North Dakota
F5 Project founder Adam Martin on the cusp of full criminal pardon in North Dakota
FARGO — F5 Project
CEO and founder Adam Martin
has had a criminal history since he was 13 years old.
The man who created the
Fargo nonprofit,
dedicated to helping those who served time reintegrate into life outside of jails and prison, is on the cusp of clearing his name and leaving his crimes behind him for good.
In a unanimous vote, the North Dakota Pardon Advisory Board recommended on Thursday, Nov. 14, that Martin, 43, be pardoned of guilt from the crimes he has committed in the state. If approved by the governor, all misdemeanors and felonies on his record would be absolved.
“It’s almost unbelievable,” Martin told The Forum. “It feels like I’ve been in a toxic relationship from 13 to 43 and it’s finally coming to an end.”
Anna Paige / The Forum
Gov. Doug Burgum could make a decision on Martin’s pardon by the end of the month, said Kayli Richards, spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Burgum’s office declined to comment on whether he would approve the pardon.
Martin said he applied for a North Dakota pardon roughly 90 days ago. Once he secures his pardon in North Dakota, Martin said he will begin the same process in Minnesota.
Martin’s adult criminal history dates back to 2001, when he pleaded guilty to felony unauthorized use of a vehicle and misdemeanor fleeing police in Cass County. Over the years, he was convicted of five felonies and several misdemeanors, some of which landed him jail sentences.
In 2010, a terrorizing charge sent him to a long-term treatment center, which he has cited as
helping him overcome his struggles with crime and addiction to alcohol and drugs.
Having a felony on one’s record is worse than the punishment a person can get from the justice system, Martin said. Martin still had to mark a box on job and housing applications that said he was a felon. The jobs he received were “low-hanging jobs.”
“I would say probably 98% of the places that I applied to turned me down, and the places that were OK with it, from a housing standpoint, were not very good places to live, and they were really expensive,” he said.
Anna Paige / The Forum
The jobs improved after he successfully finished his probation, but the housing didn’t, he said. Employers and rental companies could find his mugshot and criminal history online.
That can make having a felony record feel like “a life system,” he said.
Martin said he got lucky in 2013, when High Point Networks hired him as an accounting manager. That was a turning point in his life, he said.
Three years later, Martin’s criminal record inspired him to start the
F5 Project
as a way to help people who struggle with incarceration, mental illness and addiction. F5 represents Martin’s felonies but also the button on a keyboard that allows users to refresh a webpage, according to the organization’s website.
It’s a way for people with a criminal history to get a fresh start, the website says.
Since 2016, the nonprofit has helped about 40,000 people across North Dakota, Martin said.
Parole Board Chairman H. Patrick Weir said he was impressed with Martin. He called him a straightforward man who has helped many people reintegrate back into society after incarceration, Weir said
“He seems to be one of those individuals who has benefited from the Department of the Corrections program and parole activities,” Weir said, adding that Martin has completely turned his life around.
Anna Paige / The Forum
The purpose of the Pardon Board is to remove convictions for those who have rehabilitated themselves to make sure they are not a threat to public and victim safety, Weir said. By helping others, Martin has gone above and beyond in not just rehabilitating himself but also contributing to his community’s safety.
“He’s one of those individuals who both the Parole Board and the Pardon Board can be very proud of,” Weir said.
Being able to help people who have struggled like he has been meaningful to Martin, the F5 Project founder said. Changing your life as a felon can feel like a full-time job, he said, adding that people who try to turn their lives around have to meet with probation officers, counselors, attorneys and others.
Being able to talk to someone who has been through that creates a level of comfort, Martin said.
“I think F5 is very meaningful in that aspect where people feel safe, like they feel like they can just be themselves,” he said.
Martin said he hopes that his pardon inspires others to seize their second chance.
“It’s not just talk now,” he said. “It’s real.”
North Dakota
Runners will soon trek across North Dakota to bring awareness for families grieving the loss of a child – KVRR Local News
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — For more than 400 miles, 12 runners will trek across North Dakota to carry the stories of love, loss, and resilience from community to community.
