BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong has directed all U.S. and North Dakota flags to be flown at half-staff from dawn to dusk Friday, May 1, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, in honor and remembrance of state Rep. Liz Conmy of Fargo. 

Conmy died Saturday, April 25, at age 67, along with her partner, Joe Cass, in a plane crash in Minnesota. Conmy had represented District 11 in the North Dakota House of Representatives since 2022.

A celebration of life service for Conmy will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at RiverHaven Events Center, 700 1^st Ave. N., Moorhead, Minnesota.

North Dakota State’s draft success continued this year, and there could be more to come in 2027.

While NDSU boasts 16 draft picks since 2004 as a Division I program, the Bison faced sobering news regarding the final draft numbers this year amid a move up to the FBS. Only 13 Group of Six players had their names called compared to 239 players from the Power Four conferences, which college football analyst Chris Hummer broke down.

NDSU had two picks this year, the most of any Mountain West Conference team. The FCS, where the Bison just left, only had four overall — counting quarterback Cole Payton and wide receiver Bryce Lance from NDSU.

“It’s yet another example of the talent drain for the G6 and FCS due to the transfer portal,” Hummer wrote via X.

NDSU moving to the FBS may not slow down losing players in the transfer portal. Just ask around the Mountain West, where 138 players have departed since late 2025.

That most notably included former UNLV quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who transferred to Nebraska. NDSU lost six starters, and the majority went to Power Four schools.

Former Bison players lost include Colorado defensive end Toby Anene, Vanderbilt left tackle Beau Johnson, Florida State long snapper Caleb Bowers, Michigan State center Trent Farley and Iowa kicker Eli Ozick. Bigger competition and NIL money continue to be the draw for Power Four teams, and NDSU may not become an exception among G6 teams losing players.

---

How the Top G6 Teams Fared With The Transfer Portal

Former Bison FCS rival and College Football Playoff participant James Madison, one of the top G6 teams around, lost more than 11 starters this year.

Many of the JMU Players, except for Colorado edge Immanuel Ezeogu, transferred to UCLA, following former Dukes head coach Bob Chesney to Los Angeles. That’s not the first time JMU has experienced an exodus of players with a head coach. It happened with Curt Cignetti when he left JMU for Indiana, and he built a national championship team that had numerous former Dukes standouts.

Tulane, also a G6 CFP participant, lost 26 players. That included major key players such as Indiana wide receiver Shazz Preston, Tennessee running back Javin Gordon and Louisville tight end Justyn Reid.

Boise State, last year’s Mountain West champion and a 2024 CFP entrant, lost numerous key players from the 2025 team. That includes LSU safety Ty Benefield and Arkansas wide receiver Chris Marshall.

---

NDSU Has Gained in Transfer Portal

While the exodus of G6 players doesn’t look favorable, the Bison have gained three Power Four players since the FBS move.

Former Arizona wide receiver Jeremiah Patterson and former West Virginia wideout Jordan McCants both joined the team in the past month. Most recently, the Bison landed former Notre Dame cornerback Chance Tucker.

That’s not entirely new for the Bison, which even landed Power Four quarterbacks with starting experience during the FCS dynasty. Former Iowa State quarterback Zeb Noland and former Virginia Tech quarterback Quincy Patterson II both started games for the Bison after transferring. However, neither reached the level of success as the five former home-grown starters who landed in the NFL draft over the past decade.

Matthew Davis covers the NFL, WNBA and college sports for Heavy.com. As a contributing writer to the StarTribune, he has also covered Minnesota prep sports since 2016. More about Matthew Davis

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 contributions of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage of 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. Kristen 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 ensuring 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 of 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 5 inside, 8 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 among teams, which helped him plan and coordinate with various 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 presidential motorcade’s staging. 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.”

Related Links

The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil

State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil

The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard

The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard

The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard