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 — West Fargo police arrested a man suspected to have a 34-year-old warrant on Thursday According to the West Fargo Police Department officers pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation and discovered that a passenger had possible warrants Officers learned that the passenger had a felony warrant from 1991 in Burleigh County for gross sexual imposition of a minor from Moorhead was arrested for the outstanding warrant as well as another warrant from Missouri and for possession of marijuana Mays has been extradited to Burleigh County and is being held in the Burleigh Morton Detention Center in Bismarck 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 vibe similar to the downtown restaurant — but with some notable differences most everything gets repurposed or reused anyway,” Hurder said The booths will highlight the family-oriented section 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 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 I couldn’t help but wonder why such a significant amount of money was invested in a logo that seemed so lackluster I managed to create a similar logo in just about 30 seconds using AI at no charge The oil well symbolizes the substantial financial gain for the state of North Dakota while the buffalo embodies the era of the frontier 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 FARGO — Oral Roberts scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning and held on for a Summit League win over North Dakota State on Friday at Newman Outdoor Field NDSU scored first on Davis Hamilton’s RBI single in the bottom of the first inning and ORU tied it in the second with Makani Tanaka scoring on a wild pitch The pitching staffs took over from there until extra innings the Eagles’ Martell Davis walked with one out moved to second on Will Edmunson’s single and took third on a throwing error on the play Copper Combs followed with a sacrifice fly to left NDSU’s Tyman Long singled leading off but pinch runner Luis Garcia was forced out at second on Jake Schaffner’s bunt ORU reliever Dalton Patten got a strikeout and a fly out to end the game Hamilton had a hit and an RBI and Blake Timmons was 2-for-4 Bison starter Nolan Johnson allowed a run on four hits in eight innings He didn’t issue a walk and struck out seven Reliever Danny Lachenmayer allowed an unearned run on three hits in two innings ORU’s Patten pitched the final three innings to get the win The Bison are 11-11 in the Summit League and 15-27 overall The teams play the second game of a three-game series at 2 p.m PAUL — The North Dakota State Bison and St Thomas Tommies split a Summit League doubleheader on Friday afternoon at South Field The Tommies won the first game 12-2 in five innings and the Bison took the second game 5-4 in eight innings The Bison scratched a pair of runs across in the third inning on Star Cortez’ RBI triple and Amai Hanta’s RBI fielder’s choice Jessica Delatorre and Rylee Henderson all finished 1-for-2 Tommies starter Ava Kleinfeldt earned the win granting two runs on five hits and striking out three Kameron Monson drove in three runs in a two-hit performance NDSU’s Zoe King batted in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth that scored Bella Dean permitting four runs on 11 hits and striking out five Jazmyn Yessian barreled a three-run triple in the third inning and finished 2-for-4 giving up zero earned runs on three hits and one walk The Bison moved to 19-29 overall and 6-11 in the Summit WEST FARGO — West Fargo Horace and West Fargo split in an Eastern Dakota Conference doubleheader on Friday and West Fargo completed a late comeback to win 3-2 in the second game Horace erased West Fargo’s one-run lead with four runs in the fourth Horace starter and winner Austin Ohleen allowed a run in the fifth and had two runners on in the seventh before getting a fly out to end the game The Hawks’ Jett Collins and Matthew Dick both had two hits and an RBI West Fargo’s Noah Betker had a hit and an RBI and Ethyn Bye was 2-for-4 the Packers scored three runs in the sixth to complete the comeback Bye ripped a two-run single to tie the game at 2-2 and Ashton Wigestrand hit an RBI sacrifice bunt to score the game-winning run Grayden Peterson doubled in a two-hit game giving up two runs on six hits and striking out six Horace’s Espen Westby and Jett Collins hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the fifth inning Caden Rademacher struck out three in the loss Horace is 11-3 in EDC points and 14-5 overall West Fargo is 6-6 in EDC points and 8-8 overall DEVILS LAKE — The West Fargo Sheyenne Mustangs and Devils Lake split an Eastern Dakota Conference doubleheader on Friday The Mustangs took the first game 3-1 after nine innings and Devils Lake outlasted Sheyenne 5-3 in the second game Sheyenne scored first on Jaxon Zavadil’s fielder’s choice and Devils Lake tied it with two outs in the bottom of the seventh on Will Heilman’s RBI single Sheyenne took the lead on Zavadil’s RBI single to left field and Kaden Olson lifted a run-scoring sacrifice fly to center field Sheyenne’s Parker Henrich struck out the side to end the game Devils Lake’s Hunter Remmick went 8-1/3 innings Zavadil had a hit and two RBI and Jayce Burns was 2-for-4 Devils Lake led 5-0 after two innings and the Mustangs countered with a three-run third inning Parker Brodina hit a two-run double in the first and William Heliman knocked an RBI single in the second allowing three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts to earn the win Sheyenne’s Joran Clemenson pinged a three-run single in the third inning Parker Rolfson gave up one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts in the loss Sheyenne moved to 6-8 in EDC points and 9-7 overall Devils Lake is 7-5 in EDC points and overall FARGO — Fargo Davies took two from Fargo Shanley in an Eastern Dakota Conference doubleheader on Friday Davies won the first game 11-0 and also took the nightcap 14-7 the Davies pitching staff held the Deacons to just three hits Eagles starter Cayden Neuharth earned the win giving up one hit and four walks with eight strikeouts in five innings Beckett Gigstad granted two hits and one walk with three strikeouts in two innings of relief Neuharth hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning and finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs Wyatt Kosidowski had two hits and two RBIs Joey Jaeger and Cole Stimpson had the lone hits Davies' Caleb Christianson was 4-for-4 with a triple and four runs batted in Kane Mathiason was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Wyatt Kosidowski Alex Christopherson and Kade Ohlhauser all had two hits and drove in a run Shanley's Quinn Miller was 3-for-5 with two RBI and Greg Noel and Jeremiah Bekkum both had two hits Davies is now 13-1 in EDC points and 16-2 overall while Shanley is 5-5 in EDC points and 4-8 overall VALLEY CITY — Fargo South took a pair of Eastern Dakota Conference games from Valley City on Friday South won the first game 16-5 and wrapped up the sweep with a 10-3 victory in game two South scored 16 straight runs and capitalized on seven Valley City errors South’s Brander Hilmert hit a two-run triple Caden Nelson was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a double allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts The Hi-Liners’ James Schwehr had two doubles and drove in three runs Corbyn Powell and Leighton Hendrickson also doubled Fargo South is 11-1 in EDC points and 11-5 overall Valley City is 0-10 in EDC points and 0-9 overall KINDRED — The Fargo Oak Grove-Kindred Vikings Region 1 matchup has been rescheduled to May 9 The Grovers battle Central Cass in Region 1 contest at 5 p.m Kindred plays Northern Cass on the road at 5 p.m MOORHEAD — Sauk Rapids-Rice pitchers Mason Fincher and Nolan Hemler sewed up Moorhead bats in a non-conference win on Friday at Matson Field Fincher gave up a run on four hits in 5-1/3 innings and Hemler surrendered an unearned run on one hit while getting the final five outs The Spuds’ Ben Fredrickson and Carter Huotari both doubled Moorhead is now 4-3 overall and SRR is 3-6 overall — Seven Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton hurlers prevailed in a pitchers’ duel with two Thief River Falls arms in a non-conference game on Friday Camden Schreiber and Cayson Bergee all pitched one inning allowing two hits and three walks while striking out six TRF’s Bohdi Mossestad started and allowed an unearned run on three hits in 4-1/3 innings DGF scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the first followed by Cadwell’s pop single to right field Cadwell was 2-for-3 with the RBI and Bergee had the Rebels’ other hit DGF is now 7-1 overall while TRF fell to 4-5 overall WEST FARGO — The West Fargo Sheyenne Mustangs cruised past Devils Lake in an Eastern Dakota Conference matchup on Friday evening The Mustangs scored 12 unanswered runs en route to the five-inning win Olivia Hendrix belated a two-run home run in the first inning and finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs Lauren Hemberger also drove in three runs on two hits Presley Tveter earned the win in the circle allowing two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts Devils Lake’s Julia McIvor hit an RBI double and Taylor