Latest news with #UniversityofNorthDakota
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fargo judge nominated to be North Dakota's U.S. attorney
Nicholas Chase has been nominated to serve as U.S. attorney for the district of North Dakota. (Photo provided) The Trump administration has nominated North Dakota district court judge Nicholas Chase to be the next U.S. attorney for North Dakota, U.S. Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer announced Wednesday. Chase is an East Central Judicial District judge with chambers in Fargo. He was appointed to the position in 2022 by then-Gov. Doug Burgum. Previously, Chase served for 20 years in the North Dakota U.S. Attorney's Office including time as first assistant U.S. attorney and acting U.S. attorney. Hoeven and Cramer, who recommended Chase for the position, said they will work to advance Chase's confirmation 'as quickly as possible.' 'Nick has dedicated his career to public service and the pursuit of justice in North Dakota and has a proven record of building cooperation among federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies,' the Republicans said in a joint statement. In a social media post, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said Chase was an 'outstanding' choice by President Donald Trump. 'Judge Chase is a dedicated public servant with deeply held constitutional and patriotic principles,' wrote Wrigley, who twice served as North Dakota's U.S. attorney. Chase earned a bachelor's degree from Minot State University in 1991 and graduated with a juris doctorate from the University of North Dakota in 1995. He also worked in private practice and as a federal judicial law clerk. If confirmed, Chase would succeed Mac Schneider, who served as U.S. attorney under the Biden administration. Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl is acting U.S. attorney for North Dakota. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Giants of the Earth' Opera Returns at Last in South Dakota
After the mayor issued a musical proclamation, and after Norway's ambassador to the United States gave a speech about her country's far-reaching history in the Midwest, Jennifer Teisinger, the executive director of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, came out with a look of pleasant surprise, and more than a little pride. 'How many orchestras,' she asked from the stage of Mary W. Sommervold Hall in Sioux Falls, 'have the mayor and the ambassador of Norway onstage for the same concert?' True, orchestral concerts don't usually get that kind of attention. But on a recent Saturday evening, the South Dakota Symphony was offering something extraordinary enough to warrant it: the first performance of Douglas Moore's opera 'Giants in the Earth' in over 50 years. An adaptation of O.E. Rolvaag's novel, a Midwestern classic about Norwegian immigrants who settle near present-day Sioux Falls in the late 19th century, Moore's opera premiered in 1951, quickly won the Pulitzer Prize for music, then practically disappeared. It was never recorded, and the full score was never published. A revised version was performed at the University of North Dakota a couple of decades later. But that, too, came and went with little notice or consequence.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Higher ed leaders to conduct review after revelations in Holmberg sex case
Students walk through the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks on March 1, 2024. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) The North Dakota University System says it is reviewing records for violations of policy or law related to sex crimes committed by former state lawmaker Ray Holmberg. State Board of Higher Education Chair Tim Mihalick read a statement at the start of Wednesday's board meeting that said members learned at the same time as the public 'that individuals previously affiliated with our institutions or board, may have had a connection to the criminal investigation of former Sen. Holmberg.' A review began immediately, he said. The board also has urged anyone with information about a university system employee or board member who failed to report misconduct to file a report to the institution's Title IX office or the university system's Office of Compliance and Ethics. Holmberg represented Grand Forks, home to the University of North Dakota, in the Legislature for 45 years before resigning his seat as an investigation was underway. Holmberg, 81, was sentenced in March to 10 years in prison for traveling to Europe with the intent to pay for sex with underage boys. Holmberg served on the Legislature's interim Higher Education Committee for several years, including as past chair. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Holmberg held a key position to make funding decisions that affect state universities. He also served on the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. A former University of North Dakota graduate student who became a cooperating witness in the case against Holmberg spoke at the sentencing hearing about Holmberg's abuse of power. UND President Andrew Armacost on Tuesday sent a letter to the UND community addressing recent media reports about Holmberg and investigative documents released Friday. 