FARGO—Police confirmed a person taken in an ambulance early Sunday from a Fargo home was stabbed multiple times Police and an ambulance crew were at the scene of a home at the corner of 4th Avenue South and 9th Street South around 5:45 a.m WDAY News saw a person being loaded into the ambulance A Fargo police officer on scene confirmed that the person had been stabbed multiple times and that they were conscious Fargo police said they responded to a report of a possible stabbing in the area where the stabbing victim was found at 4:35 a.m Officers didn't find anyone in that vicinity after canvassing the area officers responded to a report of a male with multiple stab wounds in the 300 block of 9th Street South They located the victim and transported him to a local hospital with significant injuries It is believed that the victim and the suspect are known to each other and police do not believe there is a threat to the public A Fargo police officer asked for WDAY security camera footage as part of their investigation (KVRR/KFGO) — The former executive director of Presentation Partners In Housing in Fargo is accused of embezzling over $200,000 from the non-profit Court records show Cheri Gerken of Moorhead was fired after a private forensic accountant found she had used her company credit card for unauthorized purchases from 2019 to 2023 Gerken has been charged with felony theft over $50,000 and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted Gerken apologized and said it was difficult to keep up with her bills and care for her kids after her divorce She filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last May I agree with the legislator who finally said the homeless would hang around for awhile and then get back on a train car for brighter destinations I suggested to the City Commission that they utilize the Civic Center for that reason — to house the homeless It has all that is necessary to survive and is right across the street from the Engagement Center Apparently the Commissioners did not realize the close proximity to downtown But the liberal commissioners on the board would rather spend millions of dollars on a newer That is sending a message that homelessness is an accepted form of living and will be rewarded by a brand new living area at no cost Commissioner Turnberg attempted to enhance that very idea with her proposal to utilize the Civic Center She was soundly defeated by her liberal cohorts on the commission apparently still believe that money grows on trees and that the whole state is anxious to help the city out of its problems Apparently the City Commission does not realize that the ND Legislature is totally conservative FARGO — Every regular meeting of the Police Advisory and Oversight Board has been canceled in 2025 the Police Board’s meetings were canceled due to lack of a quorum A public board must have more than half of its members show up to a meeting in order to take any action The board’s April meeting was canceled because the board did not have any agenda items for the meeting “There have been a few members that have been unable to attend for various reasons and thus we did not/would not have a quorum,” Greywind said “We were hoping to have enough people together to discuss next steps for the board.” The April meeting didn’t have a “list of potential topics” ready “We were hoping to create a list of potential topics with the group but we are limited in communication so as not to break the rules of quorum so we are hopeful to discuss this in our upcoming meeting,” she said members of public government boards cannot discuss business without alerting the public in advance; any gathering of more than half of a public board is considered a meeting This is done by members sending topic ideas directly to city staff to compile into an agenda City staff then schedule the meeting and share the agenda with every board member and the public The Fargo Police board gathered for an informal No action was taken as it was not a formal meeting; however the consensus among the assembled board members was plain: they want to dissolve the public police board and reform as a group of private citizens to advise Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski Board members resolved to try to disband during the next official meeting of the Police Board at which point the recommendation to dissolve the board would have been passed up to the full Fargo City Commission for approval every meeting of the Police Board since has been canceled While board members had many questions for the police department following the incident across several meetings no action was taken to request another investigation The Police Advisory and Oversight Board met 13 times in 2024 The next meeting of the Police Board is scheduled for 5 p.m who serves as the liaison for the Police Board WEST FARGO — West Fargo will not be losing a popular greenhouse that has come to regularly host community learning events after all despite the owner's declaration last year that she would likely close after she and the City Commission could not come to an agreement on how to fix ongoing parking and access issues The commission tabled the agreement between the business and city again directing staff to continue "working with" SheyWest on various issues SheyWest has agreed to restrict the number of guests permitted to attend private events West Fargo Manager of Public Affairs Rachel Richter Lordemann said the city has taken no action regarding SheyWest since last fall "After the commission tabled Sheywest’s planned unit development amendment application at the meeting in September so staff have not been working on it since," Lordemann said Kallias could not be reached for comment before publication of this article according to the business's Facebook page and website the garden center is currently open and has spring planting inventory Kallias has told other media outlets that while she thought she would close last year she decided not to fold the business and is taking it a step at a time Richter Lordemann said any decision to close would be Kallias' decision alone as commissioners had "made no decision that would forced the closure of her business." The last meeting had been another step in a back-and-forth between the business and commission spanning nearly five years Kallias and city staff had met several times to try to find solutions to add more parking and better access to the garden center the commission granted the SheyWest a planned unit development permit to build the garden center and nursery that would also host classes and community events on the corner of Sheyenne Street and 40th Avenue South the city and the business have struggled to come to an agreement on just how the business can use its land along with how best to address access to the property SheyWest will hold a number of community workshops to help attendees learn how to work on stained glass projects in May and June Little Sprouts Gardening classes are also available can be rented out for private or community events WEST FARGO — That Marge is really going places “We’ve really kind of focused our businesses on downtown over the last 10 years but we really haven’t done anything in West Fargo,” said Hurder adding that West Fargoans have praised his decision to bring another family-friendly eating option to the city Hurder said he decided to expand into the West Fargo strip mall after seeing how the infrastructure was already in place and the former business's "Broyhill furniture"-style decor already meshed with Marge's vintage aesthetic The “new” Marge’s will retain a retro flavor similar to the downtown restaurant — but with notable differences like no breakfast (not yet anyway) and a different type of mid-mod flair most everything gets repurposed or reused anyway,” Hurder said The booths will highlight the family-oriented section on the west end of the restaurant “We have the liquor license which allows people under 21 (to eat there),” Hurder said adding that a more traditional “bar vibe” will be reflected on the east end of the 100-seat space even bar service will boast a “a milkshakey with milk shakes for kids and old-timey spiked ice cream drinks —like grasshoppers or Golden Cadillacs — for the grownups The space also will continue to offer Prairie Public-sponsored gaming in a special section Another Marge’s Diner-inspired touch will be an oversized cross-stitch mural depicting a series of hanging plants and the trademark Marge’s logo which has “that old British pub look” befitting its former life as the Three Lyons the new Marge’s won’t serve breakfast initially but will concentrate on lunch and dinner but it’s not out of the gate yet,” Hurder said so we’re limited in what we can offer out of the space.” a shortrib stroganoff and “a couple of funky sandwiches” on the menu That includes a Sloppy Joe in which the bread has been baked in a coffee can after which the center is scooped out and filled with Sloppy Joe mixture.  The Boiler Room’s famous Scotch eggs and the salad bar from Marge’s Diner will also both be featured on the new bar and grill’s menu.  “Midwest comfort food is what resonates,” he says Hurder said the restaurant was “pretty turnkey” when they first took it over Although they needed to install some new kitchen equipment the interior has mainly required cosmetic changes he hopes the new Marge’s Bar & Grill can be open in several weeks so advises job-hunters to keep an eye out for the new Marge's Bar & Grill website and Facebook page Job listings will also be shared on all of Marge's socials (KVRR) — Fargo Firefighters were called to a fire in a mobile home park Monday morning in north Fargo The fire started outside a mobile home at 245 Circle Dr the fire had begun to damage the siding and insulation of the trailer Battalion Chief Joe Mangin confirmed that the fire was put out with about a gallon of water and that there was minimal damage to the home The page you were looking for couldn't be found Studio: 701-271-1100Text Line: 701-237-1590Front Desk: 701-356-4220Email: Click Here to Email Us FARGO– A former executive director of a Fargo-based nonprofit is facing felony theft charges accused of embezzling more than $136,554 over nearly five years Cheri Gerken of Moorhead is charged in Cass County District Court with felony theft over $50,000 a crime punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine if convicted The investigation began in November 2024 when Fargo Police were contacted by Presentation Partners in Housing (PPIH) a nonprofit that assists homeless individuals and families reported that executive director Gerken allegedly used her company credit card for unauthorized personal expenses A forensic accountant hired by the PPHI examined Gerken’s financial activity and found that between January 2019 and November 