Latest news with #NorthDakotans
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
From Moving Boxes to New Beginnings: ND Welcomes Jobseekers
#2 Best State for Families Find the Good Life in North Dakota Bismarck, North Dakota, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As National Moving Day signals the unofficial start of peak relocation season across the U.S., North Dakota is rolling out the welcome mat with its innovative workforce recruitment campaign, Find the Good Life in North Dakota. Timed with what moving companies dub "Crazy Tuesday,' the busiest moving day of the year, the state is reminding jobseekers and relocating families that opportunity, affordability, and quality of life await in North Dakota. 'People across the country are packing up in search of something better, whether it's meaningful work, more time outdoors, or a stronger sense of community. North Dakota offers all that and more,' said Katie Ralston Howe, Director of the Workforce Division. Jobseekers don't just get a list of job openings; they get real connections. The program pairs interested individuals with community champions: locals who offer personalized insights, answer questions, and share what it's really like to live and work in the state. Whether it's the best coffee shop in town, how to get involved in the community, or where to catch a sunset hike, these North Dakotans are ready to help newcomers feel at home before they even arrive. Consistently recognized for its quality of life, North Dakota also boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and is named the second-best place to raise a family. The Find the Good Life initiative highlights in-demand careers, vibrant communities, and the many benefits of living and working in North Dakota, from low commute times, welcoming neighbors, wide-open spaces, and an unmatched connection to the outdoors. National Moving Day Fast Facts: The day after Memorial Day is historically the most active moving day of the year, according to U.S. moving industry data. Summer is peak moving season, with more than 40% of annual moves occurring between May and August. The Find the Good Life campaign is meeting this moment with targeted outreach to career-minded movers and families open to new beginnings. For those considering a fresh start this summer, North Dakota is a great summer road trip option and you may discover, it's a destination for lasting roots. Learn more and plan your move at Attachments #2 Best State for Families Find the Good Life in North Dakota CONTACT: Kim S. Schmidt North Dakota Department of Commerce 701-328-5300 ksschmidt@
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
North Dakota Historical Society works to fill military collection gaps ahead of new museum
Lori Nohner, research historian for the State Historical Society of North Dakota, looks at a button on a New Hampshire Civil War-era uniform in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) In the collection of the North Dakota Heritage Center, rows of soldiers' uniforms, military equipment and personal items tell the stories of service members. The State Historical Society of North Dakota has about 10,000 military items, but only about 5% is displayed at one time. The new North Dakota Military Gallery, planned for the state Capitol grounds in Bismarck, will be able to showcase more of the collection. Brig. Gen. Jackie Huber, deputy adjutant general for the North Dakota National Guard, said one unique aspect of the new museum is that it will focus on North Dakota's role in the military and the stories of state service members serving abroad and at home. For information on how to donate an item for the museum collection, visit the Historical Society's website. 'We have a number of Medal of Honor recipients that I think most North Dakotans don't even know the stories behind them,' Huber said. 'We are also going to incorporate Native American stories of the warrior culture before statehood, so that's really unique, too.' A groundbreaking for the North Dakota Military Gallery is expected mid-summer, with completion planned for fall 2027. In anticipation, the Historical Society is looking to fill some gaps in its military collection, said Lori Nohner, research historian at the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The collection begins with the Civil War and goes all the way through the Global War on Terror to current military items. The collection features a handful of uniforms worn by soldiers who fought in the Civil War and who moved to the Dakota Territory following the conflict. One uniform was worn by a member of the Dakota Territory Guard, which was a precursor to the state's National Guard. 'This was a guy from Wisconsin who came to North Dakota and homesteaded, and then he went back to Wisconsin, but he stayed long enough to be in the Guard,' Nohner said. The Historical Society also has a Spanish-American War cavalry uniform worn by former state lawmaker Leslie Simpson of Dickinson and a Navy officers peacoat from World War II, worn by Lt. William Guy of Devils Lake who later became the 26th governor of North Dakota. Guy served as a gunnery officer on the U.S. Navy Destroyer William D. Porter, which was sunk by kamikaze pilots near Okinawa, Japan in 1945. 