Main Street: Recent Episodes
Ashley Thornberg, Alicia Hegland-Thorpe
Main Street, hosted by Doug Hamilton and with contributor Ashley Thornberg, keeps its finger on the pulse of Prairie Public's broadcast region.
Studio line: 888-755-6377 | Email us: mainstreet@prairiepublic.org
Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney on city growth and photographer Andy Hall on his artistic approach, Dr. Tom Isern on 'Maggie,' plus aronia berry (chokecherry) challenges.
Dr. Phyllis Pobee on genetic weight loss, Jeffrey Miller and Cass County's tree program, and a debate on carbon capture and eminent domain in North Dakota's legislature.
Dr. Rebecca Phillips on rangeland carbon, Dave Thompson’s news review, and Matt Olien’s take on The Room Next Door, Pedro Almodóvar’s first English film.
Senior Paleontologist Clint Boyd discusses a mammoth dig in ND, and Chef Jay Ducote shares his take on the 2025 Hotdish Festival and his visit to North Dakota.
Panelists discuss Trump's healthcare policies, Tom Isern reflects on aging and scholarship, and the Washoe Tribe Karuk people's fire practices inspire modern land management.
Sen. Tim Mathern on key bills, VA updates on new clinics, and Fargo’s live storytelling event, The Tell, featuring the top storyteller from the November competition.
Exploring AI "death bots," news highlights, Myra Hull’s prairie ballads, and a review of Sing Sing, a film on redemption through prison theater.
Erik Deatherage previews Prairie Musicians with Barb Gravel ahead of its TV premiere, while Alex Chubaty shares insights as beverage director for the Luna restaurant network.
Exploring UND Tribal Initiatives, Seasonal Affective Disorder insights, and efforts to restore bison herds, highlighting resilience and cultural connections.
Rep. Warrey on his entrepreneurship bill, Fargo's storytelling event The Tell, and filmmaker Ejaz Khan's powerful film 'Trapped' on sex trafficking in ND.
Dr. Michael Taylor & Aron Brennan discuss Bloody Sunday, Dave Thompson reviews the news, and Matt Olien reviews "Babygirl" & Oscar nominations.
Explore the Bismarck Burger Slam, prairie ballads with Dr. Tom Isern, and rural healthcare challenges with Dr. Lori Langdon and her new book, "Doctors Work In Air Conditioning."
Dr. Harish Ahuja on alcohol and cancer risks, Brian Bull on Leonard Peltier’s commutation, and a Midwest farmer’s legal challenge to ‘Swampbuster.’
Dr. Mark Rowlands explores life lessons from dogs, while Erika Fowler analyzes $4.5B in political ads, revealing key themes in health care and election priorities.
Charitable gaming debates in ND with State Gaming Director Deb McDaniel, Matt Olien reviews 'Queer' and honors David Lynch, and Dave Thompson recaps the legislature.
Explore life extension efforts with David Gobel & Danielle Ruiz, then join Sam Wai on Prairie Plates for winter cooking, wine pairings, and gourmet fundraising.
Dr. Mary Huston on speech-language pathology, Tom Isern’s cowboy poetry, Christopher Zimmerman’s & FM Orchestra's 'Brilliance' concert, and insect communication from Harvest Media.
Explore 'Women at War,' showcasing Ukrainian women's art, and enjoy Tom Brosseau's folk tales on The Great American Folk Show from the Grand Forks Opera House.
Explore Nordic heritage with Eric Dregni, hear Matt Olien’s review of The Brutalist, and get the latest updates from the ND Legislature with Dave Thompson.
Explore disaster prep for rural schools, the region's hottest new eats, hemp's potential, and President Carter, the first "green" president.
NDSU Coach Polasek previews the FCS Championship, Feed My Sheep aids Lahaina, Matt Olien reviews Nosferatu, and Tay Calloway explores mindfulness through sound.
Coach Brent Vigen previews the FCS Championship, and Dr. Amit Sood shares strategies to manage stress, build resilience, and foster connections in today's world.
A look back at 2024 in North Dakota from Amy Dalrymple, & Dave Thompson; Matt reviews "Emilia Pérez"; Tom Isern explores the history of water witching in 'Plains Folk'
Kevin Fedarko shares his epic Grand Canyon trek, Matt Olien reviews 2024 films, and a reflection on family holiday traditions with a cherished pie recipe.
In this episode of Main Street, we revisit Craig's interview with Roxie and Tom Isern. The episode also features a special performance by the Concordia Orchestra, offering a blend of music and conversation that captures the spirit of the holiday and community.
Enjoy The Blenders' holiday show, Matt Olien's review of A Complete Unknown, and Dave Thompson's news recap with Erik Deatherage.
Explore WWII resilience in Trapped in Paradise, veterans' suicide prevention efforts at UJ, and holiday wine pairing tips with Ashley Serbus of Cellar 624.
Essentia’s Dr. Alexandra Kohlhase discusses SAD symptoms and treatments, while Dave Thompson interviews Gov. Doug Burgum about his time in office.
Paul Harencak discusses 2025 manufacturing challenges, and Dr. Dennis Cooley explores ethical concerns about digital immortality from his recent Atlantic article.
Celebrate Concordia's 98th Christmas Concert, hear a review of "Gladiator 2," and catch up on the week's top stories with News Director Dave Thompson.
Vegan dishes, turkey history, and state budgets shine as Greg Cook, Dr. Tom Isern, and Dave Thompson explore food, storytelling, and budget policy.
Senior Paleontologist Clint Boyd discusses a mammoth discovery, while Merrill Piepkorn reflects on his unsuccessful run for North Dakota governor and lessons learned.
Shannon Watson promotes civility in politics, fostering collaboration. Dr. Helen McKibben shares tips for mindful holiday eating and managing emotional triggers.
Explore Thanksgiving's deeper meaning with Dr. Weinstein, enjoy Matt Olien's review of "Wicked," and catch Dave Thompson's take on the week's top news stories.
Kirsten Baesler discusses education in ND, Dr. Tom Isern reflects on heroic prairie well diggers, and Rick Gion shares insights on Thanksgiving food traditions.
Dr. Thomas Ambrosio discusses Ukraine and U.S.-Russia tensions. Ben Holsen explores solar power and electric vehicles and their relevance in North Dakota.
Holiday shopping expert Adam Dumey on AI-driven retailers and consumer deals, Matt Olien reviews A Real Pain, and Dave Thompson breaks down the latest news.
Explore microphones' history, the cultural depth of language, and homestead well-digging challenges in a journey through sound, tradition, and resilience.
Karla Isley shares United Way's impact, Max Sabin highlights the Fargo Air Museum, and James Falcon updates us on regional news from Williston .
Affordable housing with Trenton Gerads of Cass Clay Community Land Trust and foster care support with Kelsey Bless and Jennifer Thoreson—safe homes for all.
We explore housing challenges in Grand Forks for National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, review Anora with Matt Olien, and get news updates from Dave Thompson.
UND's motion sickness desensitization program, off-farm jobs supporting farmers’ incomes, and Rick Gion explores local bakeries on this week's Prairie Plates.
Filmmakers Geoff O'Gara and Stephanie Manesis explore Native history and wartime humanity, while Dr. Tom Isern delves into the myths and realities of homesteading.
A Veterans Day Special featuring WWII Veteran Rolf Slen as he shares his remarkable experiences and reflections from the war from the Fargo Air Museum.
The Dakota Digital Review covers AI and ethics in tech, Matt Olien reviews Conclave, and Dave Thompson recaps top news, exploring digital and social impacts.
Expert insights on the 2024 election, North Dakota races, and what’s next for property tax reform—plus Prairie Plates serves up some comforting post-election dishes.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care in North Dakota, Election Insights with Larry Chiounard, Asian View’s New Show on Prairie Public, and Tom Isern’s Reflections on Homesteading’s Lasting Legacy
Philosophical Currents: Exploring human connection in the digital age with Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein. Medicare Open Enrollment with Jae Oh on changes for 2025 and plan options.
Today's show re-airs the Oct. 23 Measure 4 debate, exploring property tax elimination in ND. Plus, NDSU Bison Strides hosts a Nov. 2 open house for veterans and families.
Prairie Public’s Dave Thompson moderated a debate between ND gubernatorial candidates Kelly Armstrong, Michael Coachman, and Merrill Piepkorn, aired on Oct 10.
North Dakota U.S. Senate candidates Katrina Christiansen (D) and incumbent Senator Kevin Cramer (R) faced off in a debate on Wednesday, October 2.
Re-airing of the September 26th debate for North Dakota’s U.S. House seat between Democratic-NPL candidate Trygve Hammer and Republican Julie Fedorchak. Prairie Public News Director Dave Thompson served as the moderator.
Jessie Veeder honors John Prine, Mark Watne discusses Farmers Union dining, Kenzie Olson highlights Fargo Youth Impact, and Matt Olien reviews Saturday Night.
Measure 4 would ban local property taxes in North Dakota after 2024, except for existing debt. Dr. Rick Becker supports the measure, while Aaron Birst opposes it in today's debate.
Ruby Calvert on public broadcasting, Tom Isern explores cattle herding history, Alicia Nelson highlights Madison, WI, and a report on the controversy over cultivated meat.
The ND Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition's support for victims through crisis services, advocacy, shelter, and financial aid. Matt reviews "The Outrun" and Dave reviews the news.
NDSU's Distinguished Professor of History Dr. Tom Isern's 1,000th Essay & Charles Pelkey's Cancer Fight Against Male Breast Cancer
Breast cancer insights with Brittani Boehlke-Fiecke, survivor stories, poetry on identity, and a look at Theatre B's "What the Constitution Means to Me."
A look into the Dakota Boys & Girls Ranch's support for at-risk youth, a movie review of "The Wild Robot" by Matt Olien, and Dave Thompson's preview of tonight's gubernatorial debate.
Valley City was named an American WWII Heritage City for its war efforts. Rick Gion discusses football food and college hunger, and Erik Deatherage tries a Norwegian delicacy at Norsk Høstfest.
Dr. Daniel Ostlie discusses youth sports safety and head injuries, while Christopher Zimmerman previews the upcoming season of the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra.
Jim Townsend discusses NATO's 75th anniversary at Concordia College on Oct. 8. Dave Thompson gives an update on wildfires in western North Dakota.
Explore fall in the Black Hills with insights from Alicia Underlee Nelson, review Prairie Public debates, and dive into a movie review of Megalopolis with Matt Olien.
Tom Isern reflects on his 999th Plains Folk Essay, the University of Mary's Black Elk Forum explores cultural healing, Brave Conversations, and Rick Gion's Prairie Plates.
On "Main Street," Aaron Birst discusses Measure 4 to eliminate property taxes in ND and its impact on local services, while Dr. Jack Weinstein explores human fallibility.
Today on Main Street, we discuss suicide prevention in North Dakota, highlighting warning signs, support systems, and offering hope. Guests include experts and author Rex Wilder.
Live from Norsk Høstfest, Ann Alquist and Erik Detheridge explore Scandinavian traditions, festival highlights, and Minot's growth with Mayor Tom Ross.
Farmers are adding prairie strips to row crops for soil, water, and wildlife benefits. Matt Olien reviews "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" and gives early Oscar predictions. Dave reviews the news.
Dr. Gregory Jantz explains anticipatory trauma, its signs, and what to do if identified. Rick Gion highlights local Oktoberfest celebrations on Prairie Plates.
Dr. Mark R. Hagerott is Chancellor for the North Dakota University System and discusses the Sept. 26 conference in Valley City, "Being Human and Working in the Age of AI."
The UND Center for Innovation celebrates its 40th anniversary with Director Amy Whitney. Also featured: Matt Olien reviews "Reagan," and Danielle Webster reviews the latest news.
Dr. Rick Becker discusses Measure 4 to eliminate property taxes in ND, Beth Dooley talks farm-to-table and cookbooks, and poet Patricia Smith reflects on race and gun violence in America.
Governor Doug Burgum discusses the property tax issue to appear on November’s ballot. We explore climate change's impact on water, risky chicken farming, and The Gunlogson Legacy.
Richard C. Bell discusses "Voting: The Ultimate Act of Resistance" and voter registration; Tom Brosseau on Grand Forks; Tony Hoagland's "Dickhead" reflects on teen years.
Roxanne Westman showcases stunning North Dakota and Minnesota landscapes; Matt Olien reviews "Beetlejuice;" Danielle Webster reviews the news and water is discussed.
Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane reviews the 2024 Presidential race and debate. Prairie Plates previews Bismarck's Street Fair. Isern explores early 20th-century leap year courtship.
Fargo VA breaks ground on a new mental health facility amid National Suicide Prevention Month. Author Brian Freeman discusses his new thriller, Break Every Rule.
Troy Hall tours Fargo Water Plant, serving Fargo and West Fargo, planning for future needs. Dr. Isaac Kohane discusses AI's role in healthcare on Main Street.
Dr. McKibben discusses letting kids make choices without helicopter parenting. Matt Olien reviews 'D'di', a comedy-drama about sibling bonds. Dave Thompson reviews news.
Philosophical Currents explores the trivialization of politics; Prairie Plates features fall food; Isern delves into Milton's poetry; Studio 47 highlights Ryan Vine's work-life poetry.
Harvest Public Media discusses a proposed Midwestern carbon capture pipeline, while the North Dakota Museum of Art explores 'Stories of Place' through diverse artwork.
Don Kinzler from NDSU shares fall garden tips. We revisit his stunning gardens. Matt Olien reviews "Blink Twice," and Dave Thompson recaps the week's news.
Adora Land discusses the Bush Foundation's grantmaking in North Dakota; Tom Isern shares a deathbed confession tale; a feature on the Okmulgee Black rodeo; Rick Gion reviews Mexican food.
Seth Varner visits every town in ND, showcasing the joy of everyday road trips. Plus, Dr. Francis Collins explores how data can assist in better health care.
Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane discusses 2024 presidential race updates and insights post-conventions, while HHS Comm. Wayne Salter talks Medicaid and health goals for ND.
Jason Orloske races 240+ miles in MN; Raw milk's risks rise with bird flu; Matt Olien reviews "Inside Out 2"; Dave Thompson recaps the news.
David Steinman discusses toxins in everyday products; VA Fargo hosts major VetFest on Aug 22. Indigenous Foods with Rick Gion on Prairie Plates.
Dr. Judith Orloff discusses "The Genius of Empathy," exploring empathy's power in emotional healing and spirituality. And Scott Nelson's WWII art in "Masters of the Air."
In a segment we titled "Deathbots," Dr. Dennis Cooley joins us to discuss his contribution to an article that appeared recently in The Atlantic titled, 'No One Is Ready for Digital Immortality'. ~ NDSU Professor Tom Isern is here with a Plains Folk essay titled Magic Healing. ~ Poetry from Studio 47: William Wordsworth.
Dr. Dennis Cooley discusses digital immortality. Dr. Isern shares "Magic Healing." Patrick Hicks explores William Wordsworth's life and works from Studio 47.
We'll talk with Essentia Health oncologists in Fargo about the increase in cancer among younger North Dakotans, 'Twisters' and the news.
Rick Gion shares lake-friendly family dishes. In an excerpt from the Great American Folk Show, Tom Brosseau explores the historic Taylor Opera House.
Our regional economy with NDSU's Dr. Bryon Parman, a Grafton community mural celebration, and Tom Isern's essay on "grass widows" in prairie history.
Don Kinzler shares fall gardening tips. Dr. Renee Wegrzyn discusses ARPA-H’s bold health initiatives on "Conversations on Health Care" and and Chuck Lura explores North Dakota's iconic sunflowers.
Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane discusses 2024 race updates, Matt reviews "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "Musica," and Dave Thompson covers the latest headlines.
John Ford-Dunker on his acting journey; Edward O'Keefe on Theodore Roosevelt's legacy; Tom Isern on "Grass Widows"; Rick and local food non-profits on Prairie Plates.
Austin Hieb discusses UJ's NCAA DII athletics leap; Chuck Lura explores ND's diverse rangeland ecosystems; Gregory Jackson addresses gun violence solutions.
Johan Van Aarde becomes a US citizen, photographer Scott Olsen's 6|7 Project, Patrick Hicks reads Sarah Henning's poem, and ag workers struggle with housing.
In "Philosophical Currents," Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein discusses aging, societal attitudes, social structures, technology, and ethical responsibilities towards the elderly.
Discussion with ND Supreme Court Chief Justice Jon Jensen on the judicial system, Rule of Law, and trust in the judicial branch. Plus Ilonna Pederson and Rick Gion's favorite ND street fair foods.
Fulbright Scholar Dr. Ali Alshami's Water and Energy Research, Heat and Health Index Insights, and Tom Isern's Case for Local Historical Museums on Plains Folk
Today we share an encore presentation of a compelling panel discussion at Concordia College, featuring former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp and former Governor Ed Schafer. Theevent, titled 'With Malice Towards None,' took place on April 3 and explored how personal convictions and faith shape leadership in public service.
Kevin Fedarko shares his Grand Canyon trek and book "A Walk in the Park." Dr. Tom Isern recounts a museum trip, Matt Olien reviews "Longlegs," and Dave Thompson gives the news.
A preview of the Fargo AirSho with co-chair Darren Hall, details on the 12th Annual Bluegrass Goes Pink event, highlights from Prairie Plates, an Opera House in Ray.
Brad Strand, NDSU professor, emphasizes wellness over competition in youth sports. Allana Danduran discusses the Surgeon General's recent social media recommendations.
Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane discusses the presidential race. Arlene Krulish, a Bush Fellow, talks with Ashley Thornberg about improving healthcare and fighting drug addiction on reservations.
Wind turbines: UND gets $3.7M grant to study recycling. Plants: Celia Llopis-Jepsen on Midwest ranchers dealing with invasive plants. Movies: Matt Olien reviews "MaXXXine." News: Dave Thompson reviews the news.
Join travel writer Alicia Underlee Nelson in Wisconsin Dells; Tom Isern reflects on community efforts at Starlite Hall; Rick spotlights local farmers markets on Prairie Plates.
Sara Otte Coleman on ND's record 25.6M visitors and $3.3B in 2023. Plus, Brian Freeman's "The Bourne Shadow" with Jason Bourne uncovering his past. Available now.
Dr. Aaron Kennedy wins Fulbright for avalanche research in Iceland. APA's Dr. Levounis leads 'Confronting Addiction' campaign to tackle suicides and substance use.
Ashley Thornberg reminisces with Program Manager Erik Deathridge about her Prairie Public career on her final Main Street episode. Matt reviews "Kinds of Kindness," and Dave covers this week's news.
"I think my favorite part of any coffee shop is the good smell," said Rick Gion when describing this episode of Prairie Plates.
Scott Olsen's Fargo Street captures Fargo's life. Prairie Plates explores coffee shops w/ Rick Gion. Harvest Public Media investigates Midwest farm runoff's 'dead zone.'
Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein joins Ashley Thornberg for a final Philosophical Currents, reflecting on the segment's origins and their shared learning experience.
Dr. Bob Newman joins the National Nature Assessment, Chandler Esslinger discusses homelessness on Prairie Pulse, and Chuck Lura introduces new bird-watching resources.
Shelley M. Johnson's Fourth of July documentary highlights unsung Revolutionary War heroes, including marginalized groups, with period music and professional narrators.
In the US, 92B pounds of food are wasted annually. Prairie Compost Services picks up food scraps and delivers compost. Also, Dave Thompson's news review and Matt Olien's movie review.
Fred Edwards, a new Bush Fellow: The Harriman Building, constructed in 1905 is Maddock's Opera House. Studio 47: Poetry that wows Patrick Hicks at Studio 47.
NPR's Ari Shapiro hosts the new season of "The Mole." Winners of the PBS Kids Writers Contest, a revived 1924 North Dakota poetry book, and Chuck Lura's plant strategies.
Anything But Typical: An event with John David Berdahl, neurodivergent and neurotypical brains welcome. Dave Thompson news review. Matt Olien reviews The Bike Riders.
A preview Thursday's Presidential Debate with Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane. A farewell to Zandbroz Variety in Fargo and a festive 4th of July spread on Prairie Plates.
Daryl Ritchison becomes ND state climatologist. Forum reporter April Baumgarten on Sen. Holmberg's plea deal. Chuck Lura and the International Peace Garden.
Beat the heat with Alicia Underlee Nelson and her son Eli's summer tips. Steve Hunegs talks with John Harris on Prairie Pulse and Tom Isern reflects on ND history.
Moorhead Friends Writing Group's workshop on June 22, Stenson discusses his book Sins of the Mother. Dave Thompson reviews news and Matt Olien reviews I Saw the TV Glow.
Our Juneteenth Special features Fred Gray on being MLK's lawyer, Willie James Jennings on racism's origins, and James Lawson on non-violent protest in the civil rights movement.
Anton Treuer's first novel, Where Wolves Don't Die, explores masculinity, nature, family secrets, and race. Prairie Plates covers healthy summer foods.
Pastor Danni Dunasky on women priests, youth author Lindsey Undlin, Tom Isern's "The Justice Book" essay, and Melanie Popejoy interviewed by Tom Brosseau.
Matt Olien and Canadian Consul General Beth Richardson. Butterfly breeders aid habitat preservation. Dave Thompson reviews news. Matt Olien reviews "Songs of Earth." Pádraig Ó Tuama explores identity and conflict.
NDCA's new director, Jessica Christy, shares her vision. Common Nighthawks at ballgames, Missouri River Bluegrass Festival preview, and Prairie Plates' unique sausage.
We explore live local storytelling with Stacy Nicholson and Laurie Baker, hear Tom Isern's Plains Folk essay, and discuss health initiatives with HHS Commissioner Wayne Salter.
Insights on food, farming, and community with Dr. John Ikerd at the Barnes County Historical Society's 150th celebration. ND Sec. of State Michael Howe on the primaries.
Jack Weinstein on democracy, Tom Isern on regional studies, news review by Dave Thompson, and Matt Olien's review of Woody Allen's "Coup de Chance."
Jason Heitkamp - runs for Supt. of Public Instruction. Rick Gion highlights food truck festivals. Edmore's school closes permanently. Poison ivy & skunk spray treatment.
James Bartlett, SPI Candidate; Jen Lee and Legal Services of North Dakota; the Bismarck PD tells a co-host of Main Street if he responded correctly when he saw a crime.
Dr. Stefanie Meyer, Lifestyle Medicine pro, and Concordia wellness director, discusses chronic conditions. Kirsten Baesler, Supt. of Public Instruction candidate, joins Main Street.
Iron Opera is a documentary exploring high art in a small town. It introduces us to a legendary concert pianist who teamed up with an Ojibwe language teacher, a skateboarding accordionist, and talent imported from every corner of the Earth to pull off the impossible. It's airing on Prairie Public May 30. ~~~ Have you ever seen a Smooth Green Snake? They inhabit much of North Dakota, and as Chuck Lura explains, they're beneficial and down-right friendly. ~~~ News Director Dave Thompson reviews the news. ~~~Matt Olien is Prairie Public's movie critic. Today he looks at the latest in the Mad Max saga, Furiosa.
Today's segments:With Memorial Day behind, the summer vacation season is underway. But if we're travelling with our devices, can we actually rest? What do we lose when we don't properly rest? We visit with philosopher Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein.Harvest Public Media reports on efforts to preserve and restore the grasslands.Nearly 50 countries make up the Asian continent. May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. For this week's Prairie Plates, Rick Gion takes us to Asian Market Night, a capstone event celebrating Asian culture.Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, The Regional Project.
Jeffrey Miller's "Our Bend in the River" chronicles his family's sustainable homestead journey at Cottonwood Bend Farm. Plus, Fred Eaglesmith's 1997 performance at the Westward Ho.
Explore Metis fiddling, review news with Dave Thompson, and hear Matt Olien's take on "The Idea of You" with Anne Hathaway. Perfect for Memorial Day drives!
We hear from veteran Bradly Aune. Wool prices are plummeting, Midwest sheep producers seek alternatives. Early 1900s rest room reforms in ND were slow. Memorial Day travel plans and foods discussed.
Sioux Chef Sean Sherman judged Top Chef's indigenous cuisine episode. Chef Candace Stock, inspired by Sherman: her journey and how she uses food to build relationships.
Concordia College's 'AI Unveiled' panel on April 12 discusses AI myths. Amanda Booher advocates 'Mindful Birding.' Tom Isern explores Progressive Era "rest rooms." And, grass lawns' environmental impact.
Birding sounds like a nice enjoyable hobby. But for newcomers, the competition amongst serious birders can be intimidating. Today we go Mindful Birding with Amanda Booher of Audubon Great Plains and we learn how taking a less serious approach to birding can bring more joy.
Darcy Bakkegard is a co-founder of the Educators' which provides personalized, relevant professional development; Dave Thompson reviews the news and Matt Olien reviews "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes."
The Moth is bringing its live stage event to Bismarck and Fargo this November. We revisit a conversation with Executive Producer Sarah Austin Jenness. ~~~ Nature and nutritious food! Rick Gion takes us foraging for this week's Prairie Plates.
The new book, The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President explores this myth through the lens of the many women who influenced him.
As kids, our hearing was tested often, but as adults, we rarely think about it. We visit with Dr. Kelcey Cushman from Heartland Hearing Professionals about the advancements in hearing aid technology.
Explore the significance of being offended - Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life. Plus news review with Dave and Matt's movie review of "The Fall Guy."
We learn about an effort to increase Indigenous representation in the media in a visit with Jodi Rave Spotted Bear, founder of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance and Buffalo's Fire. Also joining us is documenter Alicia Hegland-Thorpe. ~ Veggies, cheese, meat...all the bases are covered when it comes to BBQ. We visit with Rick Gion for Prairie Plates. ~ Mother's Day can be hard if you've lost your mom. Today we share a memorial to lost moms.
Wandermore Publishing makes travel guides. Seth Varner is currently visiting every town in North Dakota in search of hidden gems and unique travel ideas. ~~~ Mental health problems have been a growing concern for many years. And with this being Mental Health Awareness Month, we have an excerpt from a recent Prairie Pulse television show as host John Harris visits with Dr. Jon Ulven psychologist with Sanford Behavioral Health.~~~ In this week's Plains Folk essay, historian Dr. Tom Isern keeps on his prohibition theme with "Spotters and Piggers."
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so today we're exploring the food of this region, and how mindful eating impacts our health.
Today's Segments:Prizing versatility as the key to the future of classical music, pianist Peter Dugan is equally at home in classical, jazz, and pop idioms. He is heard nationwide as the host of NPR's beloved program From the Top. ~~~ Humans aren't the only musicians. We share a BirdNote on signing under streetlamps. ~~~ News Director Dave Thompson reviews the news. ~~~ Matt reviews the new "romantic sports drama flick" featuring a love triangle between tennis greats and wannabes.
NPR's From the Top's is featuring rural musicians, inlcuding Adam Brachman from Fargo. ~~~ Whether you like charcoal, gas, or pellets, it's time for grilling season. We visit with Rick Gion for Prairie Plates. ~~~ May is mental health awareness month. Today we’re going to meet a gentleman who had a career as a web developer…started studying dancing and deuling….and ended up with a career refresh.
There's an upcoming cohort aimed at supporting Indigenous entrepreneurs. We visit with Brenna Ortiz who's hosting the cohort, in partnership wtih StrengthenND. She's the program manager at Native Max, an Indigenous fashion magazine. ~~~ Historian Tom Isern takes us back in time to prohibition with a Plains Folk essay. ~~~ Part interview, part existential game show, veteran NPR host Rachel Martin rips up the typical Q and A script and asks guests to go deep with her new show Wild Card. ~~~ Where we're from shapes who we are. In this episode of Poetry from Studio47, how place shaped poet Joe Wilkins.
NPR's Uri Berliner published an article calling into question some of NPR's reporting. In it, he says he fears NPR over-valued diversity in staffing, resulting in programming that alienates conservative listeners. For this month's Philosophical Currents, we talk with philosopher Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein about DEI, and the many layers of language. ~~~ The popular food delivery service Schwan's is making some changes. Among others, it's now called Yelloh. Harvest Public Media looks at the changes, and what they say about the industry. ~~~ What does it take to be an athlete? We learn about triggers, routine, consistency, and even the role of parents with Professor Dr. Bradford Strand from NDSU's Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.
Explore summer road trips with Alicia Underlee Nelson; rural journalism; this week's news with Dave Thompson; and Matt Olien's review of 'Housekeeping for Beginners'.
Matthew Shepard's legacy explored at Concordia; ND Republican Gubernatorial debate reviewed; Tom Isern discusses 'book showers' in ND; Prairie Plates features wings.
There's high standards. And then there's perfectionism. A chat w/ Intuitive Business Coach Michelle Vasicek. Audience members ask questions of a Concordia College Panel.
Today is Earth Day and, in this Main Street, we hear "The Catch: Of Cod and Country" about how one of the Arctic’s most valuable fisheries—cod—is being impacted.
John Harris interviews WDAY meteorologist John Wheeler; FM Symphony Orchestra's last 23-24 Concert; news with Dave Thompson and Matt Olien reviews "Civil War."
Assistive tech boosts independence, lending library tour. Tips for buying/preparing steak in Prairie Plates. Preview of Rep. Gubernatorial debate next Tuesday.
Concordia College panel on civility with ex-ND Senator Heitkamp, ex-Gov. Schafer. USDA's new school meal standards and Isern revisits 1913 Canton's book shower tradition.
Explore the Odnes family's trials during the depression and learn how spy techniques can enhance parenting in this intriguing dual-themed episode.
In next Sunday's episode of "WHY? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life" UND philosophy professor Jack Weinstein visits with former FBI Agent Luke William Hunt on the topic of "Police and the Ethics of Lying." Today we explore that topic with Jack. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson updates us on the week in news, including developments in the wake of the state political conventions. ~~~ Matt reviews Wicked Little Letters.
"Know Your Culture - Indonesia" is an event showcasing Indonesian heritage. It's coming to the Morton Mandan Public Library on Thursday, April 11. ~ Rick Gion joins us for another edition of Prairie Plates. Today he discusses what goes in to making a good burger. He'll also share some burger events from across the state as cooks vie for burger bragging rights. ~ In an excerpt from the Great American Folk Show, we spotlight the town of Hazen.
Medicare has decided to cover weight loss drugs for patients with heart disease to reduce future health risks, while still not covering obesity medications for chronic weight management alone, a stance the American Diabetes Association hopes to change to better address obesity and diabetes management. ~~~ Former politicians Heidi Heitkamp and Ed Schafer address political civility during tense times at Concordia College
Editor Patrick McCloskey and the Dakota Digital Review. And Dr. Jared Marquis of UND on measuring the upper atmosphere during the solar eclipse.
Chloé Valdary promotes empathy through gaming; Dave Hoffman studies gray fox decline; Dave Thompson reviews news; Matt Olien critiques "Ghostbusters Frozen Empire."
Adam Brachman, a Davies High senior, picked for NPR's "From the Top." Fargo's police and fire recruitment drive. UND Aerospace Daytours and activities on April 6, 2024.
Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse's supply chain impact. Kari Bucholz founds Haley's Hope for dyslexia. Tom Isern revisits Johnson County War, highlighting skewed narratives.
Dakota Film Festival; "We Ride With Her" film; rising colorectal cancer in young adults; new U.S. farmers are discussed; light-hearted April Fools' segments.
Travel tips for "staycations" between spring break and summer. A bizarre baseball trick in Williamsport. Dave Thompson reviews news, while Matt Olien critiques "Immaculate."
Discussion on gossip's role amid Catherine Middleton's health news; study of a gray fox by Iowa researchers to address population decline; Prairie Plates and Tom Isern
John Harris visits with Dr. Michelle Lelwica. Bill Peterson, Director of the State Historical Society of ND, and Great American Folk Show and Curling in Minot.
Brad Hawk, Exec. Dir, ND Indian Affairs Commission, Living on Earth - Solar Eclipse, Natural North Dakota: Get out and Enjoy Spring!
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 - Today we feature two of our favorite interviews from earlier this year. We begin with Bill Vossler. Despite being abandoned by his father at age three, the painful Biblical rantings of "Apocalypse Granny," and the effects of an alcoholic home – he was "saved" by an empty lot across the street as he recounts in his memoir, “Days of Wonder.” ~~~ Back in August we stopped by the NDSU Equine Center to visit with Erika Berg about Bison Strides, a program that uses horses as therapy for people with various challenges.
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 - Dr. Scott Acton is a Wavefront scientist for Ball Aerospace, and spent decades of his life working on the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope launched from earth Christmas Day in 2021, and has performed well beyond expectations since. In this encore conversation from last February, Dr. Acton discusses his incredible history with the project and what may be next for one of our country’s most brilliant physicists. ~~~ An episode of BirdNote
Monday, September 11, 2023 - We get an update from the North Dakota News Cooperative from reporter Michael Standaert. ~~~ We have a lot of sky in the state, and grain elevators. Organizers in Minot are taking advantage of those to create the largest public art project in the state - the Union Silos Public Art Project in Minot. Ashley Thornberg caught up with co-organizer Chelsea Gleich.
Friday, September 8., 2023 - We preview Sunday’s episode of “Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life,” when host Jack Weinstein will visit with Dan Savage on the topic of “How to Give Sex Advice.” Savage is known for his column, “Savage Love.” ~~~ News director Dave Thompson joins us for our weekly news chat. ~~~ And Matt Olien is here for this week’s movie conversation. Today’s topic is the phenomenon of Taylor Swift’s concert film that is setting pre-sale records.
Thursday, September 7, 2023 - Wednesday, September 13, 2023 - Author Andrew Krivak is coming to North Dakota as part of the National Endowment for the Arts "Big Read" event. We visit about his book, The Bear. ~~~ The University of North Dakota will be hosting Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkol Karman of Yemen for its Eye of the Hawk lecture series on September 7th. Karman, known as “the lady of the Arab Spring,” won the prize in 2011 at the age of 32. Today we share a story from NPR about Karman that aired in 2011, before the peace prize announcement. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats to discuss fried green tomatoes.
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 - Umpire Javarro January joins us to discuss what it’s like to work the minor leagues. ~~~ The next “Marilyn Hudson Brave Conversation” sponsored by Humanities North Dakota will feature Raffi Andonian, book author and “celebrity historian.” Andonian will provide a guide for understanding contested histories, and he joins us to preview the October 5th event, which people can attend in person, or online.
A wide ranging discussion with 3 different leaders about unions and workforce and the current climate.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023 - Strengthen ND is partnering with the Human Flourishing Lab to study and promote hope in the state. The effort is a response to the increases in mental illness and substance use disorders that has lead to "Deaths of Despair" -- deaths attributable to suicide. We visit with Megan Langley, founder and executive director of Strengthen ND; and Clay Routledge, former NDSU professor who is now the director of the Human Flourishing Lab at the Archbridge Institute in Washington, DC. ~~~ We visit with UND faculty member Emily Midkiff, who has been honored by the Science Fiction Research Association for her book "Equipping Space Cadets: Primary Science Fiction for Young Children. (17:00 with generic break pitch) ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Pioneers and Pilgrims.”
Thursday, August 31, 2023 - We begin our show today with Dave Thompson’s weekly update on the latest news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Miracle Club.” ~~~ Chuck Lura on Sunflowers ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for “Main Street Eats.” Today’s topic is “How to Read a Recipe.”
Wednesday, August 30, 2023 - Running a successful business often means working long hours and adapting to change. For Bismarck's Jossef Feiner, a career in the military gave him both of those skills. Today he and his wife are running El Coquí, a Puerto Rican bakery, cafe, and marketplace with two locations in Bismarck. ~~~ eaches are synonymous with summer. But this year, consumers may notice there are fewer peaches and they’re more expensive. ~~~ That’s because weather knocked out peaches in places like Georgia, South Carolina and Illinois. For Harvest Public Media, Will Bauer reports. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson visits with Minot State assistant professor Amanda Watts. She has revamped part of MSU's arts curriculum to create a Bachelor of Science in museum studies. The degree is designed to prepare students for a variety of careers in museums and art galleries. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Rise of Sourdough.”
Tuesday, August 29, 2023 - With college in session or just about to be, it can be a mad rush of students getting furniture, food, and basic supplies. For international students, there can be a learning curve about American culture. Maleeha Latif is the Director of International Programs at Minot State University. She visits with Ashley Thornberg about how students adapt. ~~~ Guns, cigars, and firearms. You might think of these as manly pursuits. Not so for Mandan's Josette Dupree, owner of Big Stick Cigars. She gave Ashley Thornberg a tour. ~~~ Today’s Dakota Datebook recalls the advent of hot lunch in schools. With that inspiration, listeners share some of their recollections as we chat with Bill Thomas, our director of radio.
Monday, August 28, 2023 - Jack Russell Weinstein is here for “Philosophical Currents,” as we get a philosophical take on current issues. Today’s topic explores newspapers. Eight more newspapers went out of business this month. What does the loss of local papers mean for society? ~~~ Can culture help address health concerns? In a conversation first aired in 2022, Ashley Thornberg visits with Naomi Bender, a Quechua woman who directs Native American Health Sciences and the Center for Native American Health at Washington State University in Spokane. They discuss culture as Medicine.
Friday, August 25, 2023 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable will feature news director Dave Thompson along with featured guests Charles Crane of the Minot Daily News, and Jim Shaw, former TV news director and current Forum Communications columnist. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Talk to Me,” an Australian supernatural horror film directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. It’s their first feature film.
Thursday, August 24, 2023 - Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane is a celebrated historian of American politics and an award-winning author. He is professor of U.S. history and the Rob and Melani Walton Chair of Theodore Roosevelt Studies at Dickinson State University. Dr. Cullinane also serves as a Public Historian for the Theodore Roosevelt Association and contributes to the design and curation of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library due to open in 2026. He joins Main Street to reflect on the previous night's Presidential Debates. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for “Main Street Eats,” and though she’s talking about hollyhocks, it’s not about eating them!
Wednesday, August 23, 2023 - For Don Kinzler, horticulture isn't just a career choice. It’s his hobby, his relaxation, his sport, his distraction, his leisure, and his quest. Main Street visits his beautiful flower garden. Don is the Extension Agent/Cass County Horticulturist ,North Dakota State University. ~~~ Kevin Carvell is a book collector, and a former political reporter for the Fargo Forum. Since retirement, he has superbly filled his time and his house in Mott, ND, with the largest collection of books about North Dakota and by North Dakotans. At an appearance Thursday at the Fargo Zandbroz store, Kevin will talk about North Dakota books old and new.
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 - Traumatic childhood experiences can have an impact on health. For women, that can subsequently affect their children, having implications for future generations. Joining us to discuss a recent report from ND Compass are Nancy Hodur, director of the Center for Social Research at NDSU, and Karen Olson, research specialist with the center. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on the Super Blue Moon. ~~~ 40 percent of older adults take five or more medications daily, making medication management an important consideration. This month a new law went into effect that requires commercial health insurance to include comprehensive medication management. Here to discuss medication management are Brody Maack, vice chair and associate professor of pharmacy at NDSU; and Mike Schwab, executive vice president of the North Dakota Pharmacists Association.
Monday, August 21, 2023 - Jeffrey Miller's new book is "Forever Towards the Sunrise: A Lifetime Lived in the Outdoors." It's a collection of more than 100 articles he's authored over the years. His work has appeared in a wide variety of magazines on topics including hunting, fishing, fur trapping and modern homesteading. He and his significant other Melanie live with their four children on the banks of the Sheyenne River near Kindred, North Dakota. ~~~ Pests that can kill many trees quickly can pose real economic dangers. Some Midwestern communities are now hedging their arboreal bets. Celia Llopis-Jepsen of the Kansas News Service reports. ~~~ In a Dakota Diners segment from the Great American Folk Show, Tom Brousseau takes us to the Pastime Club and Steakhouse in Marmarth, North Dakota. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “The Culbertson Ballads.”
Friday, August 18, 2023 - The beautiful Missouri River Heritage Mural has been installed under the I-94 bridge in Bismarck. A big unveiling event is scheduled for Monday. It’s the culmination of a project that began many months ago by the Northern Plains Heritage Foundation. Here to tell us more are Aaron Barth, the foundation’s executive director; and Emily Sakariassen, project manager. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson joins us to discuss the week’s news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” the latest in the oft-visited Dracula theme.
Thursday, August 17, 2023 - Mike Maples will be embarking on a 5-day, 1671-mile motorcycle ride through North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and back to North Dakota, traveling through 5 of the top 10 states with the highest suicide rates. The ride is in memory of Mike’s son and thousands of other Americans who have died by suicide. He joins us to discuss the “Wish You Were Here Ride.” ~~~ An episode of BirdNote takes a look at bird song, and how the tunes can vary over time. ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us for another episode of Main Street Eats. Today’s topic: insects. ~~~ An essay from the Veeder Ranch: “Rescue Mission.”
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - Teachings of Our Elders is a special Dakota Datebook series we've been airing on Prairie Public. We visit with producers Sharla Steever and Scott Simpson. ~~~ Patty Krawec is the author of “Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future.” She visits with NPR’s Rachel Martin. ~~~ Prairie Public is partnering with Barnes & Noble for a book fair. A portion of the proceeds will help Prairie Public offer various educational services. Joining us with the details are Marie Offutt, communications manager, and Callista Martinez, community engagement coordinator. ~~~ A BirdNote feature about pigeons and their head-bobbing walk.
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 - Darley Newman, the host of "Travels with Darley," is back in North Dakota, filming in Bismarck, Carrington, and Fargo. Main Street visits with Darley during a stop at the Plains Art Museum. ~~~ Shrimping in North Dakota? Sounds crazy, but as we hear in a Harvest Public Media report, farming shrimp is happening in the Midwest. ~~~ The Buckstop Junction Hootenanny is coming up this weekend in Bismarck. The Missouri Valley Historical Society fundraiser will help support the historic town. Joining us to tell us more about the society, Buckstop Junction, and this week’s hootenanny is board member Vonnie Ereth. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Happy as a Clam.”
Monday, August 14, 2023 - Paul Phillips (pen name James Chandler) is a former US Army officer and lawyer and now is a judge of the Sixth Circuit Court in Wyoming. He also writes best-selling legal thrillers. His debut novel, Misjudged, is the first in the Sam Johnstone series; and his fifth book, The Truthful Witness, has just been released. We visit with the author about his incredible rise to the top of best-selling book lists. ~~~ Agnes Yellow Bear, Kawacatoose First Nation, is an advocate for murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. She was recently awarded a fellowship from the Bush Foundation. We visit about her work. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota about sweetgrass.
Friday, August 11, 2023 - Meet ND Native Art Mortvedt. Now living in Alaska, Art is back in the state to appear at a free presentation at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum. His topic is “Polar Flight 90: ‘The Polar Pumpkin’ Cessna 185 Flights to the South and North Poles.” As a pilot, Mortvedt has been involved with polar expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica for 25 years. ~~~ In an episode of Natural North Dakota, Chuck Lura takes us to the Maah Daah Hey Trail. ~~~ Venerable news director Dave Thompson is here for our weekly discussion of topics in the news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Sound of Freedom.” He also reflects on the career of director William Friedkin, who passed away on Monday. Two of Friedkin’s famous films are “The Exorcist” and “The French Connection.”
Thursday, August 10, 2023 - Nick Archuletta is president of North Dakota United, the labor group that includes the state’s teachers. He joins us to discuss the state’s teacher shortage, and the emergency rules giving student teachers more responsibility. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for “Main Street Eats.” Today’s topic is Top Soil. ~~~ Just four companies dominate about 85% of the beef processing market. That means higher prices for consumers, and lower returns for the people raising the animals. In an attempt to break away from that control, ranchers and cattle feeders are organizing to build their own meat plants in the Midwest and Great Plains. Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports on Sustainable Beef, one rancher-led meatpacking project in Nebraska. ~~~ We continue with some touching thoughts about life on the ranch from Jessie Veeder of Watford City. This essay is titled “Cousins.”
Wednesday, August 9, 2023 - Jack Russell Weinstein joins us to preview next Sunday’s episode of Why, Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life. His guest is David Mura, the author of “The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives.” ~~~ Minot State is implementing a new student mental health approach. We visit with Troy Roness, MSU clinical mental health counselor.
Tuesday, August 8, 2023 - People with physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs and veterans and military personnel have an opportunity to build connections and improve mindfulness by working with horses during the summer session of Bison Strides. Main Street stops by the NDSU Equine Center to visit with Doug Kliman, a participating veteran, and Erika Berg, director of the program. ~~~ Ben Holsen, the owner of Holsen Home Solar, says investing in an all-electric pickup truck aligns with his business where he installs solar panel roofs onto people’s homes. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Corbin’s Advice.”
Monday, August 7, 2023 - Shanda Poitra is one of this year's Bush Foundation Fellows. She works to teach Native women and girls that they deserve to be safe and to help them develop tools to protect, and advocate for, themselves. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith joins us for some lawn and garden tips.
In an excerpt from the Conversations on Health Care podcast, one of the nation’s top experts on Long COVID explains that it’s still a mystery why virus symptoms remain months and sometimes years after an infection. Dr. Leora Horwitz helps lead the National Institute of Health’s study of Long COVID. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for a look at the week in news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews Oppenheimer.
Thursday, August 3, 2023 - Bismarck native Tate Doppler landed a role on Days of our Lives. We visit about making it as an actor. ~~~ Poetry from Studio 47 ~~~ We welcome back Sue Balcom as she returns to “Main Street Eats” after taking a hiatus.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 - American Idol is holding open call virtual Zoom auditions in North Dakota on Wednesday, August 9. We visit with co-executive producer Katie Fennelly Watkins. ~~~ Prairie Public intern Kooper Shagena visits with some members and directors of the Fargo-Moorhead Youth Choir. ~~~ Ben Holsen, the owner of Holsen Home Solar and discusses what homeowners should think about when considering adding solar power to their homes. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay.
The Open Mind, hosted weekly by Alexander Heffner, is a thoughtful excursion into the world of ideas across politics, media, science, technology, the arts, and all realms of civic life. Main Street visits with the longtime host about his recent discussion with Gov. Doug Burgum and other current topics. ~~~ Our Bill Thomas was recently at the Indian Education Summit -- it is put together by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction for teachers from around the state. He was there to talk about the series you may have noticed within Dakota Datebook “Wisdom of our Elders.” -- but also got a chance to talk to the Summit's Keynote speaker, Dr. Stephen Sroka. ~~~ You can't be in western North Dakota, without finding someone who loves Theodore and Edith Roosevelt. Julia Marple and her husband Larry travel from Ohio every summer to portray the Roosevelts in Medora. Costuming for historical reenactment is a mix of specialty shops, thrift stores, and making the clothes yourself. Ashley Thornberg caught up with Julia, in costume as Edith, backstage at the Town Hall Theatre in Medora.
Monday, July 31, 2023 - Crystle Lightning never saw people like herself reflected in the arts and media. So along with her husband, MC Redcloud, Lightning thought there was no better way to celebrate their identity in spaces where they felt Indigenous representation was excluded than by revamping one of their favorite musicals — Grease. Their traveling theatre production is called Bear Grease — an Indigenous twist on the traditional story of high school love. The cast has familiar characters, but Bear Grease was written to give each Indigenous influence, with elements of fashion, humor, and music to really make it their own. ~~~ History reprisers can't just know the part. They have to look that part. Michael Romero has a background in theatre and studying costume design. He's currently pursuing a masters from the University of Georgia. He's recently traveled to Medora as part of the Badlands Chautauqua as Theodore Roosevelt repriser. Ashley Thornberg caught up with him right after a fashion show of Roosevelt through the ages.
Bear Grease is a theater play that reimagines the classic musical Grease with an Indigenous twist. Like the original, the play is set in the 1950s but The play is full of Indigenous humor and pride and hopes to one day be on Broadway. It will be performed in Bismarck, Fargo, and Fort Totten, from August 8-12, 2023.
Friday, July 28, 2023 - Steve Stine has about as many YouTube subscribers on his channel as there are people in North Dakota. He's collaborated with Julian Lennon, and members of Queen and The Cars. He has many more followers on GuitarZoom, where he's one of the most sought after guitar teachers in the world. He does a lot of it from his home in Kindred. Ashley Thornberg caught up with him at a recent special gig, one celebrating his birthday. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for our weekly news debrief. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Barbie.”
Thursday, July 27, 2023 - The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) created the Bakken GROW program with the goal of recruiting legal United for Ukraine (U4U) refugees to fill open oil and natural gas jobs in the Bakken. These refugees have faced extreme hardship and immigration law requires a sponsor be identified before they can enter the United States. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, Burying Billy Buttons. ~~~ It's time for the annual BlueGrass Goes Pink event at Cross Ranch State Park. Joining us to preview this cancer awareness event is Jill Weise, who is not only a nurse, she's also one of the performers as a member of the CottonWood band. Also joining us is Sara Kelsch, marketing director at the Bismarck Cancer Center.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 - Did you dress up and go to Barbie on opening weekend? Are you vehemently opposed to seeing this film? Why is a movie about a doll, and what we project onto it, controversial? It’s time for Philosophical Currents with Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 - Humanities North Dakota is organizing an author tour for Erika Bolstad. She's a journalist who came to North Dakota in search of mineral rights, but in the process discovered the story of her great-grandmother who homesteaded the land. In January, Ashley Thornberg spoke with Bolstad about her book “Windfall: The Prairie Woman Who Lost Her Way and the Great-Granddaughter Who Found Her.” ~~~The new Bourne book is due out July 25. We visit with author Brian Freeman about The Bourne Defiance.
Today we’re looking back on adventures. Deanna Raybourn is the author of "Killers of a Certain Age," a twisty, hilarious novel about four female assassins. We reair a conversation from September of 2022. ~~~ Adventurer and outdoor educator Natalie Warren took an epic canoe trip. It’s chronicled in her book Hudson Bay Bound, which chronicles the adventures of two women, 2000 miles, countless granola bars, and one canoe. We reair a conversation from March 2021.
The Mission of higher education is to teach students to think and to prepare them for the workforce. As the labor market changes, institutions need to adapt. In 2018 North Dakota State Board of Higher Education appointed Dickinson State University as the first dual mission institution in the state. It offers bachelor's and graduate degrees, as well as associate's degrees and certificates. Five years into the change, Ashley Thornberg visited with DSU Vice President Dr. Holly Gruhlke and President Stephen Easton. ~~~Dave Thompson recaps the week’s news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “No Hard Feelings.”
Acclaimed New York Times bestseller Jeff Shaara discusses his new historical novel, The Old Lion. He brings to life one of the most consequential figures in U.S. history — Theodore Roosevelt. Shaara visits with presidential scholar Rick Collin of Bismarck, our go-to guest host when it comes to presidential history.
Have you ever considered joining a creative writing workshop? The North Dakota Council of Teachers of English is hosting an online event that's open to the public. It will feature Natalie Goldberg, whose 1986 book "Writing Down the Bones" sold more than a million copies. We get a preview of the workshop as we visit with Goldberg and Mandan English teacher Candace Brannan. ~~~ The New York Kammermusiker is returning to North Dakota for the group's 16th annual Winds of Change Concert series. We visit with the group's founder and director, North Dakota native Ilonna Pederson.
Tuesday, July 18, 2023 - Tom Peterson from Jamestown has worked at Collins Aerospace for 50 years. We reflect with the engineer about his history in the air cargo systems business that has grown in both the commercial and military segments from their base in Jamestown. After we hear from Tom, Main Street joins Blaze Culliton from Collins Aerospace to tour the expansive, interesting Jamestown facility. ~~~ Patrick Hicks profiles William Butler Yeats in an episode of “Poetry from Studio 47.”
Monday, July 17, 2023 - North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) is currently accepting applications for programs that support affordable rental housing development and provide homeownership and rental assistance for low-income households. We visit with David Flohr, the agency's executive director. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled: “Raining on the Parade.” ~~~ It's hard to make it as an artist. Minot's Max Patzner is an artist, writer, and musician. His band, Wild Hands, has released 5 albums. He has a few kids books out; “Wild & The Animal Band,” "Alpha Yeah,Sure,You BETcha: The Nodak ABCs," and the latest is set in Medora, which is where Ashley Thornberg caught him performing.
We’re sharing one of our favorite author interviews from the Main Street archives. Jill Kandel moved to a tiny village in Zambia right after she got married. She and her husband spent six years there developing infrastructure for improved farming techniques. Decades later, she wrote the book, So Many Africas: 6 Years in a Zambian Village. We spoke with her in January 2015. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Past Lives” and shares some his favorite movies and why.
Thursday, July 13, 2023 - Veera Khalil is a board member for the WE Center, the New American Consortium for Wellness and Empowerment, which is a nonprofit that provides services to a variety of people, including those new to the country. ~~~ This weekend in Medora is the gathering of the Teddies, Theodore Roosevelt reprisors. ~~~ A new book explores the 1974 murder of North Dakota native Arlis (Dykema) Perry, who was killed at Stanford University's Memorial Church. We visit with Scott Herhold about the book Murder Under God's Eye.
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 - Kayla Jones is a project manager for the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition. She developed a training program about Diversity Equity and Inclusion that is available for various organizations. She joins us to discuss the purpose of DEI trainings and what they involve. ~~~ Harvest Public Media reports on a USDA program that gives grants to farmers looking to add solar power to their operations. ~~~ A group of local Dickinson volunteers and philanthropists are working together on a plan to create the Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center. ~~~ Poet profile from Patrick Hicks on Minnesota poet Sean Hill.
Tuesday, July 11, 2023 - The Christian Science Monitor has produced a special series on reparations. One of those reports addresses the impact of the Oahe Dam, which flooded out the Cheyenne River Reservation's largest town in 1960. We visit with writer Henry Gass. ~~~ The White House has set a goal of reaching a carbon-free grid by 2050. The lynchpin to this plan? Tax credits... lots of them. Harvest Public Media’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco has more. ~~~ The World Health Organization recently issued a statement expressing concern about artificial intelligence in health care. AI is a brave new world that promises to affect every part of health care. In an excerpt from the Conversations on Health Care podcast, we hear a discussion of the issue with Mayo Clinic’s chief information officer, Cris Ross., as he visits with hosts hosted by Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on Chimney Swifts.
Monday, July 10, 2023 - North Dakota State University's new Cybersecurity B.S. (and undergraduate certificate program) have both won approval and will be available beginning this Fall. Jeremy Straub, Associate Director, NDSU Institute for Cyber Security Education and Research, Assistant Professor, NDSU Computer Science Dept. stops by to discuss. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Uncle Ben’s Fish Stories.” ~~~ In an excerpt of the Prairie Pulse television show, Kathy Knowles from Winnipeg is interviewed by John Harris about her work in Ghana, Africa building libraries. Knowles volunteers with the Osu Children’s Library Fund in Canada, which works in partnership with Ghanaian communities to develop and maintain a network of community libraries. Since starting under a tree in 1990, they’ve built nine freestanding libraries in the Greater Accra Region. These range from a converted 40-ft shipping container to a three-story facility complete with a stage and hall. ~~~ Poetry from studio 47 comes to us from Patrick Hicks, writer in residence and a member of the English faculty at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. Today he profiles poet Hellain Cardona and we hear her poem, “The Sexiest Flower.”
Friday, July 7, 2023 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable features news director Dave Thompson, along with two very special guests this month, with the former and the present executive directors of the North Dakota Newspaper Association – Steven Andrist and Cecile Wehrman. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
Thursday, July 6, 2023 - Audubon Great Plains and the Indigenous Association are pairing up for birding and Native knowledge. We visit with Lisa Casarez of the Hidatsa Fort Berthold Tribe. She's executive director of Hiráaca Maa Aru Cáawi, a language reclamation non-profit. ~~~ An episode of Birdnote: ~~~ A report from Alicia Helgland-Thorpe, who attended the grand opening and dedication of a skatepark and basketball court in Standing Rock. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Kind Hearted Old Soldier.”
Wednesday, July 5, 2023 - The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is a state agency that provides investigative and forensic services to law enforcement agencies throughout the state. The BCI investigates crimes, provides forensic services, maintains a criminal history database, trains law enforcement officers, and provides public safety education. Joining us is Lonnie Grabowska, BCI director. ~~~ The We Fest Country Music Festival is coming up. It gets underway on August 3rd, attracting country fans from all around the region. In an excerpt of the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris visits with the general manager of the festival, Mark Bjerke. ~~~ In an excerpt from the Great American Folk Show, host Tom Brosseau visits with Fargo tintype photographer Kary Janousek.
Monday, July 3, 2023 - News director Dave Thompson visits with Edward Fitzpatrick O'Keefe, the chief executive officer of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation. They discuss the plans for this ambitious project coming to Medora. ~~~ In an episode of Birdnote, we hear a story about birds who take advantage of a free ride during their migrations. ~~~ There’s a new farm incubator in North Dakota. It’s a place where people are given temporary, exclusive, and affordable access to land, infrastructure, and training, for the purpose of launching farm businesses. We visit with Megan Langley, executive director of Strengthen ND. ~~~ The Farm Bill is up for renewal this year. And the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, is almost always a partisan battle. Republicans have pushed hard to expand work requirements for those who get SNAP. Harvest Public Media’s Eva Tesfaye reports.