2023 a total of $267,280 was charged to the card only $42,000 was clearly tied to legitimate business expenses while $88,698 was identified as having an unclear purpose and the remaining $136,554 was not supported by management or vendors indicating that it was clearly not for business purposes Investigators say she later wrote a six-page handwritten letter to the nonprofit’s board she apologized and explained that following her divorce she struggled to cover personal bills and care for her children without a second income from her now ex-husband she fully intended to reimburse the account but couldn’t afford to do so she requested ‘mercy and a second chance’ and was willing to do whatever she could to get her job back and the trust of the board members Gerken filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May 2024 FARGO — Although weather ranks very high on lists of the cause of property damage in the United States (think flood it hardly shows up on lists of the causes of death Even if natural causes of death are removed You are approximately 300 times more likely to die in a car accident than in a tornado easily create opportunities for misinterpretation You never know when a car accident is going to occur but you are far more likely to become a victim of a tornado when you are within the boundaries of a tornado watch or a tornado warning It is for this reason that it makes sense for all families and businesses to have a tornado plan that includes when and where will shelter be taken and how will people reconnect afterward in case cell phone service is disrupted here are a few highlights we would like you to know about City Forester Scott Liudahl provided the City Commission with an update on The City of Fargo’s Forestry Division The division, formed in 1974, has 13 full-time staff and an operating budget of approximately $3 million. It manages more than 61,000 trees along City streets. This includes 21% ash, 18% elm, 14% linden, 10% maple, 8% hackberry, 5% oak and 4% crabapple, as well as other species. The full update on the Forestry Division can be found here the City Commission unanimously approved accepting a donation of 169 elm trees from ASN Constructors the project coordinator for the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Project ASN purchased the trees but ended up not being able to use them as part of the Diversion Project The 169 elms have a value of about $25,000 The City plans to plant the trees in various public property locations City Commissioners received an update Monday night from nonprofit groups on the United to End Homelessness initiative aimed at addressing homelessness in the region Launched by United Way of Cass-Clay and the Fargo-Moorhead Coalition to End Homelessness the initiative seeks to scale housing and supportive services to meet current needs in our community and prevent increases in unsheltered homelessness The nonprofit groups’ presentation provided a progress update on acquiring underutilized housing units, aligning existing programs and strengthening cross-sector partnerships. The presentation also highlighted key challenges, outlined next steps and recognized The City of Fargo as a partner in the initiative’s work. The presentation can be viewed here City Commissioners voted 3-2 to extend sheltering in the space of the Winter Warming Program for the month of May The extension was made as The City of Fargo will disallow camping on public property beginning on Wednesday Fargo Police Chief Dave Zibolski presented a slideshow summary of the 2024 Fargo Police Department Annual Report to City Commissioners at their meeting on Monday. The Annual Report can be found here The Annual Report provides an overview of The Fargo Police Department’s work in 2024 who carry out the Department's mission and strive to create a safe and unified community built on trust The City Commission received and filed the Annual Report during Monday’s meeting Tim Mahoney and Recycling Supervisor Jen Pickett visited Jefferson Elementary on April 16 for a pizza party with the class of the student the City Commission’s liaison to the Solid Waste Department shared this news during the Commissioner Assignment Update portion of Monday’s Commission meeting City Ordinance 8-1418 prohibits riding a bicycle on a sidewalk when restricted by signage A violation of this ordinance is currently a non-criminal $20 fine In a memorandum to the City Commission, Chief Dave Zibolski requested that a violation of City Ordinance 8-1418 be reclassified from non-criminal to an infraction for the sake of advancing public safety the court could issue a fine of up to $1,000 “Over the past several years it has been noted by both our Downtown community and our officers that there has been an increase in riding bicycles on the sidewalk to include electric bikes which is extremely dangerous to the public in such populated areas,” Zibolski wrote in his memo “Changing the penalty from a non-criminal fine to an infraction would provide the Police Department with additional options in dealing with those who are non-compliant to this ordinance.” The City Commission voted unanimously Monday night to direct the City Attorney to reclassify a violation of City Ordinance 8-1418 from a non-criminal offense to an infraction Let's all give a round of applause to ND Sen Michelle Powers for making the homeless situation in Fargo worse this summer Remember her name every time you read a story in these pages about homelessness in the coming months Back FARGO — The annual metro cleanup week will begin Monday each city's schedule and rules for the cleanup event are a little different The Forum has compiled a breakdown of the rules and timelines for each city and information about drop-off sites Cleanup week in Fargo will span two weeks as collection is scheduled in two phases Curbside collection will be scheduled on residents’ recycling collection day from 7 a.m Residents should place unwanted debris on the boulevard in front of their property before 7 a.m Moorhead will hold cleanup days across two weeks pickup will be the same as residents' garbage day This means residents who are on the Week B recycling schedule will have their garbage collected on their garbage day Residents on the Week A recycling schedule will have collections the week of May 12-16 The Oakport neighborhood is an exception to this rule — collection will be on Tuesday the neighborhood's designated recycling day West Fargo cleanup week will take place Monday All items should be placed curbside after 4 p.m Cleanup week in Dilworth will take place from Monday Monday pickup will be in the Southeast and Southwest neighborhoods Wednesday will be Northeast from Highway 10 to Ditch 50 Thursday will be Northeast north of Ditch 50 East View and Orchard Estates Seventh Avenue Regular weekly household garbage pickup will remain on Tuesday citywide Fargo residents can dispose of household waste furniture and up to two appliances at the Fargo Landfill Building materials and concrete are not accepted to noon on the second Saturday of each month The Dilworth Recycling Center is open 8 a.m The Dilworth Recycling Center accepts cardboard; all clear and colored glass; #1 tin and aluminum cans; office paper; phone books; magazines; newspapers; and residential fluorescent light bulbs to accept waste from Clay County residents for a fee to noon on the first and third Saturday of each month The Clay County Household Hazardous Waste Facility to noon on the first Saturday of the month A project is taking shape in our community that’s garnered national and international attention The Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion project will provide permanent reliable flood protection to the increasingly flood-prone communities along the Red River of the North We recently had the opportunity to host Gov Tim Walz and show him the incredible progress that’s already been made We were fortunate to gain his support for the last portion of funding that must be completed The FM Area Diversion project is the first-ever public-private partnership done in conjunction with the U.S and it’s the first water management P3 ever done in North America can implement infrastructure challenges faster and for less expense An additional $60.4 million is needed from the state of Minnesota for the components that require completion ahead of FEMA certification This funding amount is small – less than 2% of the total cost – in terms of the overarching project This funding also builds on the agreements that came out of the historic Governor’s Task Force in 2017 that propelled the project to where it is today.This has bipartisan support in the Minnesota Legislature which recognizes the need for and importance of completing this project We urge the Legislature to pass a bonding bill this year that includes the funding needed to protect communities throughout the Fargo-Moorhead metro area Clay County Commissioner Kevin Campbell and Kristine Goeden of the Buffalo-Red River Watershed District FARGO — A face familiar to the Fargo area will return to coaching there next season Ted Critchley has been hired as the next boys basketball head coach at Fargo South who previously coached the Fargo North boys from 2016-22 most recently served as the boys head coach and Dean of Students at Ulen-Hitterdal in Minnesota for the last two years Critchley is a two-time section coach of the year in Minnesota to go with three conference coach of the year awards He led Fargo North to the state tournament for the first time in 10 years in 2021 Critchley as our new head boys basketball coach," South activities director Mike Beaton said via news release "He brings extensive coaching experience and a strong commitment to teaching life skills through basketball His teaching and coaching experience will benefit our student-athletes and the Fargo South High School community.” commemorates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5 Cinco de Mayo is sometimes confused with Mexican Independence Day a day that marks a famous 1810 speech delivered by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Costilla's passionate cries for freedom are credited with sparking the movement that ultimately freed Mexico from Spanish rule the battle of Puebla played a big part in Mexican history and those looking to celebrate the day in a gastronomical way will find many places in the Fargo-Moorhead area to do just that One such spot is Las Palmas Mexican Bar & Grill a relatively new business located at 64 Broadway that will observe its first Cinco de Mayo this year Jaime said she and her husband are also part of the ownership picture at El Agave Mexican Restaurant which opened almost two years ago at 2581 45th St and she added both she and her husband began working in the restaurant industry from the time they were very young