'His original uniform is at the bottom of the ocean, so this is his uniform from the rest of his service during World War II,' Nohner said. Revolvers, included two weapons who were assigned to soldiers serving Gen. George Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment, rest in a drawer of the gun vault in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Lori Nohner, research historian for the State Historical Society of North Dakota, holds an Army-issued sweatshirt in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Lori Nohner, research historian for the State Historical Society of North Dakota, stands next shelves of World War I gas masks and other military equipment in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A military entrenching tool rests on a shelf in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A cannon ball rests on a shelf in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Lori Nohner, research historian for the State Historical Society of North Dakota, holds former-Gov. William Guy's Navy officer peacoat in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Rows of military uniforms sorted by era hang in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Identification tags hang off the hangers of military uniforms in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Lori Nohner, research historian for the State Historical Society of North Dakota, shows Air Force uniforms worn by former Bismarck State College President Larry Skogen in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) Lori Nohner, research historian for the State Historical Society of North Dakota, holds a Coast Guard uniform worn by a North Dakota woman who served in the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) in the museum collections storage area at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck on May 22, 2025. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) The collection needs more Coast Guard uniforms and items from the Navy after the Korean War, Nohner said. The Historical Society also is seeking more uniforms worn by women, Native Americans and other minorities. When people donate old military uniforms and fatigues, Nohner said they're asked to provide a story about the service member and a photo of the person in the uniform to stand alongside the collection. 'You can get some information just looking at a uniform, but you can't get the whole story,' Nohner said. 'You can't get the personal stories. The real meaty, interesting histories.' Nohner said some of her favorite military items are the less ceremonial items, such as physical training sweatsuits. She said the Historical Society would accept an iPod used by a service member during a deployment, or even military-issued underwear, socks and other everyday items. 'They are so ubiquitous, but no one seems to donate them to a museum because they wear them out,' she said. 'They keep wearing them. That's why we don't have many boots from World War I because the soldiers would wear them when they got home.' Nohner said personal items have become increasingly difficult to find. More recent service members are less likely to have letters or photographs they sent home. The Historical Society also has a need for more modern, American-made military weaponry, she said. 'We have a lot of foreign weapons from World War I especially because they were taken as souvenirs and the War Department divvied up a lot of war trophies … to the states based on how many people per capita served,' Nohner said. People who donate items to the collection can make appointments at the Heritage Center to view their items in the collection vaults. 'There's still a lot of things that we're preserving for the next generation that maybe don't go up on exhibit, so we're happy to show any donors the items that they donated,' Nohner said. She added the storage spaces housing the military uniforms and other items are climate-controlled to keep the artifacts at the right temperature, in the best humidity conditions and lighting to prevent fading. The Historical Society and the North Dakota National Guard have been consulting about the new gallery since October and working together to determine the displays and content for the new museum, Nohner said. The total cost of the Military Gallery is estimated at $77.9 million, with about half of the funding coming from the state and half coming from private donations to the North Dakota National Guard Foundation. Lawmakers so far have approved $19.2 million in state funding, with some of the allocation contingent on private donations being pledged. Legislators earlier this year also approved a $20 million Bank of North Dakota line of credit for the museum and directed the Historical Society to request funding in 2027 if the loan is used. Huber, who also serves as president of the North Dakota National Guard Foundation, said about $8 million in private donations have been raised out of the $40 million fundraising goal. She said many donors were waiting to see how much the state planned to contribute. Fundraisers also are working to secure larger donations from corporations involved in the defense industry. 'We have got a number of pending proposals,' Huber said. 'Nobody has said, 'No,' to it, if you can believe that, which is pretty incredible.' The Historical Society is continuing to add to its video collection of thousands of veterans' oral histories. Veterans interested in making a testimonial should make an appointment at the Heritage Center to record the first-hand stories of their service time. 'Our goal is to have these last for hundreds and hundreds of years, not just for the next generation, this is for several more generations,' Nohner said.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Confirmed measles cases in North Dakota rises to 19