'What I read sickened me, both in the criminal actions of Holmberg and in the inaction of those who had direct information about his misdeeds,' Armacost wrote. Armacost acknowledged the documents mention several former UND employees connected to Holmberg. 'While they have not been accused of criminal action, we will ensure that they have no connection to our university community,' Armacost wrote. 'Furthermore, we have shared our concerns with external organizations that interface with UND to make certain these people no longer represent these organizations.' Investigation documents released Friday showed Holmberg sent emails about his visits to Prague in the Czech Republic to Bruce Gjovig, CEO of the University of North Dakota's Center of Innovation in Grand Forks. 'What think of my twink?' Holmberg asked Gjovig in one 2011 email, using a slang term that refers to young, slim men. 'Too young for me, but thanks,' Gjovig replied. 'No one is ever to young… remember Prague,' Holmberg wrote back. Gjovig's lawyer, Cash Aaland, said in a statement that Gjovig was not aware of Holmberg's crimes and believed his comments to be exaggerated 'locker room talk.' Gjovig retired from UND in 2017 and no longer has an official role with the university, said university spokesperson David Dodds. Holmberg in 2016 emailed a former state senator, Nick Hacker, about a sexual encounter he had with someone in Taiwan. At the time the email was sent, Hacker was a member of the State Board of Higher Education. Hacker said the email was unsolicited and that he did not reply. Hacker said he provided the message to the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation in 2022. Jim Poolman, a former legislator from Grand Forks and state insurance commissioner, this week issued a public statement after social media posts linked him to Holmberg. 'Holmberg's behavior is indefensible, awful, and beyond comprehension. I never received any communications, electronic or otherwise, that would indicate that he was conducting himself in such a manner. He did not talk about his horrible crimes to me,' Poolman wrote. Poolman said that about 19 months ago, he was interviewed by Homeland Security about Holmberg. He said he fully cooperated with investigators and answered all their questions. 'Since then, I have heard nothing from federal law enforcement because I was not involved, knew nothing of his heinous activities and have done nothing illegal,' Poolman wrote. North Dakota Dems push for new mandatory reporting laws in response to Holmberg emails Poolman announced Tuesday that he was resigning as chair of the UND Alumni Association and Foundation board of directors and from the Forever UND fundraising campaign committee. His written statement said the resignation 'is in the best interest' of UND. 'There are so many great things going on at UND and the last thing there needs to be is a distraction. I do not want to be that distraction,' Poolman wrote. On Wednesday, Poolman declined to comment beyond his statements. Armacost started as president at UND in June 2020, about two years before Holmberg resigned from office. Armacost in his letter to campus also provided a list of resources to those who have been impacted by Holmberg or have experienced trauma unrelated to this case 'If you witness such behaviors, please report them, and we will respond quickly to any allegations of abuse or mistreatment,' Armacost wrote. When asked earlier this week if UND planned to investigate whether employees knew about criminal activity, a UND spokesperson said, 'If a report is filed with the university, it would be investigated.' In his message to campus, Armacost said, 'The university will take action based upon facts from authoritative sources.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
In 1928, Franklin D. Roosevelt told Grand Forks banker he hoped to see Al Smith elected president
Apr. 29—GRAND FORKS — Less than four years before he was awarded the Democratic presidential nomination instead of Al Smith, Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote a letter to a fellow political insider in Grand Forks expressing his hope to see then-Gov. Smith elected president of the United States. "Roosevelt eventually succeeded Smith as governor of New York, but there's no doubt that he also had his eyes on the White House," said Curt Hanson, University of North Dakota archivist. Though some scholars say Roosevelt didn't do everything in his power to get Smith elected in 1928 — perhaps because of an interest in the next presidential race — this letter offers a different perspective. "Granted, it's just one letter sent to one person in a rural state, but it shows that Roosevelt was supporting Gov. Smith," Hanson said. "He was reaching out to another fellow Democratic Party official, trying to draw support for him." The fellow party official who communicated with Roosevelt was Samuel Torgerson, a longtime banker who, despite never becoming a politician himself, was heavily involved in politics. Torgerson was born in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, on June 18, 1856, according to UND Special Collections archives. His professional background prior to moving to North Dakota involved teaching and studying law. He moved to Mayville, North Dakota, in 1893, taking up a banking position at the First National Bank of Mayville. He relocated in 1904 to Grand Forks, where he became a founding member of the Scandinavian-American Bank. He served as cashier until 1933, when he took on a role as secretary-treasurer of the National Farm Loan for Grand Forks County with the Federal Land Bank of St. Paul. He also served as president and vice president of banks in Upham and Mekinock. "It seems clear he was a very busy guy," Hanson said. "He had multiple financial and banking interests spread throughout the Red River Valley, even though they kind of focused on Grand Forks." Though he had no professional investment in politics, that may have put Torgerson in a unique position, allowing him to discuss issues with others without them questioning whether he was seeking personal political advancement. "There's not a lot of (personal) gain, but he's doing it for the good of the party and the good of the country," Hanson said. The letters exchanged between Roosevelt and Torgeson the month before the 1928 presidential election showed both men's personal investment in the trajectory of the country. Roosevelt's letter, dated Oct. 13, 1928, begins with him explaining his uncertainty of Torgerson's stance on the upcoming election. However, because of Torgerson's previously expressed support for Woodrow Wilson — whom Roosevelt referred to as "our greatest president" — he was hopeful Torgerson would make the same conclusion he had in voting for Smith. Roosevelt goes on to say that "materialistic and self-seeking advisers" surround the other candidate, Herbert Hoover, and they have made it clear that high ideals and forward-looking policy are very unlikely under a Hoover presidency. "He's alluding to the fact that the people surrounding Herbert Hoover are all in it for the money, and the prestige and the influence," Hanson said. It's interesting to see a narrative like this, he said, because almost 100 years later it's still commonplace. Perhaps the most recent, well-known example would be Elon Musk, who some speculate is involved in U.S. politics purely for his own financial gain, because of the contracts his businesses hold with the government, Hanson said. "We're still always worried about the people surrounding the candidates," he said. "Even though this was written in 1928, those same issues, and perspectives and arguments come up today." Roosevelt wrote that Wilson's "wonderful dreams of a better world" were cast aside in favor of "crass materialism and a dollar-and-cents viewpoint of everything," an act Roosevelt viewed as a "world tragedy." "I know Gov. Smith and I know that in his own way his interest in humanity, his intolerance of the oppression of the weak and his desire to help those handicapped by circumstances has led him to the same belief as what our country's attitude should be, and as to how its course should be guided, as animated President Wilson," he wrote. Though it may be surprising to see a future president writing such a letter to a Grand Forks banker, at the time, the two men would've essentially been on the same political level, Hanson said. Roosevelt and Torgerson were doing similar things, just in different parts of the country. They were both Democratic Party insiders, and likely delegates who attended the Democratic convention. Though Roosevelt would soon take over Smith's position as governor, he hadn't yet. "So even though FDR went on to become one of our great presidents, at the time that he sent those letters, he's reaching out to a fellow party insider just to shore up support for Al Smith," Hanson said. They certainly weren't always the best of friends who saw eye-to-eye on everything, he said. This was especially clear once Roosevelt became president and introduced the New Deal, a set of policies that Smith was a very vocal opponent of. Different sources say this opposition could be borne from jealousy, or perhaps a belief that the policies were unconstitutional. Torgerson's response to Roosevelt, dated Oct. 16, 1928, said he was a strong supporter of Smith's, and has been exerting his influence in Smith's favor "in a quiet way." "I feel that due to the ability that Gov. Smith has shown in his present office and to the many progressive measures that he has advocated during his present term he is entitled to the support of all progressives in the country," Torgerson wrote. He also mentioned ministers in Grand Forks who have regularly devoted their pulpits to "stump speaking," or giving a political speech, something Torgerson viewed as bigoted and intolerant. "Churches are supposed to be politically neutral," Hanson said. "And so, occasionally, and especially when pastors or clergy speak to the 'right' — to conservative causes — people in the 'left' are always like, 'Well, let's tax the churches. If they're not truly going to be neutral, then let's tax them.'" Torgerson wrote that his own Congregational Church's trustees decided unanimously against allowing political talk to take place in the church after being approached by an anti-saloon political speaker. Torgerson explained that he couldn't say which way the election would go in North Dakota, but he believed Smith would receive a large number of votes from farmers. He confessed his reluctance to make any predictions, and attributed it to the false certainty he had that Robert M. La Follette would carry North Dakota in the previous election. Hanson suspects Torgerson was just trying to be positive, or perhaps was in somewhat of an echo chamber, primarily spending his time with people who shared his beliefs. "Grand Forks, historically, has been one of the more liberal counties of our state," Hanson said. "When you step out of the county of Grand Forks, the city of Grand Forks, it's not that way at all." The race between Smith and Hoover was "not even close" in North Dakota, he said. Hoover received 54.8% of the popular vote and all five electoral votes, according to The American Presidency Project. "In addition to being a Catholic, (Smith) was against prohibition," Hanson said "So he was already behind the eight ball here in our rural part of the Midwest." There was a lot of anti-Catholic bias and propaganda circulating at the time; it was believed that if you voted for Smith, you were voting for the Pope. "'He's a papist; he can't be trusted,'" Hanson said. "(People said) that sort of thing." Nationwide, Hoover received 58.2% of the popular vote and 83.6% of the electoral vote.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Dakota Dems push for new mandatory reporting laws in response to Holmberg emails
Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, center, speaks during a press conference hosted by Democratic state lawmakers urging the statehouse to pass legislation to require legislators and higher ed officials to report child sexual abuse. Pictured from left are Rep. Zac Ista, Sen. Ryan Braunberger, Sen. Josh Boschee and Rep. Gretchen Dobervich. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor) A committee of lawmakers on Monday rejected a last-minute bill to make legislators and higher education officials mandatory reporters of child sexual abuse in light of new documents that show a University of North Dakota official may have known about sex crimes committed by former Sen. Ray Holmberg. Holmberg, who served in the statehouse for more than four decades, was sentenced to 10 years in prison late last month after he pleaded guilty to traveling abroad with the intent to have sex with adolescent boys. The records, which were released by the Attorney General's Office on Friday and number over 90 pages, show Holmberg emailed UND entrepreneur Bruce Gjovig in February 2011 about the former senator's preference for young men and boys. Gjovig founded the school's Center for Innovation, retiring in 2017. Gjovig also held other prominent roles in the community and the Republican Party. Call logs show Holmberg, former AG communicated amid federal sex crime investigation 'What think of my twink?' Holmberg asked Gjovig in the email, using a slang term that refers to young, slim men. Gjovig emailed back, 'too young for me, but thanks.' 'No one is ever to young… remember Prague,' Holmberg replied. Gjovig's attorney, Cash Aaland, said in a statement that Gjovig believed the comments were exaggerated, 'bawdry, locker room' talk. 'Although Mr. Gjovig knew Mr. Holmberg in a professional and personal capacity, Mr. Gjovig was unaware of the criminal nature of Mr. Holmberg's sexual conduct,' Aaland said in the statement. 'Mr. Gjovig condemns Holmberg's activities in the strongest terms possible.' Aaland said that Gjovig fully cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation into Holmberg, and that Gjovig is being painted as an accomplice without evidence. 'As a gay man and a Republican, Mr. Gjovig has been an easy mark for political and media attacks,' Aaland stated. The records also show that Holmberg emailed former state Sen. Nick Hacker in August 2016 about a sexual encounter Holmberg had with someone in Taiwan. Hacker was a State Board of Higher Education member at the time. Holmberg did not say in the email that the person in question was underage, or that it was commercial sex. Hacker, who served in the Senate from 2005 to 2008, said that the email was unsolicited and that he did not reply. 'I don't even recall getting that email,' he said. Hacker said he met with the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation in 2022 and cooperated with the agency's investigation of Holmberg, including giving investigators full access to his messages. 'Until I met with BCI in 2022, I was unaware that Mr. Holmberg was a predator of underage children,' Hacker said in a statement to the North Dakota Monitor. 