Leben put down an RBI sacrifice bunt to score the only runs in the first inning McIvor and Tylie Brodina both had two hits Sheyenne rose to 8-2 in EDC points and 6-5 overall Devils Lake is 2-12 in EDC points and 3-6 overall CASSELTON — The Central Cass Squirrels plated five runs in the fourth inning to power a non-conference win over West Fargo on Friday night Central Cass hit four RBI singles in the fourth inning to erase the 4-1 deficit Sophie Scherweit was 2-for-4 and drove in a run Rya Zimmerman and Whitney Mitchell both doubled granting two earned runs on five hits and striking out three West Fargo’s Kendel Krenz hit an RBI double in the first inning Gretchen Klein was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Claire Osland hit a triple Brynlee Rheault struck out 11 in six innings — The Fargo Davies-Thompson non-conference matchup was cancelled Davies is 6-3 in EDC points and 6-6 overall HORACE — The Bismarck Legacy Sabers outdueled West Fargo Horace in a non-conference showdown on Friday evening Legacy plated five runs in the sixth inning Horace countered with two runs in the bottom of the frame to trim the lead to four runs Legacy’s Aurora Boe doubled twice in a four-hit game Abbey Allard gave up three runs on nine hits and struck out two in the six-inning win Horace’s Addyson Jacobson barrelled a two-run home run to left field in the sixth inning and was 2-for-3 Tristyn Struck and Austi Brandt also had two hits MOORHEAD — The Moorhead Spuds scored 11 unanswered runs to cruise past Alexandria on Friday night The Spuds plated seven runs in the fourth inning Madden Bogenrief juiced a two-run home run to center field Taylor Kressin and Addie Salvevold hit RBI doubles and Payton Babloian and Rylie Spitzner hit RBI singles Bogenrief finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs Kenadi Kays doubled twice at the plate and gave up three hits and struck out six in five innings pitching Brooklyn McPhail and Gretta Kelly had the only hits for the Cardinals FARGO — Aniston Gigstad buried the game-winning goal to power the Fargo Davies Eagles past the Grand Forks Central in an Eastern Dakota Conference matchup on Friday night centering pass from Bree Larson on a corner kick at 9:35 to play in the second half The Eagles had a goal waved off late in the first half Davies goalkeeper Nora Benson made six saves and Hailey Anderson-Tibiakowski stopped 11 shots Davies improved to 6-1-0 in the EDC and overall MOORHEAD — The Moorhead Spuds romped the Elk River Elks in a Section 8 battle on Friday night behind a seven-goal performance from Evan Wanner Wanner recorded hat tricks in both the first and second quarters Jonny Ulness and Nolan Cook also scored for Moorhead The Elks scored two unanswered goals to break up the shutout in the fourth quarter DEVILS LAKE — The fourth-place Devils Lake Firebirds fought another battle on Friday at DLYA Field the Firebirds split a doubleheader for the third time this year Facing eighth-place West Fargo Sheyenne (9-7 7-5) lost 3-1 and won 5-3 to add a point to each of the win and loss columns in its EDC record Hunter Remmick and Parker Brodina both gave strong deep outings on the mound to fuel Devils Lake the preseason highest-ranked junior in the Dakotas by Perfect Game the preseason highest-ranked senior in North Dakota “That’s a very good team we played.” Firebirds head coach Brent Luehring said “I thought we couldn’t pitch it any better than we did today to be honest with you… We’re in a stretch here between Friday Saturday and turn-around Tuesday where we’ve got six points up in five days And we’ll take any points we can get just to keep adding on to our win column.” Devils Lake’s offense has been fairly up-and-down this season The team OPS recently dipped below .700 after a hot stretch but it’s shown a complete and well-rounded lineup at times with a knack for getting on base had allowed just seven runs in the last five games entering Friday The latest performance ended up staying mostly in line with these trends — the offense took a while to get going but the pitching was nails nearly all evening Sheyenne starter Parker Henrich pitched a nine-inning complete game in a contest the Firebirds dropped in extras He allowed one earned run on seven hits and two walks while striking out 10 He allowed three runs — all unearned — in 8 1/3 innings He kept his pitch count manageable with no strikeouts and no unintentional walks during regulation he walked two (one intentional) while allowing six hits and throwing 109 pitches (64 for strikes) He threw the ball great,” Luehring said “It’s a senior showing up at home and doing what we ask of him.” tying the game with Devils Lake down to its last out in the seventh But the Mustangs had the upper hand in the eventual ninth inning Sheyenne’s two state-ranked players made an immediate impact in the second inning as the Mustangs struck first but he came close with a deep double to left-center field He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Zavadil The Firebirds got something going against Henrich in the bottom half Trason Beck legged out a deep ground ball to the shortstop and Remmick stayed hot at the plate with a single The inning ended on a groundout by Mason Palmer Palmer was the team’s hits leader last summer but he’s recently been bumped down to the eight-hole while in a 2-for-24 slump “There ain’t nobody harder on himself than him,” Luehring said Luehring said Palmer used to switch-hit when he was younger he’d zeroed in on hitting from his dominant side “It’s just trying not to confuse himself,” Luehring said so it’s hard to get the appropriate amount of reps on each side he’s the type of kid where when it comes down to it I know he’s gonna put a good at-bat together and put a good swing together And hopefully he can get in a groove.” The streak was broken by a leadoff single from short-statured nine-hitter James Buffington much to the enjoyment of the Sheyenne visiting section and dugout But Remmick retired Sheyenne’s top three hitters in order to keep Devils Lake within a run “I knew that Hunter was gonna throw the ball over the plate,” Luehring said “And when he locates his curveball for a strike and just keeps them off balance enough he’s got enough tilt where he gets a lot of ground balls.” The Firebirds had a couple more chances to score but couldn’t capitalize Taydon Triepke drew a leadoff walk but was stranded at third base in the third inning Beck and Remmick each recorded another hit but were stranded in the fourth A leadoff single by Triepke was wasted in the fifth and Devils Lake got nothing more than a one-out walk from Brodina in the sixth But he was in line for the loss with Devils Lake down to its last chance The Firebirds’ first two hitters went down in the bottom half who wasted no time with a first-pitch single into left field A run scored to tie the game and bring free baseball to DLYA Field Heilman had been 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before the hit “Will got the monkey off his back a little bit there,” Luehring said The seven innings were completed in only a tick over an hour Remmick had to contend with a leadoff hit in the eighth which moved to third on a bunt and a groundout He intentionally walked leadoff hitter Landon Zink a strategy that worked out as he got Jordan Clemenson to fly out on a diving catch by Triepke The Sheyenne fans vocally disagreed with the call being a catch and there was some scattered tension as the Firebirds retook the field The Mustangs were adamant about Firebird batters getting in the box quicker Devils Lake went down in order in the bottom of the eighth Remmick surrendered a leadoff hit again in the ninth he couldn’t keep the Mustangs at bay Brodina misplayed a hard grounder for an error and Dinger bunted the runners into scoring position with one out Zavadil struck again with a single to the left side Sheyenne had a 2-1 lead with both RBIs belonging to Zavadil After Remmick issued his first unintentional walk of the day Luehring opted to pull him after a hard-fought evening on the mound The left-handed Triepke took over and allowed a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 But he stranded the bases loaded to keep Devils Lake in it The Firebirds had little answer in the final frame overcoming Devils Lake’s brief heroics in the seventh that extended the game by 45 minutes It wasn’t quite as pristine as his previous two but Brodina threw his third complete game in as many outings throwing 116 pitches (72 strikes) while allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks Brodina came into the game with no earned runs allowed in 14 innings so far this year His strikeout numbers haven’t necessarily been where they were in the past but he’s rounded nicely back into form after the end of last year “I think you’re starting to see the evolution of Parker not trying to strike out everybody and just pitch to contact and trust the guys behind him,” Luehring said ‘I’ve gotta do it all myself.’” A double and two walks loaded the bases in the top of the first against Brodina but Olson made a running catch to keep the Mustangs off the board Starter Parker Rolfson walked the first two batters he faced and he was bailed out by a pickoff of Max Palmer at second and Brodina came up clutch to help his own cause and the right fielder bobbled