Articles

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

Thief River Falls' Digi-Key to drive new workers to work

Thief River Falls company recruits in Crookston to the south avoiding competition with nearby firms that are also ramping up hiring.

• Where Digi-Key's workers come from

RYAN BAKKEN: Blue words a golden ticket

Once upon a time, obnoxious behavior was punished. These days, it’s rewarded. The latest example of this cultural U-turn is A.J. Clemente. You likely have heard of him. If you haven’t, he was the news anchor who received acclaim — not scorn — for his two-word, on-air faux pas that rhymes with “ducking fit.”

• Ryan Bakken

Columns

RYAN BAKKEN: No bull: Freakish calf makes museum debut

In addition to the usual attractions of homemade pie and The Hayshakers old-time music band, the Steele County Museum’s annual ice cream social Sunday featured a third drawing card. Holding the spotlight in the museum’s display window was a stuffed calf with two heads and six feet.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: The easy way to a better Ryan

If it’s works for a political Ryan, it should also work for a newspaper Ryan. I’m referring to the Ryan Resume Ratio. The RRR was conceived by Paul Ryan, the Republican candidate for vice-president of these United States.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Beverages, not gas, is biggest price crime

You probably have noticed that gas prices are nearing $4 at local pumps. Whenever gas prices climb, consumers complain and station owners blame it on everything except their own profit margin.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: From A to Z, the phone book is becoming slimmer

Drunks don’t have the Zygarlicke family to kick around anymore. For 27 years, Chris Zygarlicke was the last name in the local phone book. But, like a growing number of people, he and wife Eileen have dropped their land line.

• Ryan Bakken
• Phone Books

RYAN BAKKEN: For UND fans, trouble with law is Bison tradition

I was greeted last week by these words from a UND sports fan: “Looks like the march to the courthouse is still on.” His words were a reference to the 1980s, when North Dakota State University routinely slaughtered UND in football.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Here’s your August news quiz

Sure, August had some bad days. Gas prices shot up because of Hurricane Isaac and the temperatures shot up to record levels across the region.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Pill for men hard to swallow

A contraceptive pill for males is on the horizon. This news likely will be cheered wildly by women, who overwhelmingly have carried the birth control burden over the years. Not so fast, ladies.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: You deserve to share the wealth

Get out your shopping lists, North Dakotans. Gov. Jack Dalrymple wants to send you money via tax relief. That means more money will be staying in our pockets rather than going to the state treasury.

• Ryan Bakken
• Gov. Dalrymple proposes $545 million in tax relief

RYAN BAKKEN: Up a creek with Shriners

Climb into a canoe with two Shriners? What was I thinking? That’s because I’m sitting at my keyboard in soggy shorts and soggy socks inside muddy shoes. I’m questioning the wisdom of my participation in the media portion of the Shriner canoe races Friday afternoon, even if the event produced column material.

• Ryan Bakken

RYAN BAKKEN: Here comes your July News Quiz

July was hot. Very, very hot. But it’s not news that July is hot. In fact, July usually is. News, as the saying goes, is when man bites dog, not vice versa.

• Ryan Bakken