Blood sample positive with measles virus. (iStock / Getty Images Plus) Confirmed cases of measles in North Dakota increased to 19 this week after the Department of Health and Human Services reported additional exposures occurred on a flight to Williston. Molly Howell, immunization director for HHS, said she is 'cautiously optimistic' about the slow spread of the disease in the state that was first confirmed May 2. But she reiterated that it takes two full incubation periods, or 42 days, without any new cases to declare an outbreak over. 'We're definitely a long ways from that,' Howell said. Thirteen cases of measles involve people in Williams County and six confirmed cases were reported in Cass County, including one person who was hospitalized. All of the cases involve people who were unvaccinated. Fifteen of the people are under age 19, including one child under age 5, according to the department. The latest exposure occurred on a May 14 United Airlines flight from Denver to Williston. Anyone who entered the Williston Basin International Airport between 10:22 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. that day should consider themselves exposed to the virus, according to the department's website. The state health department recommends any unvaccinated people, those without at least one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, exposed at the airport should quarantine themselves for 21 days to see if symptoms develop to prevent exposure to the community. Nonpartisan poll finds 'remarkably low' trust in federal health agencies Howell said state health officials were able to get the flight manifest from the affected plane and all North Dakotans on the flight were notified about their exposure to the illness. Anyone showing symptoms should contact a health care provider before walking into a medical clinic to receive instructions on how to present themselves for testing, Howell said. Measles symptoms can develop up to 21 days after exposure. The symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, eye irritation and a body-wide rash. The measles virus is spread through the air and people remain contagious for several days before and after the first symptoms appear, the department said previously. Other North Dakota exposure sites include: Tractor Supply Williston on May 12. Band Day Parade Williston in Harmon Park, Main Street and 11th Street on May 10. Essentia Health Walk-in Care Clinic on 52nd Avenue in Fargo on May 9. Essentia Health – The Lights West Fargo Clinic on May 7. Missouri Ridge Elementary School from April 29 to May 2. Howell said over the next few days the quarantine period for Williston schools will expire. 'Hopefully, we won't have any children positive from the school setting,' she said. 'From what I'm hearing from local public health, people have been coming in to be vaccinated … which is great to hear.' As of May 22, the CDC reported 1,046 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide across 30 states. About 67% of those cases involved people under age 19 and 97% of the confirmed cases involved people who were unvaccinated or had an 'unknown' vaccination status. 'We don't want there to be any more cases, so we just really want to encourage people to revisit vaccination with a trusted health care provider,' Howell said. An updated list of measles exposure sites can be found on the HHS website. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Medicaid cuts threaten the rights and lives of North Dakotans with disabilities
(Photo via Getty Images) As executive director of The Arc of North Dakota, I've witnessed firsthand how essential Medicaid-funded services empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live independently and engage fully in their communities. But today, that independence is under serious threat. On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' which includes sweeping cuts to Medicaid. For many in North Dakota, these cuts aren't abstract figures. They mean losing access to critical services that make daily life possible, like bathing, commuting to work, or attending community programs, robbing them of their place within the community. This threat to Medicaid is more than a fiscal issue. It's a rollback of decades of hard-won progress. In 1980, six North Dakota families partnered with The Arc to challenge the inhumane conditions at Grafton State School and San Haven State Hospital. That lawsuit led to the closure of San Haven, reduced the population at Grafton, and shifted our state toward more humane, community-based care. Now, that legacy is in danger of being erased. U.S. House Republicans push through massive tax and spending bill slashing Medicaid In addition to deep funding cuts, the legislation introduces policy changes that restrict access to care in multiple ways: Work requirements: The mandatory Medicaid work requirements start date has been moved to Dec. 31, 2026. Although people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are technically exempt, real-life implementation often fails to protect them. Many individuals with disabilities and their family caregivers get caught in confusing eligibility rules, risking wrongful loss of coverage. Increased costs: States can now charge Medicaid recipients up to $35 per service. Annual out-of-pocket costs could