it to let two runs score Rolfson fielded a soft dribbler from Ben Larson and threw it wildly past first base for another error He worked around a two-out single to pitch a scoreless top of the second Devils Lake got a nice little two-out rally in the bottom of the second Disaster struck the Mustangs again as the first baseman completely flubbed a ground ball then threw it away to bring in a fifth Firebird run But the traffic against Brodina finally caught up to him in the third inning Three singles loaded the bases — and then a long single to right field oddly scored all three runs with all the run production coming in the first three innings Clemenson went the rest of the way for Sheyenne allowing just one hit in four scoreless innings Mason Palmer switched back to his natural right side for the nightcap but lined a hanging curveball up the middle for a base hit in the third He had the only Devils Lake hit after the second inning Brodina worked around a runner in each of the fourth The Firebirds turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the sixth He ended the game with a swinging strikeout on his curveball to close out the 5-3 win the Firebirds move onto another challenge in second-place Fargo South (10-5 10-1) on Saturday at Fargo Davies High School It’s another doubleheader where each game counts for one point “They put the ball in play pretty well They’ve got a pretty deep pitching staff,” Luehring said so I’m sure there’s some revenge factor I think the scores have shown we can play against anybody We’ve just gotta keep putting it together and keep grinding and try to make that EDC tournament [which has eight seeds].” (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 – 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 Studio: 701-293-9000Front Desk: 701-356-4220Email: Click Here to Email Us 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 WEST FARGO — West Fargo police say they arrested a man last month who has been wanted in Burleigh County for 34 years Bismarck is the county seat of Burleigh County According to a release from the West Fargo Police Department who had an outstanding felony warrant in Burleigh County for gross sexual imposition of a minor a warrant out of Missouri and possession of marijuana and extradited to the Burleigh Morton Detention Center in Bismarck He made his first court appearance in Bismarck on April 24 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 WEST FARGO — West Fargo officials are inviting residents to get involved and informed as the city begins planning its next budget amid looming financial uncertainties at the state and federal levels City Administrator Dustin Scott and Director of Finance Willy Galindo outlined how West Fargo creates its budget and what challenges lie ahead Among those are about $20 million in frozen federal grants and a possible statewide cap on the property tax credit at 3% Scott said capital improvement projects are often planned years in advance and heavily rely on federal dollars “We're greatly dependent on federal and state programs to fund and we'll keep doing our best to monitor those changes,” Scott said it’s one of many tough conversations we’ll need to have.” city officials say there is still plenty of time to finalize the numbers the preliminary budget must be presented by Aug and a final version must be passed by early October “Sounds like you're going to have some big challenges with federal and maybe state funding this time around and probably way more significant than ever before,” Galindo said As city department heads prepare to submit their budget proposals in the coming months leaders say transparency and public input will remain top priorities “Our No 1 priority is to be as transparent as possible,” Scott said “People have to understand where their dollars are going Residents are encouraged to ask questions and participate as the city works to meet the needs of a growing community FARGO — Sanitation officials in the Fargo-Moorhead area are reminding residents it’s still too early to begin placing items on the curb for Cleanup Week West Fargo’s director of public works services said residents should only begin placing items outside after 4 p.m Cleanup Week will run just four days this year — from May 5 through May 8 Jacobson urged residents to hold off for safety and cleanliness reasons “It’s more dangerous for our employees when they’re doing that kind of lifting It also makes sure that nobody who’s on the sidewalk is gonna have any issues with falling into anything we’re making sure that there’s nothing getting spread out,” said Jacobson Officials warn that early placement could cause wind-blown debris or create hazards if it rains especially with heavy items such as rugs or upholstered furniture Yard waste and hazardous materials — including oil paint and lithium batteries — should be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Fargo and Moorhead’s Cleanup Weeks will span two weeks — May 5 through 9 and May 12 through 16 The Oakport neighborhood in Moorhead will have its pickup day on May 20 WEST FARGO — The recent economic uncertainty especially in the construction sector due to market fluctuations and tariff talks prompted the West Fargo School Board to hire a construction manager at-risk the board approved hiring a firm as a construction manager at-risk A construction manager at-risk is a term for a contractor paid to oversee a project from start to finish The manager essentially takes on the role of the general contractor and assumes financial responsibility for the project so that the project cannot exceed a set maximum price Business Manager Levi Bachmeier said Monday that given the uncertainty of construction costs and inflation a manager at-risk is a responsible step the district can take to "provide a guaranteed maximum price" on projects A screening committee composed of Bachmeier engineer Tony Eukel with MBN Engineering and Grotberg Electric contractor Jason Thomas was in charge of receiving the proposals The district received proposals for the South Elementary project from 10 firms It received seven proposals for the Heritage Middle School project I was surprised to see more people apply for the harder project," Bachmeier said Bachmeier expects the South Elementary project to be more complex than Heritage Middle School because it is a renovation project whereas Heritage Middle School was built with the expectation of expansion Bachmeier said Gerhtz Construction was competitively priced and interested in working on both projects Gehrtz Construction received 170 points of the 200 possible points for Heritage Middle School and 173 points for the South Elementary School project Gehrtz Construction proposed a fee of $25,000 for the South Elementary project $32,000 for the Heritage Middle School project or $50,000 for both projects given we are on a very tight timeline," Bachmeier said "We need to make sure we are as thoughtful while at the same time intentional about moving these projects forward." the School Board unanimously approved hiring Gehrtz Construction as the manager at-risk for the South Elementary and Heritage Middle School projects Construction on the two schools is expected to begin this summer WEST FARGO — The West Fargo School Board voted Monday to change the boundaries of four elementary schools in the 2025-26 school year to avoid severe overcrowding at Horace Elementary in the next few years we do boundary adjustments in the district," Superintendent Beth Slette said Current projections from consultants for West Fargo Public Schools say Horace Elementary would have 880 students attending in the 2029-30 school year if no changes are made Slette said the district is looking at the changes to sustain a balanced population at elementary schools for five years Officials proposed moving students from Horace Elementary School to Legacy Elementary School and students from Horace Elementary School to Deer Creek Elementary School Some Legacy Elementary students would then move to Aurora Elementary School there were 364 students at Aurora Elementary School While the additional students from Legacy Elementary could create an enrollment just over capacity at Aurora Elementary in the 2025-26 school year enrollment is expected to fall to about 479 by 2029-30 district officials presented a slightly adjusted boundary change plan that would impact about 291 students rather than the 363 students expected to be moved in the initial boundary proposals Residents in the McMahon Estates neighborhood would no longer have to move to Legacy Elementary School The number of students who would have to move from Horace Elementary in the fall was reduced by the change in boundaries but Agre said the issue will have to be revisited in two years Joshua Wells asked the board Monday to reconsider the boundary changes He said his oldest son was part of the first graduating class of Horace High School but before that Wells said his family's story was not unique for families south of Interstate 94 Cameron Battagler also asked the board to reconsider citing his daughter's anxiety over the potential of having to move schools "I have an eight-year-old who is worried about a School Board meeting tonight instead of school," Battagler said Battagler also noted that if his daughters must change schools