Extra-territorial zoning is an odd bit of North Dakota law which allows for municipal governments to extend their governance beyond city limits. Unfortunately for the people who live in those areas, they don’t get a say in city government. A particularly egregious example of this is the plight of Patti Eisenzimmer, a resident of rural Minot…
Minot Republican, Defeated in the Primary for His House Race, Considers Unusual Independent Run for the Senate
On primary day last week incumbent state Rep. Andrew Maragos, a Republican from District 3 in Minot, was defeated along with his running mate Alan Walter by two political newcomers named Jeff Hoverson and Bob Paulson. The vote, as you can see, was close: This morning I heard a rumor that Maragos might be considering…
The Government Shouldn’t Compete With Private Businesses for Profits
Garbage collection is a service that, for the most part, ought to be left to the private sector. In some communities it may make sense to have some sort of municipal garbage service. Maybe because there isn’t anyone in the private sector willing to provide it. In that situation, perhaps a government solution makes sense.…
This Is How You Inspire a Lack of Respect for Authority
A group of Minot High School students are facing criminal charges for an end-of-the-school-year prank. Three boys, ages 17-18, have been charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor crime, after throwing about four water balloons in the school lunch room. From the Minot Daily News: Assistant superintendent Kim Slotsve refused on Friday afternoon to comment on…
Governor Burgum Needs to Put a Halt to Absurd Removal of the Ward County Sheriff
Back in October of 2014 a man named Dustin Irwin, who as a prisoner at the Ward County Jail here in Minot, died during a prison exchange with Burleigh County. As a result county Sheriff Steve Kukowski was charged with three Class A Misdemeanors including “public servant refusing to perform duty” and two counts of…
A preview of an episode of The Weather Channel's "Vanishing America" series claims the City of Minot is disappearing, but city leaders interviewed for the episode say it's misleading and that they felt duped after participating. Screenshot via YouTube
Minot City Council Members Say Weather Channel Show Crossed Ethical Lines: “I Am Totally Disgusted”
“I was wholly disappointed,” Shaun Sipma, a member of Minot’s City Council, told me during a radio interview today referring to an episode of The Weather Channel’s “Vanishing America” show which focused on Minot’s 2011 flood. The episode aired on the channel last night. “I was expecting something completely different,” Miranda Schuler, also a member…
Minot Is A Mess And Apathy Is The Problem
News this morning from the Minot Daily News is that the City of Minot’s head planner has left, calling city government a “dysfunctional nightmare.” In a letter to Mayor Chuck Barney, Carter Thompson said decisions are being made that do not follow the current code and could pose liability for the city.”The code is supposed to be…
Two More Public Officials Charged With Crimes, This Time Related To A Prisoner Death In Ward County
Earlier this week we got news about five members of the Department of Human Services – including department director Maggie Anderson, appointed to her position by Governor Jack Dalrymple – getting charged criminally for allegedly obstructing an investigation into the death of a child at a pool in Velva, southeast of Minot. Today comes news that…
Naming A School For Senator John Hoeven Is Inappropriate
In 2007 Arkansas state Rep. Dan Greenberg got so fed up with people in his state naming things after former Governor Mike Huckabee and other politicians that he introduced what he called the “Edifice Complex Prevention Bill.” “I discovered a local park had been named after me and other legislators without my knowledge,” Greenberg told…
Columns: Bring On The Voter Registration And Downsize Minot's City Council
I have a couple of newspaper columns published today that I thought I’d flag here on the blog as well. First, in the Grand Forks Herald, I write about the voter registration issue. North Dakota is the only state in the nation without voter registration. The Legislature is studying the issue during the interim, but so…