North Dakota
Golis: On the road where the bison and the antelope play
“When you get to the four mailboxes, turn left and go six miles …” — Directions from a Montana rancher
MEDORA, North Dakota
Back in March, I worried a shortage of electric vehicle chargers would keep us from visiting North Dakota. But here we are in Medora, the town that bumps up against Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
OK, so we cheated. We drove our EV to Missoula, Montana, and then rented a gas-powered car to take us into the far reaches of northeastern Montana and then to neighboring North Dakota.
You can drive a long way in northeastern Montana and parts of North Dakota without seeing another person, much less an electric vehicle charging station. (In EV sales, North Dakota ranks second to last among the states.)
So, yeah, we cheated.
The (many) miles of wheat fields, beef cattle, wide-open prairie and the eroded formations that came to be called badlands and river breaks remind us that eastern Montana won’t be confused with the parts of Montana defined by big mountains and big trees.
Eastern Montana is beautiful, too, but it is different.
And there’s a lot happening, including celebrations of Lewis and Clark, the retelling of injustices committed against Native Americans, dinosaur museums, the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, the Missouri Breaks and the American Prairie Reserve, an ambitious conservation project that aims to “re-wild” large sections of the prairie. (Some ranchers are not fans.)
We began in Fort Benton, hard on the Missouri River. It happens to be the oldest town in Montana, and before the transcontinental railroad, it was the last stop for Missouri River commerce. The statue overlooking the river honors Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and Sacagawea for their contributions to the exploration of the West. Historian Stephen Ambrose wrote of their “undaunted courage,” and that seems about right. They came through these parts in 1805, 41 years before the founding of Fort Benton.
East of Big Sandy and south of Havre (pronounced have-er), we ventured into the confusion of unmarked gravel roads that pass through the Bear’s Paw Mountains and link to some sizable ranches. (The 66,000 acres of the IX Ranch were recently listed for $66 million.)
We drove 60 miles of bumpy roads, and we might still be wandering this picturesque landscape, save for the kindness of strangers.
“When you get to the four mailboxes, turn left and go 6 miles,” explained the rancher who has lived on this land for 51 years. “Then turn right at the old stage cabin.”
He seemed bemused that these city folks would be wanting to explore an area with fewer road signs than pronghorn antelope and pheasant.
“If you get lost, just ask someone for help,” counseled a grocery store clerk in Big Sandy, “you’ll find nice people out there.”
She was right. The grocery store clerk, the hotel clerk who called his hunting guide brother (not once but twice), the guy who happened to come by for a grocery store coffee, the squirrel hunters with their own relief map, the rancher who spent his life on this land — all were kind and generous with their time, eager to save us from the embarrassment of being lost.
Or more lost.
Back on Highway 2, known locally as the Hi-Line, we came to the “Middle of Nowhere,” the title now claimed by the citizens of Glasgow, Montana.
Using data gathered by researchers at Oxford University, the Washington Post sought to identify cities of more than 1,000 people found to be the farthest distance from cities of 75,000 or more people, and Glasgow was the winner.
Some cities might have bridled at being described as the Middle of Nowhere, but Glasgow — on Highway 2, not far from the Canadian border — put up signs celebrating its newly won recognition.
Like other towns along Highway 2, Glasgow (pop. 3,192) feels like its own world. To the west, it’s 69 miles to Malta (pop. 1,868), and to the east, 49 miles to Wolf Point (pop. 2,578).
We drove south from Glasgow to what is still the largest earthen dam in the country. Fort Peck Dam and Fort Peck Lake are astonishing in their scale. The dam is 4 miles long. The lakeshore is longer than the California coast. The dam contains 48 times as much water as Warm Springs Dam. At the height of the Depression, this Works Progress Administration project employed 10,500 people here.
Montanans are exercised right now about a run-up in property taxes. We even saw a sign blaming the conservative Republican governor, Greg Gianforte.
Buffalo Chip revs up opening day of 85th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip opens with big crowds and high-energy musical performances and vendors.
An agricultural tourism site has been awarded $1.5 million for a planned expansion, part of $4 million in tourism grants announced by the North Dakota Department of Commerce.
The $1.5 million is for the Black Leg Market and Eatery at Sterling, east of Bismarck, which will be part of Black Leg Ranch. The ranch raises cattle and bison and sells meat. It also has a wedding venue, lodging, hunting and a brewery.
The project involves building the Market and Eatery, adding guest cabins and developing full-service RV sites.
The money for the $4 million in the latest round of grants became available after Country Fest, a Morton County music festival, declined the grant money after it decided not to make major changes to the event.
The Department of Commerce opened a new round of Destination Development Grant applications after Country Fest declined.
Other North Dakota grant recipients include:
- Johnny’s Landing – Casselton, $870,000: To develop a lodging and wellness destination with 14 full hookup RV sites, 12 wellness-focused heritage cabins converted from granaries and grain bins, renovated farmhouse lodging, preserved barn space for agritourism and a conversion of a historic wooden water tower into a sauna.
- Great Northern Event Center – Williston, $550,000:To refurbish a historic Main Street property, turning the underground portion of the building into a lounge and other upgrades.
- The Prairie Experience at The Bins – Lakota, $500,000:For construction of the Bins Coffee and Spirits café, developing three grain bin lodging units and other amenities.
- Icelandic Rootshús – Mountain,$300,000: The Icelandic Rootshús is a permanent interpretive center, a welcoming place where this work can be experienced in person through learning, studying, and gathering.
A full list of grant recipients is available on the Department of Commerce website.
North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
WILLISTON, N.D. (KFYR) – UPDATE (5/10/2026 at 11:45 p.m.): A fire broke out at a Williston recycling business Sunday evening, and no one was injured.
Multiple crews responded to Pallet Green Recycling just before 8:30 p.m., according to the Williston Fire Department. Crews arrived at the scene where they fought heavy smoke and flames.
Industrial storage containers were on scene, and officials say it is unclear what, if any, chemical residue was inside them. Officials believe there is no danger to the public.
Williston Fire Chief Corey Johnson said the fire was contained to the business’s exterior storage yard, and crews were not concerned about it spreading beyond the property.
“Right now, the structures are protected in the area. We’re not concerned about the fire spreading off of the lot,” Johnson said.
Multiple departments from across Williams County responded, and extra water trucks were brought in due to the fire’s remote location.
The cause remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Your News Leader will provide updates as more information becomes available.
ORIGINAL STORY (5/10/2026 at 9:39 p.m.): Crews responded to a large fire at a storage yard in rural Williston on Sunday night.
The fire is located at Pallet Green Recycling, according to the business owner.
Sylvia Luebke captured video of the scene from a distance around 8 p.m. The fire sent a large plume of smoke over the area. Luebke said it was still burning as of around 9 p.m.
Williston Rural Fire is working to battle the fire. The department was unable to comment at this time.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.
WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.
The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.
“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.
As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.
“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”
Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”
According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.
“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.
According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.
“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”
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