he will no longer be able to ride his bicycle to school with them School Board member Trisha Page said she understands families' desire to not have their children move schools She knows firsthand how much boundary changes can impact a family She has had one child graduate from West Fargo High School one child graduate from Sheyenne High School and one child graduate from Horace High School Page said the district knows that an additional elementary school in this area would help ease the enrollment burdens but it hasn't been supported by voters Slette said after the potential changes were announced and additional public meetings a lot" from Legacy Elementary parents who did not want to move and were concerned about transportation Families also suggested Horace learners be moved to Deer Creek and Aurora or plan to move students who have not yet started school Families also voiced concerns the district was moving too fast and about teaching availability Families also asked if there could be portable classrooms at the elementary schools or if the district could hold off changes until next year rather than in the fall Slette said the use of portable classrooms each of which would cost upward of $306,000 "Portables today have to be a permanent dwelling She noted that even though portables would add classroom space are not built to hold the increased capacity Agre said the district could not delay the boundary changes because schools would be far over capacity next year Slette said Monday that staff had mulled multiple strategies to find alternatives that would potentially move fewer children but the proposed plan was ultimately the best plan the district has made some changes to its first proposal of boundary changes An "Adjusted Comprehensive Plan" presented Monday will allow the district to honor more transfer requests and provide a more gradual transition for some families with fewer students having to move from Legacy Elementary and Horace Elementary While the plan addresses current enrollment needs it does not offer a full five-year solution for Horace Elementary additional adjustments will be necessary within two years The board voted unanimously Monday to approve the adjusted boundary changes The motto for the Trump administration is “Make America Great Again.” Based on the actions of the first 100 days of the administration these are more accurate mottos: Make America… appointing incompetent people to lead the Department of Defense and our intelligence and national security agencies makes us more defenseless as a nation Gutting the cybersecurity agency makes us more open to a flood of disinformation and attacks on our critical infrastructure Refusing to obey the rulings of our courts ignoring the Constitutional roles of the presidency and Congress all this moves our country toward authoritarianism who has no healthcare background and holds unscientific and conspiratorial views the Department of Health and Human Services will lead to outbreaks of diseases (such as measles) and firing researchers who were working on cures to diseases these actions make all of us more vulnerable to illness and death Drastic cuts to Medicaid will leave millions without healthcare and safety regulations will return us to the days when our rivers lakes and air were polluted and food-born illnesses were commonplace Ending the efforts to fight climate change will result in more frequent and powerful weather events withholding funding for university research interfering in local educational decisions all these harm educational quality and access.What is more costly than education is ignorance To keep our country a democracy we need it to be strong WEST FARGO — Leaders of a civic engagement organization are urging West Fargo leaders to reconsider their March 17 decision not to renew the use of a public access channel on local cable "It was a host of many different types of content," Scott said we were not able to bring that channel online over to the new building The public access channel has not been broadcast since last spring and we would need to install infrastructure to get it over here," Scott said He estimated the city would need to make a $1,000 investment and also pay an annual subscription cost of $700 to get the channel running again The city is not required to stream meetings but it must publish meeting minutes with a designated newspaper While watching YouTube channels requires access to the Internet a YouTube subscription is not needed to watch city content a cable subscription is required to view public access channels provided by cable companies it is not just government meetings that could be aired on the public access channel Private organizations could also contribute videos to air on the city's channel a member of the Civic West steering committee said the group was surprised to learn about the City Commission's move to discontinue the public access channel Civic West is a nonprofit organization formed to encourage and educate West Fargo citizens with civic engagement "Public access channels have a long and important role in the history of cable television," Rakow said we can see that Fargo actively uses its three channels with Dakota Media Access funded by the city's cable franchise fees." Rakow and Civic West contend the substitution of a YouTube channel for a public access channel deprives the public of a venue to produce and provide content Civic West was considering producing a video that could be aired over the public access channel They are urging the city to open up more discussion on using the channel "The channels are not simply a venue for the City Commission that has become unnecessary," Rakow wrote in a letter to Scott and Mayor Bernie Dardis "Doing away with the channels takes away a benefit for residents and therefore they should be involved in the discussion." Scott suggested the city create a policy prohibiting private groups from providing content for the public access channel should it be reinstated That would help keep separation between religious groups and government entities Commissioner Amy Zundel made a motion to continue to use social media to broadcast meetings which was seconded by Commissioner Brad Olson and approved unanimously by the full commission Zundel said she was concerned with spending money to provide a service the city can offer for free with streaming services "I feel like we are servicing the needs of people who want to watch commission meetings essentially through the YouTube channel," she said I'm not sure I understand an additional cost to that especially if we are not going to stream anything private." Although Civic West asked that the commission reconsider its decision Scott told The Forum a motion to reconsider would have to come from a commissioner He had not been asked by a commissioner as of Wednesday to add the topic to an upcoming commission meeting or further discuss the matter The commission's next regular meeting will be at 5:30 p.m WEST FARGO — Kennedy Blair will lead the West Fargo United girls hockey team this winter Blair has coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels previously serving as the head junior varsity coach at Moorhead High School and a women's assistant coach at Concordia College "Blair brings a wealth of experience and a competitive drive that will energize our program," West Fargo activities director Justin Behm said via news release "Her player-first mentality and dedication to fostering both individual and team success make her the perfect for United Hockey it was clear she was the right choice for our program We are thrilled to have (Blair) behind the bench and look forward to an incredible future ahead for United Hockey." Blair works as a special education teacher at West Fargo Horace she was a two-time all-state selection and state champion goaltender with the Bismarck Blizzard Blair went on to play NCAA Division I college hockey first at Mercyhurst where she was named College Hockey America Goaltender of the Year in 2018 and CHA All-Tournament MVP in 2019 Blair finished her collegiate career at Wisconsin She holds master's degrees in educational leadership and curriculum and instruction from Wisconsin along with a bachelor's degree in human behavior and consumer studies from Mercyhurst WEST FARGO — Rebecco's Taco Bar in West Fargo has closed An individual who answered the phone at the business Monday morning confirmed the business was no longer open and stated that more information may be released later in the day The owners of Mas Tequila said at the time that they were changing the restaurant's concept to the more family oriented Rebecco's Mas Tequila opened in May 2022 and the business was shut down after a fire in August of 2023 FARGO — A West Fargo man accused of vandalizing a Tesla Cybertruck on "National Tesla Takedown Day" made his first court appearance Tuesday The charge qualifies as a felony because the estimated cost to repair the vehicle is about $2,500 Williams was allegedly caught on camera keying the Cybertruck in the Costco parking lot March 29 he admitted to damaging the vehicle and said he wanted to participate in the online movement that encouraged vandalism against Teslas There have been widespread protests nationwide against the company and its CEO Elon Musk who is an ally of President Donald Trump