Cinco de Mayor is viewed more as an opportunity for people to get together and celebrate than it is a holiday observance she said they are preparing for good crowds at both El Agave and Las Palmas this Cinco de Mayo noting that business was good at El Agave last year Area restaurant goers will actually have plenty of places to choose from come Monday Below is a listing of more than two dozen area Mexican-style eateries though for the record it is not an official list nor exhaustive: The Chinese retail chain is known for its collaboration with brands such as Coca Cola Affordable high quality: guides our decisions from design to materials Joy: the response our customers experience while in our stores Lighthearted: the relaxed and happy feeling when encountering the large variety of goods available," according to its website BISMARCK — With North Dakota reporting its first measles case since 2011 on Friday local health authorities are bracing for further spread as outbreaks of the highly infectious disease increase across the country The case appeared in an unvaccinated child in Williams County who authorities believe contracted the disease from an out-of-state visitor North Dakota health authorities state the child is being isolated at home to help contain the spread of the virus and are attempting to trace anyone unvaccinated who has been in contact with the child the Centers for Disease Control confirmed 935 measles cases A total of 121 people have been hospitalized nationwide Minnesota and Montana have confirmed cases it is only a matter of time — or one plane ride away — for more cases to appear in the region “That’s a term we’re using a lot right now — one plane ride away — whether they’re coming from overseas where there’s a lot of measles operations director of the North Dakota State University Department of Public Health Center for Immunization Research and Education in Fargo outbreak clusters have sprouted in New Mexico What worries local health care providers and officials about the current nationwide spread is it comes at a time when vaccination rates have declined for infants and kindergartners North Dakota kindergarten rates of MMR vaccination have declined from a 2019-2020 high of 95% down to a current 90% rate Having a rate at or close to 95% provides for “herd immunity,” according to health care providers and numbers below that create stronger conditions for community spread “We have truly no chance of hitting our 95% goal for measles right now,” said Jenny Galbraith adult immunization manager at the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services “Measles is our most infectious disease that we have to deal with day to day and if you’re an unvaccinated individual who comes into contact with someone with measles you have a 90% chance of turning around and getting measles yourself,” she said Infants between 19 and 35 months of age currently have an 81% MMR vaccination rate in the state I think because of the power of immunization we have a society of parents and people in general who don’t remember what vaccine-preventable diseases look like and how horrible they are and they take lives and change lives,” said Dr a pediatrician at the UND Center for Family Medicine in Bismarck Spread could be particularly problematic in pockets of North Dakota where MMR vaccination rates for children at kindergarten age are much lower than average Sheridan County has the lowest MMR vaccination rate at around 57% The highest measles vaccination rates are in the northeast part of the state and include Steele and Benson Burleigh and Grand Forks counties are all below herd immunity status with 92% Hall said both the lower vaccination rates and the amount of measles spreading in the country have increased concern a departure from a year ago when rates were about the same but cases were limited “Now we’re at the point where we have multiple outbreaks of uncontrolled spread of the disease,” she said Since measles is known to spread through the air and can remain in a room and on surfaces for up to two hours sometimes even traveling between floors through ventilation systems one concern is that clinics that do not have negative-pressure rooms to isolate cases could facilitate the spread “Most clinics don’t have a negative-pressure room,” Galbraith said Hospitals in the state have 238 negative pressure rooms but the data doesn’t distinguish between adult and pediatric negative pressure rooms “There are likely very few of those in our state,” she said of pediatric negative pressure rooms Getting patients who display signs of measles isolated quickly is key to limiting spread since a room would need to be sealed off for at least two hours before someone can go back in and sterilize it kids affected with measles don’t develop the rash until typically like day four,” Hall said red eyes or symptoms of a typical respiratory disease and be brought into a clinic not knowing they have measles potentially infecting others who are unvaccinated in the clinic at the same time Galbraith said her department is working with local health care providers to remind people who are not up to date on their measles vaccinations to do so as well as discussing plans for what to do if a measles case comes into their clinic An uptick in vaccine skepticism following the COVID-19 pandemic as well as more vocal opponents of vaccines are widely seen as the reason for the decline Those declining to have children vaccinated for personal or religious beliefs in North Dakota have also increased Personal belief exemptions increased from 1.2 per 100 children in 2011-2012 to a current 4.36 rate have also risen to a rate of 2.36 out of 100 A poll from health care information provider KFF released April 23 found a 15% increase over the past year in the number of adults reporting to have heard or read false claims that measles vaccination is more dangerous than being infected by measles The KFF poll also found that an increasing number of people are confused about the false claim that MMR vaccines were proven to cause autism with at least half of the adults polled expressing some uncertainty Alexius Health Neonatal Clinic in Bismarck said he believes some of the anti-vaccination messages get spread through social media and kind of overwhelm the message that vaccinations for something like measles actually work “We see a lot of parents who end up coming to us with refusals good data and point them towards data that is authentic most of them end up changing their thoughts and we are able to get them vaccinated,” he said Connell said she hoped parents could become more well-versed in interpreting medical literature and understanding which studies are quality and which are not “I think what we’re seeing is these low-quality studies and people are taking the conclusions of those and making major health care decisions,” she said “They’ve been able to do that because their kids aren’t dying from vaccine-preventable diseases or losing their sight or hearing “It’s just very sad for me; I never thought that at the twilight of my career A Stanford University study published in the leading medical journal JAMA predicted that measles could become endemic over the next 25 years if the current declining vaccination rates continue leading to hundreds of thousands of cases nationwide A further decline of 10% in MRR vaccinations could lead to millions of cases “Every parent wants to be able to say that they did the very best that they could for their child,” Connell said “My heart just already bleeds for those parents who made decisions to not vaccinate based on a poorly constructed case report that they put all their weight and belief in.” The North Dakota News Cooperative is a non-profit news organization providing reliable and independent reporting on issues and events that impact the lives of North Dakotans The organization increases the public’s access to quality journalism and advances news literacy across the state For more information about NDNC or to make a charitable contribution public attention and commentary have reached an overwhelming level much of it driven by social media and talk radio,” Poolman said in the statement “I approached Chad Wachter and expressed my desire to ensure that the success and integrity of these businesses remain protected from becoming collateral damage in the current media environment.” “I was proud to be a founding partner of the Blarney Stone and a partner in The Hotel Donaldson,” Poolman said in the statement “These businesses were born out of a vision to create something lasting and meaningful for the communities they serve and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have helped build them into what they are today.” Poolman said he is focused on his family and has confidence in Wachter’s leadership Wachter declined to comment for this story Prosecutors claimed Holmberg groomed young men including University of North Dakota students and a legislative staff member Court documents detailed how he secured UND hockey tickets in the president’s suite so the young men could meet powerful and political leaders Witnesses in the case said Holmberg seemingly expected something in exchange One UND student said he and Holmberg engaged in commercial sex for three years who was a counselor at Grand Forks Central High School developed a relationship with a vulnerable student there The student was at least 18 years old when Holmberg started paying the student for sexually explicit videos of the student The student claimed in court Holmberg sexually assaulted him in 2012 at a Bismarck hotel The case was reported to law enforcement but was not prosecuted Holmberg worked for Grand Forks Public Schools starting in 1967 in the North Dakota Senate from 1977 to 2022 when The Forum revealed his connection to an accused and now convicted child sex predator North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigative reports that were made public last month revealed messages Holmberg sent to several people connected to UND including former UND Center for Innovation CEO Bruce Gjovig "No one is ever to (sic) young… remembr (sic) Prague.” Prosecutors used the line in Holmberg's court proceedings but only when Holmberg said he was going to a party at Poolman's house in Scottsdale Poolman claimed he knew nothing about Holmberg’s “heinous activities," according to a statement he issued Monday Poolman said he did nothing illegal and suggested he was being targeted because he recently came out as gay in the North Dakota House from 1992 to 2001 He also was elected North Dakota Insurance Commissioner from 2001 to 2007 FARGO — Selina’s Li Bi debut novel was 10 years in the writing but some of it is a story she’s been trying to figure out her whole life all of a sudden all these memories of my childhood growing up as the daughter of