Articles

New leader at GFAFB: Bauman takes over from interim leader

Col. Paul E. Bauman became Grand Forks Air Force Base’s 38th commander Wednesday after Maj. Gen. William Bender proclaimed him “the right commander at the right time.”

• Col. Paul Bauman

East Grand Forks taps veteran city staffer for interim city administrator

Karl Lindquist has kept an eye on East Grand Forks city government from several angles — city attorney, alderman and newspaper reporter. Starting Monday, he will be at City Hall’s epicenter, as the interim city administrator.

• City of East Grand Forks

RYAN BAKKEN: Shoveling snow is no kind of retirement

A recent report said that North Dakota is a great place to retire. Apparently, the research was done before our most recent winter, which finally has exited after a six-month stay.

• Ryan Bakken
• ND ranked 10th-best retirement destination; Minnesota 43rd

Crookston moose back in town after brief hiatus

The moose had hung around town for about 10 weeks in the winter and early spring. Authorities believed they had finally shooed her out of town for good about two weeks ago. However, she showed up inside the city limits again this week, on Tuesday and Thursday.

• Moose lounging by ornament

RYAN BAKKEN: Burger stand nets $1,600 bid for annual pre-opening day meal

Friday’s price of the Wagon Master burger was not from days gone by. Tom Campbell was the lone customer Friday, 24 hours before today’s opening to the public. He paid $1,600 for Westside Drive-In’s version of the Big Mac.

• Ryan Bakken
• Sen. Tom Campbell bites into the first Wagon Master of the season

EERC cuts 8 jobs

Research support positions ended because of funding slowdown

Pungent punch: Thaw of East Grand Forks sewage lagoons makes for stinky spring day

“It’s usually bad for only a few days each spring and you don’t notice it much as long as the wind is not from the north,” said Jason Stordahl, the city’s public works director. Alas, 20 mph winds came from the north Wednesday.

• East Grand Forks sewage lagoons

Big park projects in the works for Grand Forks

Nine Grand Forks Park District projects totaling about $1.4 million are scheduled to be done this year. The most expensive job is a $640,000 repair of Eagles Arena, an ice rink that serves Red River High School hockey, figure skaters and Mites, hockey players ages 7-8.

• Parks
• Eagles Arena

RYAN BAKKEN: Plenty of room to enjoy

Here’s a proposed new North Dakotan slogan: “We have elbow room.” That’s something clearly lacking for Rhode Island residents, who recently were revealed in a national poll to experience the least enjoyment of any state. Rhode Islanders also ranked second — behind only West Virginia and its coal miners — for being stressed out.

• Ryan Bakken

After weeks as a city moose, Crookston creature is shooed out of town

A moose is no longer on the loose in town here. After spending about 10 weeks in the city limits, entertaining residents and frustrating authorities, the moose has moved — or, more accurately, been pushed — out of town.

• Moose lounging by ornament

Columns

RYAN BAKKEN: Need for less speed

I long have been bewildered about the casualness displayed by motorists getting speeding tickets.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Working hard just to be overweight

Ten days ago, a released study showed that overweight people live longer than those of normal weight. Now they tell me. Now, after buying a fitness club membership? Now, after pints, gallons, maybe even acre-feet, of sweat rolling off my forehead onto the treadmill?

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: More misery now, more joy in July

What we need is a blizzard. Or a cold snap. Or both. I’m serious. My wish is for our own good — in the summer. I’m referring to the Principle of Constant Weather Pleasure.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Wealth, thinness, smarts, youth — no, thanks

Ryan Bakken writes about the things American adults would most like to change about themselves.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: If Mayans are right, no Christmas shopping

With Christmas two weeks away, I’m tempted to believe the Mayans. If the Mayans are right, the world will end on Dec. 21. That means any effort I put into Christmas shopping would be wasted.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Smoking ban will broaden in Grand Forks parks

North Dakota’s public smoking ban doesn’t just cover the indoors. It also rules over the soccer fields and baseball diamonds in our rectangular slice of heaven.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Norwegians made Northwood not New Orleans

Northwood, N.D., has the highest percentage of Norwegian American ancestry of any community in the United States. That high ratio of Norwegians explains the town’s rapid and complete recovery from its 2007 tornado.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: 6 things wrong with 138-point game

138-point performance was celebrated by many. I’m not one of them.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: A town with no Twinkies

With speculation percolating that Twinkies might become extinct, I hunted for the leading stereotype of junk food. Alas, after stops at 10 grocery and convenience stores, I couldn’t find a single Twinkie in Grand Forks/East Grand Forks.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Blindingly obvious but a longtime coming

Bakken talks about his history with tobacco and how attitudes on the subject have changed.

• Ryan Bakken