and the prominent figure in DOGE or the Department of Government Efficiency WEST FARGO — Two West Fargo property owners will soon become renters after agreeing to sell their land to the city in preparation for the city and state to one day build an Interstate 94 interchange The city will buy the land near Main Avenue and 26th Street West from Hazer Ventures West Fargo commissioners approved the $929,500 land purchase The property includes Hazer's Auto and Truck Parts He later passed the business on to his son although Lester Hazer continued to work at the shop past age 100 An August 2023 estimate valued the two properties to be worth $715,000 Senior Director of Community and Development Dan Hanson said the purchase price is about 30% above the valuation Dan Hazer had voiced concern at a public meeting regarding the cost of expected special assessments that are imposed to help pay for additional development in that area Mayor Bernie Dardis pointed out that the city would likely assume the cost of the assessments with the purchase of the land "These purchase amounts do not include that dollar amount," Dardis said Hanson said that in any purchase of real estate the buyer assumes any special assessments on the land the properties have existing special assessments of about $87,039 and pending assessments of $309,834 the city created an agreement that allows the Hazer households to remain on their property for at least five years we are not asking them to vacate right away," Hanson said Monday "We would not be constructing those improvements in the next five years anyway." the city can ask the Hazers to leave the property but must provide notice one year in advance If the city does not terminate the agreement in five years Hanson has said the land purchase would save the city money in the long run as land prices could double by the time the city and North Dakota Department of Transportation begin the process of installing a new interchange Economic sales tax will be used to purchase the land WEST FARGO — Residents and members of Civic West voiced their concerns Monday regarding the West Fargo City Commission's decision not to continue broadcasting on public access channels chair of the Civic West steering committee said Monday the city could access broadcasting opportunities for communication with residents such as airing the West Fargo Park District's Bone Builders class for seniors; airing a series on the history of West Fargo; or hosting regular "chats" on air with the mayor or commissioners a nonprofit focused on engaging civic activity in West Fargo Rakow said the group would work with the West Fargo Park District West Fargo School District and city staff to prepare a proposal to address how the channels could be used as well as additional funding possibilities "This is an opportunity to reimagine how public access channels are managed and how the community can be served," Rakow said a longtime West Fargo resident and volunteer with the public access channel as a sports announcer Lubben said while cable subscriptions are often combating streaming and satellite TV options for market share the cable companies still pay franchise fees to the city used in the general fund and it is near impossible to tell how many are watching this channel but there are some theories of how to figure it out," Lubben said Cable companies have not shared data to demonstrate their use in West Fargo The average video of a City Commission meeting on the YouTube channel has had around 100 views who is also a member of the West Fargo TAP (Transparency said public access channels provide a great opportunity for the city to communicate inexpensively with the residents Withee said the city's partnership with West Fargo Events the nonprofit tasked with managing city events and facilities such as The Lights has set a precedent the city could follow to work with Civic West in this case Scott estimated the city would need to make a $1,000 investment and also pay an annual subscription cost of $700 to get the channel running again and commissioners did not discuss the topic following the public comment Mayor Bernie Dardis offered a chance for commissioners to act on the residents' statements by asking if any commissioner would like to address business not on the agenda — a routine offer — but no commissioner offered a topic for discussion Marcel graduated from Fordville High School where he excelled in baseball and basketball He attended Lake Region State College and went on to graduate from UND in 1985 with a B.S He was co-captain of the UND baseball team and played shortstop garnering the nickname “the vacuum” as he rarely missed a play.  He had the highest batting average on the team ending his senior year at .426 and was named team MVP His 40-year business career included finance roles with Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Services in Park River; Farm Credit Services in Breckenridge Morris and Moorhead MN; Office of the Comptroller in Fargo; AgriBank in Moorhead and Fargo; and most recently Marcel and Lisa (Diemert) were married in 2001 in Fargoand are members of Holy Cross Catholic Church His greatest joy was entertaining his 24 nieces and nephews and attending their activities His love for baseball extended beyond college including assistant coaching with Fargo South High School baseball team in the 2001 and 2002 seasons He played fastpitch softball and was an original member of Fargo Mudhens amateur baseball team He played with the 1999 ND Class AA State Championship Team managed by Roger Demers Marcel volunteered his time with ND Special Olympics Churches United shelter and youth baseball programs Lisa; his brothers Dale Sluke of Fordville Preceding him in death were his parents; brother Dan Sluke and sisters-in-law Denise Sluke and Mary Sluke April 21 at 1pm followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 2pm both will take place at Holy Cross Catholic Church in West Fargo A private family burial will be held later at Buffalo ND cemetery the family asks that you consider making a memorial donation to one of the following organizations - Holy Cross Catholic Church                  Fordville Parks & Rec                  118 3rd Ave                  Fordville - Churches United Private Family Interment: Buffalo Cemetery  West Funeral Home & Life Tribute Center ND.  She graduated from West Fargo High School in 1943 and then attended Dakota Business College.  She worked for Armour & Company in West Fargo as a secretary where she made lifelong friends and memories.  She was united in marriage to Clarence Krogh of Harwood in 1947 the first couple to be married in the new Faith Lutheran Church in West Fargo.  They lived on the family farm together for 70 years until his passing in 2017.  She then moved to Sheyenne Crossing in West Fargo until her death.  Doris was active in her church and community.  She belonged to the Zion Ladies Aid and was a 4-H leader for the Harwood girls club.  She was also a member of the West Fargo 8-10 Club Doris volunteered at Bethany and Elim nursing homes and at the Sons of Norway with Clarence for many years.  She loved hosting family events at the farm alongside her husband Doris enjoyed playing cards and setting up games for the children especially when she was able to direct them at her unsuspecting grandchildren and great grandchildren April Fools’ Day and Halloween were two of favorite days to amuse the many young kids that were a constant presence in her life.  Clarence and Doris traveled often to visit sites and relatives across the U.S. and she made two trips with family to Norway.  They enjoyed their lake cabin and hosting family and friends there.  Children were special to Doris and they loved her and the fun she created for them.  She was always ready to play a game or laugh with them.  Doris had a sunny sense of humor and her cheerful laughter was as central to family gatherings as was her cooking.  Her grandchildren and great grandchildren often tell stories of their adventures with grandma and they will no doubt do so for many years to come.  nine grandchildren and many great and great-great grandchildren and Mary Lou Christl.  She was preceded in death by her parents A memorial gathering will be held at West Funeral Home with a time for memory sharing at 6:30 pm.  Funeral Services will be held at Zion Lutheran Church in Harwood on Thursday April 10th at 11:00 am.  Burial will be at Oakwood Cemetery in Harwood.  