Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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I was mowing in the backyard a couple of weeks ago – better described as haying – when a mourning dove flopped out of the tall grass ahead. At first, I figured it was a mother feigning injury to lead me away from a nest. Any child of the prairie has seen that maneuver. When I made another round with the mower, the bird was still there, dragging it's left wing. He was so weak, I was able to easily pick him up. I know, I know, the experts will tell you to just let nature take its course. Earlier this year I found a hawk with a broken wing and rep...
“It is clear that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has allowed millions of small businesses across the country to rehire their employees and retain integral jobs during this unprecedented time,” said Dan Nordberg, SBA’s Director of Rural Affairs and Region 8 Administrator. “The bill just signed into law allows additional flexibility in the program to build on its already successful foundation. These changes will enable more businesses to take advantage of this lifeline through June 30 and I am hopeful small businesses will take note an...
Every four years without fail (and usually a little earlier in each quadrennial cycle), both “major” American political parties wind up and toss the same slow, fat pitch across the public’s plate: This is the most important presidential election of our lifetimes. Maybe even the most important presidential election EVER. You gotta vote. And this time, just like every other time, you can’t risk voting for anyone but Candidate X. A vote for third party or independent Candidate Y, the candidate you like best, isn’t really a vote for Candidate...
The New York Times made a quiet disclosure recently that speaks loudly about the state of news media today. Its newsletter, “The Morning,” has reached over 17 million circulation, which the paper says is one the largest daily audiences in any form of journalism across all platforms. Let’s process that. A free news summary sent by email – similar to missives now offered 24/7 by most publishers – has found the journalistic sweet spot for a vast number of readers. It prompted the Times’s m...
Dear Editor, Results of Census 2020 are vital to the equal distribution of funds for our community as our share can be used in various ways to help and improve our community. The estimated cost of a single uncounted resident is estimated to be at least $19,100 over a decade in just the 16 largest federal programs that distriute federal tax dollars back to the state. These figures are pre-COVID-19 and do not include funds the state distributes as well. The resulting lost opportunity cost is likely to be considerably more. Yet, many residents in...
Below is a joint statement of the News Media Alliance, America’s Newspapers and the National Newspaper Association The last several days, journalists have been risking their lives to report on the ground at the scenes of protests across the country in response to the death of George Floyd. These journalists are serving a critical role in providing information the public needs to know in order to stay informed about what is happening in their communities, as well as to keep them and their families safe. In some cities, there have been reports o...
I feel terribly sorry for the hundred thousand Americans who’ve lost their lives to the coronavirus. I also feel sorry for all the small business owners in the country who have become innocent victims of the government’s mishandled war on COVID-19. They worked long and hard to start up their local restaurants, coffee shops, clothing stores, hair salons, health spas, book stores and pet grooming shops. But in just three months their livelihoods – and the livelihoods of millions of their emplo...
It was a perfect late-spring Saturday. Several members of my large extended family gathered at my parents’ house to trim hedges and plant flowers. The sun was out, the skies were brilliant blue and the temperature was perfect for yardwork. A wonderful old saying, “many hands make light work,” was certainly the case – though we really didn’t “work.” We gathered as a family, laughing, joking, catching up with each other, marveling at how fast the little ones are growing, and paying homage to our...
North Dakota Lenders processed 18,925 PPP loans for $1.7 billion for small businesses and eligible non-profits. The first loans were approved on April 3rd and required a 10 day disbursement window. During the first week of June, many businesses will likely be approaching the end of their 8-week covered period for loan forgiveness. As businesses start to review the procedures for forgiveness, I would like to offer an overview and encourage them to take the time to fully understand the process. After the 8-week covered period, a borrower must...
Dear Editor, The statewide treasurer’s race has received a lot of attention as of late with President Trump weighing in on Twitter about which Republican candidate he supports. Yet it is still concerning to me how little the average voter knows about each candidate’s record. Though this race is relatively low-profile, it is an extremely important position at stake. I would like to encourage voters to carefully research both candidates and ensure they understand the issues clearly before casting their votes. Their websites are: joh...
Editor’s note: Dean Ridings, CEO, America’s Newspapers writes on the value of content. It should be noted that America’s Newspapers’ advocacy efforts include seeking a more level playing field in the digitial environment and providing fair compensation to newspapers for the use of content. If you are a newspaper subscriber or you pick up a copy at a local retailer, you pay for the news and information you receive in your paper’s print edition or digital outlets. But it may surprise you to learn that the multi-billion-dollar digital behemoths...
A few weeks ago, Senator Cramer suggested it was time to have an adult conversation about the national debt, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Once again, initial thoughts of the “haves” is to stick it to the “have-nots.” For millions of people, these are not simply issues to be discussed casually in Washington. These programs are life lines. Before we consider cutting lifelines, I propose everyone who benefitted from the big tax cut give it back. An adult conversation should be wide op...
Long term care facilities dedicated to COVID-19 response As president of the North Dakota Long Term Care Association, I am in awe of the dedication of facility staff, families of residents and our state government to protecting the health of North Dakota’s most vulnerable population. Like the rest of our nation, this pandemic was not something we anticipated, but – together – we have responded in ways simply not possible in many states. If I may, I’d like to walk through this journey and shine a light on some of the many above-a...
