor, Ralston Howe said in submitted testimony. The office does connect employers to resources and education on how to tap into the international labor pool through different visa programs, but those employers must all demonstrate to the Labor Department that their open position could not be filled by a North Dakotan or other U.S.-based worker. She said workforce initiatives at the Department of Commerce and other state agencies have a combined goal of increasing the state's workforce by 2% of average total employment over the previous year, which is about 10,000 workers. 'When we look at the holistic effort across all agencies that are tied into North Dakota's workforce system, that 2% increase is huge,' Ralston Howe said. The office has assisted employers bringing 13 foreign workers and their families to the state since fall 2024, she said. At least four of those workers have moved to the Harvey area and are working in the health care and accounting fields with their children becoming new Harvey Hornets. 'They are filling critical needs that not only would be critical in a community like Harvey, but all across the state,' she said. However, Ralston Howe said the numbers of workers moving to the state might not be the best measure for the office because it works with employers seeking those foreign workers, not the employees themselves. She added more than 200 employers and community organizations have reached out to the office for assistance since the office was established in 2023. Study dives into how legal immigrants can boost North Dakota workforce Rios, the lawmaker who proposed eliminating the office, is not convinced the office is necessary. Rios told lawmakers during a hearing in February that he wanted more of the state's tax dollars to focus on recruiting American workers from across the country. He also suggested the state's Find The Good Life campaign, another program designed to recruit workers to North Dakota, could be used as a vehicle to target migrant communities. Rep. Karen Grindberg, R-Fargo, a member of the House Industry, Business and Labor Committee that heard the bill, said the committee recommended a 'do not pass' on the bill. 'This committee felt that eliminating this office is detrimental to one of the biggest challenges facing our state, that being the workforce shortage,' Grindberg said during debate on the House floor. 'This office is a critical component of providing a comprehensive workforce solution.' The House overwhelmingly defeated the bill. In the coming weeks, House lawmakers will take up the Department of Commerce budget bill, including the office's name change. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Dakota resolution urging to end same-sex marriage advances
Rep. Bill Tveit, R-Hazen, speaks during a Jan. 27, 2025, committee hearing. On Feb. 24, 2025, Tveit advocated for a resolution urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn same-sex marriage. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) The North Dakota House of Representatives passed a resolution Monday proclaiming the interpretation of marriage as between one man and one woman. The measure passed on a 52-40 vote and will advance to the Senate for its consideration. House Concurrent Resolution 3013, sponsored by Rep. Bill Tveit, R-Hazen, urges the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which has protected same-sex marriage for the last decade. Tveit told lawmakers that marriage had always been between a man and a woman until 10 years ago and said the country would not be able to perpetuate itself without men and women having children. 'As you are well aware, two cannot conceive or birth a child except for coming together of a female and a male,' Tveit said. 'Based on the laws of nature, it's just that simple.' While the Supreme Court does have the ability to interpret laws, the resolution states, it doesn't give justices the power to 'legislate from the bench to enact policy decisions.' 'If same-sex couples desire a collaborative union of a sort, or a legal bonding, they must call it anything but marriage,' Tveit said. During debate on the resolution, Rep. Austin Foss, D-Fargo, said he never thought one year after marrying the man he loves in North Dakota that he would have to fight for their right to exist. 'This hurts,' Foss said. 'I don't come into your church, into your home, and force you to relabel your relationship just because I don't agree with it.' He added, if the Supreme Court does overturn the previous ruling, same-sex couples would lose tax incentives and parental rights. Military families would lose rights to spousal benefits and they could also lose end-of-life rights, which could lead to them being discounted when making important decisions involving their partners. 'I cannot imagine my husband at the end of his road, in his hospital bed dying, and I would have no rights to any decision-making on how that moves forward,' Foss said. Foss said he knows the measure was a resolution that won't change North Dakota law, but the message it sends to members of the LGBTQ community is that they are not welcome. 'It's a message to the world that North Dakota, if you are like me, you are not welcome here,' Foss said. 'If you don't conform to the ideas that we have about creating a family, you are not welcome here. That's not North Dakota nice. That's not even Christian-like.' In an interview after the vote, Foss said he took a little solace in the fact that the vote was close and hopes calmer heads and allies prevail in the Senate. 'I am a North Dakotan and for somebody to tell me that I'm not, it hurts,' Foss said. He added he did not speak to Tveit about the resolution before the floor vote. 'I will say that the support I received from those Republicans that did vote no on it has been helpful and nice,' he said. If the resolution is passed by the Senate, it would be forwarded to the United State Supreme Court. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
WMPO: North Dakota sets up shop to promote state
It's not exactly easy to promote a state known for cold winters, in a city that is well-known for having mild winters. However, that's not stopping North Dakotan officials from doing just that. FOX 10's Steve Nielsen has more.