In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be given to Oakwood Cemetery with Memory Sharing at 6:30 pm (West Funeral Home    Dianne Marie Weixel was born February 26 after which she attended MN State Community and Technical College in Moorhead during which time she held different positions the longest of which was in guest services They made their home and raised their family in West Fargo    Dianne is survived by three children and Cody (Allison) Nirschl; five grandchildren Paul Weixel and Nancy (Rick) Mazzola; and several nieces    She was preceded in death by her husband; and her parents please do not wear black to the service (P.S    Memorials are preferred to Sanford Hospice House with visitation one hour prior to the service    Interment at a Later Date: Sunset Memorial Gardens    Pamela Jean Erstad was born at St to Clifford and Catherine (Thoemke) Erstad where she attended school and graduated from high school she attended Dakota Business College and worked at Norwest Bank    She married Craig Dirks and had children Katie and Stephanie They made their home in West Fargo and Pam worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield as a bus driver for West Fargo Public Schools    Pam enjoyed gardening and canning and being the ‘treat lady’ for her grand-dogs She adored her grandchildren and always made people feel welcome    She was a member of the West Fargo VFW Women’s Auxiliary and Faith † Journey Lutheran Church in West Fargo    Pam is survived by her husband Tom; children and Virginia (Brian) Hanson; siblings-in-law    She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother Robert and Donna Gertz; and Grandma and Grandpa T    In lieu of traditional funeral attire or purple/gold to the prayer service and memorial service    Memorial Service: Tuesday    Interment: Sunset Memorial Gardens WEST FARGO — The history of Dave's West Fargo Tire & Service begins with Dave Paulson who started a business called Dave's Amoco in the early 1980s That business was located on the corner of 13th Avenue and University Drive in south Fargo and in the summer of 2000 Paulson opened Dave's West Fargo Tire & Service Dave's West Fargo Tire & Service is the only one still operating and Paulson himself retired after selling the business to Ryan Sellheim Sellheim became sole owner of the shop in 2021 after he and Paulson shared ownership for a time "I was part owner with him (Paulson) for five years prior to purchasing the business," Sellheim said "We made it pretty well known that I was partnering with him so when the time came (to take over) there wasn't any shock," said Sellheim who today operates the shop with seven employees Sellheim said he began working for Paulson in late 1999 at the I-29 store while he attended tech school Sellheim said he worked evenings and weekends but over time he was given more responsibilities Sellheim said that after taking a brief break to gain experience in a dealership environment "to see the other side of the coin," he went back to working with Paulson around 2010 Sellheim and Paulson started their business partnership with Sellheim eventually taking over the reins completely who said he doesn't feel a strong need to change the name of the business given the strong customer base Dave's West Fargo Tires & Service has developed over the years "I will leave it 'Dave's.' That is what it has been known for 25 years," Sellheim said the shop offers full automotive repair — everything from oil changes and tires to maintenance Sellheim said the repair side is the larger portion of the business and he noted that his wife plays a role in the operation and takes care of things like payroll Sellheim said he relies on his wife's wisdom particularly when he has notions about making changes to the business "She becomes my sounding board when I get crazy ideas and analyzes the risk involved," Sellheim said WEST FARGO — A 43-year-old man with no permanent address was arrested for multiple outstanding warrants after a police chase in West Fargo officers tried to stop a vehicle around 2:38 p.m Wednesday in the 400 block of 12th Avenue Northwest had multiple outstanding warrants for their arrest Jacobs fled east on 12th Avenue Northwest and south on Ninth Street Northeast where officers used a pursuit intervention technique to disable his vehicle driving under suspension and multiple outstanding warrants The outstanding warrants include a felony violation order through the state of Minnesota Jacobs had warrants for his arrest for charges of possession of drug paraphernalia possession of marjauna and meth possession While many of us recently celebrated Easter Sunday this seems an appropriate time to reflect upon our country's changing attitudes toward Christianity. Although America never installed a state religion citizens lived for most of our history under an assumption that generic Protestantism was its de-facto national religion. As late as the 1950s over half of American adults attended church regularly. There were prayer and Bible readings in public schools. We put "In God We Trust" on our money and "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance the state of Christianity in America began to go into decline Christian morality began to be questioned as social upheaval reshaped the country can be divided into three phases: "the Positive World," "the Neutral World," and "the Negative World." To be known as a good church-going man signified you were an upstanding member of society with violations such as having an affair resulting in major consequences Christianity was no longer viewed positively It was one more lifestyle choice among many in a pluralistic public square Christian morality still had a residual hold on society merely identifying as a Christian may draw skepticism For the first time in America's 400 year history to be known as a Bible-believing Christian is a negative in the elite domains of society Christian morality is now expressly repudiated and is even seen as a threat to the new public moral order Much of Protestant America had been built on the assumption that it represented the mainstream of American society merely identifying as a Christian is not in itself treated as illegitimate are not treated negatively on account of their faith The key is that the content of one's Christianity cannot conflict with the new secular moral order President Trump is probably the best example of this profound shift to the Negative World the leading Democrat presidential candidate in 1988 had to bow out after being caught in an extra-marital affair Trump's affair with Marla Maples was in the tabloids that Trump's election was made possible by the very same people who did the most to tear down all those old Protestant Christian standards of morality and decorum in the name of personal liberation FARGO — Teams have had little success defending Jaiden Haile this season The 6-foot-2 senior forward and Gonzaga commit entered Thursday's North Dakota Division AA girls basketball state tournament quarterfinals with a state-leading average of 15.4 rebounds per game to go with 23.4 points Haile had recorded a double-double in 23 of 24 games for West Fargo Horace this season with Haile finishing with 29 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Hawks to a 73-59 win over Bismarck Legacy at the Fargodome 1 seed Horace (24-1) advanced to the state semifinals for the first time in program history They'll play in the day's first semifinal against West No "I think that we had a lot more urgency coming into the game," Haile said we felt like we had gotten our feet wet a little bit last year we didn't really know what to expect and this year I think that we knew we had to have our game faces on executed the scout and that's why we got the win." 4 seed Legacy (18-8) will move into the consolation semis at 4 p.m Freshman guard Lakyn Donnelly followed up Haile's 29-point effort with 22 points and six assists to go with five steals Horace is making its second state tournament appearance this week after falling to Bismarck in last year's quarterfinals as the East No we talked a lot about how we were trying to get what everybody else had and that was big-game experience," Horace head coach Brent Hintz said "We have that now and we've been very open about how we have expectations on us There's a reason for that and we embrace that because that means you're good "We want those expectations and I think all of our experiences — not just the state tournament last year but also through this season — to be able to get to this point and to play well enough to play a state quarterfinal game with the Sabers keeping things close as long as they could before an Ava Larson triple sparked a 14-6 Hawks run in the final 2-1/2 minutes to end the half Legacy was led by 17 points each from Marlee Falcon and South Dakota State commit Brooklynn Felchle Falcon paced the Sabers with nine rebounds "They have a lot of size and a lot of weapons It's the state tournament and everybody is good at the state tournament You're going to have to fight for everything you get in this tournament We feel really fortunate that we were able to play well and come out with a win over a really The Hawks finished 27 of 60 (45%) shooting while the Sabers were 23 of 54 (42.6%) that says he will plead guilty to transporting a minor in October 2022 He also will plead guilty to possessing and distributing images that depict children being sexually exploited plans to recommend he serve 40 years in prison The minimum sentence he faces is 10 years in prison though he could be sentenced to as much as life in prison A charge of receiving child sex abuse material will be dismissed George’s plea hearing has been scheduled for May 28 in Fargo The federal charges come from an investigation into George that resulted in his Aug Court documents filed in a related but now dismissed Cass County district court case alleged George used Instagram to send images of children he knows in exchange for sexually explicit depictions of young children Investigators found photos that showed boys as young as 5 years old The allegations resulted in charges of promoting or directing an obscene sexual performance by a minor and possessing certain prohibited materials The two Cass County district court cases were dismissed so federal prosecutors could pursue their case Attorney’s Office filed its charges in early March 2024 The federal charges claimed George used the internet to receive and distribute child sex abuse materials between January 2020 and August 2023 through "interstate and foreign commerce." He also was accused of taking a child from North Dakota to South Dakota with plans to sexually abuse that child in October 2022 George’s trial was scheduled to begin June 24 He is being held at the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River George was the principal of West Fargo Public Schools' Independence Elementary but he resigned from the post when he was arrested West Fargo schools hired him in 2013 as an English teacher He worked for the district as an English learner coordinator The district named George assistant principal for Cheney Middle School in 2016 a position he held until he was promoted to principal for Independence in July 2023    She is survived by her daughter Nicole (Wayne Kading) Very of Isanti MN Eileen Pfarr all of Jamestown ND and brother Bob of Fargo Brother in law Gerald (Carolee) Howe and Sister in law Julie (Russ) Smith all of Florida nephews Justin (Whitney) Schmidt and Ryan (David Raba) Schmidt all of NC Ryan One Feather of Jamestown and several great nieces and nephews    She was preceded in death by her husband    Memorial Service: Friday    Interment at a Later Date: Sunset Memorial Gardens WEST FARGO — Fargo and West Fargo residents who expect a change in property valuation this year will have a chance to challenge the estimate on Tuesday when both cities plan to hold board of equalization meetings The West Fargo Board of Equalization will meet at 5:30 p.m in the West Fargo City Commission Chambers at City Hall The Fargo Board of Equalization will meet at 7:30 a.m Tuesday in the Fargo City Commission Chambers at City Hall are described as a chance to "equalize property valuations throughout the city and provide a forum for property owners to discuss their property value," said West Fargo Manager of Public Affairs Rachel Richter Lordemann City commissioners in both cities act as the Board of Equalization "Property owners can attend the board of equalization meeting to appeal their 2025 property valuation to the board," Lordemann said (commissioners) can only hear discussion on property values they cannot hear questions about the city’s budget While the discussion is limited at the board of equalization meetings to the topic of valuations and not tax rates the value of the property determines how much an owner will pay in property taxes each year "Those who feel their property value for tax purposes is inaccurate may present their case to the board at this meeting," Fargo officials said in a statement along with school districts and park districts levy property taxes determined by the value of a property This means that while a government agency might not increase its tax rate in an upcoming budget year property owners could still see their taxes rise or fall based on changes to their property values the standard of value for assessment purposes is market value; this is generally considered what most properties would sell for in a normal market transaction The cities' total assessment valuations must be adjusted to fall within 90% to 100% of what properties are selling for in order to comply with North Dakota law and state Board of Equalization requirements West Fargo Assessor Paul Fracassi said West Fargo is in its third year of a five-year residential mass appraisal cycle to update all properties across the city and have the most current West Fargo valuations and building trends are on par with national statistics "Our median home value grew 4.6% to $340,000 but we saw our market outpace the national market with new builds only being down 7.7%," Fracassi said in his annual equalization report Fracassi said the rate of new buildings and home sales in West Fargo slightly declined in 2024 as interest rates rose there were 571 home sales compared to 591 in 2023 Property owners wishing to appear before the Board of Equalization are urged to contact their city's assessor before the meeting Lordemann said residents who don’t contact the assessor’s office ahead of the meeting will likely be referred to meet with the assessor to discuss a solution before any action is taken by the board West Fargo property owners whose true and full value increased by more than 10% have been sent a letter of notification with additional information After the city Board of Equalization meetings residents can still appeal a valuation through Cass County The Cass County Board of Equalization will meet in June GRAND FORKS — West Fargo’s Ian Skari won the faceoff in the opening minutes of the first overtime period with the Packers and Bismarck Century tied up at 4 Jack Josephsen collected the puck and flipped it up to Bryce Mattern who was sprinting through the neutral zone “That’s a designed play we have,” Mattern said Mattern beat Century’s Haydon Eckart to the puck “The goalie (Jaden Kleinjan) stepped,” Mattern said Mattern’s overtime game-winner gave the Packers a 5-4 state quarterfinal win over the Patriots on Thursday afternoon at Ralph Engelstad Arena West Fargo had a 4-1 lead over Century after Mattern netted his second goal of his three-goal night 26 seconds into the second period The Patriots responded with back-to-back goals from Jackson Fylling and Andrew Brubakken to cut the Packers’ lead to 4-3 Eckart scored the tying goal in the third period he's always got his boys humming,” West Fargo coach Jason Triplett said and we got them exactly where we wanted them But I’m sure he had a little in-between-period speech and they came out with a little bit more buzz than we did and caught us a little bit added an assist to total four points in the Packers’ win That brought him to 55 goals and 38 assists on the year He now sits six points back from Mike Peluso who tallied 99 points at Bismarck High in 1991-92 for the most points in a single North Dakota high school hockey season Passing that record isn’t Mattern’s top concern “Just focused on winning the state championship with the boys,” Mattern said “It's going to be a battle,” Triplett said “They’re not going to lay down for us and give it to us We have to show up tomorrow and make some improvements in the defensive zone WEST FARGO — The West Fargo police say they have found a 13-year-old runaway and she is safe after asking for the public's help in finding her According to the West Fargo police Facebook page She had left home the day before and was last seen in a vehicle near the Interstate 94 and Interstate 29 interchange the daughter of Merlin and Gurnald (Johnson) Hanson.  She was raised in Reeder and graduated from Reeder High School.  Bonita graduated from Moorhead State with a Bachelor of Business Education Degree.  She went on to graduate from NDSU with a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling.  Bonita was employed as a guidance counselor at Lewis and Clark Elementary School in Fargo until her retirement She experienced many former students recognizing her in public places and reaching out to thank her.  Bonita and Gene Griffin were married in 1968,  living  in various homes starting with a tin shack on campus at NDSU eventually settled to the  South of West Fargo on the Sheyenne.  golf and spending time with the grandchildren.  Golf was her favorite sport and is credited with two “hole-in-one” shots brought her great joy and she received many compliments from neighbors and passer byes She enjoyed her book club and the trips with Gene several times a year to Wine Country in Northern California Playing games with her grandchildren was her favorite thing to do when she was with them.  Surviving is her husband: Gene of West Fargo;  daughter:  Nikole (Brad) of Savage MN;  son:  Patrick (Jackie) of Lake Elmo MN;  daughter-in-law:  Amie of West Fargo; grandchildren:  Andrew Ender and Parker; and a brother:  Will (Betty) of Pierre She was preceded in death by her parents and a son:  Michael.  