shoot up even for those near the poverty line, making necessary care unaffordable for many. Frequent eligibility checks: Medicaid eligibility will be reviewed every six months instead of annually. For people with limited access to technology or help navigating paperwork, this change drastically increases the risk of losing coverage due to missed notices or simple errors. Limits on provider taxes: New federal restrictions on provider taxes limit how states fund their Medicaid programs. This could reduce available dollars for crucial services, including supported employment, in-home care, and day programs. These services allow individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live and thrive in their communities. While it's difficult to pinpoint precisely how many North Dakotans with intellectual and developmental disabilities will be affected, the overall impact is clear: Medicaid is the backbone of their support system. Even if some individuals are exempt from specific requirements, the broader funding cuts and program restrictions will limit access, increase delays, and force many to go without the help they need. Families are already facing long waitlists and strained service systems. These cuts will only make things worse. When services disappear, people don't just 'fall through the cracks'; they face real, lasting harm. Consider one individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities who's waited months for a supported employment slot. Without a job coach, they remain unemployed, despite being ready and eager to work. Medicaid cuts push that opportunity further out of reach for them and hundreds of others like them. And the alternative? Institutional care may sound like a backup plan, but it isolates people, limits opportunities, and costs the public far more. Supporting people in their communities is the right and the fiscally responsible choice. At The Arc, we believe people with disabilities deserve the supports they need to live full, meaningful lives. But today, families and providers are navigating a maze of shifting rules, disappearing services, and uncertain futures. The confusion alone makes it harder to get help when needed most. To pursue this direction is to court the resurgence of systems we consciously moved beyond. Our collective experience, however, and the resources now at our disposal, equip us to forge substantive improvements rather than reenact previous failings. North Dakotans of all abilities deserve more than just survival. They deserve a future built on dignity, inclusion, and respect.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ransom Canyon star Josh Duhamel, 52, addresses 21-year age gap with wife
Josh Duhamel is explaining how he ended up married to a woman 21 years his junior. While appearing on Amanda Hirsch's Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast recently, the 52-year-old actor — who was previously married to Fergie — said he initially hesitated to get romantically involved with his wife Audra Mari, 31. 'It was truly platonic for years,' the father-of-two said, sharing that he thought 'I'm not even going to go there' when he first met the former pageant queen. The two bonded over both being from North Dakota and he eventually invited her to a barbecue, 'still thinking it was totally platonic, just as a friend from NoDak.' 'There aren't many people from there,' he noted about their home state connection. Duhamel told Hirsch they started dating when he realized 'she's more mature than I am.' Now the two lovebirds are parents to 16-month-old son Shepherd. Josh also shares 11-year-old son Axl with 50-year-old pop star Fergie, to whom he was married from 2009 until their separation in 2017. The music artist filed for divorce in May 2019, two years after their separation was announced. The divorce was finalized on November 22, 2019. When he and new wife Audra announced that they were expecting their first child back in September 2023, the Black Eyed Peas singer was quick to show support. Commenting on Audra's Instagram post at the time, she wrote, 'I am truly happy for you guys. Axl can't wait to be a big brother.' Duhamel and Mari tied the knot in September 2022 in Fargo, North Dakota. They had gotten engaged months earlier in January, with the actor sharing the news on social media. 'It's on!! She found a message in a bottle that washed ashore and said YES!! @audramari,' he wrote at the time. Inside the bottle was a handwritten letter that read: 'Audra Diane Mari Will You Marry Me?' They were first seen together in October 2019 when they were spotted kissing in Toronto. Josh opened up in an In Depth With Graham Bensinger interview in October 2023 and explained why things didn't work out with his ex-wife Fergie. He said he and the singer simply grew apart: 'I think we kind of outgrew each other and had very different interests.' The actor added in the sit-down conversation, 'I made peace with that part of my life. She and I have a great relationship, both raising that boy together. There wasn't anything wrong with [the marriage]. We had a great time.' The Shotgun Wedding star detailed further: 'The older I got, the more I wanted to come out [to North Dakota]. This is not for her. But I've got no hard feelings…I'm very lucky that she's a kind human. I really am.' Bringing up his wife, he said, 'That's why Audra's so great for me. We're both hardcore North Dakotans…We both love lake life. We both love family. We both love kids.'
