Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
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Valentine’s Day and Giving Hearts Day are coming soon, but did you know that there’s one more very important heart-related observance we are in the midst of right now? Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. This could be a little girl in the ICU or a grandfather with Stage 3 leukemia. January is National Blood Donation Month, and the need is greater than you might realize. The American Red Cross recently announced that they are experiencing an emergency blood shortage. Blood don...
The local arts scene is lit for 2024. Dakota Prairie Regional Center for the Arts (DPRCA) is gearing up for its 33rd season. With five shows and over 60 nights of entertainment on the schedule, this year is going to be bigger than ever! That means there will be even more opportunities to experience live theatre right here in New Rockford, N.D. What started as a summer community theatre event in 1992 has grown into a year-round theatre and cultural event center that provides dozens of jobs,...
Is North Dakota better off today than it was a year ago?" That's the question asked by Craig Blumenshine, host of the PBS "Main Street" radio program, to a panel of journalists last week. "We have no way to go but up," I replied. The year 2023 was not one of my best, not even close. There were definitely some high points, and I'm grateful for that. Yet, I felt more anxious than I have in years. I'm not alone in that either, as uncertainty about what lay ahead has been all around me lately. The...
City officials knew they had spent tens of thousands of dollars more than expected to treat the city’s water supply last year. They learned just how much, and what they need to do to get back in the black, at their regular meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 2 Interim City Auditor Andrew Presnell had prepared two reports for USDA-Rural Development (USDA-RD), the federal agency that provided grant and loan funds to complete the water plant upgrades, water main replacement and water tower renovation projects...
There’s not enough snow to ride a snowmobile. The trees are bare, and the stubble from last year’s crop is still visible. There’s even water running through the ditches in some areas, in January! It’s “the winter that wasn’t,” some have written. Those that typically revel in that white winter wonderland are depressed to see bare trees and black ground. All I know is that the unseasonably warm temperatures and little to no snowfall have made winter all the more bearable for me. Last year at...
“Mention their name. Tell their story. Continue to live their legacy by remembering them with me.” – Nathalie Himmelrich Allen Stock, publisher of the Foster County Independent for 45 years, left this world on Christmas Day. I first got to know Allen about four years ago. He was a fellow publisher, but he hadn’t attended a newspaper convention or other gathering for several years. I remember him calling to ask if he could rerun articles we had printed in the Transcript, and he requested help se...
After serving as the interim auditor for the past three months, Andrew Presnell has earned the permanent gig. The New Rockford City Commission officially voted to hire Presnell as the permanent city auditor during a special meeting on Friday, Dec. 11. His starting salary is $55,000 per year. The decision was made due to his "exemplary job performance" over the past few months, president Stu Richter noted. "I think it's the perfect move," commissioner Jim Belquist added. "You deserve it....
My heart is heavy this Christmas. My best friend lost her dad a week ago, and one of our daughter’s former classmates died by suicide. I also heard that two gentlemen from my hometown, one the school janitor and another a bus driver, also had passed away. I know that loss is a part of life, but that doesn’t make it any easier. “We are here.” That’s what I repeated to every person I hugged or talked to at the prayer service for my daughter’s classmate. And I listened to his grandma tell us wha...
In a relatively quiet and quick meeting on Monday, Dec. 4 city commissioners received updates on several active projects. Interim City Auditor Andrew Presnell noted that he had filled out forms to host an apprentice water systems operations specialist. The apprenticeship is offered by the North Dakota Rural Water Systems Association with partnership from the National Rural Water Association and certified by the U.S. Department of Labor. According to the NDRWSA, the water sector is expected to...
Yet another industry has sounded the alarm on workforce shortages and unsustainable working conditions ths past week. This time it's the air traffic controllers, the ones who monitor the nation's airspace and are responsible for ensuring that planes don't collide in mid-air or crash on the landing strip. The headline in the New York Times read: "Drunk and Asleep on the Job: Air Traffic Controllers Pushed to the Brink." The situation is dire, according to veteran air traffic controllers who have...
Eddy County's auditor will vacate her position at year's end. Patty Williams, the county's auditor since 2015, has officially resigned amid recent controversy about voting machines used by Eddy County and other precincts across the country in the past two elections. Williams' resignation was approved during a special meeting of the county commissioners on Monday, Dec. 11. Later that day, Williams told the Transcript that her sudden departure was triggered when an attempt was made by the...
Last night, I got to see "how the sausage is made." As a member of the media, I was invited to watch DPRCA's "The Christmas Show" before anyone else. This time, I was on assignment, shooting photos to document Elliott Schwab's original script coming together on stage. Well, that was part of it. I also wanted to be among the first to see it so I could give you, my dear readers, a glimpse inside the show. It was the one Wednesday night appointment I was happy to take, and it came just in time....
The countdown to Christmas is on. As I write this, December 25 is exactly 34 days away. That means it's time for our annual Winterfest edition of the Transcript, full of all things local for the holidays. I came across a meme posted on the New Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page a few days ago that really hit me. It read, "Big companies won't notice your purchase over the next couple months. But small businesses will, and it might even change their life." It's true. Small,... Full story
It's Christmas Eve, and the Penrose Players are standing at the verge of bankruptcy. Siblings Elle and Aaron Penrose, the fourth generation owners of the Penrose Playhouse, are trying to enjoy one last Christmas in their historic family-owned theater. They are in the process of selling the building, and the buyer's agent shows up to inspect the property on Christmas Eve Day, right as the last dress rehearsal gets underway for their Christmas Day performance. To make matters worse, the Penrose... Full story
We've been blessed with beautiful fall days lately. I can't help but smile as I run around doing errands and buzz from one meeting to another. The only thing that could have made this past week better was spending more time outside. With our daylight hours dwindling and the temperatures beginning their precipitous drop, I'm choosing not to dwell on the depressing weather that is destined to come. Instead, I'm focusing on the good things (such as this gorgeous weather) and mindfully practicing...
Plans to reclaim New Rockford’s municipal airport are progressing. New Rockford City Commission President Stu Richter and Airport Authority member Troy Georgeson reported to the Eddy County Commission Tuesday. The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission has indicated that they are willing to formally consider funding for the project in April, which could bring an estimated $1.4 million in state dollars to the project. The full reclamation would include a ”full-depth reclamation” of the runway and t...
Frustration is the word of the day in the newsroom. It’s Monday, and subscriber newspapers have not been delivered to New Rockford, Fessenden and other rural post offices on time for the second week in a row. Our loyal readers, and this time the local postmaster herself, pick up the phone to notify us of the delay. “So what gives? Why isn’t the paper coming on time?” readers ask. I wish I had the answer. All the subscriber print copies of this newspaper were taken to the Fargo Post Office...
I grew up understanding that being part of a community meant giving of your time and talents whenever possible to enrich others. My dad was a member of the Robinson Lions Club when I was a kid. My mom took us to many activities and events led by volunteers, including 4-H and Sunday School. Both my parents served on church boards and committees, and I remember watching my grandmother prepare and serve meals at funerals and other special events in her church. We volunteer. It’s what we do. T...
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, 12 sophomores were inducted into the local chapter of the National Honor Society. Farmers Union Insurance agent Lucas Schumacher gave the annual address during a 30-minute ceremony in the NR-S gymnasium. Schumacher was a member of NHS in high school, and he addressed all four of the pillars: character, scholarship, leadership and service. "These pillars not only coordinate with NHS, they also coordinate with life," he said. "With today's technology right at your fingertips,...
This National Co-op Month, I recognize that many of the cooperatives operating today were established for the benefit of people. It didn’t take much effort to put together a list of cooperatives we do business with on a daily basis. After all, I’ve been a member of cooperatives since I was a young girl. My extended family have been members of Northern Plains Electric Cooperative (formerly Tri-County Electric) my entire life. The family farm and my parents’ home are served by this all-i...
With the 2024 budget, ongoing water plant concerns and substandard property demolitions on the agenda, the New Rockford City Commission had a relatively full house on Monday, Oct. 2. Former auditor George Ritzke asked several questions about the 2024 budget. After struggling to answer many of Ritzke’s questions, commissioners agreed to adjourn the budget meeting and reconvene when they were more confident that everything was in order. They cited the recent turnover in the auditor position as t...
Interim City Auditor Andrew Presnell has started his new role with a bang. The city was awarded $94,350 in grant funds for security improvements at the water plant just last week. As with most grants, it wasn’t a quick and easy process either. Presnell began working on the project in January, while he was the assistant to former city auditor Becki Schumacher. “I was working with Lisa Thompson, Eddy County Emergency Manager, and asked her about any grants available for the water plant since the...
The federal government has entered a new level of dysfunction. It’s like being in the middle of your favorite soap opera when the power goes out. For the first time in U.S. history, the House of Representatives has ousted its duly-elected speaker, Kevin McCarthy of California. “They don’t get to say they’re conservative because they’re angry and they’re chaotic,” McCarthy said of the eight Republican colleagues who voted against him. “That’s not the party I belong to. The party of Reagan was if...
This year marks the 83rd celebration of National Newspaper Week. From October 1-7, newspapers across the country are affirming their responsibilities to the communities they serve. I've written a lot about our industry in this space over the last year, yet I find myself compelled to do it again. So much has happened in the past several weeks. In August, we changed the distribution process for every newspaper we print, and that has affected when many of our readers receive their print edition,...
There's usually one in every hunting party, but this time it's the whole party and nothing but a party. This fall, DPRCA presents "Deer Camp," a hilarious take on hunting. Four buddies are set to enjoy their annual deer hunting trip, but this year is a little different. After 15 years of coming home with nothing but a hangover, their wives have given them an ultimatum: bag a deer or your deer camp days are over. Only one teeny, tiny hurdle stands in their way – none of them know how to hunt! D...