passed away peacefully in his home on Wednesday February 5    Todd was born on Sunday July 9 Byron “Cameron” Bogardus and mother Georgia (Erickson) Bogardus alongside his siblings He attended and graduated from West Fargo High School in 1980 he attended Job Corp in Utah and Detroit Lakes Technical College for auto body repair Their marriage of 38 years began on July 11 he became a wonderful father to twin daughters They resided in the Fargo and West Fargo area He particularly enjoyed being a self-proclaimed mechanic and loved vehicles His passion for driving and making small repairs on cars or helping others with car repair advice was a joy of his life His favorite story to tell was when he was a teenager and his dad helped him build an engine before he was allowed to drive he collected many tools of all sorts and loved to complete many small projects from working on lawnmowers to small motors He also loved listening to talk radio and loved a wide range of music He would naturally call himself an “eclectic” listener Todd also loved to laugh and make others laugh with his witty “dad” jokes He loved his family greatly and was adamant about saying “I love you” to those around him    Todd is survived by his loving wife Elaine    Todd is preceded in death by his parents Byron “Cameron” Bogardus and Georgia Jean (Erickson) Bogardus    Funeral Service: Saturday    Interment: Holy Cross Cemetery - North WEST FARGO — As the explosion of growth in West Fargo south of Interstate 94 begins to simmer the city is turning north to prepare for expected growth on the far west and northern sides of the city They estimate that about 8,000 acres stretching north and west from the Red River Valley Fairgrounds will be developed in the next 20 to 25 years members of the West Fargo Planning and Zoning Committee business leaders and consultants from the firm HKGi met Tuesday to discuss starting points for HKGi to form a comprehensive growth plan city leaders may follow in the upcoming years "It's how we can think differently about these kinds of things instead of thinking the same," said Tom McDougall a West Fargo Economic Development Advisory Committee member HKGi is a Minneapolis-based architecture and planning firm that will seek input from city leaders to draft and present a comprehensive growth plan for West Fargo over the next 18 months The plan would eventually be presented to city officials and the public A growth plan would have to be approved by the West Fargo City Commission to be adopted population growth exploded in the southwest part of West Fargo While there is some slowdown as the city becomes landlocked thousands of acres of land will become available once the F-M Diversion is complete He said that as part of creating the growth plan HKGi will examine what types of development should be attracted to the north They will also consider the fiscal impacts of decisions and what infrastructure will be needed said as the firm moves forward with creating a plan it wants to hear from the city what needs and wants the community has for prospective development There is a "pent-up demand for flex space," such as warehouse space West Fargo has an imbalance of commercial and residential developments as the city's business areas are overshadowed by residential West Fargo Economic Development Manager Casey Sanders-Berglund said the city will need to consider whether incentives for businesses would be a good tool to signal the city is open to more companies coming in City leaders said this could be West Fargo's opportunity to plan for a golf course The city could also encourage builders to consider building small starter or retirement housing developments Zoning of the potential development will also be considered in the growth plan HKGi staff pointed out that a master growth plan can help the city grant development in areas adjacent to land that is expected to be developed for similar or complementary purposes in the future which can ease neighborhood tensions as they arise down the road "What it really comes down to is having a plan that is implementable and our Planning and Zoning Commission and City Commission can stick to that," said Dan Hanson senior director of community and development services    Dana was the only son of Martha (Kempf) and Jacob Steinwand.  Dana grew up in and around Garrison who he made it his mission in life to torment  While attending Garrison high school Dana played the trumpet in the high school band He hated it so much that immediately upon graduation he threw it in Lake Sakakawea    Dana moved to Minot and pursued his education at Minot State University where he laid the foundation for a life guided by dedication  While living in Minot he welcomed his daughter he married Lynda Shipman.  Dana was a member of Bread of Life Church in Minot He worked for Nash Finch Corporation in Minot for over 25 years as a warehouse superintendent retiring at the age of 50 to pursue a career in the ministry.  he enrolled at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque before retiring as an ordained ELCA pastor in 2015.  He and Lynda moved to West Fargo Dana wasn’t one to idle and found a third career at Costco in West Fargo.  It didn’t take long for Dana to question this career move when he was asked to promote the food court dressed as a giant slice of pizza.     He was a devoted husband to Lynda and loving father to his two children whom he may have sometimes treated better than his beloved wife He enjoyed quiet nights at home with his wife and attending as many exciting NDSU football games as he could with his daughter Dana was passionate about ensuring every person had equal rights His very wide variety of interests and hobbies included being a proud member of the mythical society attending concerts (most recently Sturgill Simpson’s and Taylor Swift’s) his affinity for often questionable YouTube content and traveling as much as he possibly could    He was preceded in death by his parents- Martha and Jacob     Dana is survived by his wife ND); his grandson Matthew Jayce Steinwand (Minot and sister and brother-in-law Gwen and Burt Traub (Phoenix    Known for his warm and loving spirit Dana was often confused by the affection others felt for him please tell someone you know how important they are to you Memorials may be directed to Lutheran World Relief FARGO — West Fargo's last three Division AA state tournament appearances have followed the survival of a state qualifier the Packers won't need to worry about that West Fargo advanced to the East Region boys basketball championship game following a 64-56 win over top-seeded Fargo Davies in Thursday's conference semifinals at Scheels Center "I'm just very proud of this team," said junior guard Aiden Samek who led the Packers with a game-high 23 points "We have so much heart and have put in all the work at practice Fourth-seeded West Fargo improved to 11-12 overall and ended Davies' run of six-straight East Region championship game appearances which included wins in the last three title games The Packers will take on third-seeded Grand Forks Red River (17-6) in the East Region title matchup Saturday Davies (17-6) will face sixth-seeded West Fargo Sheyenne (8-15) in a state qualifier at 11 a.m The Packers have been battle-tested this week outlasting fifth-seeded Fargo North 97-93 in overtime in Tuesday's quarterfinals before downing the tournament's top seed in Davies on Thursday "We did not play well against North," West Fargo head coach Adam Palczewski said but then (the players) moved onto the next game 'No Excuses,' and we're not going to make any ever The Packers took a narrow 33-30 lead into halftime West Fargo forced a turnover on the offensive end of the floor Samek kicked the ball over to teammate Beckett Pfau who hit a wing triple with 2:56 remaining to give his team a nine-point lead and force the Eagles into a timeout "These guys have shot tens of thousands of shots," Palczewski said They just made the right play at the right time You've got to play free this time of year." The Packers finished the game shooting 18 of 48 (37.5%) from the field while the Eagles were 17 of 54 (31.5%) Alex Wetterlin had a game-high 12 boards for the Packers while Collin Williams finished with 10 for for the Eagles Following Samek in scoring for West Fargo was Haakon Seymour with 11 points while Wetterlin and Bonfas Loria each chipped in eight Pfau and Sam Glandt each finished with five points Davies was led by standout senior Mason Klabo with 21 points while Williams chipped in 16 Samek also finished a perfect 12 of 12 at the free throw line and has now made 36 in a row a new West Fargo school record that began on Feb We all come together as a team and we just get the job done." of West Fargo passed away peacefully at Bethany on 42nd in Fargo on Tuesday ND to Alfred & Gertrude (Hofland) Hansen and raised in Sanborn and was honorably discharged on January 10 he was united in marriage to Mary Jean Grant in Valley City and was employed by the Jamestown police department In August of 1969 he began working for the Cass County Sheriff’s Department Ken began working for the West Fargo Police Department He was appointed Assistant Police Chief in 1973 and Police Chief from 1975 to 1994 Ken enjoyed wood carving and spent many hours in his garage whittling and socializing with neighbors Ken’s grandkids were his pride and joy Ken and Jeanie’s kitchen table was the central hub for laughter and great stories He is survived by his sons Terry (Suzi) & Tony (Brenda) both of West Fargo; grandchildren Brandon Jamie (Tanya) and Tanner; siblings Almira Klein Ken was preceded in death by his wife Mary Jean Hansen and parents Alfred & Gertrude Hansen 2025 from 9:00 AM until 10:00 AM at West Funeral Home Burial: Spring of 2025 at Memory Gardens of Valley City She grew up on a farm near there and attended school at Courtney She continued to live in Carrington doing catering and working at the golf club from 1976 to 2003 she worked at Sam’s Club for 13 years MN; 12 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; a brother Pat was preceded in death by her parents; husband Kathy Falk and Elaine Barclay; three brothers 2025 from 6 to 7 PM with a prayer service at 7 PM at West Funeral Home 8 at 11 AM at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church so the service is divided into two clips - the first half and the second half shows under committal service We are working to fix this but for now it is here as two files