My mother texted me a photograph on Sunday. That doesn’t sound like a newsworthy occasion, but mom had never texted anything to me or anyone else, ever. It was a photo of the flowers I sent her for Mother’s Day. The picture was a little grainy and out of focus, but that’s what a 15-year-old flip phone will get you. “Does this mean you’re going to start texting now?” I asked when I called her. “No. I don’t text.” “Why not?” “If you want to talk to me, you call me so I can hear your voice.” My sister bought mom a smartphone for Christmas a couple...
With the closure of the state’s largest power plant and coal mine a certainty in 2022, North Dakota is forced to accept the realities facing a coal industry that has existed since settlement days. Green River Energy announced recently that it was closing its Coal Creek Station and Falkirk Mine near Underwood in 2022, short notice for a move that will have a significant impact on the and surrounding area. This closure may be only the first domino to go and sweep away the remaining four plants a...
The rose bush outside our kitchen window is telling a different story this spring. Severely cut back each winter, it always rebounds as the weather turns warmer. I once read in a gardening book that it’s almost impossible to over-prune roses. But last week, although the stems had grown tall and the leaves were vibrant, the plant produced just a single flower. I watched as it transitioned from bud to bloom – a soft shade of crimson, not too dark, mixed with a bit of pink from nature’s limitless p...
One of the most awkward, self-conscious incidents in my life occurred when I was shopping with a group. One of my companions blithely continued browsing long after the store was locked. I have done assembly-line work, junkyard work and freelance writing. But I have also punched enough cash-register keys and worked around enough clerks and sales associates to know that the retail life isn’t all skittles and beer. (Okay, maybe there IS a lot of Skittles and beer, in the sense of “Cleanup on ais...
“Church donations have plunged because of coronavirus. Some churches won’t survive.” That’s what the newspaper headlines blared a couple of weeks ago as the financial problems of churches across the country began to erupt. According to a 2018-2019 National Congregations Study, a third of the churches had no savings, just 20% streamed their services and only 48% were able to accept donations electronically. In a “StateofthePlate” national poll covering 65% of churches, giving was steady in 2...
Ever since our local mayor issued a COVID-19 shelter-in-place-and-go-completely-cocoa bananas order, my family and I have found ourselves cooking more than we have for our entire lives. We’ve even been following recipes and using the actual stove/oven thingy, much to the relief of our exhaustipated microwave. And considering the Mad Max-wasteland conditions in the “cooking-stuff-from-scratch” aisle at Walmart, we aren’t the only ones. It all started on the first night of quarantine when we all got tired of sitting around and staring at our iPh...
Spring has finally sprung! We are beginning to come out of quarantine and find a routine once again. During this “stay at home” time, I heard from many who dug into their closets and garages. Some of which have not been cleaned or organized in years. I found things I didn’t know I had! Honestly, it feels so good to throw out the junk and have a fresh start! Though I find it natural when the seasons change. Aren’t we all motivated to do the deep cleaning? However, we typically forget to include our finances in that deep clean. Now is the per...
One of my biggest pet peeves: people who can’t hold up their end of a conversation. Oh, I’m not saying that every single human being is obligated to bring jaw-dropping factoids, whimsical quips and provocative perspectives to every mundane conversation. But listeners could at least honor speakers with something more interactive than banal “filler” material like “Uh huh,” “Well, I’ll be!” and “How do ya like that?” If you reveal, “I lost my wallet on vacation, but a former U.S. president v...
Dear Ms. Beardsley, I hope you’re doing well. I miss seeing you and my classmates at school every day, but homeschooling is working out well for me. Mommy and Daddy are doing the best they can to make sure my siblings and I continue to learn during the COVID-19 pandemic. They make sure we stick to a schedule like the one our school follows. But they aren’t getting along as well as they usually do. Every night, they hit the box wine harder than they ever did before. I suppose that’s becau...
It was around 1 a.m. last Friday, and my wife nudged me awake. Her shoulders shook in the darkness. The tears ran freely down her face. “She’s gone,” she said softly, her voice filled with depthless pain and loss and disbelief. It was the news that we prayed would not come. After three weeks of a brave fight that saw her pingpong from the brink of death to what we cautiously hoped was her recovery, my wife’s mother, Rona Gertz, 74, of Manalapan, N.J., died on April 24 of complications from COVID-19. And in a split-second, Rona, a whole person,...
My brother Jon was an exceptional human being. He had a sense of the world and life that alternated between skepticism, passionate embrace, disappointment, and hope that things would always move toward improvement, toward the light. And then, for reasons we won’t ever fully know, he turned off that light. He was only 30. There is music that won’t be written because of this, celebrations that were cancelled because of this, reunions that were smaller because of this, days that were sadder and...
A raft of reckless activity in both New Rockford's public parks and on private property in the city have officials ruffled, and rightfully so. Park District Manager Nybo said recently that he was aware of ATVs and other vehicles driving on the west side of Jim Legion Johnson Memorial Park, on the west side of the reservoir property, and even in the grass along the road near the pool in All Veterans Memorial Park. When I went out to the ballpark to photograph the Friday night lights last week, I...