Thursday, June 29, 2023 - The North American Game Warden Museum is a museum in the International Peace Garden on the Canada–United States international border between the Canadian province of Manitoba and the U.S. state of North Dakota. The museum is located on the American side of the border. Initially founded on a temporary basis at the International Peace Garden in the 1990s, it became a permanent museum in 2005. Stephanie Lee is the museum's manager. ~~~ Biologist Chuck Lura shares an essay on the state flower. ~~~ 2023 is the International Year of Millets! Harvest Public Media shares why farmers are embracing this drought-tolerant grain. ~~~ It’s a big deal for the North Dakota Council on the Arts. Executive Director Kim Konikow talks about their biggest budget ever and what they’re doing with the money. ~~~ Today’s BirdNote is about napping in mid flight.
Friday, June 30, 2023 - It's been four years since his dual lung-transplant and now Shannon Mohn is living "Life 2.0." He has been traveling, hiking mountains, weightlifting, and paving the way for electric cars throughout the region as an automotive instructor at Minnesota State Community and Technical College Moorhead. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for our weekly news discussion. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Asteroid City,” the newest from quirky director Wes Anderson.
Wednesday, June 28, 2023 - Walhalla is celebrating its 175th anniversary over the July 4th holiday. We visit with Zelda Hartje of the Pembina County Historical Museum. ~~~ Poetry from Studio 47 comes to us from Patrick Hicks. Today he profiles poet Barbara Crooker. ~~~ Harvest Public Media’s Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco reports on funding that will help communities provide more green space. ~~~ An episode of Breaking Barriers, oral histories from the Red River Rainbow Seniors. ~~~ Natural North Dakota
Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - Joe Williams in one of this year's Bush Fellows. Director of Native American Programming at the Plains Art Museum by day, we visit about how he'll use the fellowship money to change the perception of Native American art from niche to a valued part of the region’s identity. ~~~ Chuck Lura tells us about the sneaky way cowbirds get other birds to care for their eggs. ~~~ There's nothing quite like sitting around a bonfire. Particularly if that fire is surrounded by a steel structure, nearly 7 feet tall with two multiple angular shapes that spin and a platform for a second, elevated fire. Hunter Nickel made just such a sculpture for a recent midsummer camping festival. ~~~ We share a Tell Tale: Dakota Folklife and Stories episode about a war bride.
Monday, June 26, 2023 -6182 - Monday, June 26, 2023 - The Green Dot is a bystander intervention program that seeks to engage and mobilize community members in their role in preventing violence. Joining us are Anna St. Amant, prevention education director and Aaron Hochstetler, Green Dot violence prevention coordinator, both in conjunction with the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center in Fargo. There are also Green Dot programs in Grand Forks, Valley City, and Bismarck-Mandan. For more information see https://www.hhs.nd.gov/domestic-violence/green-dot.~~~ Bird flu has hit the U-S hard over the last couple of years. It’s left about 60 million chickens and turkeys dead across the nation, including 300,000 in North Dakota, and a whopping 4.2 million in Minnesota. Work is underway on a possible vaccine, as Harvest Public Media's Katie Peikes reports. ~~~ Hillary Kempenich is an Anishinaabe artist and knowledge-keeper, and one of this year’s Bush Fellows. She's using the time and money from the fellowship to broaden our understanding of indigenous people and practices. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Fish Stories.” ~~~ We conclude with an episode of BirdNote.
Friday, June 23, 2023 - With the recent Supreme Court decision affirming preference for native children to be adopted by native families, we thought it would be a good time to learn more about adoption here in North Dakota. Joining us is Julie Hoffman, administrator of Adoption Services for the Department of Health and Human Services. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Flash,” and he comments on actress Glenda Jackson, who passed away on June 15th.
Thursday, June 22, 2023 - Katie Dachtler is one of this year’s recipients of the Bush Foundation Fellowship. As a fellow, she’ll be pursuing a PhD in Change Leadership for Equity and Inclusion. Her background as an adoptee from South Korea and work in mental health informs her approach to leadership and inclusion. ~~~ Dr. Gary Schwartz, chair of the Dept. of Population Health at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences discusses North Dakota’s ranking among the most radon-dense states in the nation, the danger that poses, and UND’s new Radon Outreach and Research project.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 - Immigration is a hot topic, and North Dakota will soon have an Office of Legal Immigration, the creation of which was approved during the last legislative session. What will this office be charged with doing? We’ll ask Senator Tim Mathern. He introduced the legislation. ~~~ Ready for a delightful conversation? We hear the winning stories from the recent PBS Kids Writers Contest. Joining us is Callista Martinez, community engagement coordinator. ~~~ An essay from NDSU historian Tom Isern: “Glorious 4th.” ~~~ An episode of BirdNote” “Tree Swallows and Feathers.”
6172 - Tuesday, June 20, 2023 - We get an update on Extreme North Dakota Racing from Joel Larson, race director. Called END-Racing, the group sponsors several endurance events each year. Next up is the “Wilderman,” an off road triathlon they’re holding in Walhalla. ~~~ The Air Race Classic has female pilots from across the country racing from North Dakota to Florida. The annual event starts this year in Grand Forks. We hear from Elizabeth Bjerke, associate dean at UND’s John D. Odegaard School of Aerospace Science and pilot Gretchen (john) Jahn of team Random Chance. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on tomorrow’s Summer Solstice.
Monday, June 19, 2023 - Today is Juneteenth, and it's also the day descendants of the Atlantic Slave Trade who live in Minnesota and the Dakotas can begin applying for grants to be used for wealth-building projects. Over the next eight years, the fund will award grants of $50,000 to at least 800 eligible applicants. Here to explain the who, the what and the why is the senior director of Nexus Community Partners, Danielle Mkali. ~~~ We learn about air quality monitoring at the Department of Environmental Quality from Ryan Mills. ~~~ Poetry from Studio 47 comes to us from Patrick Hicks, writer in residence and a member of the English faculty at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. Today he profiles poet Eamonn Wall.
Friday, June 16, 2023 - Tim Dirks, Fargo Public Library director, is John Harris’s guest in an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show. ~~~ We recap yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court regarding the adoption of Indian children by sharing excerpts of NPR’s coverage. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us with an update on the week in news. ~~~ Poetry from Studio 47 with Patrick Hicks: Camille T. Dungy.
Thursday, June 15, 2023 - At the start of the pandemic, Congress paved the way for states to keep people continuously enrolled in Medicaid, but that's now changed, so the state is urging people to be aware of their Medicaid renewal deadlines. We visit with Krista Fremming, interim medical services division director at the state department of health and human services ~~~ Rancher, musician and essayist Jessie Veeder combines those talents as we hear in a composition titled “Nashville.” ~~~ From the Great American Folk Show, we hear from chef Summer Peterson, who shares a favorite recipe. ~~~ More and more communities in North Dakota are celebrating the Juneteenth emancipation holiday. Special contributor Alicia Hegland-Thorpe Visits with organizers of the Bismarck event. ~~~ How many eggs does a bird lay? We get an interesting examination of that question in an episode from Birdnote.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 - Minnesota's transportation budget includes several big-ticket projects including $4 million to study St. Paul to Fargo passenger rail service. We visit with Brian Nelson, president of All Aboard Minnesota. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “The Yellow and the Green.” ~~~ Auctions are a live marketplace for knick knacks, land and everything in between. For rural communities, they’re also a social event. But Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports those interactions are increasingly going online. ~~~ The North Dakota voters ethics commission was created by passage of an initiated measure in 2018. Now there are two openings for commissioners. News director Dave Thompson visits with Rebecca Binstock, the executive director of the commission.
Tuesday June 13, 2023 - Civil Rights activist Fred Edwards is here to reflect on race relations as we lead up to Juneteenth. ~~~ Mark Billings, the former president of The Rotary Club of Dickinson, played a pivotal role in spearheading a remarkable endeavor: a two-year technology project that promises to uplift the lives of underprivileged individuals in the rural parish of Sinincay, Ecuador. ~~~ Peggy Lee Day has become a big annual event in Valley City. It celebrates the famous singer who grew up here in North Dakota.Joining us to preview the event are band leader Myron Sommerfeld and singer Bonnie Lynn.
Monday, June 12, 2023 - How big a problem is poor mental health for those working in the energy industry? It's a concern that will be explored in an upcoming "Summit on Behavioral Health in Energy Country" to be held in Dickinson. Joining us is Deb Nelson, administrator of the Vision West ND Consortium. Vision West ND is a non-profit seeking to address immediate, short-term needs in the state's energy producing region to meet growth management challenges and establish a diversified economy. ~~~ Sixteen young people who say the state of Montana isn’t doing enough to address climate change will get their day in court. The lawsuit argues that lack of action violates plaintiffs’ rights under the state Constitution. Ellis Julin of Montana Public Radio reports. ~~~ Yesterday’s episode of “Why, Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life” dealt with the issue of rights for animals. Well, what about rights for things like rivers? There’s a growing legal movement to grant rights for natural entities as we hear in a report from Harvest Public Media. ~~~ The Missouri River Bluegrass Festival is coming up! We get a preview from two of the organizers and performers, Jill Wiese and Juan Gelpi. ~~~ We also have another episode of Birdnote.
Friday, June 9, 2023 - Vanessa Williamson is co-founder & CEO of Farmented Foods, which has been selected as a participant in the inaugural gener8tor North Dakota accelerator experience, a program that provides coaching, capital and connections for startups. Today, Farmented Foods can be found all across Western Montana in both stores and restaurants. With over 6,000 pounds and counting of imperfect produce saved, Farmented Foods is committed to #savetheveggies one ugly vegetable at a time. ~~~ In harvesting of a different sort, Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports on the pallid sturgeon’s struggle to survive in the Missouri River. ~~~ Dave Thompson recaps the news of the week. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Spider-man Across the Spider-verse.” ~~~ Historian Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled: “Ground Cherries and the Prairie Garden.”
Thursday, June 8, 2023 - Jack Russell Weinstein joins us to talk about animal rights. It’s a preview of “Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life,” which airs Sunday at 11am. Jack’s guest this month is Jeff Sebo, the author of “Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves: Why Animals Matter for Pandemics, Climate Change, and Other Catastrophes.” ~~~ Longtime entertainer and educator Penny Andrist -- known on stage as Penny and Pals, is retiring. Penny has released more than a half dozen albums and traveled regionally performing for kids and the young at heart for more than 30 years.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023 - Reporter Todd McDonald covered today’s big announcement from Governor Burgum. He joins us to share his observations from the event. ~~~ Here to discuss the Burgum candidacy are Nicholas Bauroth, professor of political science at NDSU; and Forum Communications columnists Rob Port and Jim Shaw.
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 - Kathleen Grissom is the author of “Crow Mary,” a novel based on the life of Goes First, a Crow woman who lived in the late 19th century. It’s the result of 10 years of research. Grissom is a New York Times bestselling author and we’ll learn about the heroic tale of Crow Mary, much of which is set in the upper Midwest. ~~~ "Prairie Yard & Garden" was recently added to Prairie Public's television lineup. It comes to us from Pioneer PBS in Minnesota. We visit with show host Mary Holm, a native of Strasburg, North Dakota; and Mike Cihak, the executive producer.
Monday, June 5, 2023 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable takes a look at the recent news from across the state. Hosted today by Matt Olien, he’s joined by news director Dave Thompson and special guests Michael Standaert, reporter for the North Dakota News Cooperative; reporter April Baumgarten of Forum Communications; and Jack Zaleski, columnist with Forum Communications.
Friday, June 2, 2023 - The Bus-eum is back! Once again, traveling historical exhibits are touring the Midwest in a retrofitted school bus. Some two dozen European students are participating in this educational project, bringing history alive and engaging the public in discussions, using films, presentations and publications. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for our weekly discussion of the recent headlines. ~~~ Matt Olien gives high marks for the new film, “You Hurt My Feelings.”
Thursday, June 1, 2023 - North Dakota native Clay Jenkinson is a humanities scholar and author, best known for his portrayal of Thomas Jefferson on the Thomas Jefferson Hour. The show is now transforming, and he joins us to introduce his new show, "Listening to America." ~~~ The small town of Carson, 60 miles southwest of Bismarck came up with a creative way to keep its grocery store, and the town, afloat. Special Contributor Sabrina Hornung talks with Valerie Martinez of the A&S Country Market about its relationship with the local thrift store. ~~~ The Great American Folk Show with host Tom Brousseau can be heard each Saturday at 5 here on Prairie Public. Today we share an excerpt from a recent show as Tom visits a roving tea truck called Namaste Chai.
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - We’ve had the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and soon there’s the Belmont, and the racing season in North Dakota will also start soon. Joining us to talk about thoroughbred racing and breeding in North Dakota is Hannah Miller, of Gackle. ~~~ A Harvest Public Media report on rural dating. ~~~ Dr. Ken Foster, Concordia College Community Engagement Director, discusses the school's climate action plan in an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show with host John Harris. ~~~ Tom Isern is here with a Plains Folk essay, “The Wordsworth of Emmons County.”
Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - Stacy Schaffer is the founder and executive director of the 31:8 project. The organization works to address issues regarding human trafficking. She joins us to discuss issues of human trafficking in North Dakota, and she’ll preview the group’s Bakken Human Trafficking Summit, coming up June 7-8. ~~~ We get an update on the Welk Homestead Historical Site from site manager Brian Grove. They have a big event coming up this weekend.
Friday, May 26, 2023 - The Pioneer Trails Regional Museum in Bowman, ND is a repository for the regional and natural history within 100 miles of Bowman. The museum conducts archaeological, genealogical, and paleontological research, and houses collections relating to local history. Darrah Steffen, paleontology curator and museum administrator Jean Nudell discuss the museum’s history and plans for the future. ~~~ Looking for something to do over Memorial Day weekend? Chuck Lura suggests Metigoshe St. Park in another of his Natural North Dakota essays. ~~~ Bill Thomas stops by the Plains Art Museum to visit with departing director and CEO Andy Maus, who is leaving to become executive director of the Tacoma Art Museum in Tacoma, Washington. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Book Club: The Next Chapter.”
Monday, May 29, 2023 - What is progress? Where do our ideas about progress come from? How come progress looks different from one person to the next? We explore the topic in this month's Philosophical Currents with philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein. ~~~ For Memorial Day, we hear memories of times on service from veterans on their experience and remembering their fallen comrades. Max Sabin interviews North Dakota native Randy Weimer about his service as a navigator on B-52s in Vietnam at the Fargo Air Museum. We also share a Tell Tale: Dakota Folklife and Stories with Donovan Pic.
Thursday, May 25, 2023 - Should and how should AI be regulated? It’s advancing fast, and some suggest it’s showing signs of human reasoning. It’s already affecting our lives in ways that we’re unaware. Jeremy Straub is assistant professor in the department of computer science and the director of the NDSU Institute for Cyber Security Education and Research. ~~~ North Dakota tourism director Sara Otte Coleman. ~~~ An essay from Jessie Veeder: When I Grow Up.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 - From the UND Institute of Energy studies, we visit with senior research manager Nolan Theaker. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about landscaping and gardening with native plants. ~~~ Journalist Mona Gable joins us to talk about her book, Searching for Savanna. ~~~ "Poetry from Studio 47" profile on poet Bruce Roseland.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 - UND offers a major in forensic science, and here to tell us more Nicolette Ras, Class of 2023 pre-med student and Forensic Science graduate; and Dr. Lavinia Iancu, assistant professor and director of the Forensic Science Program at UND. ~~~ Drift Prairie Brewing is now officially open in Jamestown. Sabrina Hornung takes us there. ~~~ Hear from Marine veteran Robert Moore on TellTale, Dakota Folklife and Stories.
Monday, May 22, 2023 - The 37th annual Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering is coming up on May 27 and 28. It's a celebration of an art form that is both touching and hilarious. Besides the poetry, there's western songs and a western art and photo show. We visit with one of the emcees, Merrill Piepkorn, and poet and rancher D.W. Groethe of Bainville, MT. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith stops in to offer some lawn and garden advice.
Friday, May 19, 2023 - The OB third floor is perhaps the most significant healthcare improvement achieved by the new Trinity Hospital in Minot. We continue our tour of the facility with Dr. Jeffrey Sather. ~~~ May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a good time to check in with Dr. Jon Ulven, Sanford Health Psychologist. He’s John Harris’s guest in an excerpt from Prairie Pulse. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” ~~~ BirdNote explores the instrumental sounds made by birds.
Thursday, May 18, 2023 - Fargo’s Marshall Johnson has been appointed by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council. He joins us to discuss his new appointment and his work with Audubon. ~~~ Keeping on the avian theme, we have a BirdNote titled Habitat Defined. ~~~ We continue our tour of the new Trinity Hospital in Minot with a look at the 14 operating room spaces and recovery suites. ~~~ We learn about The Old School Center & Teachers Lounge in Fortuna, North Dakota.
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 - Reclaiming Two-Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America is a new book from Dr. Gregory Smithers, a history professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. We visit about the role of Two Spirits in Native populations. ~~~ We continue our tour of the new Trinity Hospital in Minot, stopping by the emergency room. We’ll also learn about the facility’s role as a teaching hospital. Craig Blumenshine visits with ER physician Dr. Jeffrey Sather. ~~~ NDSU history professor Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “Husband Come Home.”
Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Main Street visits Trinity Health’s new hospital in southwest Minot as it prepares to open. Main Street talks with Trinity Health vice president Randy Schwan and Dr. Jeffrey Sather. ~~~ Jessica Runck was born and raised on a farm in rural North Dakota, but the love of acting and writing took her to Los Angeles. She joins us to discuss the writers' strike.
Monday, May 15, 2023 - Maggie Tokuda-Hall declined Scholastic’s offer to license her book, “Love in the Library,” after the company insisted that she remove her author’s note about past and present instances of racism. ~~~ A BirdNote feature about birds that can drink on the fly. ~~~ Have you ever thought of foraging for food? For many people, it’s an enjoyable hobby, and they’ll soon be out scrounging for the early wild harvest. We visit with Minnesota chef Alan Bergo, the author of "The Forager Chef's Book of Flora."
Friday, May 12, 2023 - We preview this Sunday’s episode of WHY, Philosophical Discussions about Everyday Life with UND professor Jack Russell Weinstein. His guest will be Michael Ignatieff, author of “On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times.” Known for his work as a historian, Ignatieff has held senior academic posts at the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard, and Toronto. Most recently, he was rector and President of Central European University. ~~~ Pew Research Center finds that 25-30% of children under 18 are living in single parent households, and 30% of single parents live in poverty. This Sunday is Mothers Day. In another episode of “Practical Kindness,” Brandi Malarkey explores the many ways women become single moms and the challenges they face. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.” ~~~ NDSU professor of history Tom Isern is here with another episode of Plains Folk. This one is titled “A Free State.”
Thursday, May 11, 2023 - Governor Doug Burgum is John Harris’s guest in an excerpt from tonight’s Prairie Pulse television show. ~~~ Tim Hagerty is the author of “Tales from the Dugout: 1,001 Humorous, Inspirational & Wild Anecdotes from Minor League Baseball.” Did you know that a Fargo vs. Grand Forks game set a still-active baseball record? And why did fans in Grafton throw coins at the players? We visit with the author. ~ A BirdNote feature on catbirds.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 - Kathryn Rand and Steven Light have been named 2023 Chester Fritz Distinguished Professors at UND. Their area of expertise is Indian gaming law and policy. They’ll be honored at Saturday’s commencement. They join us to discuss the work that led to this recognition. ~~~ Sanctified, is the western produced by Dan Bielinski of Bismarck with the assistance of a host of local talent. It’s being shown Thursday at the Arts Center in Jamestown, so we thought it would be a good time to repeat our conversation about the film. Filmmaker Bielinski is program chair of Dramatic Arts at the University of Mary. ~~~ Patrick Hicks shares a profile of Emily Dickenson, in an episode of Studio 47.
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 - Julie Carr is the author of “Mud, Blood and Ghosts: Populism, Eugenics, and Spiritualism in the American West.” Populism is a word that has come up a lot in politics in recent years. Carr explores how the concept has changed in the many decades since it was first popularized. ~~~ Jessie Veeder shares another essay from the ranch. This one is titled “Stuck Season.”
Monday, May 8, 2023 - May is Mental Health Month, and the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks is presenting a new, original play titled “Retail Therapy: 700 years of mental health care.” It’s a dark topic, woven through with gallows humor. We visit with the playwright, UND associate professor of English, Kathy Coudle-King. ~~~ Pipeline companies want to sequester carbon in Illinois and North Dakota. Geologists say it's safe - landowners aren't so sure. We have a report from Harvest Public Media’s Harvest Sarah Nardi. ~~~ NPR’s Steve Drummond, a long-time senior editor and executive producer at NPR, is the author of “The Watchdog: How The Truman Committee Battled Corruption and Helped Win World War Two.” He joins us to discuss this fast-paced story of how Harry Truman, as a newcomer to Washington Politics, cobbled together a bipartisan team that fought wartime corruption, placing him in the national spotlight and paving his path to the White House. ~~~ A regular segment on the Great American Folk Show is called Dakota Diners. Today we share Tom Brousseau’s piece on Mo Mo’s in Fargo.
Friday, May 5, 2023 - In an excerpt of the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris recaps the legislative session as he visits with two members of the House of Representatives. We’ll hear from Don Vigesaa, Republican from Cooperstown, but he begins with Josh Boschee, Democrat from Fargo. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson joins us to recap the news of the week. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Evil Dead Rise,” a twisted tale from writer/director Lee Cronin.
Thursday, May 4, 2023 - “Hike Every Mile-North Dakota” is an event coming up on June 3rd, when folks will fan out to hike the entire 475 miles of the North Country Trail in North Dakota. Joining us to tell us about the trail and the upcoming event is Rennae Gruchalla, vice president of the Dakota Prairie Chapter of the North Country Trail. ~~~ Every five years, Congress has to renew the Farm Bill. Harvest Public Media’s Xcaret Nuñez breaks down the major pieces of the omnibus bill and why it matters. ~~~ Cheryl Wachenheim, professor of agribusiness and applied economics, has been selected to give the 60th Faculty Lectureship, one of NDSU’s oldest and most prestigious awards. The honor recognizes excellence in teaching, scholarly achievement and service. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Ballad of Jesse James.
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 - The Collective Abundance Fund will distribute nearly $50M to Indigenous people in the tri-state region of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota for the next 5 years. Joining us to discuss the program and how organizations can apply is Courtney Davis, a program officer for the fund. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about the frog and toad concerts that arrive with spring. ~~~ Gigi’s Playhouse is a Down Syndrome Achievement Center providing programming and support for people with Down syndrome and their families. We visit with Heather Lorenzen, executive director of the Gigi’s Playhouse in Fargo, one of 57 locations. ~~~ We learn about the kestrel in another episode of BirdNote.
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 - Dr. Gabriela Balf-Soran is a psychiatrist in Bismarck, North Dakota. She joins us to comment on how recent legislation regarding transgender care will affect the medical community. ~~~ Red River Valley Kids Read is a community-wide reading project for kids in Fargo, Moorhead, West Fargo, Grand Forks and Wahpeton. They focus on a single title of regional interest in an effort to build an appreciation for storytelling, our region, a sense of place, and a love of books and stories.
Monday, May 1 - The Magic City Discovery Center in Minot will open its new facility in May and is working to engage children and families in the magic of lifelong learning through discovery, creativity and play. It hopes to become a destination to bring children, their families and caregivers together in an interactive environment that inspires creativity, encourages play and enhances education. ~~~ With some nice bird-related thank-you gifts during our membership drive, we revisit an interview with the executive director of BirdNote, Nick Bayard.
Friday, April 28, 2023 - Val Stadick owns Main Street Books in Minot, She was born in Minot and raised in Lompoc, CA. She came back to North Dakota in 1993. We welcome Val back to Main Street as we celebrate Independent Bookstore Day and get up-to-date on current issues facing independent bookstores. ~~~ During our member drive, we have some bird related premiums to offer. Would you like a new bird house? In keeping with that, we share a new episode of “BirdNote” one of the many features you can hear each day on Main Street. ~~~ Another avian thank-you gift we’re offering is “Birds of the Dakotas Field Guide.” With that in mind we visit with Kristal Stoner, executive director of Audubon Great Plains. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Air,” the story of Nike signing Michael Jordan.
Thursday, April 27, 20223 - Our Monthly Journalists Roundtable takes a deep dive into the recent headlines with journalists from around the state. We visit with Prairie Public news director Dave Thompson and special guests Robin Huebner of Forum Communications and Joel Crane of KFYR-TV. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay: “One Day on a Territorial Homestead.”
Wednesday, April 26, 2023 - “Dust Yourself off: The Gravel Road to a good Life,” is a biography from NDSU Press about Muriel Henrickson Sandhei. She grew up in Fort Ransom and later moved to Valley City and worked at Valley City State. Joining us are the authors, Kathryn native Tricia Velure, and Tom Sandhi, Muriel’s son. They’ll be speaking Thursday night for the Barnes County Historical Society Lecture Series in Valley City. ~~~ Theatre B is staging a play about a silent retreat – a tricky thing to do a mostly silent play! We talk with director Crystal Cossette Knight about the power of words, and the power of silence.
Tuesday, April 25, 2023 - Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day, a time to stop by your local bookstore, many of which have special events planned. Zandbroz Variety in Fargo is hosting readings from four local authors, including Clay Jenkinson. We re-air a conversation from June 2021 about Jenkinson’s book, The Language of Cottonwoods: Essays on the Future of North Dakota. ~~~ North Dakota State University Extension will offer a four-week webinar series on local meat marketing in May. Joining us with a preview are Isaac Brunkow, NDSU Extension graduate research assistant; and Travis Hoffman, assistant professor and Extension sheep specialist.
Monday, April, 24, 2023 - Jack Russell Weinstein joins us for a Philosophical Currents episode, where we discuss current issues of interest. Today’s theme deals with the importance of responsible news reporting. ~~~ “Anything But Typical” is an event educating people about neurotypical and neurodiverse brains. It’s coming up April 29th in Fargo. We visit with organizer John David Berdahl. ~~~ Are barn swallows nesting above your back door? They’ve adapted to living near humans as we hear in another episode of BirdNote.
Friday, April 21, 2023 - The Federal Trade Commission has been tracking scams that have cost Americans nearly $8.8 Billion in 2022 alone, finding that Impersonator Scams ranked as the top fraud in the last year, especially in North Dakota. We visit with Claire Stewart from the Midwest regional office of the FTC. ~~~ The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection at NDSU recently unveiled a new traveling exhibit called “Building Life and Home on the Prairie: German Russia Homesteads of North Dakota. Our Bill Thomas attended the opening. ~~~ In another episode of Poetry from Studio 47, Patrick Hicks profiles poet Bill Holm. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Renfield,” a Dracula flick with Nicholas Cage as Dracula.
Thursday, April 20. 2023 - We check in with Cody Schulz, director of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department. With summer coming, we learn what’s new in the state park system and what recreational opportunities are available. ~~~ Saturday is Earth Day. We visit with Krista Erickson, owner of Red River Refillery. She has vendors from across the region providing eco-friendly toiletries and cleaning supplies. ~~~ An essay from Jessie Veeder of Watford City: “To Write It.”
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 - Howard Olson is the senior vice president of government and public affairs for AgCountry Farm Credit Services. He discusses climate change, water use issues, soil degradation, conservation, GMOs, organic agriculture and more. ~~~ With warmer temps in the air, we can finally see the earth and fill it with flowers. Baldwin Greenhouse and Nursery, north of Bismarck is celebrating 30 years in the business. This year, they’re opening for the growing season with new owners Jared and Ashley Stoll. Special Contributor Sabrina Hornung visits with Mary Podoll, Jared’s mother. ~~~ And staying on an agricultural theme, we hear from Bjorn Solberg of Hugh’s Gardens in Halstead, Minnesota, to hear about his business providing organic potatoes, with schools being primary customers.
Tuesday, April 18, 20223 - From refugees to religious minorities, Outcast is a podcast that develops local and global relationships. It’s a project from the New American Consortium for Wellness and Empowerment. We visit with hosts Marina Behm Semerikov and Ibtissem Belmihoub. Dr. Belmihoub is the center’s executive director. ~~~ J. Ryan Stradal is called the King of the Midwestern Novel. Drawing upon his Minnesota roots, his latest novel is “Saturday night at the Lakeside Supper Club.”
Monday, April 17, 2023 - The Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton, the first zoo in North Dakota, is celebrating its 90th year as it prepares to open in May. Zoo Director Kathy Diekman gives us a tour of the zoo, home to over 200 animals ranging from bengal tigers, white rhinos, chimpanzees, zebras and more. ~~~ In the wild, the wrens are getting busy, as we hear in an episode of BirdNote. ~~~ Historian Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Hand on the Plow.”
Friday, April 14, 2023 - SCRAP, the documentary, tells stories of salvage enthusiasts. It will be screened on Saturday the 22nd at the Palace Theatre in Lemmon, SD, in conjunction with Earth Day. One of the people featured in the film is Lemmon resident John Lopez. Also attending the event will be producer/director Stacey Tenenbaum. She joins us for a preview. ~~~ Harvest Public Media reports on the concerns over CO2 pipelines, with North Dakota one of the destinations. ~~~ Bill Thomas shares a poem by Denise Lajimodiere performed to music by Russ Peterson. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson joins us for a discussion of the week’s news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Paint,” a drama about an artist with a show on a local public TV network.
Thursday, April 13, 2023 - The Professional Bull Riders Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour has a stop in Grand Forks this Saturday. We visit with bull rider Keith Hall. ~~~ Jessie Veeder shares another essay from the ranch: “Handyman’s Wife.” ~~~ In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris visits with Dr. Venkatkiran Kanchustambham, a leading expert in Covid and is on the front lines of trying to find out what causes Long Haul Covid and how it can be treated.
Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - Bill Thomas visits with North Dakota’s new poet Laureate, Denise Lajimodiere. We also hear from Kim Konikow, executive director of the North Dakota Council on the Arts. ~~~ Continuing on a poetry theme, we learn about Geoffrey Caucer and hear the beginning of his Canterbury Tales, which is set in springtime. It’s in Middle English, an example of how dramatically language can change. ~~~ Mortician Caitlin Doughty is coming to North Dakota as part of Humanities North Dakota’s Brave Conversations series. She runs The Order of the Good Death and challenges current practices surrounding death.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023 - Sue Backer of Spiritwood visits with Craig Blumenshine about her experience being diagnosed with ALS. ~~~ Arcadia Publishing is out with a new book: “Images of Aviation, North Dakota Air National Guard.” Joining us are the authors, David Lipp, retired public affairs officer for the North Dakota Air National Guard; and Max Sabin, collections manager at the Fargo Air Museum.
Monday, April 10, 2023 - More than 55 million people live with some form of dementia, with North and South Dakota having the highest death rates related to the illness. Caring for those patients is a difficult task. In March we introduced you to Brandi Malarkey’s multimedia project, “Practical Kindness.” Today, in the second installment of the project, we hear from Deb Kaul, the executive director of the Memory Café of the Red River Valley; and also from four caregivers. ~~~ In an excerpt from the Great American Folk Show, Tom Brouseau shares a piece about the Northwood Performing Arts Center, a space that got built in the aftermath of a devastating and deadly tornado. ~~~ Master gardener Audrey Gilbraith isn’t letting the late spring dampen her enthusiasm. She joins us with some more gardening insights. ~~~ What does it mean to be “of the prairie” Dr. Molly Rozum contemplates that in her book, Grasslands Grown: Creating Place on the U.S. Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies. She’s an associate professor at the University of South Dakota. Guest hosting for us is fellow historian Dr. Tom Isern of NDSU.
In the Company of Grace: A Veterinarian's Memoir of Trauma and Healing is a new book from Minnesota author Jody Lulich. In it, he explores his mother’s suicide and how helping voiceless animals allowed him to heal. ~~~ April is National Poetry Month. Bill Thomas was a judge at the recent North Dakota Poetry Out Loud competition. He shares highlights.
Thursday, April 6, 2023 - UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein joins us to discuss “The Philosophy of Depression,” a preview of his Sunday conversation on “Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life.” His guest will be Andrew Solomon, a writer on politics, culture and psychology. Solomon wrote “The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression,” which won the 2001 National Book Award, was a finalist for the 2002 Pulitzer Prize, and was included in The Times list of one hundred best books of the decade. ~~~ Roger Gussiaas started farming in 1979 and throughout those years raised 24 different crops, including growing hemp seed for grain and CBD. He has a range of knowledge as a grower, business owner, producer, and exporter and likes to share his expertise with those wanting to learn more. He recently spoke at the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society conference in Fargo. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “To Leslie.”
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 - Patrick McCloskey is the editor of the Dakota Digital Review and has just published the publication’s fourth issue. The magazine covers the cyber sciences and pressed forward when the Dakota Digital Academy was formed two years ago. ~~~ Rural areas are losing grocery stores at a faster rate than in urban areas. In some counties there are no grocery stores at all. Aaron Bonderson reports for Harvest Public Media on how some communities are grappling with food access. ~~~ Another need in rural areas is childcare. In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, we hear how a North Dakota bank is trying to help. ~~~ Jessie Veeder shares another essay from the ranch titled “”Is This Middle Age?”
Tuesday, April 4, 2023 - Alan Schlag is a hydrologist with the National Weather Service. He joins us to discuss the outlook for flooding this spring, and the science that goes into making such evaluations. ~~~ Speaking of flooding, Chuck Lura discusses some of the beneficial effects in another episode of Natural North Dakota. ~~~ We visit with Christopher Vondracek, author of “Dancing with Welk: Music, Memory and Prairie Troubadours.” It’s a cheeky retelling of Lawrence Welk’s story, blending memoir, travelogue, and cultural history.
Monday, April 3, 2023 - Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author Timothy Egan and his book “A Fever in the Heartland.” It’s the true story that chronicles the gripping story of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to power not in the old Confederacy, but the West and the Heartland of America and a the tragic story of one woman who confronted the Ku Klux Klan to counter the group’s effort to take over America. ~~~ Audrey Bader recruits for the Peace Corps in North Dakota and enlightens prospective volunteers about the invaluable experience of being a Peace Corps volunteer. She provides insight into the recruitment process and sheds light on the benefits that await volunteers. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “The Vanishing Homesteader.”
Friday, March, 31, 2023 - Master gardener Audrey Gilbraith joins us to discuss this wet, cold spring and what it means for the upcoming gardening season. ~~~ We continue our look forward to spring as we chat with horticulturist Ron Smith. ~~~ Reporter Sylvia Poggioli is leaving her regular gig at NPR, but don’t call it retirement! She joins us to reflect on her career and her plans going forward. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews a new take on Pinocchio from director Guillermo del Toro. ~~~ Tomorrow is April Fools Day. So, here’s Chuck Lura to tell us about Jackalopes.
Thursday, March 30, 2023 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable has no shortage of topics! Craig Blumenshine hosts as we visit with Prairie Public news director Dave Thompson; Forum Communications editor-in-chief Matthew Von Pinnon; and the owner and publisher of Journal Publishing in Crosby, Cecile Wehrman.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023 - It’s called a searing, adventurous memoir about the cold, hard realities of pursuing the cowboy way. “Twenty Miles of Fence” is a new book that recounts a decade of transformation as Bob West leaves his life as an architect to become a rancher. He joins us from his home in Wyoming. ~~~ Pulitzer Prize winning poet Tracy K. Smith was one of the featured guests at last week’s UND Writers Conference. She visits with Bill Thomas about the importance of poetry and how it works.
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 - What’s with all this “woke” talk? It’s actually a word that’s been around a long time. We discuss the concept in this month’s Philosophical Currents conversation with philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein. ~~~ There’s a newly-expanded Gateway to Science in Bismarck. Efforts are underway for three more museums in North Dakota; the Magic City Discovery Center in Minot, The Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum, and the Center for Exploration in Grand Forks. The Grand Forks effort recently attracted the likes of Oscar nominated actor John C. Reilly who performed at a recent fundraiser. We visit with fundraising chair Maura Tanabe. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “Bastille at Far-go.” ~~~ A Birdnote feature on the spring migration around the globe.
Monday, March 27, 2023 - How close did we come to nuclear war during Vietnam? That’s explored in American Experience: "The Movement and the Madman." It premieres tomorrow, March 28th on PBS stations. We visit with filmmaker Stephen Talbot. ~~~ Kids Scoop News is an effort to help children learn the value of journalism and to promote literacy. The publication is distributed to students in Western North Dakota, and the hope is to go statewide. Joining us is Cecile Wehrman, publisher of Journal Publishing in Crosby. ~~~ Birdnote: Hummingbirds Returning.
Matt Olien on movie attendance ~ Dave Thompson with a news review ~ Carole Lindstrom and her book "My Powerful Hair."
Theatre NDSU Marc Devine, PCAND Lindsey Burkhardt & Veronica Wiesz, Johnathan Repoyo and Tom Isern, "The Baggage Coach Ahead”
Jeremiah Program and Laetitia Mizero Hellerud, Jessie Veeder, Chuck Lura, "End of the Rope" and filmmaker Daniel Bielinski of Bismarck.
Tuesday, March 21, 2023 - The 54th Annual UND Writers Conference gets underway Thursday. This year’s theme focuses on healing. Juliet Patterson is one of the featured authors, so today we thought it would be a good time to reair a conversation about her book, “Sinkhole: A Legacy of Suicide.” It explores her grief journey following her father’s suicide. ~~~ Crystal Alberts is the organizer of the UND Writers Conference. She joins us with more information about this year’s conference.
Monday, March 20, 2023 - Dr. Stephen Weiler, professor of economics and co-director, of the Regional Economic Development Institute at Colorado State University discusses the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting scheduled for March 21-22. Will they or won't they increase interest rates again? What about bank uncertainty? What does the latest economic data about inflation and jobs mean? And, how will this all impact rural America? ~~~ The Fargo Film Festival is March 21-25. We visit with Allison Otto, who directed The Thief Collector, a documentary feature. It is a hilarious and bizarre true crime story about a mid-day art heist and the very “normal” couple at the center of the mystery. ~~~ How much do birds sing? That question is explored in another episode of Birdnote.
Friday, March 17, 2023 - Fargo Film Festival gets underway next week. In this excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris visits with Sean Volk, the Fargo Theatre development and engagement manager. ~~~ Jessie Veeder shares an essay from the ranch titled, “From the Top of the Hill.” ~~~ Dave Thompson is here with our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt reviews “The Quiet Girl,” and comments on the recent Academy Awards.
Thursday, March 16, 2023 - The Fargo Film Festival is March 21-25. We visit with Emily Sheskin, the director of the documentary feature JessZilla. It chronicles the journey of boxing protégé Jesselyn Silva as she has an eye on the Olympics, but then receives a horrible diagnosis. ~~~ Recent news about bank failures have created some concern about the banking industry in general. North Dakota has quite a past when it comes to banking. In a story we first aired last August, Nick Rommel explores the history and the legacy of the State Bank of ND. ~~~ We share a BirdNote on how birds stop flying.
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 - The Alzheimer’s Association has released its annual Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report. It provides an in-depth look at the latest statistics and information on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence, incidence, mortality, dementia care workforce, costs of care and impact on caregivers across the country. We visit with Dr. Danielle Purcell, practicing neurologist and senior director of clinical practice for the Alzheimer’s Association. ~~~ Chuck Lura discusses the Orion nebula in an episode of Natural North Dakota. ~~~ Have you ever heard of Yellowstone Vic Smith? He’s a colorful character in the region’s history, and he wrote a rough memoir well over a hundred years ago that Jeanette Prodgers edited into a book first published in 1997. Smith was also one of the region’s historical figures portrayed by the late Arch Ellwein in more than 2,400 shows coast to coast. Today we revisit the story of Vic Smith with Jeanette Prodgers as we discuss her book: “The Champion Buffalo Hunter: The Frontier Memoirs of Yellowstone Vic Smith.”
Tuesday, March 14, 2023 - Writer Taylor Brorby is coming back to North Dakota to talk about this book, Boys and Oil: Growing up Gay in a Fractured Land, speaking at Zandbroz in Fargo on March 21st. We visited with him about the book when it came out last year. He joins us today to talk about the reaction. ~~~ The State Historical Society has prepared a special presentation Class B basketball in North Dakota. We visit with Laura Forde, the society’s education and engagement manager; and Sarah Walker, head of the North Dakota State Archives. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay.
Monday, March 13, 2023 - Artist Medora Frei was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at age 18. Her new book, “These Are My Flowers: My Story of Composting Trauma Into Colorful Art,” explores pain and suffering, and how that shaped her life. ~~~ Moorhead teacher Rebecca Meyer-Larson is the winner of the Citation Award from the National Federation of State High School Associations. This nationwide award is the highest honor given to a coach or director. She will receive the award this summer in Seattle. ~~~ The spring equinox is coming up, and that’s the subject of this week’s Natural North Dakota from Chuck Lura.
Friday, March 10, 2023 - News director Dave Thompson is here to discuss the latest from the legislature and other highlights from the week’s news. ~~~ The Great American Folk Show is heard weekly on Prairie Public. Today we share an excerpt as we learn how to make a great stew. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about owls. ~~~ Matt Olien joins us for an extended movie conversation as he reviews Aftersun, a coming-of-age drama, and previews Sunday’s Academy Awards presentation, sharing his predictions for the big winners.
Thursday, March 9, 2023 - Director of radio Bill Thomas joins us with some highlights from this year’s Poetry Out Loud event. ~~~ Youth For Christ operates in over 100 countries and has a variety of programs, including youth clubs, sports ministries, music ministries, and evangelism training. The organization aims to connect young people, including young people considered “at risk” and provide them with support, mentorship, and guidance as they navigate the challenges of adolescence and young adulthood. Sean Patterson, director from Grand Forks, and Greg Everett, executive director from Fargo, discuss the mission of YFC.
Here is another sampling of musicians from far and wide who have performed in North Dakota. Perhaps you’ll remember some!
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 - UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein joins us to discuss the theme of next Sunday’s episode of “Why, Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life.” It’s a special episode as he visits with four of his current or past students about their experience studying philosophy. That episode has already been recorded, and he’ll preview that engaging conversation.
Tuesday, March 7, 2023 - Dr. Stephen Reed is a Professor of Religion and Philosophy at the University of Jamestown and is considered an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls. He spent last fall in Norway, continuing his research about what he calls the Dead Sea Scrolls fragments. ~~~ Dr. Jim O’Connell’s mission to bring healing to homeless people is documented in the new book “Rough Sleepers” by acclaimed author Tracy Kidder. Today we hear from Dr. O’Connell in an excerpt from the Conversations on Healthcare podcast. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Monumental Matters.”
Monday, March 6, 2023 - North Dakota’s Gateway to Science has a brand new building! Craig Blumenshine gets a tour from Beth Demke, executive director. ~~~ Across the Midwest and Great Plains, statewide weather monitors record data for farmers, researchers and emergency responders. The information helps with storm warnings, climate science, crop insurance and more. As Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports, financing for many of those state networks is on shaky ground. ~~~ In an episode of “Poetry from Studio 47” Patrick Hicks profiles poet Sandy Longhorn. ~~~ A BirdNote episode about turkeys.
Sarah Matthews is the executive director of the Red River Children’s Advocacy Center. We learn about the important work being done to help victimized children in an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show with host John Harris. ~~~ First Link, Prairie Public and Tellwell are partnering on a student film festival which is welcoming short videos on the themes of suicide prevention and mental health. Director of radio Bill Thomas visits with Jeremy Brown, outreach director for FirstLink, and Tim Wollenzein, education services manager for Prairie Public. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for our weekly news update. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Triangle of Sadness.”
Thursday, March 2, 2023 - Antonia Gonzales is the founder and host of National Native News. She’s visiting North Dakota on the occasion of the 8th Annual NDSU Press Party. Antonia contributed to one of the books being featured at the event: “Rethinking Rural: Reflections on the Past, Insights for the Future.” ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Who Feeds Them All.” ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats in an episode titled “Getting Ready to Plant.”
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 - When people are having a tough time, it’s easy to ask, “how can I help?” Special contributor Brandi Malarkey explores ways we can actually be helpful in her project, “Practical Kindness.” Today we hear what it takes to run for office the first time. Then Brandi explains more about the Practical Kindness project. ~~~ The WeRise event from the North Dakota Women's Network helps women running for office. The free event is coming up in Bismarck March 5th and 6th. We visit with Interim Executive Director Kayla Schmidt and Board Chair Amy Ingersoll.
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 - North Dakota and a number of other states are considering legislation regarding transgender issues. Those issues are complex, involving a lot of emotion and instinctual reactions. Dr. Kirsten Benson has done considerable research on transgender people. She’s a former faculty member at NDSU, and is now an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling at Appalachian State University. She joins us to discuss her research and how it might inform the decisions legislators face. ~~~ Sex trafficking is a serious problem, and indigenous women are disproportionately affected. Joining us is Ejaz Khan who is filming a movie titled “Trapped.” It’s a fictional narrative film that tells the story of sex trafficking in a small North Dakota Town.
Monday, February 27, 2023 - UND Philosophy professor Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein is here for our monthly episode of Philosophical Currents, a day we take a philosophical dive into a current topic. Today we tackle the metaverse.
Friday, February 24, 2023 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable will take a closer look at the current legislative session. In addition to Prairie Public news director Dave Thompson, we welcome special guests Jeremy Turley, Forum Communications reporter based in Bismarck; and Jack Dura, reporter with the Bismarck Tribune. ~~~ Matt Olien Reviews "Women Talking."
Thursday, February 23, 2023 - Last year, the North Dakota department of corrections created a new position, a director of diversity and cultural competency. Erica Thunder was named to the post, and in this excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, she discusses her role with host John Harris. ~~~ The need for quality child care far outweighs the supply, and it’s worse in rural areas. Harvest Public Media’s Xcaret Nuñez reports. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “The Whole Aspect of Nature is Transformed.” ~~~ Sue Balcom is talking about potting soil in another episode of Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 - What does it mean to want to become a teacher today and how is the training of teachers in North Dakota evolving? Dr. Yvonne H. Cannon, Assistant Professor in the Division of Education at Mayville State University, talks about the challenges and opportunities for students who aspire to become teachers. ~~~ Dr. Travis Hoffman, assistant professor and sheep extension specialist at North Dakota State University brings us up-to-date on the state’s sheep industry. His work and research aims to support an integrated supply chain for sheep, lamb, and wool production as part of the land grant mission to help North Dakota and Minnesota sheep producers.
Tuesday, February 21, 2021 - Despite the life-altering trials in Bill Vossler's life – being abandoned by his father at age three, the painful Biblical rantings of Apocalypse Granny, and the effects of an alcoholic home – he was "saved" by an empty lot across the street where he discovered fossils identified by the Smithsonian, a curiosity and love of nature, creating his own baseball stadium, delivering newspapers, and reading – all of which nurtured in him a joy of being alive. He recalls the events in his memoir “Days of Wonder.” ~~~ The Ridge Treatment and Reentry Center is for people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Part of their treatment includes yoga. We visit with instructor Sara Van Ostrand, and Director of Clinical Services Tom Frei. You can read more in paper from the National Institute of Health on yoga and addiction. ~~~ Jessie Veeder shares an essay titled “Heritage Cooking.”
Monday, Feb. 20. 2023 - Abraham Lincoln is best remembered as the man who carried the United States through a civil war - but what is his legacy in the American West? Presidential scholar Rick Collin interviews his special guest Author Richard Etulain, an award-winning historian who specializes in the history of the American West. Etulain has written the book: Abraham Lincoln: A Western Legacy.
Friday, February 17, 2023 – “Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History” is a new documentary from American Experience. It debuts February 20th on PBS. It’s called the real story behind America's most popular game – an untold tale of theft, obsession, and corporate double-dealing. We visit with filmmaker Stephen Ives. ~~~ Dave Thompson is at the legislature daily. He shares an update during our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “80 for Brady,” and remembers Raquel Welch.
Thursday, February 16, 2023 – Amir Madison played football at UMary and for the pro arena team, The Bloomington Edge. He now teaches yoga and meditation to athletes. We learn about YogiAthlete and an upcoming meditation challenge. ~~~ A year ago, the U.S. began to mandate that food manufacturers, importers and retailers add a disclosure on the label if a food or substantial ingredient has been genetically modified. Harvest Public Media’s Katie Peikes reports on the impact that rule may be having. ~~~ Sue Balcom discusses lemons in this week’s Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 – Cyber Madness is a two-day event where North Dakota students team up and compete to solve today’s most pressing cybersecurity issues. We visit with Cathy White, First Tech Challenge Robotics Coach & Technology Coordinator for Alexander Public School, and Prairie Public’s Troy Jackson II, an education services associate. ~~~ Dr. Rupak Gandhi is the superintendent of schools in Fargo, and he comments on the declining test scores students have faced during the pandemic. He visits with John Harris in an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “That Hungry Coyote.”
Dr. Thomas Krumel, Assistant Professor in the department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at NDSU, writes that working conditions in meatpacking plants contributed to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and that impacted the community. Also, he explores whether PPP loans had a positive impact on the craft brewing industry. ~~~ Dickinson State University has announced the addition of Fire Science to its degree program offerings. The program’s development began in 2020 when the University was approached by the Dickinson Fire Department with a desire to build a local program and attract individuals into the field – serving a critical role in the community. Dickinson State University’s Dean, College of Education, Business, & Applied Sciences Dr. Holly Gruhlke and Alaynea Decker, Senior Fire Fighter with the Dickinson Fire Department discuss.
Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about romance, but it can be stressful. We visit with Dr. Ron Werner- Wilson, whose research focuses on families and marital relationships. He’s the dean of the College of Human Sciences and Education at NDSU.
Grammy-Award winning singer songwriter Judy Collins is the special guest on this week’s Great American Folk Show. We share an excerpt. ~~~ Dr. Prithviraj Lakkakula is a Research Assistant Professor in Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University. He discusses history, applications and the economics of blockchain technologies and cryptocurrencies including bitcoin. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for his weekly news discussion. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews, “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
Jack Russell Weinstein previews the upcoming episode of the Why show, “Data, Technology, and the Power of Privacy”~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, "In the West.” ~~~ It’s almost time for the big game between Kansas City and Philadelphia. How’s your snack game? Sue Balcom is here for a football edition of Main Street Eats.
Darin Langerud is the Director of the North Dakota Atmospheric Resources Board, a quasi-judicial, quasi-legislative advisory and rule-making board under the supervision of the State Water Commission, which has oversight of the state’s cloud seeding programs. We discuss the state program. ~~~ 529 plans are used for college savings. Starting next year, people will have the opportunity to roll over unused funds into a ROTH IRA penalty free. We talk with Bell Investment Wealth Advisor Nicholas Peterson about what parents and college students need to know.
Dr. Scott Acton is a Wavefront scientist for Ball Aerospace, and spent decades of his life working on the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope launched from earth Christmas Day in 2021, and has performed well beyond expectations since. Dr. Acton discusses his incredible history with the project and tells us what may be next for one of our country’s most brilliant physicists. ~~~ February is Black History Month. We hear from Dr. Larry Napoleon, an associate professor in the School of Education at NDSU about this year’s theme, “Black Resistance.” His research agenda includes the outcomes for Non-traditional / marginalized populations within education.
NDSU Athletics Director Matt Larson brings us up-to-date on all things Bison Athletics. We’ll chat with the veteran AD to learn how recent NCAA changes are affecting NDSU sports teams. ~~~ Humanities North Dakota offers several free online learning events in a program they call Public University. Today we offer a preview as we visit with Raffi Andonian about his 13 week course called Contested Histories, Conflicted Space: Understanding Historic Sites and Monuments.
How can our pets teach us about ourselves? We visit with Lisa Erixon, a retired high school English teacher, about her book, “No Ordinary Cats,” which details her family’s many cats, and what lessons they taught her. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson is here with our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Living,” a drama featuring actor Bill Nighy in a performance that has earned him a nomination for Best Actor.
Dr. Stephan Weiler co-authored a story titled "Rural Americans aren’t included in inflation figures – and for them, the cost of living may be rising faster." We’ll discuss his findings. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “I Claim Authorship.” ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us for a discussion of chocolate for Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 - We kick off our popular Short and Sweet membership drive (which always features those great chocolate truffles from Nichole's Fine Pastry) by visiting with NDSU professor Ross Collins, the author of “Chocolate, a Cultural Encyclopedia.” ~~~ What does our Short and Sweet membership drive have to do with the Japanese poetry form of haiku? We’ll explain as we learn about haiku from ShaunAnne Tangney, retired professor of English at Minot State University.
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 - Veterans Story Preservation Day will be Monday, February 6th at the Fargo Air Museum. Every veteran has a story worth being told and the Museum will preserve history by conducting a 30 minute audio and/or visual recorded video of Veterans from all service branches. We visit with Ryan Thayer, executive director/CEO of the Fargo Air Museum, and Max Sabin, collections manager. ~~~ Veterans’ oral histories can sometimes involve trauma. There’s even an effort to name an overpass in Jamestown "Hidden Wounds Veterans Overpass." At the suggestion of a listener, we explore the problem of PTSD as we visit with Amanda McMahon, executive director of the Prairie Recovery Center in Raleigh, North Dakota. In addition to PTSD, we’ll also learn about the other services they provide.
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 - Veterans Story Preservation Day will be Monday, February 6th at the Fargo Air Museum. Every veteran has a story worth being told and the Museum will preserve history by conducting a 30 minute audio and/or visual recorded video of Veterans from all service branches. We visit with Ryan Thayer, Executive Director/CEO; and Max Sabin, Collections Manager, from the Fargo Air Museum. ~~~ Veterans’ oral histories can sometimes involve trauma. There’s even an effort to name an overpass in Jamestown "Hidden Wounds Veterans Overpass." At the suggestion of a listener, we explore the problem of PTSD as we visit with Amanda McMahon, executive director of the Prairie Recovery Center in Raleigh, North Dakota. In addition to PTSD, we’ll also learn about the other services they provide.
Friday, January 27, 2023 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable will hone-in on the news from the state legislature. Along with our own Dave Thompson, we welcome special guest Joel Crane of KFYR. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Empire of Light,” and discusses the Academy Award nominations.
Arctic explorer and environmentalist Lonnie Dupre will be speaking about climate change and his polar explorations in Moorhead on Saturday. ~~~ Poetry from studio 47 comes to us from Patrick Hicks, a writer in residence and a member of the English faculty at Augustana University. Today he profiles poet and North Dakota native, Debra Marquart. ~~~ Sue Balcom is talking about those expensive eggs on Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 - Philosophical Currents is our monthly deep dive into a current issue with UND philosophy professor Jack Weinstein. This month’s topic explores academic freedom and the role of tenure.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - The University of Mary is presenting its 8th Annual Bloody Sunday Forum, examining peace and reconciliation issues stemming from “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland (1968 – 1998). We visit with featured guest Ronan McCloskey, a renowned filmmaker from Northern Ireland; and Dr. Michael Taylor, professor of education at the university. ~~~ Today we share a Natural North Dakota essay, “Hugh Glass and Grizzly Bears.” ~~~ Tom Isern has a Plains Folk essay, “Two Guys in a Dugout.” ~~~ Betty Adams is the director of the West Fargo Library. She discusses the future of the library, services and programs that are available for patrons, and the role libraries play in healthy North Dakota Communities.
Monday, January 23, 2023 - The Mineta-Simpson Institute at Heart Mountain works to preserve and share the history of Japanese Americans incarcerated at the Heart Mountain War Relocation Center during World War II. The institute is named after the late Norman Mineta who served in Congress and also served in the cabinets for Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and after former longtime Senator Al Simpson.~~~ Bobcats were hunted to near extinction in parts of the country, and states began putting them on protected species lists. But the bobcat has made a huge comeback, and now it’s hunted in nearly every state. Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco of Harvest Public Media reports. ~~~ The days are getting longer! Horticulturist Ron Smith is here with some mid-winter tips as we look toward spring. ~~~ In another episode of TellTale, Dakota Folklife and Stories, we hear from folk singers as they discuss the emotional effect and purpose of Das Schicksal, a traditional Germans-from-Russia Catholic funeral song.
Friday, January 20, 2023 - Charity Lutheran Church in Bismarck recently participated in a mission trip to Ukraine. Joining us to talk about the experience is the Reverend Brad Miller. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Glass Onion, a Knives Out Mystery.”
Thursday, January 19, 2023 - Christy Goulet joins us to discuss the latest news regarding the use of place names seen as offensive in the indigenous community. ~~~ Consumers have experienced higher food prices at the grocery in the last couple of years, especially for eggs. Kendall Crawford reports for Harvest Public Media…on what's behind the increase. ~~~ Sue Balcom says it's not too early to be digging into the seed catalogs and getting serious about planning the garden.
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - The Fargo Moorhead Indigenous Association is working to build a Native American Center. We visit with interim executive director Brandon Baity. ~~~ High Plains Fair Housing Center has seen quite a rise in calls for help. Kelly Gorz, associate director for the center, joins us to discuss the difficulties renters are having with discrimination, rent hikes and more.
Tuesday, January 17, 2013 - Michael Miller was recently appointed director emeritus of NDSU Libraries. He joins us to reflect on his career and the pioneering work done on the history of North Dakota’s Germans from Russia. ~~~ Spotted Tail was a Sicangu Lakota leader. His life is the focus of an upcoming virtual History Talks presentation sponsored by the South Dakota State Historical Society. We visit with Richmond Clow, professor emeritus of Native American Studies at the University of Montana. He wrote the book, “Spotted Tail: Warrior and Statesman.”
Monday, January 16, 2023 - Erika Bolstad is a journalist who came to North Dakota in search of mineral rights and the legacy of the great-grandmother who homesteaded the land. She wrote about the search in her book, “Windfall: The Prairie Woman Who Lost Her Way and the Great-Granddaughter Who Found Her.” ~~~ People in Selma, Alabama, are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's legacy — even as they clean up after a series of large tornadoes roared across the state last week killing six people. ~~~ One of Martin Luther King Junior’s most important confidants was a Jewish businessman from New York named Stanley Levison, has remained largely hidden from public view. This story comes to us from Matthew Schuerman of WNYC. ~~~ In an episode of TellTale, Dakota Folklife and Stories we hear from elders in central North Dakota as they reminisce about staying warm and having fun during the harsh cold winters of their childhoods.
Friday, January 13, 2023 - Humanities ND is hosting a series of Chautauqua events. Joining us is executive director Brenna Gerhardt and Chautauqua performers George Frein and Bruce Henderson. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for this week’s news recap. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Whale.”
Thursday, January 12, 2023 - The Taube Museum of Art has been a vital part of the overall Minot community since the early 1970s! The Museum is planning the grand opening of the Dr. Andrea E. Donovan Library. The library will honor the late Dr. Andrea Donovan, and her love of art, architecture, and history. We visit with Rachel Alfaro, executive director. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay: “Whose Song is This, Anyway?” ~~~ Root cellar Sue Balcom is here for a discussion of cooking trends.
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 - Dr. Marcus Fries, associate professor and chair of the department of mathematics and computer science at Dickinson State, discusses his latest article, The Encrypted History of Cryptography. Cryptography, he says, is necessary for modern society and it’s something we use multiple times per day. ~~~ Wes Philome is the CEO of OneFargoND, an organization pushing for racial equity and social reforms. As we approach the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, he reflects on King’s legacy and what it meant in his life as he visits with John Harris, host of the Prairie Pulse television show.
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 - Libby Martin is a design specialist at Thomsen Homes. She looks forward as we discuss hot trends for new homes. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about woodpeckers. ~~~ Dr. Bill Peterson, director, State Historical Society of North Dakota and Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, of the North Dakota National Guard discusses next steps relative to a planned North Dakota Military History Museum at the North Dakota Heritage Center.
Monday, January 9, 2023 - Matt Fetsch started working for the North Dakota High School Activities Association in 2010 and became executive director in 2014. He visits us about all things high school sports and activities in North Dakota. ~~~ Dr. David Cook is the new president of NDSU, and he talks with John Harris in an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show. ~~~ Governor Doug Burgum would like North Dakota's anti-corporate farming law amended to help the state compete for larger livestock processing operations. If North Dakota eases restrictions, it will be joining some other states in the Midwest that have paved the way for larger feedlots. Harvest Public Media’s Eva Tesfaye reports.
Thursday, January 5 - Early Childhood Awareness Day is coming up in Bismarck. Here to discuss the event and importance of a child’s formative years are Johnathan Repoyo, Prairie Public’s early childhood specialist; and Missi Baranko, USpireND executive director. ~~~ Tom Isern shares this week’s Plains Folk essay, “What it Means to be Red.” ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats as we discuss food trends for the new year.
Wednesday, January 4, 2023 - Prairie Public will be hosting a panel discussion at the Heritage Center on Sunday exploring the parallels between Bismarck history and that of Manzanar, California: namely, Japanese internment, Indigenous dispossession, and political/economic wrangling over water use and protections. Moderated by Alicia Hegland-Thorpe, the discussion will feature Dennis Neumann, the longtime archivist at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck; and Erik Holland, the longtime education director with the State Historical Society of North Dakota. ~~~ Prairie Public Television Production Manager Barb Gravel joins us to preview the upcoming season of Prairie Musicians.
Tuesday, January 3, 2023 - From preventing torture, to outing homosexuals, the polygraph machine has a storied history. That history is explored in “The Lie Detector,” the latest episode of American Experience. It premieres tonight, January 3rd. We visit with filmmaker Rob Rapley about this “uniquely American” phenomenon. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on snow and snowflakes. ~~~ News director visits with outgoing Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford.
January 2, 2023 - Blending tradition and modern living is the aim of the book The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World. We visit with author Dr. Anton Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe of Bemidji State University.
Friday, December 30, 2022 - It’s time for our 2022 Year in Review Journalists Roundtable. We’re joined by four special guests: Prairie Public News Director Dave Thompson; Minot Daily News Associate Editor Jill Schramm; Bismarck Tribune Capitol Reporter Jack Dura; and North Dakota News Cooperative Enterprise Journalist Michael Standaert.
Thursday, December 29, 2022 - We continue looking back on the best of 2022. We reair a conversation from October with Dr. Temple Grandin, autism activist, scientist and New York Times bestselling author. She joins us to discuss her new book, “Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions.” ~~~ Bringing bison back to the prairie transforms the landscape in ways that may well make it more resilient against climate change and benefit other wildlife.Celia Llopis-Jepsenof the Kansas News Service reports on a rare three-decade study by scientists at Kansas State University. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for a Main Street Eats on new year’s resolutions. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Argentina: 1985.”
Wednesday, December 28, 2022 - For this month’s Philosophical Currents, Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein looks at antisemitism, which is on the rise. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Young Charlotte." ~~~ The Ursulina is set in the frozen north woods of rural Minnesota. Deputy Rebecca Colder hunts the mythical Ursulina creature responsible for brutal murders. We reair a conversation from April with author Brian Freeman.
Tuesday, December 27, 2022 - The Supreme Court has had a busy year. Would you believe that female US Supreme Court Justices are interrupted four times more often than male ones? We visit with Mary Ann Sieghart the author of The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It. Today we reair a conversation from March. ~~~ Will Cromarty is working to provide accessible museum space to local collectors. As a former CIA officer and national security subject-matter expert in aerospace and satellite systems, space/counterspace weapons system counterproliferation, and aerospace-sector geopolitics, he comments on current events. Across the aerospace sector, William spearheads federal partnerships in support of America's most cutting-edge satellite and UAS programs.
Monday, December 26, 2022 - After a weekend of eating too much, it’s time to take better care of our digestive systems. We reair a conversation from October on the power of poop. From fecal transplants to renewable energy, the new book Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure explores why we might want to make our number two, a number one priority. We visit with science writer Dr. Bryn Nelson.
Thursday, December 22, 2022 - We’re looking back on one of our favorite conversations from 2022. From October, we reair a conversation with Christopher Vondracek, author of “Dancing with Welk: Music, Memory and Prairie Troubadours.” It’s a cheeky retelling of Lawrence Welk’s story, blending memoir, travelogue, and cultural history. ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us for Main Street Eats to talk Christmas. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews Avatar: The Way of Water.” ~~~ We share a reading from the late Doug Hamilton of “The Night Before Christmas.”
Wednesday, December 21, 2022 - Whether it’s family time you’re after, or family time you’re looking to avoid this holiday season, movies fit the bill. We have a lively discussion about Christmas movies from the classics to the offbeat. We hear from Matt Olien, Greg Carlson, and Brittney Goodman, all members of the North Dakota Film Society.
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 - The holidays are a time when family gathers. That makes them a good time to discuss health care plans. Craig Blumenshine visits with Tracee Capron, executive director of Hospice of the Red River Valley about available services, statewide needs, and upcoming building plans for an 18-unit Hospice center. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Christmas Parable from the High Line.” ~~~ When it’s cold and snowy, it can be all too easy to stay inside. Today we reair a conversation from September about One Winter Up North. It’s a kids book exploring the flora and fauna of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We revisit with illustrator John Owens that first aired in September.
Books make a great Christmas gift, so today we’re presenting an encore episode of Main Street with Gary Goodman, the author of The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade. It’s a story punctuated with book obsessives, questionable decisions, and even death-defying treks in search of books.
Friday, December 16, 2022 - Bruce Gjovig, the former director of the UND Center for Innovation, joins us to discuss his new book: “The Innovators from North Dakota: The Change Agents!” ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for this week’s news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Fabelmans.”
Monday, December 12, 2022 - The Jamestown Jimmies volleyball team won the NAIA national championship last week! Craig Blumenshine visits with head coach Jon Hegerle. ~~~ In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris visits with Jan Eliassen about homelessness. She’s director of harm reduction programs for the City of Fargo.
Thursday, December 15, 2022 - The Anne Carlsen center helps North Dakotans with special needs. They have a new campus coming soon, and we get an update from Preston Nesemeier, Anne Carlsen Foundation fund manager; and Tim Eissinger, CEO. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - Jason Patrick is the historian for the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. We’ll talk about its mission of operating the E/RQ-4B Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role as well as some history of the Grand Forks Air Base. ~~~ In the second half of our show we feature some of our most popular shorter segments, beginning with Tom Isern shares essays about the Great Plains, called “Plains Folk.” Here’s his essay, “In Plains Sight.” ~~~ Another essayist who writes about rural life is Jessie Veeder of Watford City. Today she reflects on the power of music in an essay titled ““Mr. Tanner and singing along.” ~~~ Natural North Dakota comes to us from biologist Chuck Lura. Today he covers two topics: Rodents and the Winter Solstice. ~~~ Another nature feature is BirdNote. Today we hear about winged pirates. ~~~ And let’s not forget one of our most popular features, Dakota Datebook, written by a team of writers and voiced by Merrill Piepkorn, Marie Offutt and Bill Thomas.
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 - North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.3%, and yet restaurants across the state say they’re desperate for workers. Where is everyone working? We visit with Becca Cruger, director of workforce development for the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation. ~~~ The State Historical Society of North Dakota is digitizing its newspaper archives, making searchable files available to the public. We visit with Shane Molander, director of the state archives.
Friday, December 9. 2022 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable takes a deeper dive into the latest news. Joining Ashley and news director Dave Thompson are three special guests: Jack Zaleski and Jim Shaw, both columnists for Forum Communications; and Steve Andrist, former newspaper publisher and former executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association. ~~~ Matt Olien has this week’s movie review, “EO,” a donkey with melancholy eyes who meets good and bad people on his life's path.
Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 – Jack Russell Weinstein previews this Sunday’s episode of WHY, Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life, when he’ll visit with philosophy professor Mark Reiff of the University of California at Davis in an episode titled “The Argument for Unions.” ~~~ Jessie Veeder shares an essay from the ranch as she reflects on her writings as a child. ~~~ Sue Balcom discusses flavor bases in today’s Main Street Eats conversation.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 - How did a small-town Minnesota, daughter of a Lutheran pastor end up dead during an FBI raid of a domestic terrorist ring? That's explored in the new book, “Not the Camilla We Knew One Woman’s Path from Small-town America to the Symbionese Liberation Army.” We visit with author Rachael Hanel on how people can become radicalized. ~~~ Don’t confuse “HOOFDA” with “OOF DA,” the phrase we are used to hearing here in North Dakota. Instead, think of unique hand-drawn HOOFDA art designs - expressing love for hoofed animals and an appreciation of nature - on cozy apparel. We visit with HOOFDA founder Roberta Quintero.
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 - Oyate is a documentary that follows two Lakota activists, a Dakota hip hop artist, the first Indigenous US Secretary of the Interior, and more as they fought against the Dakota Access Pipeline. There’s a screening on December 6th in Jamestown. We visit with Emil Benjamin and Jennifer Martel. ~~~ Special contributor Brandi Malarkey visits with North Dakota author T.J. Fier about her young adult adventure, “The Bright One.” ~~~ Prairie Mosaic is a regular feature on our television service. Here’s one featuring Nelda Schrupp of Lakota ND. She uses metal to create incredible art.
Monday, December 5, 2022 - We introduce our new Main Street colleague, Craig Blumenshine. ~~~ In this week’s Natural North Dakota, biologist Chuck Lura helps us “Enjoy Nature in Winter.” ~~~ After a couple years off, The Blenders are back with their annual series of Christmas concerts. Joining us for an update is Tim Kasper.
Friday, December 2, 2022 - Sugar is a big part of Americans’ daily diet, and a lot of it is produced in the Red River Valley from sugar beets. But it’s also made of cane sugar, from vast plantations in the Dominican Republic. In this Saturday’s episode of Reveal, at 1pm Central, reporters Sandy Tolan and Euclides Cordero Nuel report on the hardships faced by workers there. The investigation was a partnership between Reveal, Mother Jones, and The Intercept. Reporter Sandy Tolan joins us with a preview. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here with this week’s news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Bones and All.” An odd one, but a good one, says Matt.
Thursday, December 1,2022 - 10% of the people who get COVID experience lingering medical problems. In an excerpt from the Conversations on Healthcare podcast, we hear a discussion about long COVID with Akiko Iwasaki, Yale University researcher; and Fiona Lowenstein, editor of “The Long COVID Survival Guide.” ~~~ In an episode of BirdNote, we hear what those diving birds are up to once they submerge. ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us for a Main Street Eats conversation about baking hacks and recipe sharing.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022 - Doug Allen Nash is bringing his Country Christmas show to the Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks, which might include appearances by Johnny Cash and Elvis! Nash joins us with a preview. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about tree squirrels. ~~~ In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris visits with Janelle Stoneking about the Southwest Art Gallery and Science Center, which is coming to Dickinson. ~~~ Tom Isern is here with this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Field Notes.”
Tuesday, November 29, 2022 - It’s Giving Tuesday. We share our favorite gift – the gift of conversation with a look back on a couple of our favorite interviews from 2022. The 90s is a compendium by author and North Dakota native Chuck Klosterman. It covers the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of Michael Jordan, the birth of Amazon, the Unabomber and more. We spoke in April. ~~~ From May, we revisit a conversation with science writer Mary Roach has adapted her book “Packing for Mars” for a middle school audience. How did NASA engineers make a toilet for zero gravity? How do you deal with food that won’t stay on silverware or waste that clings to your derriere? We’ll find out!
Monday, November 28, 2022 - Philosopher Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein joins Main Street's Ashley Thornberg for this month’s philosophical currents as he discusses affirmative action. This in light of the case before the United States Supreme Court concerning affirmative action and the higher education admission process.
A woman in Twin Buttes ND on the Fort Berthold reservation has found a way to combine her spiritual calling and passion for horses- with a wellness program that helps promote healing in her community. Dr Jessica White Plume visits with Alicia Hegland-Thorpe. ~~~ For decades, many Native children were taken from their homes and raised outside their culture. “Saints and Indians” explores the legacy of “the placement,” when indigenous children were raised Mormon.
Thursday, November 24, 2022 - On this Thanksgiving, we share an episode from the podcast Gravy, exploring evolving food culture, and how we tell the story of Thanksgiving. ~~~ It’s time for Main Street Eats. Sue Balcom joins to talk about traditions and gratitude.
Wednesday, November 23, 2022 - Thanksgiving is time to gather. That makes it a good time to check in on elderly relatives. 6.5 million Americans 65 and older are living with Alzhemiers. Dr. Howard Fillit is the co-founder and chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. He visits with Conversations on HealthCare podcast hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter. ~~~Harvest Public Media’s Jonathan Ahl reports on the massive legislation that is the Farm Bill that a deeply divided Congress will consider in the new year. ~~~ From the Prairie Pulse television show, we take you on a tour of The prospect house and Civil War Museum in Battle Lake Minnesota ~~~It’s a busy weekend for movie-goers, Matt Olien gives us a double-header, reviewing both “The Menu” and “Disenchanted.”
Tuesday, November 22, 2022 - Roughly 20% of American children live with at least one adult facing addiction. The Point of Contact Foundation was formed to help school counseling programs address students in crisis and trauma. We visit with North Dakota native Ken Maher, the founder and executive director of the foundation, who tells us about a training available in conjunction with the Hazelden Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage California. ~~~ Audubon Dakota is merging with other states to become Audubon Great Plains. We visit with the new executive director Kristal Stoner. ~~~ Speaking of birds, we share a BirdNote on preserving the Palouse prairie.
Monday, November 21, 2022 - Dr. Larry Napoleon is an associate professor in the School of Education at NDSU. His research agenda includes the outcomes for non-traditional/marginalized populations within education. In light of the pending decision from the US Supreme Court regarding affirmative action, he joins us to discuss the role of affirmative action in higher education. ~~~ Driving across North Dakota, the landscape can get a little repetitive. That’s part of what inspired Gary Greff to create the Enchanted Highway – the huge sculptures near Regent. But that’s not the whole story. Special Contributor Sabrina Hornung visits with Greff about the origin story – and the future of the enchanted highway. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “Walter Hard’s Lament.”
Friday, November 18, 2022 - Waŋna niš niyepi: Continuity of Culture is on display at the Plains Art Museum. The museum is also hosting an indigenous art fair this weekend. We visit with Joseph Williams, the director of Native American programming at the Plains Art Museum. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson is here for our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews the new Black Panther film, “Wakanda Forever.”
Thursday, November 17, 2022 - There are 55 National Heritage Areas in the United States, and one of the newest is the Northern Plains National Heritage Area. It strives to connect visitors to heritage stories and deepen the sense of place involving Federal, state, county, city and non-profit sites along the Missouri River in central North Dakota. Aaron Barth is the executive director, and he visits with John Harris in an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a musical Plains Folk essay, “Bargains and Ballads.” ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats. Her topic this week is clean eating.
Wednesday, November 16, 2022 - Ashley stops in at the Job and Housing Fair organized by the F5 project. F5 is a non-profit seeking criminal justice reform by helping people currently and formerly incarcerated; and people suffering from addiction. She visits with Chief Programs Officer Scott College and Katy McCoy, who went from meth management after finding work at Panera.
Tuesday, November 15, 2022 - A new book produced by Cankdeska Cikana Community College on the Spirit Lake Reservation serves to preserve and promote the Dakota language and oral history. Mni Wakan: Place Names and History of the Spirit Lake Dakota is co-authored by the college’s Dakota Studies instructor Louie Garcia of Spirit Lake, and author and illustrator Mark Diedrich. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with honorary tribal historian Louie Garcia at the college and college president Dr Cynthia Lindquist. ~~~ Harvest Public Media report on rural water conservation. ~~~ The Energy and Environmental Research Center at UND has been studying the use of "salt caverns" to store natural gas, hydrogen, and other materials. The study area is western North Dakota, in the Bakken. What makes this different from carbon sequestration is the materials stored in the caverns will be used for bio-refining and petrochemicals. Prairie Public's Dave Thompson visits with Charles Gorecki, CEO of the EERC. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares an essay titled “Dining on the Prairie.” It’s a look at some of the early food sources before the farming era.
Monday, November 14, 2022 - “Uff Da: The Folk Art of Emily Lunde” is the title of an exhibit at the Barnes County Museum. Joining us to talk about Lunde is Dr. Suzzanne Kelley, editor-in-chief of the ND State University press, whose dissertation featured Lunde and four other “memory artists” of the Great Plains region, from Texas to Saskatchewan. ~~~ Veterinarian clinics in rural communities have been dramatically declining in numbers for decades. Rural veterinarians often get paid less than urban practitioners, take on more workload and carry thousands of dollars in debt from medical school. Harvest Public Media’s Xcaret Nuñez reports. ~~~ Brenna Gerhardt, executive director of Humanities North Dakota visits with John Harris in an excerpt of the Prairie Pulse television show.
Friday, November 11, 2022 - Sunday’s episode of “WHY? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life” explores the question “What Makes a Movie Good?” with Jinhee Choi, Reader in Film Studies at King's College London. Host Jack Russell Weinstein gives us a preview as he visits with Prairie Public movie critic Matt Olien. ~~~ On this Veteran Day, we share another profile from the North Dakota Native American Hall of Honor. In this case, it’s a group – the soldiers from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa who served and died in Vietnam. It’s narrated by former tribal chair Richard Marcellais. ~~~ Jessie Veeder shares an essay titled “Edie’s Worried.” ~~~ Dave Thompson recaps the week’s news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Armageddon Time,” which features Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong.
Thursday, November 10, 2022 - Mark Schneider, a well-known North Dakota attorney and former head of the state’s Democratic-NPL party, died on Tuesday at the age of 74. In 2020 he was interviewed by Doug Hamilton, the former host of Main Street. Doug passed away earlier this year. In this encore conversation, they visit about Mark’s novel, “She Has the Right of It.” ~~~ TellTale: Dakota Folklife and Stores is a collection of oral histories from senior citizens. Today we share an episode titled “Eyes of an Angel,” as we hear an account of a blizzard from the Grassy Butte area. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street eats with a discussion of cranberries. ~~~ Speaking of food, historian Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “Second Rise” about bierocks, a characteristic folk food of the Volga Germans.
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 - We discuss yesterday’s election with news director Dave Thompson and NDSU political science professor Nicholas Bauroth. ~~~ Candace Stock is an Indigenous Chef -- she grew up on White Earth -- who now works at Bernbaum's in Fargo (an award-winning restaurant). This fall, she was engaged to prepare a Native American multi-course, ambitiously flavorful meal in Medora. The Theodore Roosevelt Library project had a meeting with tribal leaders from the area and they wanted something special. So, she put together a meal that is a treat to hear about. ~~~ In a special BirdNote, we share the first in a series called “Indigenous Voices.”
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 - Teresa Perleberg and Chris Armbrust were honored last week for their preservation of the schoolhouse in Nome, North Dakota – a National Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. From earlier this year, we have a feature from special contributor Brandi Malarkey who took a tour of the Nome Schoolhouse. ~~~ As winter approaches, we visit with Dr. Nancy Hodur, the director of the Center for Social Research at NDSU. She discusses a recent report from North Dakota Compass about the financial burden of housing in North Dakota and how renters and homeowners compare, and how we compare nationally.
Monday, November 7, 2022 - Linda LeGarde Grover is a professor emerita of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth and an award-winning author. She returns to Main Street to discuss her latest book, “The Sky Watched,” which gives poetic voice to Ojibwe family life in English and Ojibwe. November is Native American Heritage Month. ~~~ Tickets are still available for “The Moth,” which is coming to North Dakota with a mainstage event in Fargo next month. We share an encore visit with executive producer Sarah Austin Jenness.
Friday, November 4, 2022 - Tonight at 9 Prairie Public will feature jazz programming associated with the book “Fargo Jazz.” Earlier this year Ashley Thornberg visited with musician Russ Peterson and photographer/writer W. Scott Olsen about the book, and we take the occasion of tonight’s new show to re-air that conversation. ~~~ Urban farmers who want to buy land often look to vacant lots. It seems like a win-win for the farmers and the city. The farmers get the land they need and can bring more food security to their neighborhoods. And the vacant lots are taken care of while the city gets more greenspace. But as Harvest Public Media’s Eva Tesfaye reports, urban farmers often struggle to get that land. ~~~ Dave Thomson joins us for this week’s news chat, as we take a deeper look at news of the week. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Tar,” the new movie starring Cate Blanchett.
Thursday, November 3, 2022 - We continue candidate conversations today as we hear from Rep. Kelly Armstrong, the incumbent Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. ~~~ November is Native American Heritage Month. Yesterday, we heard from the record number of indigenous people running for office this year. Today, we share a profile of Dr. Gerald “Carty” Monette, a recent inductee into the North Dakota Native American Hall of Honor. ~~~ Sue Balcom discusses pumpkins for cooking.
November 2, 2022 - Native American Heritage Month coincides with the election this year. Nine Native American candidates are running for legislative or statewide seats in the upcoming election. Alicia Hegland Thorpe visits with each of the 9 candidates to learn about the challenges to running and their thoughts on this record number of indigenous candidates. ~~~ Agritourism is a boom business. Harvest Public Media’s Xcaret Nuñez reports. ~~~ John Cox, Ph.D, is a professor of East European history at NDSU. He recently translated the book, The Cherry Tree, the first English translation of a Sorbian novel, a near-extinct West Slavic language. He speaks with Todd McDonald.
November 1, 2022 - The sixth annual North Dakota Human Rights Film and Arts Festival begins today. It features thirty-nine films from 10 countries, plus artist workshops, panel luncheons, and community discussions. Joining us for a preview are organizer Sean Coffman of The Human Family and filmmaker Kevin Shaw. ~~~ NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg is out with a book, Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships. It’s an intimate look at Totenberg’s many powerful friends, most notably the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Hell in Texas.” ~~~ We say farewell to Alicia Hegland Thorpe, who’s off to an exciting new job with the Standing Rock Reservation.
Monday, October 31, 2022 - Jack Russell Weinstein is here for our monthly episode of Philosophical Currents, an opportunity to take a philosophical dive into a current topic. Today he reflects on Halloween, specifically the curious behavior as people adopt alternative personas behind the masks. ~~~ Election information from Murray Nash, Cass County election administrator in an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show with host John Harris. Nash clears up some confusion and addresses various misconceptions.
Friday, October 28, 2022 - It’s time for our monthly Journalists Roundtable. It’s been a busy news month. Here to chat with Ashley and news director Dave Thompson are Joe Skurzewski, news director and anchor, KMOT minot; and Dave Kolpack of the Associated Press. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Ticket to Paradise.”
Thursday, October 27, 2022 - Our candidate conversations continue with Cara Mund, who is seeking the House seat currently held by Kelly Armstrong. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota about box elder bugs, Asian beetles and more. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats, with thoughts of Halloween.
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 - Libraries are academic spaces. And in one professor’s imagination, a portal that protects us from cosmic evil. Brian Urlacher, Ph.D. chairs UND’s political science department by day and reads cosmic horror in his free time. He’s now joining the ranks of fiction writer with his new novella, The Library of Chester Fritz, a fictionalized story of how the library protects us from malicious cosmic forces. ~~~ Tribal colleges across North Dakota are boosting apprentice opportunities thanks to a recent $14 million donation. The funding comes from a trio of private energy companies. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with Dr Cynthia Lindquist, president of Cankdeska Cikana Community College. ~~~ We share another profile from this year’s class of inductees into the North Dakota Native American Hall of Honor. Kevin Todd Finley was inducted for his work as basketball coach and athletic director at United Tribes Technical College.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022 - NDSU political science professor Nicholas Bauroth discusses the upcoming election in this excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show with host John Harris. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Sweet Betsy.” ~~~ Fintan Dooley is seeking election as agriculture commissioner. He visits with Matt Olien.
Monday, October 24, 2022 - Drew Wrigley, the appointed Attorney General, is seeking election to the post. He visits with Matt Olien. ~~~ We also visit with Michael Howe, one of the three candidates for Secretary of State.
Friday, October 21, 2022 - In another of our candidate conversations, we meet Rick Becker, independent candidate for US Senate. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for this week’s news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Banshees of Inisherin,” a black comedy-drama written and directed by Martin McDonagh.
Thursday, October 20, 2022 - Dr. Damian Costello is the author of “Black Elk: Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism.” He’ll be the featured speaker at this year’s Black Elk Convocation and Forum at the University of Mary. Black Elk was born in 1863. He converted to Catholicism, but also continued to practice Lakota ceremonies. He is now designated by Catholics as a "Servant of God," a title indicating that his life and works are being investigated by the Pope and the Catholic Church for possible canonization. Also joining the conversation is Dr. Mike Taylor, professor of education at UMary. ~~~ A Statewide Arts Convening is taking place next week as part of the state’s Main Street Summit. We get a preview from Kim Konikow, executive director of the North Dakota Council on the Arts. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for a Main Street Eats discussion of pumpkins and squash.
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 - Our candidate conversations continue, today with independent candidate for Secretary of State, Charles Tuttle. ~~~ “Freeman Vines: Hanging Tree Guitars” is a new exhibit at the North Dakota Museum of Art. It tells a story much deeper than guitars, as we learn from Timothy Duffy, who collaborated with Freeman Vines, artist, a luthier, and a spiritual philosopher, whose life is a witness to the truths and contradictions of the American South. ~~~ A BirdNote feature on the various types of bird calls.
Tuesday, October 18, 2022 - The One-Book, One-North Dakota selection for October is “Unwillable: A Journey to Reclaim My Brain.” It’s a memoir by Jackie Stebbins of Bismarck in which she shares the story of her battle with autoimmune encephalitis, a rare brain illness. An author event is coming up on the 23rd, in person and online. For a preview, we share an encore conversation with Ms. Stebbins from July 19th. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay: “The Price of Progress.”
Monday, October 17, 2022 - Temple Grandin is an autism activist, scientist and New York Times bestselling author. She joins us to discuss her new book, “Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions.” ~~~ Can culture help address health concerns? Today we visit with Naomi Bender, Ph.D, a Quechua woman who directs the Native American Health Sciences and the new Center for Native American Health at Washington State University, Spokane. The MN native returns to the area to present “Culture as Medicine: Re-imagining Health Education to Address and Impact Health Inequity in Our Communities” at Concordia College.
Friday, October 14, 2022 - We continue our candidate conversations as Matt Olien interviews Katrina Christiansen, who is running for a seat in the US Senate. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here with our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Moonage Daydream. He also reflects on the career of Angela Lansbury, who passed away this week.
Thursday, October 13, 2022 - Fargo’s Sawyer Anderson is one of 16 people to receive the 2022 International Young Eco-Hero Award. She won 2nd place in the 8-12 age group for her work raising money to build water wells in Zambia. She’s the author and illustrator of Water Works - An American Girl's Journey to Bring Clean Water to Africa. ~~~ Speaking of keeping the water clean, Chuck Lura discusses the benefit provided by beavers. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Shane Did Not Live in North Dakota.” ~~~ Sue Balcom is here with a “Main Street Eats” discussion about kitchen shortcuts, or hacks, – some that are good, and some that aren’t.
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 - Matt Olien visits with Secretary of State candidate Jeffrey Powell. ~~~ The North Dakota Council on the Arts is holding an arts accessibility workshop on Thursday. We hear from Rhea Beto, the council’s accessibility coordinator. ~~~ Could autonomous tractors make farming more accessible? Maybe so. We have a report on the development of such tractors from Harvest Public Media. ~~~ And autonomous tools can also help wildlife researchers, as we hear in an episode of BirdNote.
Tuesday, October 11, 2022 - As we approach the November elections, we visit with candidate Tim Lamb, who’s running for Attorney General of North Dakota. ~~~ Speaking of the election, we hear from Josh Askvig, North Dakota state director for AARP, about the issues of importance for senior citizens.
Monday, October 10 - NDSU professor Ross Collins is the author of “Chocolate. A Cultural Encyclopedia.” No food in the world can offer as storied a history as chocolate. The book is a comprehensive look at cocoa’s history from ancient Mesoamerican beginnings to its omnipresence in Europe, North America, and the rest of the world. ~~~ Today is Columbus Day, but the second Monday in October is also observed as Indigenous Peoples Day. Today we acknowledge the latter by sharing a profile of Juanita J. Helphrey, one of the 2022 inductees into the North Dakota Native Hall of Honor. ~~~ How Will We Know When the Pandemic is Over? That question is discussed in an excerpt from Conversations on Healthcare as hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter visit with Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, head of the Pandemic Center at the Brown University School of Public Health. ~~~ Two thirds of farmers say the pandemic affected their mental health. The U-S Department of Agriculture has funding available to help with mental health, and as Kendall Crawford reports for Harvest Public Media, some Midwestern states are distributing the resources not only to farmers, but also to business and community members they interact with.
Rick Steves discusses “Art of Europe,” his new show on PBS. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson is here to discuss the week’s headlines. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Blonde,” a look at the rise to fame and the epic demise of actress Marilyn Monroe.
Thursday, October 6, 2022 - In an update from the Prairie Public Education department we hear about a continuing education opportunity for teachers called “Amplifying Student Voices.” We visit with Darcy Bakkegard and Tim Wollenzien. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Taking a Bite Out of a Ground Apple.” ~~~ Louise Erdrich’s book “The Night Watchman” is being featured this month in a One Book, One community reading project, and she’ll be appearing at an author event Thursday, Oct. 27 that will also be streamed live online. We share an interview from 2020 as Erdrich visits with NPR’s Scott Simon. ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us to discuss green tomatoes – ripening, frying, chutney and more.• The author event will be streamed live at https://www.concordiacollege.edu/streaming/and at https://video.ibm.com/channel/concordia-college
Wednesday, October 5, 2022 - From fecal transplants to renewable energy, the new book Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure explores why we might want to make our number two, a number one priority. We visit with science writer Dr. Bryn Nelson who’ll be speaking at Ferguson Books in West Fargo on October 6.
Tuesday, October 4, 2022 - While The Windmill Watched: A Slice of Rural America in the 1950s is a memoir from sisters Jackie Pfeiffer McGregor and Janine Pfeiffer Knop about growing up in Menoken, ND. It’s now being made into a movie from Bismarck’s Daniel Bielinski of Canticle Productions. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on the fall bird migration. ~~~ The annual LGBTQ+ Summit will be held in Mandan this month. Here to discuss why such a gathering is helpful are two of the organizers, Mattie Bogard and Cindy Roholt.
Monday, October 3, 2022 - We visit with Christopher Vondracek, author of “Dancing with Welk: Music, Memory and Prairie Troubadours.” It’s a cheeky retelling of Lawrence Welk’s story, blending memoir, travelogue, and cultural history. ~~~ Kevin Locke, the renowned storyteller, musician and hoop dancer passed away Saturday at age 68. We hear an excerpt of a Storycorps recording Kevin did in 2018, and we visit with David Swenson of Makoche Studios in Bismarck, who worked with Kevin on a number of projects.
Friday, September 30, 2022 - It’s our monthly Journalists Roundtable. In addition to news director Dave Thompson, we have special guest journalists Jill Schramm, associate editor with the Minot Daily News; and Monica Hannan, managing editor at KFYR-TV. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Don’t Worry Darling.”
Thursday, September 29, 2022 - We’re on location at Hostfest! We start with Jeremy Woeste from the Basin Electric Power Cooperative. ~~~ Author and cook Patrice Johnson talks about her Swedish meatball hotdish on a stick ~~~ The comedic Duo Williams and Ree stops by. ~~~ And we learn about Schoolfest at Hostfest from Ross Sutter.
Wednesday, September 28, 2022 - Our monthly “Philosophical Currents” conversation touches upon timely topics as we visit with UND professor of philosophy Jack Weinstein. ~~~ For Main Street Eats this week, Sue Balcom has thoughts about getting your garden ready for winter.
Tuesday, September 27, 2022 - Prairie Public will be experiencing an outage in the Bismarck area. Here to explain is Bill Thomas, our director of radio. ~~~ UND researcher Ursula Running Bear has explored the health problems experienced by Native Americans who were sent away to boarding schools as children. She found that the attendees were much more likely to develop cancers, anemia, arthritis and gallbladder disease. ~~~ Friday is Orange Shirt Day, which began in Canada, but is becoming more recognized in the US. It was created to honor the legacy of the Indigenous children who were forcefully taken from their parents and sent off to residential schools between the 1830s and the 1980s. The day is an acknowledgement of the healing that is still taking place in the lives of those affected. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with two Orange Shirt Day event organizers from the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation, one who is running over 100 miles to bring awareness to Orange Shirt Day.
Monday, September 26, 2022 - Prairie Public’s Emmy-nominated documentary “The Women of Alba Bales House” will be screened at the NDSU student union theater next Wednesday. It’s also available to view online. We play an excerpt of the story and visit with producer Matt Olien. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Fox and Geese.” ~~~ Speaking of award-winning films, Cinema 100 October film series kicks off with the Academy Award nominated film "Flee" on Thursday. Here to discuss the new series of films are Brian Palecek and Anita Casey-Reed.
Friday, September 23, 2022 - Our summer intern, Nick Rommel is back at the University of Chicago, but he has a final piece we're sure you'll enjoy. Nick is a musician in his own right, and when he heard about a Metis fiddler on the Turtle Mountain reservation, he had to check it out. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews Hockeyland, a documentary set in northern Minnesota.
Thursday, September 22, 2022 - Labor Day is an unofficial end to summer, but it is still nice enough for camping. Especially if you ’re in a van. Gone are the days of 1960’s VW van that barely went uphill and was always overheating. Perhaps waning are the days of the massive pull-behind campers. Today we learn about fully customizable high end vans with Moorhead’s Vanna Adventure Vans. We visit with Jason Gilbraith Co-founder and chief technology officer; and Benjamin Gleason, Co-founder and CEO. ~~~ Sue Balcom shares more tips on preserving the harvest. This time she talks about freezing and freeze drying food.
We know outdoor people love their gear. Jason Gilbraith and Benjamin Gleason of Vanna Adventure Vans are no exception. In this extended conversation from today's Main Street, they nerd out with Ashley Thornberg about off-grid batteries and van life etiquette.
Wednesday, September 21, 2022 - “Sinkhole: A Legacy of Suicide” explores author Juliet Patterson’s grief journey following her father’s suicide. ~~~ Being a police officer is a tough job, perhaps tougher than ever. Helping the police manage is Dr. Aaron Suomala Folkerds, an ELCA ordained minister who teaches full time at MSUM in counseling, but also works for the Moorhead Police Department as wellness coordinator, embedded counselor, and chaplain. He joins us to explain this important news type of police work.
Tuesday, September 20, 2022 - Concordia's Faith, Reason, and World Affairs Symposium takes place this week. One of the events is a panel discussion on the topic of "Engaged Citizenship Through Political Participation." We visit with one of the panelists, Chicago native Rachel Stone, who moved to the area almost 18 years ago. ~~~ Sanctified is a western film set in the late 1800s. It tells the story of an outlaw who is rescued from death by a nun traveling through the North Dakota Badlands. The film premieres in Bismarck Friday, September 30th. We visit with filmmaker Dan Bielinski of Bismarck, who is also program chair of Dramatic Arts at the University of Mary.
Monday, September 19 - We visit with Peter Geye, past winner of the Minnesota Book Award, who is getting rave reviews for his newest novel, “The Ski Jumpers.” Author Leif Enger says Geye “writes full-hearted novels made for winter, and The Ski Jumpers is his best to date.” ~~~ One Winter Up North is a new kids book exploring the flora and fauna of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We visit with illustrator John Owens.
Friday, September 16, 2022 - “Who Cares: A Nurse's Fight for Equity” features Whitney Fear, a psychiatric nurse practitioner who grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where she, her family and other members of the Oglala Lakota Nation struggled to survive. It was filmed in Fargo and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Whitney joins us to discuss the issues raised in the film. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews the new Pinocchio movie.
Thursday, September 15, 2022 - A recent report from the C.D.C. says the life expectancy nationally for Native Americans dropped by nearly 7 years from 2019 to 2021. While Covid was largely to blame, other factors are present. Here to discuss the problem and how North Dakota’s indigenous community is faring is Dr. Donald Warne of the Department of Indigenous Health at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences at UND. ~~~ Historian Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “The Dakota Herd Law.” ~~~ Sue Balcom is discussing ways to preserve your harvest as she joins us for Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, September 14, 2022 - Air travel has become quite a challenge on occasion. Like many businesses, the airlines have struggled with staffing shortages that have led to canceled flights and even the closing of some regional airports. Meanwhile, one way to speed up your experience at the airport is to sign up for TSA Precheck. Here to talk air travel is Shawn Dobberstein, executive director of the airport in Fargo. ~~~ After 15 years of living in China, Michael Standaert, a journalist, and author, returns to the US as an enterprise Journalist for the North Dakota News Cooperative. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with Michael about his travels abroad and what it means to be an enterprise journalist.
Tuesday, September 13, 2022 - We get a preview of the Fargo-Moorhead LGBT Film Festival from Shawn Cotter, the festival’s programming director; and Sean Coffman of “The Human Family,” the organization responsible for the festival. ~~~ Another effort that examines life in the gay community is the Red River Rainbow Seniors oral history project called “Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories on the Northern Plains.” Excerpts from that project have been edited by our staff and made available as a podcast. Today we share another episode as Tony Christensen is interviewed by Robert Stone in a conversation from 2018.
Monday, September 12, 2022 - Chairman Mark Fox of the Three Affiliated Tribes visits with Alicia Hegland-Thorpe at the UTTC Tribal Leaders Summit. Chairman Fox is a new inductee into the North Dakota Native American Hall of Honor. ~~~ BirdNote has been a regular feature on Prairie Public, and we occasionally include it during Main Street. To learn more about this educational feature, we visit with Executive Director Nick Bayard.
Friday, September 9, 2022 - Alicia Hegland-Thorpe stopped by the UTTC Tribal Leaders Summit & Trade Show. We’ll be sharing a number of interviews from her visit, and we start today with a conversation about the North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance as Alicia visits with Tamara St John, historian for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, NDNTA board member and South Dakota legislator; and Les Thomas, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians tourism consultant and vice president of the NDNTA. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about the shaggy mane mushroom. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for a discussion of the latest headlines. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Invitation.”
Thursday, September 8, 2022 - Sugar-related illnesses continue to rise as Americans consume more sweets than ever. Here to discuss how sugar contributes to poor health and how we can ditch the habit is Julie Gatza, doctor of chiropractic and co-founder of the Florida Wellness Institute. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith is here with early fall lawn and garden tips. ~~~ With colder weather on the way, Sue Balcom explains the difference between a frost and a freeze, and what those mean for your plants.
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 - We hear a story about two Montana families whose conflicts did much to shape the politics and economy of modern Montana. Bill Vaughn tells that story in “The Last Heir,” recounting twelve decades of triumphs and tragedies. He visits with Lauren Korn, host of The Write Question. ~~~ Music host Scott Prebys previews this weekend’s production of Die Fledermaus in a visit with Kenneth Bowles, vice president of the Western Plains Opera in Minot. ~~~ Tom Isern has a Plains Folk essay titled “The True Character of the Plains.”
Excerpts from Studs Terkel's "Working" Tapes; the President and Vice President of the North Dakota AFL-CIO.
Friday, September 2, 2022 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable. Plenty to talk about this month. Host Alicia Hegland-Thorpe is joined by special guests Sydney Mook, managing editor of the Grand Forks Herald; and Steve Andrist, former president of Journal Publishing, and past executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association. ~~~ Labor Day weekend is the last chance for many people to squeeze in a summer vacation. Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert explores how unexpected activities are being used to lure tourists to Midwestern states. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Three Thousand Years of Longing.” ~~~ In an episode of “TellTale, Dakota Folklife and Stories,” a group of elders in Jamestown converse about the joys and dangers of farming, especially threshing. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about the Maximilian Sunflower.
Thursday, September 1, 2022 - Humanities North Dakota has loads of interesting events and classes taking place. Sue Skalicky joins us to discuss the Public University Series, Gamechanger presentations, and the Brave Conversations program. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats. Her topic this week is bread.
Wednesday, August 31, 2022 - “One Book, One North Dakota” is a recurring event organized by Humanities ND. The book selected for September is from North Dakota native Taylor Brorby: “Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land.” On September 25th there will be a free Zoom event with Brorby and moderator Tayo Basquiat. With that in mind, today we replay a visit with Taylor Brorby from earlier this summer.
Tuesday, August 30, 2022 - What makes artifacts valuable? What are the guidestones of a good archaeologist? That and so many more questions as we visit with Dr. Andrew Clark, of the North Dakota Historical Society; and Liz France of the North Dakota Archaeologist Association. Among the topics … amateurs digging up old outhouse sites to find “items for posterity.” ~~~ The Whitestone Hill Memorial Horseback Ride is underway. It’s a ride from Fort Thompson in South Dakota to Whitestone Hill in North Dakota. The ride in memory of the tragedy that took place on Whitestone Hill in 1863, as Brigadier General Alfred Sully launched an attack against a village of Yanktonai, Santee, and Teton (Lakota) Sioux. Sully killed, wounded, or captured 300 to 400 people, including women and children. We visit with rider and ride organizer Jimmy Hallum. ~~~ Historian Tom Isern shares this week’s Plains Folk essay: “The Printer’s Towel.”
Monday, August 29, 2022 - Our monthly Philosophical Currents conversation with UND professor Jack Russell Weinstein tackles a rich topic: equal protection under the law.
Doug Hamilton, who hosted Main Street from 2012-2021, passed away on August 5 following his battle with acute myeloid leukemia.
Friday, August 26, 2022 - Today friends and family paid respects to the late Doug Hamilton, who hosted Main Street for nearly ten years. We begin with a tribute, hearing from some of his many friends and colleagues. ~~~ Two North Dakota state agencies will be merging, effective Sept first. The Department of Human Services and the Department of Health will combine as the "Department of Health and Human Services." Prairie Public's Dave Thompson talks with Human Services executive director Chris Jones, who begins with an update on how the merger is going. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Fire of Love.” ~~~ In another episode of Telltale Dakota Folklife and Stories, we hear about mail order brides.
Thursday, August 25, 2022 - The Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program is statewide, done by different organizations in different zones, having taken over from Lutheran Social services. These organizations partner with the Department of Human Services to provide support for refugees who have come to the country without an adult to care for them. We visit with Briana Miller and Shanda Hakk. They help manage the program for the Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone. ~~~ Tom Isern shares this week’s Plains Folk essay. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022 - Fox Creek is the latest in the Cork O’Connor mystery series from Minnesota-based NYT bestselling author William Kent Krueger. He’ll be speaking in Grand Forks and Fargo this weekend. ~~~ The risk of death from COVID-19 among indigenous people remains the highest among all racial and ethnic groups. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with Dr Loretta Christensen, director of the Indian Health Service, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for providing federal health services to the country’s native population. ~~~ Midwest Flavor Fest is coming up this weekend in Mandan. It showcases food, arts & crafts, and music. And best of all, it’s free to attend. We visit with Phillip Schultz the founder of BisMan Eats.
Tuesday, August 23, 2022 - Humanities North Dakota has loads of interesting events and classes coming up. One of them is a workshop called Little Mo Writers. It’s designed to help writers, scholars, and historians hone and improve their writing while bringing their projects to fruition. We visit with instructor Deb Marquart. ~~~ The USDA and ND agriculture leaders are getting together for a good cause, and it includes getting tomatoes thrown at them. The unusual celebration takes place at the next farmers market in Bismarck this Saturday. It's called LaTomatina. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with Mary Podoll, with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Monday, August 22, 2022 - Community Options helps people with developmental disabilities establish goals, overcome barriers, and become self-sufficient. We visit with Shannon Rolandson, outreach officer in Minot. ~~~ Saturday was National Radio Day. We take the occasion to visit with Bill Thomas, our director of radio. ~~~ Parents across North Dakota have been struggling to find day-care slots for their children. Part of that is caused by staff turnover amid low wages. The state is trying to address the issue by providing incentives for workers. Comments from Kay Larson, director, North Dakota Department of Human Services Early Childhood Division. ~~~ In another episode of TellTale, Dakota Folklife and Stories, we hear from a Fargo resident who experienced the Florence, South Dakota, tornado of 1944.To learn more about the childcare incentives go HERE.
Friday, August 19, 2022 - An encore visit with Winifred Gallagher, author of “New Women in the Old West: From Settlers to Suffragists, an Untold American Story.” It’s about pioneering women who used the challenges of migration and settlement as opportunities to advocate for their rights. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien review “Bullet Train,” starring Brad Pitt as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin, who finds himself on a collision course with lethal adversaries on the world's fastest train.
Thursday, August 18, 2022 - Lyndsay Ulrickson is a new grantmaking officer with the Bush Foundation, and her focus is North Dakota. Lyndsay is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. She grew up in north central North Dakota and lives in Minot. She joins us to discuss her new position, which allows her to further the foundation’s mission to provide “opportunities to people who think bigger and differently about problem solving in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share that geography.” ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us for a cover crop discussion on “Main Street Eats.”
Wednesday, August 17, 20200 - Youthworks North Dakota provides critical support for at-risk youth across the state – everything from anti-trafficking services to transitional housing. Here to explain this wide-ranging effort is Megan Lundborg, survivor, leader, and supervisor at YouthWorks in Fargo, which has an event coming up to help youth return to school with a back-to-school clothing giveaway. ~~~ Concordia College has joined the E-Sports ranks. We’ll find out why, and how it all works as we visit with the new e-sports coach, Lucas Campoverde. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about parasitic plants.
Tuesday, August 15, 2022 - Yesterday’s interview about Monarch butterflies reminded us about one of our favorite interviews from last year when we spoke with Dr. Jonathan Balcome, biologist and author of the book “Super Fly: The Unexpected Lives of the World’s Most Successful Insects.” So here is an encore of that conversation as he’s interviewed by Ashley Thornberg. ~~~ Admiral Rachel Levine is an assistant secretary for health at the US department of Health & Human Services. Her office recently reported that 7 to 23 million Americans have developed a long covid, which can last weeks, months and even leave some previously healthy individuals disabled. In an excerpt from Conversations on Health Care, Levine discusses long COVID, monkeypox, access to reproductive health, and LGBTQ issues.
Monday, August 14, 2022 - Bismarck's Shane Balkowitsch is a wet-plate photographer. His latest exhibit, “Northern Plains Native Americans: A Modern Wet Plate Perspective” is on display at the Spirit Room in Fargo. There's an artist reception and gallery talk on August 20. ~~~ The North American Monarch Butterfly can migrate as much as 3,000 miles from its natural habitat in Mexico to North Dakota and Canada. But we are seeing fewer and fewer monarchs in the area. Monarch butterflies are now on the endangered species list. What does the research say about what’s behind the decline in population and what does it mean for North Dakota? ~~~ Historian Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “Drummer’s Prayer.”
Friday, August 12, 2022 - James Arnett is the author of Bean Fate, a novel based on a true crime, centered in the village of Bienfait in Saskatchewan, but involving towns in North Dakota as well. It’s the story of a prohibition-era murder investigated by a rookie cop. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for this week’s news chat. ~~~ Pride events are underway in Fargo. It comes at a time where a number of topics related to that community have been making headlines. We visit with Mari Hall, one of the organizers.
Thursday, August 11, 2022 - With the recent death of our colleague Doug Hamilton, we’re thinking a lot about grief. Here to talk about the stages of grief and how to work through them is Janna Kontz, a grief specialist and Chaplain with Hospice of the Red River Valley. ~~~ Farmers and ranchers try to protect their soil and land, sometimes getting paid by the federal government to do so. For decades, it’s been a pretty routine corner of agriculture. That may be changing, with President Joe Biden announcing a goal to conserve 30 percent of the country’s lands by 2030. Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports from Nebraska, where a wary governor has a lot of questions. ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us to discuss problems with pickles.
Wednesday, August 10, 2022 - Joe Schneider is the author of “A Blind Pig in Sugar City.” It’s a gritty novel about a young man getting his start as a journalist in the 1960s in Fargo. It’s an experience the author knows well – he was a reporter for the Forum newspaper back then. ~~~ Nearly all abortions are now illegal in some states, with more expected to follow. It’s not the first time states have banned the procedure. In a story from Harvest Public Media and KCUR, Mackenzie Martin has the story of Doctor Annie Smith, a figure who looms large in Missouri's mythology for performing illegal abortions in the early 1900s. ~~~ COVID expert Dr. Eric Topol calls BA.5 the worst variant because of immune escape – the ability to have growth, fitness and advantages we haven’t seen before. He visits with Conversations on Health Care hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.
Tuesday, August 9, 2022 - The North Dakota Department of Commerce is inviting communities to apply for the “Artists on Main Street” program, which offers technical assistance and funding for local art projects. Each year a different community is selected. The first of the 5 planned grants went to Bowman last year. Special contributor Brandi Malarkey went to Bowman to gather interviews about the project for a feature we first aired earlier this summer. Since other communities are now being invited to apply, we thought this would be a good time to rebroadcast that story. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “Big History.” ~~~ Prairie Public music host Scott Prebys joins us to preview this year’s “Night of Great Jazz” coming up on Wednesday at the Sleepy Hollow Theatre and Arts Park in Bismarck. This year, it’s a guitar summit, with three of the region’s finest guitarists joining Scott’s jazz collective. ~~~ Speaking of music, we have a Tell Tale story from Germans-From-Russia folk singers Joe Gross of Bismarck and John Gross of Napoleon, who recount a family story bearing witness to the power of faith, song and Bravery.
Monday, August 8, 2022 - We begin with comments from the public about former Main Street host Doug Hamilton, who passed away last Friday. Then Carrie Wintersteen, the executive director of Theatre B shares a heart-felt essay about Doug, an exceptional actor and an exceptional person. ~~~ We also talk about Doug with Bill Thomas, Prairie Public director of radio. ~~~ Minnesota author Brian Freeman took over the Bourne franchise, but that’s just one of his many writing projects. A new thriller released tomorrow is “I Remember You,” a gripping psychological thriller about a woman haunted by terrifying memories – of someone else's life. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about pocket gophers.
Friday, August 5, 2020 - Ashley remembers our co-worker, Doug Hamilton, who passed away this day. ~~~ D.J. Vanas is a member of the Ottawa Tribe of Michigan and a former US Air Force officer. He’s also the author of “The Warrior Within: Own Your Power to Serve Fight, Protect, and Heal.” ~~~ Speaking of the warrior tradition, one of the three North Dakota Native American Hall of Honor inductees last September was Dave Dauphinais of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. He was inducted in the category of military-veteran. We share a profile produced by Makoche studios. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for a discussion of the latest headlines. ~~~ In another Natural North Dakota essay, Chuck Lura gives a nod of appreciation to the song of the mourning Dove.
Thursday, August 4, 2020 - Laurel Reuter is the former director of the North Dakota Museum of Art. She visits with Bill Thomas about her career. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “A Boys Lament.” ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats to discuss ways to use dill seed and dill weed.
Wednesday, August 3, 2022 - Intern Nick Rommel explores the State Bank of North Dakota’s role in supporting the state’s small banks and the communities they serve. ~~~ Prairie Pulse host John Harris visits with Donald Johnson, associate professor of history at NDSU, the author of “Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of Revolution.”
Tuesday, August 2, 2022 - Tim Giago, the Lakota journalist, author, publisher, veteran, entrepreneur and activist passed away last week. He was 88. He left quite a legacy, an inspiration for Indigenous journalists. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe shares a remembrance. ~~~ We also share a profile of Lydia Sage Chase of the MHA Nation, and a 2021 inductee into the North Dakota Native American Hall of Honor. ~~~ We’re in the middle of the growing season, time to check in with horticulturist Ron Smith. ~~~ TellTale, Dakota Folklife and Stories is a collection of oral histories with senior citizens. Today, we share an episode about polio.
Monday, August 1, 2022 - For a woman traveling without her husband in the late nineteenth century, there was only one reason to take the train all the way to North or South Dakota. These new states on the frontier offered a tempting freedom: divorce. We visit with April White, author of “The Divorce Colony: How Women Revolutionized Marriage and Found Freedom on the American Frontier.” ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on Mourning Doves. ~~~ North Dakota native Ilonna Pederson is the founder and director of the New York Kammermusiker double reed ensemble. The group is making its 15th visit to North Dakota this week. Ilonna joins us for a preview.
Friday, July 29, 2022 - Lots to talk about on this month’s Journalists Roundtable. Along with news director Dave Thompson, we’re joined by special guests Dave Kolpack of the Associated Press; reporter Charles Crain of the Minot Daily News; and Hope Sisk of KFYR TV. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Nope.” It should be fun to hear about this “new kind of blockbuster” from acclaimed director Jordan Peele.
Thursday, July 28, 2020 - Judy Pickett is a Nexstar Media Woman of the Year for 2021, a cancer survivor, a teacher, and founded the Pink Ribbon Running Club. Judy started the club in 1998 with a goal to run 100 races benefiting breast cancer research. To date, she has run over 158, with over 2.5 million fellow runners, including 305,000 breast cancer survivors. Judy will be participating in the Blue Grass Goes Pink 5K to check ND off of her list! Also joining us is organizer Jill Weise of the Cotton Wood bluegrass band. ~~~ The concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is more than 50% higher than pre-industrial levels, and many industries are grappling with how to reduce or offset carbon emissions. As Harvest Public Media’s Dana Cronin reports, the agriculture sector is becoming a frontrunner in the carbon reduction race. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats as we talk about gardening for health.
Wednesday, July 27, 2022 - Fictional spy Jason Bourne is back with new threats on his life. We visit with author Brian Freeman about The Bourne Sacrifice. ~~~ NDSU history professor has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Just the Place for Me.” ~~~ We share an excerpt from this Sunday’s Prairie Public Presents, which features writer Jill Kandel, author of “The Clean Daughter,” a book chosen earlier this year for the “One Book One North Dakota” series.
The Northern Plains Botanic Garden Society manages an edible forest, with dozens of species and cultivars of cold-hardy fruits. Jim Walla, a garden volunteer gives us a tour.
Tuesday, July 26, 2022 - Ashley pays a visit to the edible forest, which features 21 species of trees with 70 cultivars. It’s part of the Northern Plains Botanic Gardens in Fargo. ~~~ Plants do a lot for us, from providing food to purifying air. On July 27th, we’re encouraged to show them a little love for National Take Your Houseplants Out for a Walk Day. We visit with prolific gardener Jaclyn Weber who’s growing figs in zone 4. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay titled “It’s Not Just Grass.”
Do you need a holiday between July 4th and Labor Day? How about National Take Your Houseplant for a Walk Day?
Monday, July 25, 2022 - UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein joins us for Philosophical Currents, our monthly dive into the philosophy behind current topics. Today’s is a doozy … “What is a human right?”
A Lakota language and culture revitalization project is underway at a recording studio in Bismarck. Songs recorded more than a century ago are now being used to teach language and culture to Standing Rock Tribal members by re-recording them in a new and contemporary setting. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe has the story.
Friday, July 22, 2022 - A Lakota language and culture revitalization project is underway at a recording studio in Bismarck. Songs recorded more than a century ago are now being used to teach language and culture to Standing Rock Tribal members by re-recording them in a new and contemporary setting. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe has the story. ~~~ Native Americans have been growing food to feed their communities … and connect to their spirituality and cultures … for millennia. But colonization separated many Native Americans from their traditional foods. Now the idea of food sovereignty — or people having the right to control where and how they get food — is growing. And as Lauren Hines reports for Harvest Public Media… new formal programs to promote native foods are popping up across the Midwest. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for this week’s news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Black Phone.”
Thursday, July 21, 2022 - Scotty Schlepp is kind of a renaissance man in Ashley, North Dakota. He renovated the loft of his barn into a playhouse and has been putting on shows since 2009. This year’s play is "Sagebrush Sidekicks," a story about a bunch of simple cowboys applying to be a sidekick for a mysterious western "legend." Scotty joins us to discuss “The Hayloft” theatre and this year’s play, which runs July 26-30. ~~~ Sue Balcom is talking about houseplants in today’s episode of Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 - VA Medical Centers and clinics help identify innovative therapies, practices and policies. In this excerpt from the Conversations on Health Care podcast, we hear from Dr. Ryan Vega, who leads Innovation Ecosystem within the Veterans Health Administration. ~~~ Tom Isern bemoans this year’s poor Juneberry crop in this week’s Plains Folk essay titled “Lament for Juneberries.” ~~~ Keeping grocery stores going in rural communities can be a real challenge. From Minnesota Public Radio, we hear about an imaginative approach – a self service store. ~~~ There’s no shortage of kitchen gadgets, but one you can’t live without is a knife. For those who know their way around a kitchen a sharp knife is a must. Josh Edmonson is a chef at Fargo’s Mezzaluna and he also has a booth for knife sharpening at the Red River Farmers Market.
Tuesday, July 19, 2020 - Jackie Stebbins of Bismarck is the author of Unwillable: A Journey to Reclaim My Brain. It’s the story of her battle with autoimmune encephalitis, a rare brain illness. ~~~ Capitol Shakespeare is presenting the Merry Wives of Windsor, and they’re setting it in the 1950s! Here to tell us about it is artistic director Erin Weichel.
Monday, July 18, 2022 - “Reflections of a Psychiatrist” is a collection of essays from long-time North Dakota practitioner Zelko Leon. It’s a rich exploration of everything from the importance of relationships to the impact of emotional states on life and health. He visits with guest interviewer Carol Kapaun Ratchenski. ~~~ TellTale: Dakota Folklife and Stories are oral histories about experiences and lore of life on the North Dakota plains. They feature interviews with senior citizens, many of whom are in eldercare facilities. We have two episodes today. The first is titled “A God-Given Right.” Recollections of moonshine and prohibition. Our second piece is titled Magnetic Personality.
Friday, July 15, 2022 - The International Peace Garden is celebrating 90 years. It straddles the border between North Dakota and Manitoba near Dunseith. Here to tell us about the upcoming celebration and the latest developments at the park is Peace Garden CEO Tim Chapman. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson is here for our weekly news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews ”Thor: Love and Thunder.”
Thursday, July 14, 2022 - If you missed the Everly Brothers Experience when they came to North Dakota earlier this year, there are other chances coming up as the Zmed brothers’ show comes to Pelican Rapids in Minnesota and Billings in Montana. Dylan & Zachary join us to discuss the art, and the challenge, of creating a tribute show worthy of the Everly Brothers, one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ~~~ There aren’t any definite numbers about how many farmers belong to the LGBTQ community in the U-S. But many are making a point to be visible in their rural communities. Catherine Wheeler has this report for Harvest Public Media. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats, talking today about hoeing the garden.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022 - Meet Connie Nelson, author of “Cavalier – The Story of an Unsolved Murder in a Small Town.” Connie says: “The last time I saw my friend Jack we were in the hospital lobby. He was wearing faded green scrubs and a lab jacket. He went through the door to the second floor. I never saw him again.” ~~~ Fifth generation farmer Jessica Hawkes is seeking non-profit status for her family farm in New Rockford. With the help of friends Ryan Keel and Anna Burger she has converted her family farm, Hawkes Homestead, into an animal sanctuary. Hawkes Homestead is now a permanent and temporary home to a host of various animals, including runaway pigs, a spitting llama, and a mail-stealing donkey.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022 - Small towns are known for people stepping up and helping out. Sometimes it’s for a health crisis, sometimes it’s new jerseys for the local team. A group of friends from Velva, about 20 miles southeast of Minot, wanted to take the spirit of giving to the realm of charitable gaming. They started the Aggie Foundation. We visit with board president Terry Peterson. ~~~ The agriculture industry accounts for ten percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. And yet, polls show that most conventional farmers in the Midwest don’t believe humans are the cause of climate change. Harvest Public Media’s Dana Cronin reports on a program that finds some common ground. ~~~ Tom Isern has a Plains Folk essay titled “Cattle King’s Prayer.” ~~~ The pandemic hit gig musicians pretty hard. Some help came from American Rescue Plan money. Special contributor Brandi Malarkey introduces us to Jerry and Friends, a trio of accordion players who used the funds to pivot to Facebook live.
Monday, July 11, 2022 - Joseph Allen is the co-author of “Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity.” Healthy buildings have significance on many fronts, including pandemics. Allen visits with Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter, the co-hosts of “Conversations on Health Care” about new efforts to elevate the quality of indoor spaces in an overall health strategy. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay titled “Cottonwoods.” ~~~ US cities are designed for cars. That can make it difficult for people who walk or bike. The Anne Street Bridge connects north and south Minot, but it's no longer accessible to pedestrians. Ashley Thornberg visits with Josh Wolsky, a walkability advocate, about an effort to increase accessibility in Minot.
Friday, July 8, 2022 - Jack Russell Weinstein is here to preview this Sunday’s Why radio show as he visits with Firoze Manji in an episode titled “What does it Mean to be ‘African’?” ~~~ Dave Thompson is here with this week’s news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Elvis.”
Thursday, July 7, 2022 - “Grilling season is in full swing, and that means It’s busy for butchers. Melissa Evans runs She Said Butcher Shop in Moorhead. She talks with Ashley Thornberg about her 14 to 16 hour days. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith is here for another lawn and garden update. Among his topics this week: lilacs and their care, wise watering, bug woes and more. ~~~ Some listeners may be familiar with the Sons of Norway fraternal organization. Well, its Fargo lodge is home to a regular non-Norwegian musical event. Prairie Public intern Nick Rommel not only has a report, he joined in! ~~~ Sue Balcom is here with Main Street Eats. Today’s topic is garlic.
Wednesday, July 6, 2022 - For 70 years, the town of Ellendale was home to a distinctive school established in 1889 as the State Industrial and Manual Training School. It attracted a talented faculty and graduated hundreds of fond alumni. It offered short courses in a variety of practical fields -- dressmaking, music teaching, carpentry, bookkeeping, farm mechanics and more. We visit with historian Connie Goddard, who has written a history of this interesting school. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Sowers Prayer.” ~~~ “Artists on Main Street” is a project recently undertaken by the town of Bowman. It’s an effort at economic development with the help of a handful of artists. Special contributor Brandi Malarky visits with a number of folks who pitched in to make it happen. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about the July supermoon.
Tuesday, July 5, 2022 - Staci Lola Drouillard is a descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Anishinaabe, and she writes about that heritage. She joins us today to discuss her latest book published by the University of Minnesota Press, “Seven Aunts.” The stories of Staci Drouillard’s relatives reveal the heart and soul of the times they lived as they made a place in the world for the next generation. ~~~ Blue prints hidden behind a false wall. This sounds like a movie plot, it actually happened in Hillsboro at the Plummer House, which is now the Traill County Museum. It was a goldmine for the preservationists who restored the building to its original glory with Italian tile, glass from New Orleans, and indoor plumbing, a rarity in the 1800s. Special Contributor Brandi Malarkey goes on a tour with Curator LeAnn Beck.
Friday, July 1, 2022 - For our monthly Journalists Roundtable, news director Dave Thompson visits with Cecile Wehrman editor for Journal Publishing in Crosby; and Mike Jacobs, columnist and former publisher of the Grand Forks Herald. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Lamb,” a folk horror film.
Thursday, June 30, 2022 - The regional director of the US Department of Health and Human Services has been visiting state and tribal leaders in North Dakota this week, with the goals of discussing health and behavioral issues as well as addressing the impacts of the workforce shortage in North Dakota. She joins us to discuss what she learned. She encourages your questions and comments at lily.griego@hhs.gov ~~~ And Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats. She has the best tips and tricks when shopping at Farmers Markets.
Wednesday, June 29, 2022 - North Dakota is seeing more diversity within its youth population, but researchers say they face a tougher road in securing a brighter future. According to Kids Count, nearly one in four children in North Dakota is a person of color. However, because of discriminatory policies in place their families are less likely to achieve economic security. We visit with North Dakota Kids Count Dir. Xanna Burg. ~~~ Bison were hunted to near extinction at the same time as the European cow was brought to the Americas. Cattle quickly became the most dominant meat eaten here. But as Harvest Public Media’s Jonathan Ahl reports, combining those two breeds into something better is a niche market that some hope becomes more widespread. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled: “Cattle Kings’ Prayer.” ~~~ The Pembina County Historical Museum has the ambitious goal of gathering all of the county's cemetery records into a central, searchable, location available to the public. Special contributor Brandi Malarkey visits with Zelda Hartje, Administrator for the Pembina County Historical Museum.
Tuesday, June 28, 2022 - “Growing Small Towns” is an effort to tell the story of small-town life in a more accurate, nuanced way. It’s headquartered in Oakes, where Brandi Malarkey recently caught up with muralist LesleyAnne Buegel. ~~~ What books best represent North Dakota? Prairie Public intern Nick Rommel spoke with bookstore representatives from around the state to get their thoughts. ~~~ Katie Hoerth is a poet, and she recently won an award from NDSU, their annual "Poetry of the Plains and Prairies" award. She talks with Bill Thomas about plains and prairies, metaphors, and poetically likening herself to a spent farm field.
Monday, June 27, 2022 - UND philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein will be here for "Philosophical Currents," a discussion inspired by current events. Today’s theme is "what does it mean to be conservative or to be liberal?" ~~~ Tom Isern has a Plains folk essay, "Their Best Days Are Over." ~~~ We travel to Antler, about an hour north of Minot, where they're restoring the Antler Town Square Building for use as a museum. Brandi Malarkey visits with Mark Jorgenson of the Antler Historical Society.
Friday, June 24, 2022 - Atypical Brewery and Barrelworks in Minot took home gold in the experimental wood-aged beer category of the 2022 competition for their Gin and Spruce. Ashley Thornberg visited with Nick Holwegner, co-owner and CFO, and Eric Johnson, co-owner and head brewer. Eric begins by explaining why they call it Atypical. ~~~ Among her many projects, Minot artist Cera Pignet (sara pin yay) designs Atypical’s beer labels. She visits with Ashley Thornberg about her multi-faceted art career, including work related to National Parks. Hear longer version of the conversation HERE. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Lightyear,” the new animated film from Pixar.
Thursday, June 23, 2022 - Special contributor Brandi Malarkey continues her series on American Rescue Plan Grant recipients with a tour of the Nome Schoolhouse. ~~~ Sue Balcom’s topic this week on Main Street Eats is “Dairy Month.”
Wednesday, June 21, 2022 - Carl Griffin and Greg Reed attended Moorhead State College in the 1960s and 70s as part of Project E-Quality, an affirmative action program developed to bring Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous students to the school. On this Juneteenth week, we visit with Carl and Greg. They’ll discuss their experience coming to Moorhead, and also their efforts around the Juneteenth holiday.
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 - Increasing deposit amounts, rent hikes and wrongful evictions is leading to growing homeless populations in communities all across North Dakota. One community action group in Bismarck is advocating for tenants’ rights by holding a series of forums to address predatory housing tactics. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “What We Call This Place.” ~~~ What is a Western? That is the name of a book by Josh Garrett Davis, about movies and books and art. HumanitiesND invited him in for a webinar as part of their One Book One ND series. Bill Thomas shares an excerpt from that event.
Monday, June 20 - Folks in the small town of Buxton are working to restore some of the town's beloved buildings. The effort is called Buxton in Bloom. Bobbi Hepper Olson visits with special contributor Brandi Malarkey. ~~~ A new book just released explores the jazz scene in Fargo. It’s called Fargo Jazz. Ashley Thornberg visits with musician Russ Peterson and photographer/writer W. Scott Olsen.
Friday, June 17, 2022 - Dakota Spotlight is a true-crime podcast brings light to stories from the Upper Midwest. The new episode is about an unsolved missing persons case out of the Wishek/Napoleon area. Joining us are the producers, Jeremy Fugleberg and James Wolner. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for this week’s news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Jurassic World Dominion.”
Thursday, June 16, 2022 - Heather Keeler an enrolled citizen of the Yankton Sioux Tribe and a MN legislator. She believes representation matters. So much so, she made a business out of it. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about “Summer Constellations.” ~~~ Bill Thomas visits with Mindi Schmitz, executive director of The Arts Center in Jamestown, for an update on the Hanson Arts Park and plans for this summer's Downtown Arts Market. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats. Today we’re talking about Father’s Day.
Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - We recap North Dakota’s unusually interesting primary as news director Dave Thompson welcomes political observers Jack Zaleski of Forum communications; and Mike Jacobs, of the Grand Forks Herald. ~~~ Dr. Stephen McDonough discusses the "History of Public Health in North Dakota.” It’s a preview of his upcoming presentation at the Barnes County Museum.
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - Juneteenth is coming up on Sunday. This federal holiday commemorates the emancipation of enslaved black Americans. Coinciding with the holiday is an exhibit at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County titled “Stories of Local Black History.” Special contributor Brandi Malarkey stopped by and toured the exhibit with communications manager Gabby Clavo. Register for next Wednesday's Zoom event HERE. (http://www.hcscconline.org/events.html) ~~~ We continue with more history as historian Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “The Idea of North Dakota.” ~~~ When people think of jobs in agriculture, they might think of traditional jobs on a farm. But over the past few decades, the industry has changed. Now there’s a real need for people who are interested in science. St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke reports. ~~~ Speaking of jobs, we share a conversation with Carey Fry, of Job Service North Dakota as she visits with John Harris in an excerpt of this week’s Prairie Pulse television show.
Monday, June 13, 2022 - We start today by acknowledging June as Pride Month by sharing another episode of Breaking Barriers: Harvesting LGBTQ Stories on the Northern Plains. It’s part of the Red River Rainbow Seniors oral history project. In this excerpt, Lyle Halvorson interviews Kevin Tengesdal, a graphic designer and activist from Bismarck. ~~~ The State Historical Society of North Dakota is looking for stories about the 1997 floods. It’s part of the historical society’s oral history project called “Flicker Tales of North Dakota.” Joining us is Sarah Walker, the head of reference services at the North Dakota State Archives. ~~~ Peggy Lee Day is coming up in Valley City. We visit with Bonnie and Myron Sommerfeld about the famous North Dakota vocalist.
Friday, June 10, 2022 - Jack Russell Weinstein joins us to preview this Sunday’s “WHY? Philosophical Questions About Everyday Life.” His guest this month is Brian Huschle, vice president of academic and student affairs at Northland Community and Technical College in an episode titled “What Do Community Colleges Do?” They explore the role of two-year schools in higher education. ~~~ Dave Thompson is here for a discussion of the recent headlines. ~~~ And Matt Olien has this week’s movie review, the new horror film “Crimes of the Future.”
Thursday, June 9 - A Concordia professor is being recognized for her work promoting French culture. Dr. Gay Rawson is now a Knight in the Order of Academic Palms. She visited with Ashley Thornberg. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith is here for a spring garden and yard update. ~~~ Sue Balcom discusses the lawn’s most prevalent weed, dandelions.
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 - Dr. Peter Hotez, who helped develop a patent-free COVID-19 vaccine, recently tested positive for a breakthrough strain of the virus. In this excerpt from “Conversations on Health Care” podcast, he discusses that experience, and also addresses questions about rising cases, booster shots, the anti-science movement and other important issues. ~~~ In another episode of Natural North Dakota, Chuck Lura discusses the phenomena of ducks nesting far from water. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson reflects on the passing of North Dakota’s first woman to serve on the state Supreme Court: Beryl Levine. ~~~ Cellar 624 in Fargo is currently working with the Northern Crops Institute and NDSU's viticulture program to taste wines created from locally grown fruit. Joining us is event & venue manager Ashley Serbus.
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 - What does it mean to be “of the prairie” Dr. Molly Rozum contemplates that in her book, Grasslands Grown: Creating Place on the U.S. Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies. She’s an associate professor at the University of South Dakota. She visits with historian Dr. Tom Isern. ~~~ North Dakota artist and tiktok sensation Hannah Stelter is known for her cheerful images, entertaining puns, and embracing imperfection. She visits with Brandi Malarkey.
Monday, June 6, 2022 - Author and environmentalist Taylor Brorby is out with a new book, Boys and Oil: Growing Up Gay in a Fractured Land. It explores his love of the prairie, growing up in a coal-mining family, and being “the pink sheep” of the family.
Friday, June 3, 2022 - It’s time for our Monthly Journalists Roundtable. Along with news director Dave Thompson, we welcome special guests Jill Schramm, associate editor of the Minot Daily News; and Sydney Mook, managing editor of the Grand Forks Herald. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Top Gun: Maverick.”
5908 - Thursday, June 2, 2022 - Dr. Dean Bresciani is this week’s guest on the Prairie Pulse television show. We share an excerpt of his conversation with host John Harris. You can also watch the episode tonight at 8 Central. ~~~ Despite years of federal funding and initiatives, high-speed internet remains out of reach for millions of rural Americans. But some smaller, local broadband providers are finding ways to get rural customers connected. David Condos of the Kansas News Service reports. ~~~ The state is on the lookout, setting a number of traps for a dangerous culprit. Joining us is Joe Zeleznik, NDSU Extension forester to discuss the dreaded emerald ash borer. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats for a discussion on suppressing weeds.
Wednesday, June 1, 2022 - Why does diversity matter in books? We visit with author and educator Dr. Dawn Quigley who recently presented on why she writes for the “We Need Diverse Books” collective. A citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, she spoke with young readers about her chapter book, Jo Jo Makoons. ~~~ Agriculture is a big emitter of greenhouse gasses – which are the biggest driver of climate change. But some farmers are taking on the issue by sinking the air’s carbon in the ground. Eve Abrams reports on how they do it. ~~~ Special Olympics North Dakota is sending 30 members to represent North Dakota at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, coming up next week in Orlando, Florida. Joining us is Braedan Hanson, director of sports, Special Olympics North Dakota.
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 - “Davey Bee’s Hit Song Vault” is a new podcast where North Dakota Rock Country Hall of Fame bandleader and broadcaster Davey Bee visits with his recording artist/art educator son, John David, as they relive the music of our lives. They join us to introduce this fun new project. ~~~ Nicole Donaghy, executive director of North Dakota Native Vote joins us to discuss efforts to help native communities gain better voting access. She’ll also preview an upcoming “native legislative forum” that will feature several Native candidates running for office. ~~~ Tom Isern shares this week’s Plains Folk essay, “The Dakotas.”
Friday, May 27, 2022 - With North Dakota’s primary approaching, there’s a scramble underway to address a poll worker shortage. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with Burleigh Co election manager Erika White. ~~~ As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, we share a story from Harvest Public Media about roadside attractions. ~~~ Memorial Day is often seen as the beginning of summer. And summer can bring severe weather. In an episode of TellTale: Dakota Folklife and Stories, we hear about a tornado strike in 1946, narrated by David Swenson. ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for a deeper look into some of the week’s news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Men,” a horror film starring Jessie Buckley.
Thursday, May 26, 2022 - A new exhibit is opening this Memorial Day weekend at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post. It’s called “Women of the Big Lake.” It celebrates the contributions to American Indian Arts by Margaret Hill, Maude Kegg, Cheryl Minnema, and Batiste Sam. Joining us to share the story of these remarkable Anishinaabe women is Rita Walaszek Arndt of the Minnesota Historical Society. ~~~ Earthworms might seem an odd topic for a segment titled “Main Street Eats,” but rest assured, Sue Balcom isn’t suggesting them for dinner. ~~~ During an archaeological dig cleaning his office, director of radio Bill Thomas unearthed some North Dakota history – an essay by Wendy Bilen about discovering her grandmother’s past in North Dakota.
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 - Fort Snelling is Minnesota’s first national Historic Landmark. It’s reopening to the public this Memorial Day weekend after more than two years of rehabilitation. And among the changes is a new interpretive plan that doesn’t shy away from unfortunate chapters in the fort’s past as it relates to the native population, Japanese Americans and others. Here to discuss the improvements and what you can see during a visit is Dr. William Convery, director of research at the Minnesota Historical Society. ~~~ Farmers in the Midwest are gearing up for a fight over pipelines cutting through their land.Three companies are proposing to use pipelines to move carbon dioxide emissions from ethanol plants. It recalls the experience farmers had with the Dakota Access Pipeline as Harvest Public Media’s Katie Peikes (PIKE-iss) reports. ~~~ A large community-engaged mural is slated to be installed at the end of the summer in Bismarck thanks to the efforts of the Northern Plains National Heritage Area. The first step in the project is an open call to the public. Alicia Hegland Thorpe visits with community muralist Greta Mclain from GoodSpace Murals to learn more.
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 - In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris visits with Cody Schulz, director of the North Dakota Department of Parks and Recreation. ~~~ Kernza is a grain that may have a promising future for North Dakota Farmers. The story from Harvest Public media’s Rachel Yung. ~~~ In a piece that first aired on last Saturday’s Great American Folk Show, host Tom Brosseau visits food columnist Marilyn Hagerty at Darcy’s Cafe in Grand Forks. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “No sunbeams Rest on a Prairie Grave.”
Monday, May 23, 2022 - Jack Russell Weinstein joins us for Philosophical Currents as we discuss themes arising from current events. And one issue that touches on the divide between us, and affects numerous topics, is the reluctance or inability for people to change their minds. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay, “The Buttercup Family.” ~~~ When a love for plants, a passion for a new art, and a family farm intersect, you get a vision of an unusual community space. With the help of an American Rescue Grant distributed through the North Dakota Council of the Arts, Ellen Knudsen Duffey is embarking on an ambitious plan to create a Stained Glass Greenhouse. Special contributor Brandi Malarkey visits with Ellen to learn more about the project.
Brandi Malarkey visits with Ellen Knudsen Duffey, who’s embarking on an ambitious plan to create a stained-glass greenhouse.
Friday, May 20, 2022 - A new community-based partnership under the Bush Foundation is working to indigenize the grant-making process, Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with representatives of the Good Relatives Collaborative. ~~~ The North Dakota primary election is right around the corner on Tuesday, June 14. And it’s proving to be a crowded field in a lot of local elections. Vote 4-1-1 is an initiative run by local chapters of the League of Women Voters to make knowing who’s running, and what they stand for, easier. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with Whitney Oxendahl, the Vote 4-1-1 coordinator. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Duke.”
Thursday, May 19, 2022 - Prairie Public production manager reflects on the life and career of Bob Dambach, long time television manager responsible for numerous award-winning projects. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Rhubarb Challenge.” ~~~ A feature on Terry Shannon, treasure hunter. ~~~ This week in our Main Street Eats segment, Sue Balcom talks about seed germination.
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 - Ron Vossler is a humanities scholar and speaker, and his writing focus has been the Black Sea Germans, a minority group once located primarily in the Ukraine, but now scattered world wide. He joins us to share some of that history as he comments on the current conflict in today’s Ukraine.http://www.ronvossler.com/
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 - Last week, the Interior Department issued a report detailing the brutal history involving federal Indian boarding schools. We take the occasion to share an address by Denise Lajimodiere, author of the book “Stringing Rosaries, the History, the Unforgivable, and the Healing of North American Indian Boarding School Survivors.” She spoke last November at Concordia College. Alicia Hegland Thorpe has prepared an excerpt of that address. You can see the entire presentation here. ~~~ Ed Yong, a writer for The Atlantic, won a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. He says the threat of future pandemics requires society to aggressively face and fix racial, economic and health disparities. He visits with Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter in this excerpt from the Conversations on Health Care podcast.
Monday, May 16, 2022 - Science writer Mary Roach has adapted her book “Packing for Mars” for a middle school audience. How did NASA engineers make a toilet for zero gravity? How do you deal with food that won’t stay on silverware or waste that clings to your derriere? We’ll find out! ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about migrating birds. ~~~ State tourism director Sara Otte Coleman visits with host John Harris in an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show. ~~~ Tomorrow is Syttende Mai, the 17th of May, Norwegian Constitution Day. It’s another popular day for lefse, a traditional Norwegian food. In Sunday’s Great American Folk Show Tom Brosseau visited with lefse-making teacher Evelyn Hensud, and in case you missed it, we thought it was deserving of an encore.
Friday, May 13, 2022 - Violinist Gaelynn Lea of Duluth won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest in 2016, and more recently she was tapped to compose the music for a new production of Macbeth on Broadway starring Daniel Craig. ~~~ Bismarck has a big celebration this weekend. It’s the town’s sesquicentennial, or 150th birthday. We take the occasion to share a conversation between special contributor Brandi Malarkey and Dr. Marilyn Snyder, president of the Bismarck Historical Society. They discuss an effort to gather major oral histories plus a project to transcribe police records that go all the way back to the early 1900s. ~~~ Matt Olien has this week’s movie review: “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
Thursday, May 12, 2022 - Bismarck kicks off its sesquicentennial celebration this weekend. Alicia Hegland Thorpe visits with Bismarck Ass’t City administrator Jason Tomanek (toe-MAHN-ek) and former Bismarck Mayor Bill Sorenson. ~~~ Historian Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay titled “Bachelors of Mt. Carmel.” ~~~ In a piece from the Prairie Public television division, Emily Buermann (BEER-man) of the Becker County History Museum in Detroit Lakes shares an “Artifact Spotlight” story about two pioneering women of medicine: “Emma and Emma of Detroit, Minnesota.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLrMqe_EOeI ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats. Today we discuss seeds.
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 - A Dusty Echo is a true North Dakota story. It won the 1976 North Dakota Bicentennial Playwriting Contest, and it’s written by Bismarck native Ev Miller. It focuses on a struggling family farm during the Dust Bowl. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with director Amanda Perry and cast member Patrick Engelhart. A Dusty Echo opens tomorrow at Dakota Stage in Bismarck. ~~~ In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, John Harris visits with Marshall Johnson, the National Audubon Society’s chief conservation officer, who’s based here in North Dakota. ~~~ Speaking of birds, the country is in the midst of one of the worst bird flu outbreaks in years. Millions of wild birds and poultry have died. William Brangham has more in this story from the PBS NewsHour. ~~~ Future Business Leaders of America is an organization devoted to inspiring and preparing students to become community and business minded leaders. And it sponsors competition between its chapters. Teacher Wendy Grote is about to retire, and she’s doing so after leading her students of the Divide County High School FBLA chapter to 21 state championships!
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 - Kate Adamala is a biochemist building synthetic cells. Her research aims at understanding chemical principles of biology, using artificial cells to create new tools for bioengineering, drug development, and basic research. ~~~ Sixty-six million years ago, a gigantic asteroid slammed into Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs. Wednesday on PBS, Nova presents “Dinosaur Apocalypse,” with host David Attenborough. The story explains how a discovery in North Dakota takes us to the very day the apocalypse occurred. Paleontologist Robert DePalma is featured in the program. He joins us with a preview.
Monday, May 9, 2022 - Imagine raising 10 kids during the depression. Martin and Asta Odnes did that in Van Hook, ND, after emigrating from Norway. Granddaughter Barb Solberg of Minot traces the family’s agonizing decision to send three children back to Norway, in hopes of a better life, only to have World War Two break out. She tells the story in What We Leave Behind. ~~~ With the passing of winter, horticulturist Ron Smith is here to help us get ready for spring.
Friday, May 6, 2022 - The annual PBS Kids Writers Contest is always a source of delight here at Prairie Public. We love sharing some of those stories, and joining us to do just that is Christine McClellan. ~~~ Drought is still affecting much of the Great Plains, as we hear from Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Val,” a documentary about the life and career of Val Kilmer, using archival footage often shot by Kilmer himself over the course of his career. ~~~ Mothers Day is coming up on Sunday. Did you ever wonder how it got started? We get the story from Nate DiMeo, host of the Memory Palace.
May 5, 2022 - Today is the National Day of Awareness for “Missing And Murdered Indigenous People.” Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with Agnes Woodward, a member of the Kawacatoose First Nation in Saskatchewan and the director of storytelling for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Initiative. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here to discuss the origins of Mothers Day for Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, May 4, 2022 - It’s the first day of our spring member drive. The Moth is coming to North Dakota with a mainstage event in Fargo in December. We visit with executive producer Sarah Austin Jenness. ~~~ The Sacred Pipe Resource Center in Bismarck presents a traveling statue to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in North Dakota. Dr. Cheryl Kary of the Sacred Pipe Resource Center in Bismarck sits with co-host Alicia Hegland-Thorpe to discuss National Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Day and the unique way Sacred Pipe is creating awareness and raising money for families and search teams.
Tuesday, May 3, 2022 - North Dakota poet laureate Larry Woiwode passed away last Thursday after a short illness. Joining us to reflect on his life is associate poet laureate Jamie Parsley. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Railroad Corral.” ~~~ Speaking of history, there are a number of attractions to consider when traveling the state this summer. Bill Peterson, the executive director of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, shares some highlights in an excerpt of the Prairie Pulse television show as he visits with host John Harris. ~~~ There is a new opportunity to get your hands dirty in Bismarck. Shelly Sayler has recently opened part of her ceramics studio to the public, including classes and workshops for those interested in learning more about working with clay. Brandi Malarkey visits Shelly's studio to learn more about her work.
Monday, May 2, 2022 - We think of the US as the place those “less fortunate” want to live. Today we visit with Tiffanie Drayton, author of Black American Refugee: Escaping the Narcissism of the American Dream, about why she left to US to return to Tobago. ~~~We’re getting closer to summer road trip season. If you’re looking for ideas, perhaps “The Impossible Road Trip: An Unforgettable Journey to Past and Present Roadside Attractions in All 50 States” will give you ideas. We visit with author Eric Dregni, who has several author talks coming up in western Minnesota. Ashley Thornberg caught up with him at a recent talk in Fargo.
Friday, April 29, 2022 - It’s time for the April Journalists Roundtable discussion. News Director Dave Thompson is host with special guests, Regional Managing Editor the Williston Herald and the Sydney Herald Renee Jean, and KVRR News Director Joe Radske.
Thursday, April 28, 2022 - For this month’s Philosophical Currents, Jack Russell Weinstein talks about male emotion. ~~~ In this week’s Natural North Dakota essay, Chuck Lura talks about Aspen clones. ~~~ Throughout April, Main Street Eat’s Sue Balcom has been exploring local foods and producers. Today, she takes a slight detour, visiting Shari Glasser. She’s a flower farmer, running Bogie’s Blossoms in Bismarck. It’s named after her Welsh Terrier who was a constant companion during some difficult times. But as she tells Sue, her love of gardening began when she was much younger.
Wednesday, April 27, 2022 - Linda Christman is the outgoing executive director of the Bismarck Arts and Galleries Association. She visits with Brandi Malarkey about 22 years at BAGA as she heads into retirement. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, Lord Byron Number Two. ~~~ A highly pathogenic bird flu virus is taking its toll on U.S. farms and poultry yards, spreading to at least 29 states. More than 167,000 birds in North Dakota have died. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with NDSU Extension agent Tyler Kralicek. To learn more about the Avian Flu, or to report sick or deceased birds in your area, contact North Dakota Game and Fish at 701-328-2655, or contact your local county extension agent.
Tuesday, April 26, 2022 - Blending tradition and modern living is the aim of the book The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World. We visit with author Dr. Anton Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe of Bemidji State University.
Monday, April 25, 2022 - Today is the 82nd birthday of Alfred James Pacino. Today we reflect on the role that launched his career. Movie buffs Matt Olien, Greg Carlson, and Tony Tilton talk about the legacy of The Godfather, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Dr. Greg Carlson is a professor in the Communication Studies and Theatre Art department at Concordia College. Tony Tilton is the general manager of Moorhead Community Access Media.
Friday, April 22, 2022 - Last April, North Dakota passed Senate Bill 2304, requiring Native American history to be taught in schools across the state. We visit with Ken Hall and Cara Currie Hall, members of the working group that helped get the bill passed. ~~~ We have our weekly news debrief with Dave Thompson. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews The Worst Person in the World.
Thursday, April 21, 2022 - 25 years ago, the Red River crested in Grand Forks at an historic 54.35 feet. Former Main Street Host Doug Hamilton is back in the studio today to share his remembrances covering this catastrophic event. ~~~ Throughout April, Sue Balcom is taking a look at local food systems for Main Street Eats. Today she visits with Danielle Mickelson, a large-scale, small-grain farmer and farmer’s market vendor from Rolla.
Wednesday, April 20, 2022 - The Farmer’s Lawyer: The North Dakota Nine and the Fight to Save the Family Farm is Humanities ND’s One Book One North Dakota conversation this Sunday. We reair a conversation from November 2021 with author Sarah Vogel, a North Dakota farm advocate who served as North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture from 1989 to 1997.
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 - Michael Patrick F. Smith is on a book tour in North Dakota about his time in the bakken. His book is The Good Hand: A Memoir of Work, Brotherhood, and Transformation in an American Boomtown. He visits with Bill Thomas. ~~~ In this week’s Natural North Dakota, we learn about an upcoming meteor shower. ~~~ April is National Poetry Month. We share an excerpt from a recent episode of The Great American Folk Show.
Monday, April 18, 2022 - Trauma can impact how genes work. Stephanie Foo knows this all too well, having panic attacks, anxiety, depression and more devastating impacts of severe child abuse. As part of her healing journey, she wrote a book, What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma. Foo’s mother beat her repeatedly and both parents eventually abandoned her to live on her own while still in high school.
Friday, April 15, 2022 - On this Good Friday, we help you navigate family time with the art of asking questions. We share an excerpt from a recent episode of Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life about how to think philosophically. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews The Northman.
Thursday, April 14, 2022 - We visit with Veteran Mark Lindquist (pictured) who traveled from Fargo to Ukraine to help get supplies to those in the war-torn country. ~~~ Throughout April, Sue Balcom is taking a look at local food systems for Main Street Eats. Today she visits with Marv Baker or North Star Farms in Carpio, about 30 miles north west of Minot. He runs a three-acre organic farm and is a vendor at the North Prairie Farmers Market in Minot.
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 - How do you commemorate important experiences. Many cultures have different approaches. Today we learn about what a winter count is. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with Dakota Goodhouse, a History and Native Studies educator at United Tribes Technical College. ~~~ We share a Plains Folk essay from Tom Isern, Breakfast at 6. ~~~ The State Historical Society of North Dakota has awarded twenty organizations throughout the state with a Cultural Heritage Grant for improvements, projects, and events. The B’nai Israel Synagogue, located in Grand Forks, is one of the grant recipients. Today Bert Garwood, president of the congregation at the B’nai Israel Synagogue, visits with guest interviewer Brandi Malarkey about their building rehabilitation project.
Tuesday, April 12, 2022 - Thievery, forgery, murder. All in a day’s work for used booksellers, right? Maybe not all booksellers. Gary Goodman is the author of The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade, a book punctuated with book obsessives, questionable decisions, and even death-defying treks for books.
Monday, April 11, 2022 - We meet the newest member of the Prairie Public family. Main Street welcomes Alicia Hegland-Thorpe as co-host of Main Street. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith has lawn and garden advice. ~~~ Sarah Vogel shares an essay arguing Jay Gatsby is North Dakota’s most famous son.
Friday, April 8, 2022 - We learn about the impacts of Make A Wish on the emotional and mental health of patients and their families. We visit with Bethaney Kaye, the director of medical affairs for Make-A-Wish America, and Billi Jo Zielinski, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish North Dakota. ~~~ We have our weekly news debrief with Dave Thompson. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews CODA.
Thursday, April 7, 2022 - Bismarck Global Neighbors and the state of North Dakota are developing the first ever ND Statewide Youth Refugee program. It will provide youth refugee mentoring and vocational services as a statewide initiative. We visit with State Refugee Coordinator Holly-Triska Dally, and Bismarck Global Neighbors Executive Director Julie Ramos Lagos. ~~~ Throughout April, Sue Balcom is taking a look at local food systems for Main Street Eats. Today she visits with Quinn Renfandt co-director of the Farmers Market Promotion Program at Dakota College at Bottineau. He’s also on the board of the Red River Harvest Cooperative. ~~~ We share a Joy Harjo poem from a recent appearance in Fargo, See With Your Heart.
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 - The Ursulina is a new book set in the frozen north woods of rural Minnesota. Deputy Rebecca Colder hunts the mythical Ursulina creature responsible for brutal murders. We visit with author Brian Freeman. ~~~ In this week’s Natural North Dakota essay, biologist Chuck Lura talks about voles. ~~~ Director of Radio Bill Thomas was a judge at the recent Poetry Out Loud competition. He shares highlights for National Poetry Month.
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 – Famed Polar explorer Will Steger is out with a book, a cookbook. The Steger Homestead Kitchen: Simple Recipes for an Abundant Life is a collection of recipes his niece and Steger Center head chef Rita Mae serves guests. The book promotes seasonal eating, foraging, and zero waste or fossil fuels. ~~~ Ford is coming out with an electric F-150. Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports. ~~~ Bret Dockter, North Dakota’s 2022 Teacher of the Year, has been awarded a $15,000 grant to promote the teaching profession and education. It is the first grant of its kind in state history. He visits with guest interviewer Tom Gerhardt.
Monday, April 4, 2022 – The 90s is a compendium by author and North Dakota native Chuck Klosterman. It covers the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of Michael Jordan, the birth of Amazon, the Unabomber and more. ~~~Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, Murder At the Cook Car. ~~~ Spring is here and the Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resource Management and Sustainability (FARRMS) is getting ready for the planting season by soliciting applications for their Sustainable Agriculture Internship program. FARRMS's program manager, Felicity Merritt visits with Brandi Malarkey about what the program involves, and how to apply.
Friday, April 1, 2022 - It’s time for our monthly Journalists Roundtable. News Director Dave Thompson steps in as host with special guests KFYR Anchor and Managing Editor Monica Hannan, and Sarah Elmquist Squires, executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews Spider-Man: No Way Home. He also reflects on the recent Oscars.
Angela Yam is the Gate City Bank Young Artist for the Spring 2022 season of the FM Opera. She joins us to talk about what it takes to be an opera singer.
Thursday, March 31, 2022 - Angela Yam is the Gate City Bank Young Artist for the Spring 2022 season of the FM Opera. She joins us to talk about what it takes to be an opera singer. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats to talk about direct sow plants and vegetables.
In this month’s Philosophical Currents, Jack Russell Weinstein puts a philosopher’s spin on “the slap” from the recent Oscars.
FirstLink is partnering with TellWell to put on a film festival to highlight mental health concerns and resources. Prairie Public is the event's media sponsor. We visit with FirstLink Executive Director Jennifer Illich.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 - FirstLink is partnering with TellWell to put on a film festival to highlight mental health concerns and resources. We visit with FirstLink Executive Director Jennifer Illich. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, Respectable Girl Wants Work. ~~~ In this month’s Philosophical Currents, Jack Russell Weinstein puts a philosopher’s spin on “the slap” from the recent Oscars.
In our final installment of the series, former Democratic State Senator and former teacher Erin Oban shares insights from her years in the classroom and in the legislature.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 - In our final installment of the North Dakota Teacher Retention Crisis series, in partnership with North Dakota United, Tom Gerhardt visits with former Democratic State Senator and former teacher Erin Oban. ~~~ The US Department of Agriculture’s first-ever survey of hemp production found an industry worth more than 800 million dollars. But the recent report also showed a glaring diversity issue: Just six percent of hemp growers are Black. Harvest Public Media’s Corinne Ruff reports. ~~~ We share a Natural North Dakota essay, “Pasque Flower.” ~~~ Growing Small Towns is bringing art to Oakes, ND with the assistance of a North Dakota Council of the Arts Grant to host a "Creating Stories" event the first weekend in April. Rebecca Undem visits with Brandi Malarkey to share a little of the journey that went into creating this event.
Monday, March 28, 2022 - Thanks to member dollars, we’re able to expand our coverage and have a new reporter in Bismarck. We welcome Katie David to the Prairie Public family and share a conversation she has with Susan Wefald about an effort to identify the largest tree of its species in the Bismarck area. ~~~ We learn about the Dakota Media Access Film Festival coming up March 31st and April 1st with Bryan Keidel, one of the festival organizers.
Friday, March 25, 2022 – Glynn Washington, host of Snap Judgment, is being inducted into the podcast hall of fame. We reair a conversation he had with Doug Hamilton in October 2020. ~~~ It’s a small town with a big art show. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Hawley Art Show is coming back April 7. Brandi Malarkey visits with Rodney Haug, one of the volunteers on the Hawley Art Show committee. ~~~ We have our weekly news debrief with Dave Thompson. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews The Lost Daughter.
It’s a small town with a big art show. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Hawley Art Show is coming back April 7. Brandi Malarkey visits with Rodney Haug, one of the volunteers on the Hawley Art Show committee.
Thursday, March 24, 2022 – Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Eli Saslow, author of Rising Out of Hatred, is coming to Fargo in May and Humanities ND is looking for help for the event. We learn about what it takes to be a table facilitator with Sue Skalicky, program coordinator for Humanities ND. ~~~ Biologist Chuck Lura has a Natural North Dakota essay, Enjoy Spring. ~~~ Sue Balcom stresses the importance of spacing your garden. ~~~ Joy Harjo is the Poet Laureate of the United States, the first of Native American heritage. She was recently in North Dakota – The Spirit Room of Fargo organized the visit. The North Dakota Humanities Council funded it. Today we share one of her poems, Crystal Lake.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 – PASE, or Parents are Sexuality Educators is a free class for parents who want to learn how to have comfortable, matter-of-fact conversations with their children or teens about sexuality. There are upcoming classes in Grand Forks and Fargo. We visit with facilitator Katie Christensen. ~~~ Beach, ND is hosting its very first Art Walk . Brandi Malarkey chats with City Auditor Kim Gaugler.
Tuesday, March 22, 2022 – David Ripplinger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University. He joins Prairie Pulse host John Harris to talk about the economic impact worldwide of the war in Ukraine. ~~~ We continue the Ukraine coverage with a report from Harvest Public Media on the cost of fertilizer. ~~~ In the fourth installment of the series, “North Dakota Teacher Retention Crisis,” in partnership with North Dakota United, Tom Gerhardt visiting with North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler.
In the fourth installment of the series, “North Dakota Teacher Retention Crisis,” in partnership with North Dakota United, Tom Gerhardt visiting with North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler.
Monday, March 21, 2022 – As the war in Ukraine continues to unfold, so does the scope of the humanitarian crisis. Aid organizations like Project Hope have flocked to the region. Its CEO is Rabih Torbay, based in Washington; and its director of emergency response and preparedness is Tom Cotter, currently overseeing the efforts on the ground in Romania. They visit with Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter in this excerpt from the Conversations on Health Care podcast. ~~~ Issues and questions about free speech will be the topic of “Free Speech: A Community Conversation,” a panel scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, at noon in NDSU’s Memorial Union’s Room of Nations and via Zoom. Howard A. Dahl of Amity Technology and Jack Zaleski, retired editorial page editor, will discuss what free speech is, what it contributes to a democratic society and some of the justifiable and unjustifiable limitations on it. We visit with Jack. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, The Atmosphere of Excitement.
Friday, March 18, 2022 – The ND Women's Network Youth Action Council is addressing menstrual equality with a Period Pack assembly day in Jamestown on Saturday. We learn more from Kristie Wolff, executive director of the North Dakota Women’s Network. ~~~ Late winter and early spring is time for maple syrup. When most people think of maple syrup production, Vermont comes to mind. In the Midwest, Wisconsin and Michigan are the biggest producers. But as Harvest Public Media’s Katie Peikes reports, there’s a lot of untapped potential for maple syrup in the lower Midwest. ~~~ We have our weekly news debrief with Dave Thompson. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews King Richard.
Thursday, March 17, 2022 – Another Scar of Genocide is a film exploring diabetes among indigenous people. It’s showing at the Grand Theatre in Bismarck on Friday night. We visit with Director Justin Deegan and Executive Producer Darline Perkins. ~~~Three high school students in LaMoure, North Dakota have received national recognition in a CSPAN StudentCam competition. Prairie Public’s Danielle Webster has the story.~~~ For this week’s Main Street Eats, Sue Balcom helps us methodically plan out the gardening season.
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 – The closing night selection for the Fargo Film Festival is Glob Lessons. North Dakota Native Nicole Rodenburg comes home for this road trip across that state from two people whose lives aren’t going as planned. We reair a conversation from July of 2021 when it screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith stops by for early spring lawn and garden care tips. ~~~ Tom Brosseau, host of The Great American Folk Show, brings us to the Queen City Cafe in Aneta.
In the third installment in our series examining how to retain teachers in North Dakota, we hear from Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, the state’s largest association of public educators and employees.
Tuesday, March 15, 2022 – Muscle Memory is a film examining dance and vulnerability. It’s showing during the Fargo Film Festival, where filmmaker Mary Trunk will also take audience questions. ~~~ It’s the third installment in our series examining how to retain teachers in North Dakota. Tom Gerhardt interviews North Dakota United President Nick Archuleta.
Monday, March 14, 2022 – Would you believe that female US Supreme Court Justices are interrupted four times more often than male ones? We visit with Mary Ann Sieghart the author of The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It. ~~~ Brandi Malarkey visits with Kristie Wolff, executive director of the North Dakota Women’s Network about Ready to Run, an initiative to support women who want to run for office or learn more about the political system. ~~~ Tom Isern has a Plains Folk essay, Cracker Crumbs for The Sparrow.
Friday, March 11, 2022 – On the upcoming Why show, philosopher Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein discusses this month’s theme, “What Is a Model Minority,” with Dr. Emily Lee, chair of the Department of Philosophy at California State University, Fullerton. ~~~ News Director Dave Thompson is here for his weekly news debrief. ~~~ Matt Olien review, “The Batman.”
Thursday, March 10, 2022 - Next week is the Fargo Film Festival. We get a preview from Sean Volk, the Fargo Theatre Development and Engagement Manager. He visits with Prairie Pulse Host John Harris. ~~~ Tom Brosseau takes us to the Drayton Curling Club in an excerpt from the Great American Folk Show. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk Essay, The Obnoxious Character of the English Sparrow. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here with tips for getting a head start on gardening.
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 - Matt Olien hosts a roundtable discussion with three Russia experts from NDSU.
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 - Brent and Anna Huso of McVille are in Ukraine to rescue Anna’s family. They share what it’s like in Ukraine. Farmers and Merchants Bank of McVille is accepting donations to help the Huso family. ~~~ After so much talk about drought, it’s time to think about water. Biologist Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on drainage. ~~~ It’s the second installment in our series examining how to retain teachers in North Dakota. Tom Gerhardt interviews 2021 ND Teacher of the Year Kristi Reinke. He also visits with a former Fargo teacher who left the profession.
Brent and Anna Huso of McVille are in Ukraine to rescue Anna’s family. They share what it’s like in Ukraine. Farmers and Merchants Bank of McVille is accepting donations to help the Huso family.
In the second installment in our series examining how to retain teachers in North Dakota, we hear from the 2021 North Dakota Teacher of The Year, Kristi Reinke, and a former Fargo teacher.
Monday, March 7, 2022 - Author David Grann is coming to Concordia for its last National Book Awards event. We visit about his book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI which was nominated for a National Book Award when it was released in 2017. ~~~ The Moorhead Friends Writing Group, thanks to the pandemic, has members across the region and even the globe. They critique each other’s work and are out with an anthology of short stories. Guest interviewer Brandi Malarkey visits with organizer Chris Stenson.
Friday, March 4, 2022 - Ukrainians in North Dakota: In Their Voices explores what it means to be both Ukrainian and American. We visit with Bill Palanuk of the Ukrainian Cultural Institute and State Librarian Mary Soucie. ~~~ News Director Dave Thompson has his weekly news debrief. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews Drive My Car.
Thursday, March 3, 2022 - Yesterday there was a rally in support of Ukraine. Director of Radio Bill Thomas shares clips from organizers and participants. ~~~ Biologist Chuck Lura has a Natural North Dakota essay, Nesting Great Horned Owls. ~~~ For this week’s Main Street Eats, Sue Balcom visits with Diane Schmidt, longtime gardener and farmer’s market producer, and one of Sue’s mentors.
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 - We have lots of identities – sons and daughters, employees, artists, Americans, or athletes to name a few. Border Boys: How Americans from Border Colleges Helped Western Canada to Win a Football Championship explores national identity through the lens of football. Author Ryan Christiansen visits with Matt Olien. ~~~ The Great American Folk show is moving to a weekly format! We share an excerpt from the upcoming episode.
Tuesday, March 1, 2022 - Today we’re launching a series examining how to retain teachers in North Dakota. Teacher contracts are handed out in March. Tom Gerhardt interviews Kari Nehls, a former Bismarck teacher with 15 years of experience. ~~~ The new season of Top Chef premieres this week on Bravo. Bismarck Chef Stephanie Miller, co-owner of The Butterhorn and Shelter Belt is competing this season.
Today we’re launching a series examining how to retain teachers in North Dakota. North Dakota United Public Affairs Director Tom Gerhardt interviews Kari Nehls, a former Bismarck teacher with 15 years of experience, on her emotional decision to leave the profession she loves.
Monday, February 28, 2022 - It’s time for our monthly Journalists Roundtable. News Director Dave Thompson hosts special guests Sydney Mook, managing editor of the Grand Forks Herald and Bismarck Tribune Energy Reporter Amy Sisk. ~~~ We have a Plains Folk essay from Tom Isern, The Observations of Mr. Wheatley.
Friday, February 25, 2022 - For this month’s Philosophical Currents, Jack Russell Weinstein talks about what’s happening in Ukraine. ~~~ Dave Thompson has our weekly news debrief. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Tick, Tick…Boom.”
Thursday, February 24, 2022 - “O, Beautiful” by author Jung Yun is the One Book One North Dakota discussion from Humanities ND. ~~~ Dave Thompson visits with Lisa Johnson, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs for the North Dakota University System, about ACT and SAT requirements for college. Many are dropping the requirement. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here to talk pancakes.
Wednesday, February 23, 2022 - Jason Riley writes the Upward Mobility column for the Wall Street Journal. He’s giving a virtual presentation for NDSU for Black History Month. ~~~ Tom Isern has a Plains Folk essay, Proper Punctuation in Winter. ~~~ Writer and photographer W. Scott Olsen is giving an artist talk tomorrow at the Plains Art Museum on his exhibition, “Notes Toward the Soul of Water: A Photojournalist Adventure.”
The Olympics are underway. Fargo Curling Club’s Shawn Olesen is part of the three-person team managing the ice for Olympic curling.
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 - KayCote hosts the Fargo Fit Friend podcast. We visit about navigating the world of women's health and wellness and how to brand yourself. ~~~ Chuck Lura has a Natural North Dakota essay on moose. ~~~ The Olympics are underway. Fargo Curling Club’s Shawn Olesen is part of the three-person team managing the ice for Olympic curling.
Monday, February 7, 2022 - US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo is in Fargo as part of The Big Read project. We re-air a presentation she gave last year called Bringing Joy. ~~~ Also as part of The Big Read event, educator and poet Denise Lajimodiere read from her latest book, “His Feathers Were Chains,” while local musicians played original compositions based on her poems. We share a reading of “Identity Crisis.”
Ashley Thornberg talks to SnowKraft and Jay Ray, local snow sculptors who are building sculptures for the Fargo-Moorhead Frostival.
Friday, February 4, 2022 - Tom Brosseau, host of The Great American Folk Show takes us to New Leipzig, ND for a new segment called Dakota Diners. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews Parallel Mothers. ~~~ News Director Dave Thompson is here for his weekly news debrief.
Brandi Malarkey introduces us to the new Fargo based-band, Hiahli, which is currently in the middle of a unique recording project. Hear from Ryan Tetzloff and Jason Boynton, the co-founders of the hip-hop band with the unusual name.
Thursday, February 3, 2022 - Today the late Wayne Stenehjem was laid to rest. He spent 45 years in service to North Dakota, first as a state legislator and then as Attorney General. News Director Dave Thompson attended the funeral and joins us to talk about Stenehjem’s legacy. ~~~ Denim is ubiquitous. Today we hear from Anna Lee Strachan and Michael Bicks, the filmmakers behind Riveted: The History of Jeans, which airs Monday on PBS’ American Experience. ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us for Main Street Eats to talk about chocolate.
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 - It’s time for the annual Laffont Met Opera Auditions. We hear from Dr. Royce Blackburn Director of the North Dakota-Manitoba District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. ~~~ Peggy Lee ~~~ Bill Thompson of Bismarck loves Groundhog Day. Thompson quit smoking on February 2nd 1978. And every year since then, he has celebrated the day. ~~~ Frostival is a mid winter event to celebrate the snow and cold. We hear from sculptors making snow sculptures for the event. And they’ll be representing ND on the national level this weekend in Wisconsin.
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 -We get a preview of the upcoming Jazz Fest happening this week at NDSU with one of the organizers Matt Sheerer, and guest artist and Fargo native Ross Pederson. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, Adventure Beyond Locality. ~~~ Brandi Malarkey introduces us to the hip-hop band Hiahli.
Monday, January, 31, 2022 - Amena Chaudry is facilitating the class Race and Allyship: A Course for White People for Humanities ND. It starts February 10th and takes place over Zoom for ten weeks. ~~~ News Director Dave Thompson shares memories of the late Wayne Stenehjem, the state’s former attorney general. ~~~ The Grammys were supposed to happen tonight. But Bismarck’s Dr. Jason Thoms will have to wait until April to find out if he’s won one. The composer, conductor, singer, and music educator is nominated for a best chorale performance Grammy. He spoke with Scott Prebys, host of Prebys on Classics.
Friday, January 28, 2022 - It’s time for our monthly Journalists Roundtable. News Director Dave Thompson hosts special guests Dave Kolpack of the Associated Press and Renee Jean of the Williston Herald. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews Licorice Pizza.
Thursday, January 27, 2022 - We get a preview of tonight’s Prairie Pulse as host John Harris speaks with Tracee Capron, the executive director of Hospice of the Red River Valley. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Barefoot.” ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us to talk about food as wellness.
Michael Miller of the NDSU Germans from Russia Heritage Collection and television producer Matt Olien join Main Street to honor the late Bob Dambach, who dedicated 35 years of his life to Prairie Public.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 - We get a preview of the upcoming season of Prairie Musicians with Prairie Public Production Manager Barb Gravel. ~~~ Matt Olien and Michael Miller join us to honor the late Bob Dambach, who dedicated 35 years of his life to Prairie Public.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022 - Harvard Professor of History Dr. Philip Deloria is presenting on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act tonight for Humanities ND. He talks about the three phases of the law. ~~~ A recent study by the Pew Research Center shows that 3 of 10 U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated. Greg Smith is associate director of research at the center and he recently visited with Lori Walsh, host of In The Moment of South Dakota Public Radio.
Monday, January 24, 2022 - UND Professor Dr. Rebecca J. Romsdahl seeks to inspire wonder about the natural world in her new book “Mindful Wandering: Nature and Global Travel through the Eyes of a Farmgirl Scientist.” Romsdahl, takes the reader from a Minnesota farm to England, Morocco, Peru and beyond. It’s published by The Digital Press at UND and it’s available as a free download. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith stops by to talk about winter plant care.
Friday, January 21 2022 - News director Dave Thompson recaps the news of the week. ~~~ Matt Olien is here with a movie review, “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”
Sunday, January 23, 2022 - Dr. Abraam Yakoub is an associate professor of biomedical sciences at UND. His team received a $4.5 million award from the National Institutes of Health for a 5-year project studying COVID. ~~~ Jessie Veeder, North Dakota writer, Forum columnist and musician, has released her first children’s book, “Prairie Princess.” To celebrate, she is touring libraries to conduct a reading, signing, discussion and creative activity for all ages. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “The Northern Blizzards.” ~~~ Matt Olien is here with a movie review, “The Tragedy of Macbeth.”
Thursday, January 20, 2022 - Jessie Veeder, North Dakota writer, Forum columnist and musician, has released her first children’s book, “Prairie Princess.” To celebrate, she is touring libraries to conduct a reading, signing, discussion and creative activity for all ages. ~~~ Sue Balcom is “Romancing the Coffee Bean” in an episode of Main Street Eats.
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 - In an excerpt from the Conversations on Health Care podcast, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, addresses the confusion and frustration around the lack of rapid COVID tests, the need for quality masks, and the shifting plan of action in response to the omicron surge in COVID cases. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “The Northern Blizzards.” ~~~ An elaborate time capsule project is planned that will feature a large concrete monument along Highway 2 west of Grand Forks. It’s called the Millennial project, with the intention that it will be opened in 3001. Here to tell us more is the man spear-heading the effort, Roland Riemers.