Filipino immigrants would come up,” she said recently in Fargo’s Trefoil Park and we grew up in a small Midwestern town where there were not a lot of people that looked like me or my family So I always felt like I was straddling two different worlds and that's where the writing just kind of took off.” “Sunlight Playing over a Mountain,” was released last month who has a strained relationship with her parents Her mother is a colorful storyteller but unreliable with a taste for bad boyfriends “She is caught between the real world and myths passed on by her mother and one of the myths is that Pangu is her father So she talks to Pangu,” the author explained “But then a family secret kind of disrupts their delicate world She wants to uncover the truth and that's when she kind of faces her deepest fears during that journey.” She will sign copies of the book from 1 to 3 p.m. While Li Bi used some aspects of her experiences as the daughter of Filipino immigrants she makes a point to stress that the book is a work of fiction and that the mother-daughter relationship in the book doesn’t reflect the ones she has with her mother or her own daughter “I think that deep search or sense of identity and search for belonging but it's definitely a fictional story,” she said Having a teenage protagonist helped shape that journey of self-discovery “Belonging and fitting in are two different things She started figuring out the story a decade ago as a student in the MFA writing program at Minnesota State University Moorhead “It's a long journey,” she said with a laugh “It started out as a short story during my MFA program in a fiction workshop and then it kind of developed into a novel and eventually became my thesis.” At the time she was working as an optometrist “I entered the program just thinking I was going to learn about the craft of writing but I had fabulous professors and mentors that really supported me there,” she said “It actually became a real exploration of my roots and my culture through writing "She was a marvelous student," said Lin Enger a teacher from the MFA program who served on her thesis committee The writing process was an eye-opening period of self-exploration for Li Bi “A real discovery of something I didn't embrace when I was younger Her parents often spoke the Chinese Fuchien dialect among themselves at home and while they never taught her she could understand it by listening to them Through writing the book she realized just how much of her family heritage and history was on the line “There's grief and pain with that loss of tradition "I think it made me realize that I really do want my kids to know that part of them even though the language I feel like is dissolving within each generation Part of what has kept her family history alive was listening to the stories family members would tell he would sit and talk about his childhood growing up in the Philippines during World War II,” she said I'd stay up late and they would tell ghost stories and things like that.” That feeling of having a foot in two worlds hasn’t entirely gone away so maybe I'm having a better understanding why I feel like that That search or sense of belonging is always there.” She’s encouraged by the recognition Asian stories and culture are getting Kao Kalia Yang took home awards for three different titles in three categories; Children’s Literature Memoir & Creative Nonfiction and Middle Grade Literature Li Bi will have books for sale at the annual Asian Night Market at the Fargo Air Museum “I think it's wonderful to be in company with these artists that kind of pave the way to hear voices of people that look like me and our cultures FARGO — In the early morning hours of Friday DJ "Coinman" Smith began the slow process of packing up his camp along the Red River He has been living along the river for four months He has been homeless since losing his job and apartment in 2020 the previously neat camp was torn down and separated into piles Packing was slow going as Smith meandered around figuring out how to handle the colossal task of moving everything up the steep bank The people he thought were coming to help him didn't show up because they were afraid of being arrested I was getting pretty negative," Smith said rode up on a bike but quickly became overwhelmed with emotion as he watched his friend struggle He urged Smith to abandon most of his things and leave before police decide to arrest him LaFrombois left shortly after arriving when Smith insisted on keeping almost everything in the camp LaFrombois said Smith fed him and kept him safe during some of his hardest moments He recently got into housing and offered Smith temporary shelter "You can come live with me," LaFrombois said before he left Salvation came from an unexpected place as four community members showed up with a suitcase "I thought it was important to be out here to provide support that is often not supplied," KJ Atkinson said and said nobody was there to give them a hand when their belongings were taken "Folks out here that are unhoused deserve the same dignity as people that are sheltered," Atkinson said and I think that people deserve to know that they are still people and they deserve dignity and a place to feel safe." The volunteers and Smith had barely begun their work when two Fargo police officers arrived The two officers stood by while the group hauled items up the hill heaping them in two piles: one to keep and one to throw away Atkinson noted that no city workers offered to help or give Smith a place to temporarily store his belongings as city staff told commissioners they would a crowd of staff from Fargo Public Works gathered on the bike path a half-dozen vehicles ready to haul away anything left behind Some were already packed with items city crews gathered as they cleared the remaining homeless camps along the Red River in Fargo noting he was scared his friend would be arrested or that the city would throw away all his belongings The last of Smith's belongings were hauled up the hill and Smith fetched water from the river and extinguished his fire "You can only take what you can carry," one of the officers told Smith The community members with the Fargo Moorhead Mutual Aid and Direct Action Network made frantic phone calls to try to find a truck to help them haul away the items that wouldn't fit into their own vehicles Smith said he planned to bring it all to LaFrombois' house This camp removal was much less painful than last time because people helped him and he was able to save his belongings He said he's been gathering items he'd need to fill an apartment it's difficult to find landlords willing to rent to him Homeless shelters in the metro have been overwhelmed for years leaving many people without options other than sleeping outdoors in doorways under bridges or along the Red River corridor in Fargo Camping on public land is already illegal in neighboring Moorhead ND) – A man is treated for stab wounds after an incident early Sunday morning in Fargo Police responded to the area of 9th Avenue South and 4th Avenue South on a vague report of a potential stabbing Officers canvassed the area and did not find anyone officers responded to the 300 block of 9th Street where there was a male with multiple stab wounds who was transported to the hospital for treatment of the injuries Police say the injuries are ‘significant.’ Police are investigating whether or not the suspect and victim know each other and police say there’s no threat to the public Studio: 701-293-9000Front Desk: 701-356-4220Email: Click Here to Email Us WASHINGTON (KVRR) – Veterans and volunteers join together for the latest Honor Flight to the nation’s capitol The group took off Sunday morning from Hector International Airport and will be gone for two nights It was an early rainy start of the first day of the honor flight but these veterans were ready to haul through their day “Most of the folks here were our comrades It just was unfortunate when we came back to the country we got booed and hissed” Both Gary and Harry Speidel are brothers who served in Vietnam in the US Army Years apart from one another and miles away during their service both say those days they don’t regret serving but wish that they were given the same honor as their other comrades in battle it took an improv event to open up about what happened during his service so many years ago And Harry shares that he is thankful for being able to vent his story out these veterans are reminded of their bad and good days But also the honor of being recognized as part of this Honor Flight We’ll continue to have more coverage on this latest Honor Flight right here on KVRR FARGO — A Fargo businessman and former Republican lawmaker has acknowledged that federal agents interviewed him about former North Dakota Sen who traveled abroad with plans to sexually abuse children who chairs the University of North Dakota Alumni Association and Foundation on Facebook that Homeland Security spoke with him for about 30 minutes in September 2023 Agents asked Poolman about Holmberg’s “associates and activities” because the two worked together for years 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 said that would indicate that he was conducting himself in such a manner He did not talk about his horrible crimes to me.” Poolman is mentioned in the BCI reports because Holmberg said he was attending a party with a young male staff member in February 2019 at Poolman’s house in Scottsdale according to his Alumni Association biography He represented District 42 in Grand Forks in the North Dakota House from 1992 to 2001 He was also the state’s insurance commissioner from 2001 to 2007 He has sat on the UND Alumni Board of Directors since 2017 Poolman said he issued his statement because of posts about him on social media former UND Center for Innovation CEO Bruce Gjovig and Holmberg together Poolman called Holmberg’s behavior “indefensible awful and beyond comprehension,” adding that Holmberg “should spend the rest of his life in prison.” He said in his statement that many people know Holmberg but “lumping them all together is irresponsible.” being falsely grouped into this social media guesswork is just one more misguided example of this rumor mongering misinformation,” Poolman said it is hard for me to imagine that I have been targeted for any other reason other than that I am a gay man and they are incredibly supportive of me,” Poolman continued “I am a very lucky person to have such understanding and supportive people around me The statement marks Poolman’s first public acknowledgment that he is gay a former North Dakota senator who served as former North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s running mate in his failed 2016 gubernatorial campaign against Doug Burgum Nicole Poolman represented District 7 in Bismarck from 