Andrew Haffner
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Andrew Haffner covers higher education and general assignment stories for the Grand Forks Herald. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he studied journalism, political science and international studies. He previously worked at the Dickinson Press.
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A pair of vehicles had windows broken in an apparent theft Wednesday night at 2 N. Third St. in downtown Grand Forks. Grand Forks Police Sgt. Kevin Kallinen said it appeared that somebody had attempted to remove a stereo faceplate from one of the cars but had not been successful. Nothing was stolen from that vehicle. The other vehicle had a small amount of money reported missing after the break-in. That same car also had its left rear tire slashed in addition to the shattered window.
Authorities from three different agencies converged on the ground, air and water Wednesday night to search for a fugitive in north Grand Forks. Grand Forks Police Sgt. Duane Simon said officers were dispatched to the vicinity of the Valley Ho trailer park at 1823 N. Washington St. after receiving information that Cody Suedel, 30, who had arrest warrants on probation and drug violations, was in the area.
A section of road along an eroding bank of the Turtle River near Manvel, N.D., will be buttressed by more than 5,300 tons of concrete to keep the street out of the water. Grand Forks County Engineer Nick West said the south shoulder of County Road 33, also known as 28th Avenue Northeast, has been "dropping and sliding" off the edge of the road and into the adjacent river since the beginning of June.
GRAND FORKS, N.D.—More than anywhere else in the country, the youth of North Dakota are leaving the nest.
Grand Forks County has a finalized budget for 2017. Members of the Grand Forks County Commission approved the final version of the budget, which includes a net tax levy of more than $30 million and a state aid decrease of more than $860,000, at a Tuesday meeting. The budget also features a mill levy decrease of 2.15 mills and a net levy increase of $1.4 million over 2016, a sum boosted by increases in property valuations throughout the county.
More than anywhere else in the country, the youth of North Dakota are leaving the nest. According to census data, a little more than 14 percent of the state's population of millennials—the generation between ages 18 and 34—are living at home with their parents. That's less than half the national average of about 33 percent and is the lowest share to be found in the U.S., where youth as a whole have been gravitating back to the childhood home since the turn of the century. In 2000, about 23 percent of people in the same age range were rooming with Mom and Dad.
Representatives of two shopping malls in Grand Forks expressed their sympathies for the victims of an attack at a St. Cloud, Minn., mall over the weekend while discussing their own security measures. Louis Christoffer, manager of Grand Cities Mall in Grand Forks, said the mass stabbing didn't surprise him so much as it saddened him. As of Monday, authorities confirmed 10 people had been injured during the Saturday attack at Crossroads Center mall in St. Cloud. The suspect was shot and killed during the incident by an off-duty police officer.
Pets fill multiple roles in the lives of their owners. From furry roommates to cherished friends, pets often are more like family members than anything else, and so a sudden disappearance can leave their caretakers distraught and devoted to a search that often ends in disappointment. However, recent technology has given pet owners more options to increase the odds of reuniting with their lost animal. Though no one method is foolproof, an implantable microchip no bigger than a grain of rice can be paired with an animal's tags to deliver crucial identifying information.
A Friday celebration of Mexican Independence Day in East Grand Forks kicked off with a pageant to crown a Miss Mexicanita while honoring that nation's heritage. Gabriella Hernandez, 15, came Friday from Moorhead to compete in the pageant and celebrate the holiday with family and friends, including fellow pageant contestant Déstinée Alaniz. Hernandez said it had taken her some time figure out what she wanted to say for her brief presentation on stage. Eventually, she decided to focus on the concepts of family and food.
A group of local advocates are working on parallel campaigns to convince ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft to pick up Grand Forks. UND Student Body President Brandon Beyer said the student government has been working with the city of Grand Forks to put together a business plan highlighting the potential value of the local market.
