Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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The August 10 meeting of the NR-S school board started on a somber note as board president Alyson Myhre took a moment to express condolences for the recent and sudden loss of math instructor Mark Johnston. Secondary Principal Avolt Baumbach shared that Sources of Strength has been meeting and continues to connect with students and encourage good mental health. Annette Hovey serves as the faculty advisor for the student organization. In the same vein, Superintendent Jill Louters reported that she has been working to assemble a care team that...
For the most part, traffic remains pretty reasonable in New Rockford and surrounding areas. With not so much as a stoplight, motorists are able to navigate the roads and get to where they are going with minimal trouble. It was just over a hundred years ago that New Rockford received its first traffic sign. It read, "Keep to the Right" and was installed in 1917. In the photo above a group of young folks decided to pose near the sign at its location near St. John's Catholic Church. I am not...
John Christiansen says he will be prepared for his first day of teaching at New Rockford-Sheyenne Elementary. He comes to NR-S with five years of experience teaching both fifth and sixth grade at Bowbells Elementary. If his experience has taught him anything, it is that fifth grade students have some very special characteristics. Fueled by curiosity, these young learners are quick to use their advanced communication skills and abstract thinking to make for some pretty dynamic problem-solving. Th...
As the new school year approaches, Megan Thompson has been busy preparing her classroom at New Rockford-Sheyenne School. This marks a huge milestone for the recent Valley City State University grad: she has her very own classroom, with her name on the door. Thompson is employed by East Central Center for Exceptional Children to deliver special education services to the students at New Rockford-Sheyenne Elementary. She brings to the job a specialized dual degree in elementary education and...
In the fall of 2019, three families came together with a vision for Lily’s Hope Ministry, to create a space for families to memorialize the precious lives lost in utero, at birth or shortly after. That vision is coming together, and now Amy and Travis Steele, Sarah and Jake Warren, and Jodi and Josh Guler are welcoming others to be part of a dedication ceremony on Sunday, August 23 at 2 p.m. The dedication ceremony at St. John’s Cemetery, north of New Rockford, will be ecumenical in nature, dra...
I’m no expert when it comes to homeschooling, but I do have experience. I suppose that is why from time to time, parents approach me about homeschooling. These days this is happening more and more. Even with an impressively adaptive health and safety plan in place at NR-S, there are families who are considering delivering their child’s (or children’s) education at home. And that’s okay— because, in this challenging time, each family has to consider their options based on their own individual needs. Homeschooling is an option for all North Dak...
A lot of folks have school on their mind these days. With so many changes, it is difficult to know what to expect. However, if we take a look at history- even with our small district and surrounding areas, it becomes apparent that change has always been a part of the education system. New Rockford's first schoolhouse was erected in 1883, and May Crist was the first teacher for the three-month term which began on June 1. According to the centennial book "A Century of Sowers," the first session...
New Rockford-Sheyenne Superintendent Jill Louters presented the board of education with the school's re-entry plan during a special meeting on July 31. For much of July, Louters has been dialoguing with parents and staff regarding the re-entry plan. It turns out that there is one thing that everyone can agree upon- no plan is perfect for this scenario. Living in the age of COVID-19 forces each of us to be adaptable in an ever-changing world. Louters explained that this plan has been designed to...
COVID-19 sure has been busy over the past week. As last reported in the Transcript, active cases of COVID-19 in North Dakota totaled 921 on Thursday, July 23. By the following Tuesday, the number of active cases had increased to 1,084. To date, 6,227 positive cases have been documented in North Dakota and 4,975 people have recovered. More than 151,000 North Dakotans have been tested since March, approximately 20% of the population. At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Burgum announced an u...
On Saturday, July 25, local snake enthusiasts came together to show the world that there is nothing to fear. An estimated 150 people turned out for the event, which was held in two sessions: one each in the morning and evening. It was a warm day, with temperatures climbing high into the 90s, but given a little shade, the snakes didn't mind at all. Snakes, like all reptiles, are heterothermic, more commonly known as cold-blooded. This means that unlike birds and mammals, snakes cannot regulate...
Please forgive the quality of the photo. It is a relic. It resides at the Eddy County Museum and is marked with a date of 1884. The description it was given upon donation to the Eddy County Museum reads, "Men in derby standing in the doorway of H. Peoples." Who these men are isn't clear at this point, but I do suspect there weren't many more than a handful of men at that time who would be dressed in their best and standing in front of the earliest stores in Eddy County. The store, H. Peoples,...
On Tuesday, July 14, North Dakota Governor Burgum announced the statewide reopening of schools this fall, stating, “We are entering new territory this fall as we serve a dual purpose to our state: the education of all students and safeguarding the health and safety of students, staff, families, and communities.” In an effort to best serve more than 120,000 students throughout the state, Governor Burgum and State Superintendent Kristen Baesler introduced the North Dakota K-12 Smart Restart Guidelines. These guidelines offer school districts a co...
We are embarking on our fifth month of learning to live with the coronavirus, and it hasn't got any easier. Regardless of individual health or political beliefs, we have learned that living with uncertainty is difficult. Many would even say stressful. Here in Eddy County, residents have experienced very little of the impact of COVID-19 and its potential for community spread. Thus, we have been living our lives with a little more care and caution. Through the state, both testing and positive...
Eddy County Commission met Thursday, July 16 to continue reviewing budgets from county entities and organizations. Todd Weber, Eddy County Road Superintendent, presented the largest of the department budgets, totaling $1,136,500. The budget accommodates the purchase of two new blades at an estimated cost of $330,000 each. Eddy County Extension Agent Chandy Howard presented the budget for the NDSU Extension Eddy County Office, which totals $79,917. This is $5,000 less than was budgeted for 2020, due to recent personnel changes in the position of...
New Rockford-Sheyenne school board met on Monday, July 20 for the first organizational meeting of the 2020-2021 school year. The board is comprised of seven members, each of whom will have added responsibilities in the year ahead. On Tuesday, July 14, Governor Burgum made the announcement that schools are expected to be in operation this fall under a new set of guidelines. Superintendent Jill Louters provided an overview of the guidelines and expectations. The details of this re-entry process are published on this week’s front page. Current b...
The July 6 installment of Archival Anecdotes featured two photos, both representative of a New Rockford parade celebration sometime in the early half of the 20th century. However, the two photos were not from the same event as the article implied. Two readers submitted evidence and offered insight to the clues they had used to draw their conclusions. In college, I had a professor of anthropology who blatantly told me, "You will not make a good archaeologist. You get too caught up in the story...
The Fiebelkorn family has been making their way through 2020 one step at a time. For Quenten, most of those steps have been taken with the help of a loving family and a supportive network of healthcare providers. Quenten was airlifted to Regions Hospital Burn Center in St. Paul on January 8 after his family's McClusky, N.D. home burned to the ground. His injuries were sustained in an attempt to rescue his wife and daughter from the flames. His 4-year-old son Gaige did not survive. The entire...
On Tuesday, July 14, Governor Burgum presented new guidelines for opening K-12 schools throughout the state. “The pandemic has changed what education looks like,” said Burgum. “We need to be nimble and responsive to the students… We have the responsibility we serve every student in using all the tools available.” He also explained that opening schools up on a statewide level will be a much more involved process than closing them in the spring. Each district could be faced with dozens of difficult decisions every day. “When schools reopen, sch...
Canned food has only been around for a handful of years relative to human history. For the vast portion of human existence, food was preserved primarily through dehydration or fermentation. Then in 1795, French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte offered a reward for anyone who could develop a safe, reliable food preservation method for his constantly traveling army. Nicholas Appert took on the challenge, and after 15 years of work and rework, Appert introduced a preservation method that...
The Eddy County Commission is getting a start on the 2021 budget. On Monday, July 6, the commissioners met with several county entities to hear their proposed budgets. State’s Attorney Ashley Lies’s budget of $63,036 covers the salaries for Lies as well as a part-time legal assistant. This is a $10,350 decrease from the previous year, and some of the most notable line items reduced in this budget are paper and supplies. Lies explained that new technology allows her to utilize electronic methods for preparing court documents and archiving rec...
History is an inextricable element of the work done at Transcript Publishing. We often find ourselves consulting our archives or the Eddy County Museum to confirm facts and enrichen our stories. Now, after moving to 817 Central Avenue, a whole new history is emerging. This is the sixth home the Transcript has found in downtown New Rockford, and its history is just as rich as the others. In fact, the land upon which the new building sits was the home of Hotel Mattson as early as 1894. According...
It seems fair to say that many of us haven't "gotten out much" over the past months. But while the majority of folks hunkered down inside, New Rockford businesses saw the silence as an opportunity to make some changes for the better. In the coming weeks, the "New Rockford Transcript" will be highlighting the renovations, expansions and relocations that local businesses have undergone since the beginning of the pandemic. We kick off the series with the iconic Hanson's Bar on Central Avenue. It's...
On June 27, New Rockford played host to the 10th Annual Norsemen Ride. Close to 200 individuals registered for the event, which directly supports children with diabetes. The group convened downtown for registration at 9 a.m. By 11 a.m., the kickstands went up and the run was underway. After making stops in Minnewaukan, Maddock, Esmond, Harvey and Fessenden, the group returned to New Rockford for supper and raffle drawings at Buck-It's Bar. Norseman Alex Brandvold of Maddock helped to coordinate...
Eddy County Extension welcomes Tiffany Munson as the new administrative assistant. The position opened this spring after former administrative assistant Chandy Howard moved into the position of extension agent. Between Munson, Howard and Foster and Eddy County agent Donna Anderson, the office is once again adequately staffed. Anderson says, "I am very pleased Tiffany decided to join us. She has a unique skill set that will enhance Extension in Eddy County's outreach." Munson hails from New...
With all the parades that have been held locally in the past months, it seems only appropriate to take a moment to feature a historic parade. Recent parades have honored high school seniors who found their graduating year disrupted by COVID-19. There was also the Silver Linings Day parade which expressed gratitude to long-term care staff and honored the elders who reside at the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd. Then most recently, the annual Fourth of July Parade was held to celebrate our...