2012 to 2022 The BCI reports mention a number of people connected to UND University President Andrew Armacost said he was sickened by Holmberg’s actions and “the inaction of those who had direct information about his misdeeds.” “The behaviors and actions for which he was convicted and other accounts of abuse laid out in court records are reprehensible and go against the values of our university and of society as a whole,” Armacost said in his statement “We recognize that there are people on our campus who have been directly or indirectly impacted by Holmberg or others.” Armacost acknowledged additional information could come out and said the university will take action “based upon facts from authoritative sources.” “Information shared in these recent reports mentions several former UND employees connected to Holmberg,” Armacost said “While they have not been accused of criminal action we will ensure that they have no connection to our university community we have shared our concerns with external organizations that interface with UND to make certain these people no longer represent these organizations.” Gjovig was among those with ties to the university who corresponded with Holmberg in the BCI report Holmberg asked Gjovig what he thought of his twink a reference to a young-appearing gay man with slim features Prosecutors used the phrase during Holmberg’s sentencing hearing Gjovig has been an easy mark for political and media attacks,” the statement said “Holmberg created the biggest political scandal in recent North Dakota history attempt to exploit scandals for sensational and political reasons.” an unmanned aircraft systems business park in Grand Forks BCI documents showed investigators interviewed Stenehjem a month before he died about Holmberg The interview came after federal agents searched Holmberg’s home in November 2021 Holmberg said he was calling from a burner phone and was "in big trouble Don’t tell anyone," according to investigators The BCI reports said Holmberg asked investigators if he could get two numbers off his cellphone before it was seized: one for Stenehjem and the other for UND assistant law professor Paul Traynor Holmberg contacted Traynor in November 2021 during the search to ask for legal advice Holmberg that I was not a criminal defense attorney and did not represent private clients," Traynor said Holmberg to attorney Bruce Quick of the Vogel Law Firm in Fargo Holmberg’s criminal defense was undertaken by Mr Holmberg contacted me in my capacity as an attorney seeking legal advice I am unable to discuss this matter with you further." Holmberg sent a sexually explicit email in August 2016 to Nick Hacker president of the North Dakota Guarantee and Title Co Hacker told The Forum that the email was unsolicited and he didn't know of its existence until investigators asked about it in 2022 He said he cooperated with law enforcement When asked about a photo he was in with Poolman and there are likely lots of photos of others with the former senator Hacker served as a state senator for Grand Forks from 2005-2008 He also sat on the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education for eight years Holmberg also emailed former UND professor Nathan Rees in 2017 about using his power Prosecutors used some of those messages in Holmberg's proceedings "I will stay in power as long as I don't get caught in a motel room with a 17-yearold boy," Holmberg wrote in his message to Rees This is just like being in the garden of Eden The most delicious fruit from the tree of good and evil is forbidden." Rees was a professor in the Department of Art and Design from 2014 to 2016 The North Dakota University System said it is saddened by the reports about Holmberg It encouraged those with information about sexual harassment assault or exploitation to contact university and college Title IX coordinators The University System also said it has counseling services available "We feel despair for the victims and their families and shock that individuals connected to the State Board of Higher Education or North Dakota University System may have had knowledge of Holmberg’s conduct," NDUS said in a statement "We unequivocally support those who have experienced sexual assault FARGO — Former NFL player and Shanley High School graduate Connor McGovern is helping promote inclusivity through physical activity at this weekend’s Able Games allows both highly skilled athletes and individuals with special needs to compete in CrossFit-style challenges There are divisions based on the type of impairment giving all athletes a chance to participate Friday’s final challenge for youth competitors was called “Dual Force.” It included dead lifts and thrusters McGovern said the friendships and connection made through competition are powerful “When you see the students come and you see their partners compete and whether their partners have been around them for a long time or a short time they’re even more comfortable with each other,” he said and the bonds that you see started here are always fun.” The Wells Fargo corporate headquarters in San Francisco us p for sale as the bank insists The City remains its home The bank’s leaders will study how its “diverse slate” requirement is being carried out and what needs to change before restarting it in July and other banks’ leaders are sworn in before testifying at a Senate Banking Committee hearing in Washington on Sept located around the corner from its corporate headquarters on California Street Proxy materials for Wells Fargo’s annual shareholder meeting show the financial services giant’s address as being 420 Montgomery St a fact that has heightened speculation the company might one day move its headquarters out of The City a place where none of the company’s operating-committee members — including CEO and President Charles Scharf — are based FOLLOW US: The Examiner is now on Bluesky The bank has repeatedly soft-pedaled the notion that it would exit San Francisco saying this week that following the sale of its Financial District building its new corporate headquarters will be at nearby 333 Market St. according to data from real-estate information-services provider CoStar “Wells Fargo’s corporate headquarters remains in San Francisco,” a statement provided by a spokesperson read and the city remains important to the bank.” Wells Fargo in February already shuttered its history museum in the old building, a 409,000 square-foot edifice that is on the same block where Wells Fargo opened for business in San Francisco in the midst of the Gold Rush when the company offered services that included the stagecoaches that came to symbolize America’s westward expansion A housing developer has been negotiating to possibly buy the structure for an office-to-residential conversion project a headquarters move out of San Francisco by a recognizable company is not without precedent While San Francisco has become a hotbed for technology startups and venture capital, it has lost a number of big corporate offices to other locations, notably that of Bank of America. The giant moved its headquarters to Charlotte, N.C., following its 1998 merger with NationsBank Both followed earlier moves by financial-services company Charles Schwab and health-care giant McKesson to the Lone Star State Numerous other cities have had regional banks absorbed into larger entities following a liberalization of banking rules under President Bill Clinton that allowed banks to more easily buy each other across state lines a banking analyst with RBC Capital Markets “Many of our iconic regional banks that were located in Philadelphia or Los Angeles and their corporate headquarters in those cities were merged into the acquirers’ headquarters outside those cities,” Cassidy said The result was the growth of national banking franchises “When it comes to traditional corporate banking or commercial banking the whole country has blended together,” Cassidy said Wells Fargo’s purchase of troubled Charlotte-based Wachovia Corp. at the height of the financial crisis in 2008 was a transformative event in the history of both banks Wachovia, founded in 1879 no longer exists — but Wells Fargo has grown greatly in size and reach Some 32,000 of the company’s current workers are in North Carolina Other concentrations of employees include 15,700 in Texas 10,600 in Minnesota (Wells Fargo merged in 1998 with Minneapolis-based Norwest Corp.) and 6,200 in New York The number of San Francisco employees was not available SF says it is making progress on forming an anti-corruption office As Republicans expressed alarm that the rest of the country might follow the Golden State’s push to promote electric vehicles A jewelry store left the ailing mall recently and two more stores will soon as the mall’s roster of retailers dwindles  Among other major sanctions, the federal government in 2018 restricted growth of Wells Fargo’s assets Cassidy said authorities are expected to lift that limit soon which will put Wells Fargo on a more level playing field with competitors such as Bank of America and JPMorganChase and set the company up for growth Wells Fargo on Monday announced that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had closed a consent order concerning its practices the sixth such action by regulators this year Scharf said the company’s progress “demonstrates that we have completed much of our common risk and control infrastructure work including work that is required by other orders.” Three more enforcement actions remain open one of which relates to the asset-cap penalty Scharf told investors Tuesday that the company had reduced its headcount from 272,000 in 2019 There have been more than 500 layoffs in San Francisco since late 2020 according to notices filed with the state of California The largest number came during fiscal 2020-21 and there have been 56 layoffs so far this year Wells Fargo has also reduced its office footprint in The City dramatically in recent years as have numerous other companies amid the rise of remote work and layoffs CoStar data show Wells Fargo occupied 1.93 million square feet of office space in downtown San Francisco in 2019 while today it occupies 1.06 million square feet The two largest spaces still occupied are at 333 Market St where it has inhabited 380,000 square feet The company also shed space at 525 Market St. In Texas, on the other hand, work is expected to finish this year on a new $455 million office complex in Irving that a spokesperson said will allow the company to bring employees together from the surrounding metropolitan area The neighborhood, a planned community called Las Colinas, has attracted other major corporate headquarters, including that of McKesson as well as attention for being a potential Wells Fargo headquarters site Even with Wells Fargo’s executive center of gravity being in New York City Cassidy said the company is still widely thought of as a San Francisco and California firm Changing its official home to another city would come with costs and barring some significant financial incentive management might not find such a move worthwhile As to the location of senior company leaders Cassidy said it doesn’t matter — “not in today’s world of global banking.” “In this day and age it doesn’t really matter where a company is formally headquartered,” said Jason Goldberg a stock analyst and managing director with Barclays Wells Fargo maintains a “meaningful presence” in San Francisco as well as in New York City — “the financial capital of the world” — and in Charlotte and Minneapolis “This allows them to draw in talent from all over the country,” Goldberg said Cassidy said that banks have tended to continue to be involved in the communities where they operate and to contribute philanthropically Wells Fargo donated $17.5 million to Bay Area nonprofits phoge@sfexaminer.com Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Ben Pimentel’s new weekly newsletter covering the biggest technology stories in San Francisco Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-edition email Receive occasional local offers from our website and its advertisers Sneak peek of the Examiner real estate section We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account FARGO — The Firebirds continue to show they can beat anybody 8-6) grabbed an EDC win over Fargo South (12-6 since South’s typical home of Tharaldson Park still isn’t ready for use The Firebirds handed the second-place Bruins just their second EDC loss of the season in a 4-1 win coming away with their fourth doubleheader split of the season and second in a two-day span it was still another marginal step for a consistently competitive Devils Lake team “We’re here for a challenge,” Firebirds head coach Brent Luehring said I’m proud of the way they came out in the first game and got a win… The second game didn’t go the way we wanted I didn’t think we played with much energy really well… It’d be nice to get two but I’m happy with the split.” An outing after throwing a no-hitter against Wahpeton Ben Larson came up with another fantastic effort to lead Devils Lake to victory allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out seven He’s gonna pound the zone,” Luehring said He’s able to mix and match… They’ve actually seen him the last two years so there’s gonna be no secrets either way who the arms were ‘You’ve gotta be better than the guy across from you today.’” The Firebirds remarked they hadn’t played on dirt in some time with their home field and most of their visiting fields being turf a ball took a high bounce on second baseman Max Palmer but he handled it well and helped Larson through a 1-2-3 first inning Catcher Trason Beck threw out a runner in the second inning and Larson finished the frame with his second strikeout The Firebirds’ offense battled against right-hander Carson Shiek a name they competed against the previous day “That’s the fourth time we’ve seen him in three years it seems like every time we come down here,” Luehring said “We kind of know he likes to throw his slider off of his fastball.” He struck out the first two Firebirds he faced and four of the first seven The first baserunner came on a throwing error by the shortstop bringing the first baseman off the bag and allowing Mason Palmer (batting right-handed) to reach and Taydon Triepke came through with a clutch RBI single “It took us a little bit to get on [Shiek],” Luehring said “But our mindset against him every time we face him is we’ve just gotta make sure our next at-bat we adjust.” The slightly longer wait between innings didn’t faze Larson who struck out South’s eighth and ninth hitters in another 1-2-3 frame He had faced the minimum through three innings South leadoff hitter Matthew Bryant led off the bottom of the fourth with a single but the Palmers turned a 6-4-3 double play to erase him getting out of the inning with his fifth strikeout Mason Palmer continued to slowly but surely work out of his slump with a two-out single in the fifth After Triepke kept the line moving with a walk Max Palmer lined a double into left-center field to bring home his twin brother The Firebirds stranded two in scoring position with an unlucky lineout but they still extended their lead to 2-0 against one of the best pitchers in the state facing a team that had only lost one EDC point all year issued his first walk of the day with two outs in the bottom of the fifth South’s Evan Felber crushed a line drive to the right side but first baseman Parker Brodina instinctively leapt to grab it out of the air and end the inning “Look what I found!” someone from the crowd belted a fan called for the Firebirds to get things going earlier in the inning rather than waiting until there were two outs Will Heilman indeed lined a leadoff single But he was picked off and caught in a rundown between first and second halting the momentum Devils Lake was trying to gather who was at 71 pitches through five innings He started to show some signs of his effectiveness fading with a one-out walk and a hard-hit flyout to center as South first baseman Caden Nelson got ahead of an offspeed pitch stretched his arms and rifled it down the left-field line Nelson reached second with a run-scoring double Larson kept his composure enough to induce a groundout to third baseman Heilman It was Larson who ignited things in the bottom half with his bat He hit a leadoff double and advanced to third on a passed ball prompting South to take a mound visit on a 1-1 count Third baseman Ethan Doll misplayed it for an error and Larson scored with a massive insurance run Devils Lake executed a perfect squeeze play — a strategy that eluded the Firebirds in an earlier loss this season New South pitcher Hunter Giere looked up while fielding the bunt Mason scored and Max was safe at first with a bunt hit to extend Devils Lake’s cushion to 4-1 Fausten Olson and Heilman got on to load the bases with one out but the Firebirds couldn’t add any more to their lead the two-run sixth was exactly what the doctor ordered to make things a little less stressful on Larson in the seventh Larson went back out there for the final frame He gave up a loud leadoff single but induced three straight pop outs to end it Shortstop Mason Palmer caught a shallow fly in left-center flying by a sprinting Olson to end the Bruins’ hopes giving him 14 in 18 innings so far this year Luehring credited a tick in his velocity and an increase of confidence in his offspeed stuff you might miss some more bats,” Luehring said of what he told Larson “But nothing changes in the way we’re gonna attack guys.” The Firebirds played a competitive game but ended up falling short to cap off a long day in the sun they kept the talented junior at shortstop and went with the soft-tossing southpaw Triepke “I just knew that they’re gonna be a super aggressive team and all the scouting reports against them were that they put the ball in play a ton,” Luehring said “And just Mason’s defense is so valuable with a team like that that puts the ball in play.” Triepke survived a one-out double in a scoreless first The Firebirds struck first on back-to-back doubles by Beck and Brodina in the second inning They seemed to be seeing the ball well against right-hander Bryant who used a hard lineout by Mason Palmer to get out of the inning with just the one run South got two runners in scoring position after a strange bloop double that was aided by the wind whacked a harder-hit double to jump the Bruins in front 2-1 Devils Lake missed scoring opportunities in the third and fourth Max Palmer reached on a hard-hit error and Heilman singled but Brodina struck out with two in scoring position Triepke worked out of his own jam in the bottom half getting a couple nice catches from right fielder Gauge Driessen to strand a runner at third Mason Palmer continued to heat up with a double and Triepke worked a tremendous nine-pitch walk to load them up but Bryant recorded a key strikeout of Max Palmer and got Olson to hit into a sliding catch in left grinding through the second game on the hottest day of the year thus far and Triepke’s second balk of the game gave South an extra base induced his fourth soft fly ball in as many batters to keep the Bruins from adding on Heilman led off the fifth with a long single one that Luehring urged him to get out of the box faster on After Beck replaced Heilman on a fielder’s choice Beck was thrown out at second on a hit to the outfield by Brodina It was technically just another fielder’s choice for Brodina South survived a catcher’s interference call in an all-around odd little inning Devils Lake left a potential run on second base and it shouldn’t be something you sleep through,” Luehring said of the team’s fading energy.” So I don’t know and just 14 innings of baseball again… I tell the kids I don’t coach energy and effort after retiring the first batter in the bottom of the fifth Luehring brought in right-hander Cayden McCarthy who was dealt some unlucky blows as South extended its lead to 4-1 He issued a 3-2 walk on some close pitches then surrendered an unlucky infield hit and a seeing-eye single through the left side South scored its second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly McCarthy settled in to throw a scoreless sixth The Firebirds got one back in the top of the seventh after loading the bases but a double play ended it with a 4-2 final “I’m glad we kind of came back there at the end and competed,” Luehring said Devils Lake travels to West Fargo Horace (14-5 11-3) for a two-pointer on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0] j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-5JSJKTT'); Subscribe Powered by FARGO — A motorcyclist suffered minor injuries Saturday afternoon after a hit-and-run crash in south Fargo officers were called to the intersection of 5th Avenue South and 24th Street South at 12:14 p.m on May 3 for a report of a collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle they learned the vehicle involved had fled the scene The motorcyclist’s injuries are described as minor and non-life-threatening No further details are available at this time FARGO — A charitable gaming site and sports bar have opened in the lower level of Boss' Pizza and Chicken at 228 Broadway in downtown Fargo The operation is a team effort between Boss' Pizza and Chicken and the North Dakota Horse Park Foundation which operates the new gaming site in the lower level of the business assistant general manager of the restaurant said Boss' Pizza and Chicken will provide beverages and food for the casino and sports bar including traditional and electronic pull-tabs A recent soft opening of the casino featured a poker tournament and more tournaments will be held in the future In addition to the games already mentioned Bushey said the site also features a large "Pig Wheel" type paddle wheel McKenzie said hours for the casino and sports bar will be 5 p.m Seefeldt said many locations are operated by franchisee owners but he still owns the Fargo store and the Boss' Pizza and Chicken in Grand Forks Seefeldt said Boss' Pizza and Chicken got off to a great start when it opened in 2022 but he said a bit over a year ago the restaurant industry in general hit a snag He said inflation started rising and when that happens people tend to eat out a little less Seefeldt added it can also be difficult dealing with the new world of food delivery apps but Fargo is one of our best stores in the company," said Seefeldt who said after buying the downtown property the company spent more than a million dollars remodeling the building which came with eight apartment units on an upper floor adding that six of them are rented by employees of the restaurant FARGO — Chris Hawley and Mike Dawson love a challenge the owners/partners and principal architects behind Craftwell Architecture + Construction insist the messier and more complex a project is “We talked so long about building a new space somewhere and in the scheme of things the west half of the 14,000-square-foot space had been transformed into the sleek modern headquarters for their design and build firm “It’s easy to do adaptive reuse on a pretty building,” Hawley says “It’s really hard to do adaptive reuse on an ugly one the former tire store/garage threw many monkey wrenches into their process Not surprising for a building that Dawson calls "a Frankenstein." That is the new and all of the quirky things he and Hawley loved Case in point: The sloping angles of the parking garage overhead meant the ceilings are tipped at different angles and varying heights They also needed to design floating ceilings with slip connections which allows them to move as much as 3 inches within the precast concrete shell of the building the flexing of the ceiling would crush the wall/ceiling connections and damage the interior finishes and possibly damage the ramp,” Hawley says the shop’s seven hydraulic bays required excavating huge cubes of earth to ensure all the hydraulic fluid had been removed the water collected atop the adjacent multi-level parking ramp and ran down each level into the Firestone building but it hadn't been cleaned out since the building was completed in 1984 “The space was uninhabitable until we reinstalled the drains installed drainage mats and installed a drain tile and sump system,” Hawley says visitors find relics of the building’s former life in the occasional exposed concrete-block wall a concrete bunker once used to house tires and the coffee tables fashioned from tires left behind But the overall look is easy elegance — like it was meant to be an architect’s office all along The reception area makes the most dramatic first impression One doesn't often walk from a ground floor entryway down into a lobby at basement level yet Craftwell’s design choices give that downward perspective an upscale finish The space is a soaring two-story atrium with wood-paneled Visitors descend a flight of steps into a reception area featuring a sleek modern reception desk bearing Craftwell’s logo Fine-boned mid-modern chairs and a lean Eames sofa with olive-green cushions are posed in a dignified arrangement The lobby leads into an open-plan office space where 30 south-facing windows fill the room with natural light “It gets way more daylight than most office buildings do,” Dawson says Craftwell’s team only needs half of this space a pickleball court (used mainly weekends) and pingpong table (used daily) occupy the unused space A bank of “breakout” rooms offer privacy for telephone calls and Zoom meetings The east end of the building has been turned into an events center capacity for up to 128 guests and catering/management by 701 Eateries The southeast corner of the building has been turned into an enclosed outdoor patio with a screened fence of perforated panels The garage where former Firestone customers parked is now used by Craftwell’s fleet construction trucks although a garage door keeps the space private closing off the garage space and the recessed corner of the old Firestone building did much to deter “a lot of not-great things happening in this ramp,” Hawley says referring to the semi-enclosed space which seemed to attract illegal activities after Firestone vacated the building in 2015 “We maybe underestimated that in the beginning a little bit," Hawley says "Now we’ve done a lot of things to improve this There’s a lot of things that need to happen that are out of our control with the city of Fargo And he and Dawson say they have no regrets about relocating their office from a south University strip mall to the heart of downtown That feeling was confirmed after the team moved into the new space last May It made Dawson's and Hawley's day when they saw teammembers get up and walk together to a nearby coffee shop multiple dining and shopping options and vibrant feel simply can’t be replicated in a strip mall or business park The partners believe it's a worthy long-term investment — both for Craftwell and for Fargo “That’s the stuff that people don’t understand is the amount we spent to make downtown Fargo better We didn’t ask for tax breaks on this thing,” Hawley says “I think what's cool about this is that it’s not really about image,” Hawley says “It’s really about a creative project that ended up being a great place for people to do their work.” LISBON — For a community built on tradition a dual milestone is both a homecoming and a new beginning the town’s high school baseball team has returned to the field this year also marks the debut of Lisbon’s first-ever fast-pitch softball team “We're really starting from the ground up and building that foundation that tradition,” said Lisbon softball head coach Kortney Vesel we're back doing this,” said Lisbon baseball head coach Brad Bittner these two programs are making school history because we’re going to be remembered,” said 8th grade softball pitcher Morgan Gentzkow “The buzz in the school is real,” said junior baseball pitcher That energy is building on the momentum already generated by Lisbon’s Legion baseball team who captured their first Legion title in 66 years last summer the excitement has carried over into the high school season especially last year’s group — ‘You’re the reason we have this high school program,’” coach Bittner said Their drive to learn and grow is fueling the program’s early progress “There are so many of us that are new and haven’t done this before,” said junior softball pitcher Aubrey Opp Perhaps the most heartwarming aspect of this historic season is the connection between the two coaches Their story is a reminder that tradition isn’t just built on wins “Brad started as my coach when I was 12 through 18,” Vesel said “Everything I know is because of the foundation he laid with me.” “I've known her for a long time," coach Bittner said "It’s really special that she gets to develop and start a new tradition on the softball side.” A returning legacy and a rising one that has Lisbon rallying behind its athletes “You hear the little girls and the parents of the littles — they’re so excited this is now an option,” Vesel said An even sweeter note is Coach Vesel got married on Lisbon's baseball field It truly was destiny for her to be the Broncos first softball coach – The public is being asked to share their thoughts on a new study that will review the safety of school bus routes and walks to school in West Fargo The Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments is leading the two-year study in partnership with West Fargo and the city school district The public can submit their thoughts either online or through traditional mail through June 6th Metro COG says the study will “analyze existing conditions…to provide comprehensive recommendations for making walking and biking to schools safer and more convenient for students.” will be reviewed in the southern portions of West Fargo and Horace in 2026 Parents and other interested members of the public can comment online here You can also send your comments via online or by regular mail to: Those involved with the study will also have a table at the upcoming Bike Rodeo on May 14th from 5pm to 7pm to field any questions in person The Bike Rodeo is being held at the POW/MIA Plaza at 400 Sheyenne St in downtown West Fargo WEST FARGO — West Fargo officials are closing the north and south Sheyenne Diversion gates which will divert the river around the city from Interstate 94 to the northern city limits Officials said the gates are expected to be closed for a short time The gates are closing due to the recent rain and Baldhill Dam discharge rates which caused "significant movement in the water levels throughout the Sheyenne River," according to a release from the city officials will continue to monitor river conditions internal drainage systems and other critical infrastructure until water levels dissipate The Sheyenne River south of I-94 will flow full while the gates are closed so ensuring riverbank integrity is critical especially those with property along the river south of I-94 to monitor and report on riverbank conditions by calling the Public Works Department at 701-515-5400 Spring has sprung in our region and people are getting outside more Will those who visit or work in downtown Fargo feel safer this spring Will they confront fewer people suffering from addiction or mental health issues With a growing homelessness problem in our area and just about everywhere Fargo made the unwise decision in 2020 to open the Downtown Engagement Center that serves homeless people a couple blocks off Broadway an area where many millions of dollars have been invested since the early 2000s The result has been disastrous for downtown Fargo What six years ago was a thriving district full of unique shops restaurants and nightlife options is slowly hollowing out Downtown business owners who don’t want to perpetuate the problem by publicly speaking out will speak more candidly in private Patrons and workers don’t want to get harassed Some visitors don’t feel safe coming downtown anymore despite these recent years of downtown decline that reached a fever pitch last fall little has been accomplished over the winter to instill confidence that this warm season will be noticeably different but it’s unclear if clearing out homeless camps along the river corridor will help or if it will contribute to more unhoused people hanging out downtown and sleeping in doorways and alleys The site of the former Fargo Brewing Company for a deflection center where police can take people suffering