'Individuals like him should be fully prosecuted under the law.' Others employed by the University of North Dakota also received emails from Holmberg, records show. Sen. Tim Mathern and other North Dakota Democratic lawmakers in a Monday morning press conference urged the Legislature to greenlight a delayed bill to make lawmakers and higher education employees mandatory reporters of child sex abuse. 'In the future, if this comes to your attention and mine, we will know that it's our responsibility. I think each one of us needs guardrails to help us make good decisions,' Mathern told other senators in a Senate Delayed Bills Committee hearing that afternoon. The committee voted 4-1 not to forward the proposal, arguing a mandatory reporting requirement is not necessary and that it is too late in the session to accept the bill. Mathern was the only no vote. North Dakota Senate kills mandated reporter bill spurred by Holmberg case Mathern's peers on the Senate Delayed Bills Committee said they did not feel the bill would make a difference because they did not know of Holmberg's crimes until he was charged. 'If we would have known something, we would have said something,' said Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden. Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, and Sen. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, suggested taking up the proposal next legislative session. 'Who knew or didn't know, even in the last 90-page report, is just hearsay,' Myrdal said. The other member of the committee was Sen. Cole Conley, R-Jamestown. The communications in the report were found on electronic devices seized by law enforcement belonging to Ray Holmberg and another subject, Nicholas Morgan-Derosier. Morgan-Derosier was an associate of Holmberg's who was sentenced in May to 40 years in prison on child pornography charges. Members of the committee also said that the higher education system may already have mandatory requirements in place. A spokesperson for the North Dakota University System said there is no blanket requirement for employees to report sexual abuse, though certain kinds of officeholders and staff have their own reporting mandates. For example, members of the higher education board and employees must report any suspected violations of laws or institutional policies to a designee within the University System. Statehouse Democrats said during the press conference it is unacceptable that some officials knew or may have known about Holmberg's conduct years before he was charged with a crime. They said that North Dakota law does not do enough to prevent officials from engaging in, or covering up, crimes against children. 'It's obvious that just trusting these people to do the right thing is not good enough,' Mathern said. 'We owe it to Holmberg's victims to do something about it.' The Senate previously defeated a resolution sponsored by Rep. Nico Rios, R-Williston, and the North Dakota Young Republicans that would have called on the 2027 Legislature to make lawmakers mandatory reporters. It's not yet clear whether the University of North Dakota has investigated or plans to investigate Holmberg. 'If a report is filed with the university, it would be investigated,' David Dodds, a university spokesperson, said in a statement to the Monitor. 'We are aware and deeply troubled by recent media reports regarding previously sealed federal court documents that were unavailable to the University and were used in the criminal conviction of Ray Holmberg,' Dodds said. 'We strongly condemn the actions of anyone who may have enabled Mr. Holmberg's criminal behavior.' The University System is drafting a child safety policy that would apply to minors participating in programs that take place on property regulated by the higher education board or are sponsored by the University System, spokesperson Billie Jo Lorius said in an email to the North Dakota Monitor. She said the policy has yet to be approved. Rep. Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, said during the press conference he hopes the state Legislature isn't the only body that implements reforms in response to the Holmberg case. 'I think this is a time for all individuals and institutions to carefully reflect on where their failures were in this process,' Ista said. Mathern also called on his colleagues to put more money in the North Dakota Ethics Commission's budget for the 2025-2027 fiscal year. He is chair of the conference committee tasked with workshopping final amendments to the budget, Senate Bill 2004. 'This would be a step forward toward justice as we continue to process Holmberg's vile crimes and uncover more information on what has become the most egregious scandal in our state's history,' Mathern said. The Senate initially set aside money for an additional full-time employee for the commission, which would have brought the board's number of staff up to four. The House cut the funding and also added a new 180-day deadline for the commission to process ethics complaints. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