“After having run Haven since 2017, the 10.15 Project came, and it just is so exciting because it’s really looking at pregnancy and infant loss and putting it in a new light. And really giving people the opportunity to do something that you can see and it’s meaningful,” said Jen Burgard, Founder and Executive Director of Haven.
The 10.15 Project was co-founded by Haven, an organization that supports grieving families. The relay begins on International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. And during the four days, the team hopes to bring awareness to families.
“It gives you pieces of solitude, of quiet, of reflection, and also a purpose. It gives you meaning, and I think endurance is one of the biggest pieces of this. It’s the endurance required to navigate pregnancy and infant loss is extreme. And I think this really mirrors that,” said Burgard.
While many of the runners come from different fields, many have also experienced a loss themselves.
“When it happened in my family, it was kind of something we were all struck by. You realize how common it is. And you know, I want to bring light to that,” said Ty Casey, Runner and Learning and Development Specialist at TrueNorth Steel.
Casey has multiple runs planned over the next few months, but with this run in particular, he hopes this will bring awareness.
“If this is one thing that can help bring light to it and help people be more open and help people to talk about it, and take some of the grief away that would be totally ideal for us just to help out a little bit,” said Casey.
The relay begins on October 15 in Medora and will end on October 18th in Fargo.
Spring Fever
District Game Warden Sam Feldmann
As winter begins to fade and ice fishing begins to slow, everyone gets the itch to be outside on nice days when it’s warming and the sun is shining. People are beginning to think about their garden or outdoor projects around the house they have been pondering all winter.
While others have been thinking about open water fishing, getting the boat ready, hitting the field to look for shed antlers in a favorite spot they’ve been watching deer all winter, or slipping into the field to lure a spring gobbler into shotgun range with a new call they’ve been practicing with all winter.
With the excitement of warm weather and getting out to enjoy everything a spring day has to offer, I would like to remind everyone of a few things while enjoying what North Dakota has to offer.
This year is a registration year for all motorized watercrafts. This doesn’t just mean you have to renew your registration. It means that when you get the new red stickers sporting “28” on them that they must be affixed to both sides of the bow of the boat.
Another reminder is that if you are going shed hunting, there are a few things to remember. Shed antlers are legal to possess. This time of year, our officers receive lots of calls about shed hunters locating “dead heads,” which are animals that have died and the antlers are still attached to the skull plate.
If you happen to locate a dead head, you cannot possess it without contacting your local game warden and receiving a permit for the animal. Also, if you are going to shed hunt on posted private property or a Private Lands Opens To Sportsmen tract, you need to obtain permission to do so. Wildlife management areas and other state and federal lands are open to shed hunting, but a good rule of thumb is to check the regulations on public property before heading out.
If you are going to be chasing turkeys this spring through the timber, there are a few things that should be remembered. Make sure you have your tag with you when you are in the field. Remember that your tag is only legal for one bearded wild turkey. If you are lucky enough to harvest a turkey you fooled into coming to your calling and decoy, you must tag it before doing anything else.
One last reminder for the spring activities. Remember that all licenses, whether it’s a hunting license or fishing license, expired March 31 and needed to be renewed as of April 1, 2026
With these few reminders out of the way, remember to have fun and enjoy what the great state of North Dakota has to offer.
MANDAN, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – Former North Dakota Game & Fish Director Terry Steinwand has been charged with molesting a child.
The Class “A” misdemeanor was filed after a Morton County District Court judge rejected a proposed plea agreement to a felony charge and prosecutors dismissed the charge while retaining the right to file an amended charge.
Steinwand is from Mandan. The 72-year-old is now charged with one count of sexual assault-offensive contact. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
Steinwand was originally charged in September, 2025, when police say he admitted to sexual misconduct.
Steinwand worked for the Game & Fish Dept. for 40 years. He led the agency for about 15 years and retired in 2021.
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