from addiction or mental health problems is problematic At the corner of University Drive and Seventh Avenue North it’s near a neighborhood struggling to remain safe and welcoming to new homeowners and is not far from the NDSU campus where parents want to know their children are safe and secure we urge the city to relocate and expand the Gladys Ray Shelter currently at 1519 First Ave to an area near the Fargo police headquarters at First Avenue North and 25th Street A larger Gladys Ray Shelter for people who have no other shelter option could be combined with a deflection center close to the police department and not near a neighborhood the Downtown Engagement Center should be shuttered police should have a much bigger walking or biking presence downtown this warm season and strictly enforce the existing disorderly conduct law “A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if or alarm another person or in reckless disregard of the fact that another person is harassed Police often say downtown Fargo is safe by statistical measures Fargo can’t afford not to make downtown feel safe and welcoming Too much has been invested there to throw away all that progress Community members and businesses who want to help solve this problem should support nonprofit groups that are working to house and shelter people in the short term and long term The community is demanding swift action on this urgent issue We can help our neighbors who are homeless while also saving downtown Fargo before it’s too late WEST FARGO — A West Fargo ice cream shop is lending a hand to a local nonprofit dedicated to distributing vital medical supplies a regional organization that collects and distributes equipment such as wheelchairs and diabetic supplies aimed at raising money for a much-needed delivery truck called “Stuff Your Stanley,” customers could fill a Stanley cup or any tumbler with ice cream A total of 20% of all sales from the day are being donated to HERO to help fund a new truck that would replace their aging vehicle and allow them to serve a broader range of communities “We have a lot of populations out there where they can't get into Fargo or they don't have friends or family to get them the things that they need and they're not a want: these supplies and equipment pieces are needs for them so it would mean so much for us to be able to travel outside of the area,” said Stephanie Ressler more reliable truck would allow them to reach more people in rural and underserved areas FARGO — North Dakota State's ninth-inning rally went for naught as Oral Roberts defeated the Bison 9-8 in a 10-inning Summit League game on Sunday at Newman Outdoor Field The Bison trailed by as many as six runs in the first four innings but chipped away and tied the game 8-8 with three runs in the bottom of ninth inning But a couple of ORU singles and an NDSU error in the top of the 10th led to Wailele Kane-Yate's run-scoring sacrifice fly Golden Eagles reliever Connor Floyd gave up a two-out single but got a force out at second to end the game Oral Roberts took two of three games in the weekend series and is 14-9 in the Summit League and 27-18 overall The Bison are 12-12 in the league and 16-28 overall NDSU plays an exhibition game against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at 6 p.m then begins a three-game Summit League set at St the teams traded runs in the first inning but ORU pulled out front with three runs in the third inning and four more in the fourth NDSU nibbled at the deficit with single runs in the third and fifth innings then scored two more in the seventh to cut the Eagles' lead to 8-5 The Bison staved off defeat with three runs in the bottom of the ninth Luis Garcia hit an infield single and Jake Schaffner bunted for a single Blake Timmons cleared the bases with a two-run triple to left field then he scored the tying run on Davis Hamilton's ground out and Sam Canton was 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI Schaffner and Alex Urlaub all had two hits JAMESTOWN – Jamestown Blue Jay Baseball split with EDC leader Davies Saturday in their final non-conference regular season games at Jack Brown Stadium Davies won the opener 12-5 and Jamestown took game two 5-2 Kane Mathiason also drove in two for the Eagles Jamestown (12-7) was limited to three hits Jaxon Kolpin singled and batted in two runs Derek Hatlewick allowed nine runs in four innings Bennett Goehner brought in the first run with a single before Brenner Weber hit a three-run home run to give Jamestown a 4-2 lead Cayleb Miller pitched a five-hitter with three strikeouts and two walks The Blue Jays will host Williston on Thursday at Jack Brown Stadium. Coverage will begin Thursday at 4:15 PM on The Voice of the Blue Jays, Jamestown 107.1 FARGO — A 21-year-old Fargo man was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison Wednesday morning after pleading guilty to federal gun charges stemming from an incident near The Arbors apartment complex last summer said it was "amazing he (Pearson) is even alive" today was an "abrupt stop to the path his life was on" and that "this case might have saved his life." Fargo officers were responding to a shots-fired call on the warm summer afternoon at The Arbors when they spotted Pearson wearing a sweatshirt and pulling up a ski mask over his face After Pearson went into a backyard in the neighborhood and the person who lived there said he did have permission to do so throwing a gun under a car in a parking lot before pursuing officers caught him investigators determined that Pearson was an inmate on escape status with the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on a conviction in state court the previous fall for felony possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl and gun theft Gorham told Chief Judge Peter Welte that Pearson had endured significant violence and danger in the years leading up to the incident that led to the federal charges including having been shot on multiple occasions She said the federal sentence brought with it a "ray of hope" and "opportunity" for her client to get his life on a better track Welte praised Fargo officers for the "great restraint" they demonstrated after seeing Pearson dressed as he was and in possession of a gun then fleeing while the officers were responding to a shots-fired call "This could have really easily turned out to be much different and much worse for you," Welte told Pearson accompanied in the courtroom by his four siblings concurred with the judge in a statement to the court "I'm grateful they didn't take my son's life," she said had been in and out of foster care several times over the years "due to things I did in my life," but that this was the longest the siblings had ever been separated from each other She acknowledged the family's life had been difficult but said "We have never been through something this traumatic." She said Pearson was "a really good kid" whose criminal behavior didn't start until the family moved to Fargo four years ago Pearson told Welte he knew he had made mistakes but that he could learn from them and "do better for my family when I come home." He said he was working on getting his GED diploma and had a goal of improving his relationship with the mother of his son and "being there for my son in the future." Pearson's federal sentence will run consecutive to his sentence in the state case for which Gorham said he would be eligible for parole sometime this summer I am just wondering if the City of Fargo recently won the lottery Last year they claimed to not have enough money to pay firefighter or police officer salaries compared to other cities the size of Fargo They put a measure on the ballot for a sales tax to have the money to do that they have had $150,000 to buy a street barricade to use for events like the street fair They just announced they are going in with West Fargo for a crossing light in south Fargo at a cost of $70,000 for each city Fargo is also talking about adding two commissioners and making the mayor's position full-time is the City of Fargo getting all this money I am glad to see the approval voting going away — maybe now we will get some good candidates to run for city commissioner I don't live in Fargo any more and one of the reasons is the mayor and the city commission They don't seem to have the correct priorities for the City of Fargo and its residents I still work in Fargo and do business here though and hope that the residents speak up on these issues Kerry McCullough is a resident of West Fargo The next executive order that Trump might well make is to have the parable of the Good Samaritan removed from the Bible because this parable contains all the elements of DEI a Levite and a Samaritan;Equity: a "certain man" could be anybody who should be treated equally; and Inclusion: includes everybody GRAND FORKS — UND is bringing Zach Sandy home to North Dakota The former star goaltender from Fargo South-Shanley has committed to UND out of the NCAA transfer portal Sandy spent three years at Minnesota Duluth serving as the backup goaltender 175-pound netminder is 2-2 with a 3.45 goals-against average and an .873 save percentage Sandy is expected to serve as UND's third goaltender this season Sandy spent four years as the varsity goaltender for Fargo South-Shanley He posted a .922 save percentage as a sophomore He helped South-Shanley reach the state championship game as a junior Sandy played one year for Minot in the North American Hockey League He went 14-11-2 and posted a .932 save percentage Sandy mainly served as the third goaltender for Minnesota Duluth but was thrust into a bigger role this season Sandy is close friends with UND senior forward Ben Strinden They were high school classmates at Fargo Shanley When Sandy originally committed to Minnesota Duluth he told The Forum: "We’ve always talked about what a great dream it would be if we could both play Division I hockey And now seeing it unfold … we’ll still be best friends even though we’ll be playing against each other Sandy's commitment rounds out UND's goaltending group for 2025-26 The Fighting Hawks received a commitment from Arizona State's Gibson Homer out of the transfer portal They're also bringing in freshman Jan Špunar from the Dubuque Fighting Saints Špunar is a finalist for the United States Hockey League's Goaltender of the Year Committed recruit Caleb Heil of the USHL's Madison Capitols will play one more year of junior hockey and come to campus in the fall of 2026 UND sophomore Hobie Hedquist is expected to leave in the NCAA transfer portal graduated and signed with the top minor-league affiliate of the New York Islanders the Fighting Hawks will turn over their entire goaltending group UND's 2025-26 roster is inching toward completion The Fighting Hawks will likely add two forwards and one or two defensemen