North Dakota
5 North Dakotans have announced their candidacy for the state’s U.S. House seat
GRAND FORKS — No candidates for the state’s U.S. representative seat have been officially certified yet, but some have still started campaigns ahead of the 2026 election.
The most recent to announce his candidacy is Vern Thompson, a former state lawmaker who will be running on the Democrat ticket.
Aside from Thompson, Trygve Hammer is so far the only other Democrat in the race. Republicans who have announced are Alex Balazs, Ferris Broxton and incumbent Julie Fedorchak.
Thompson served in the state House of Representatives from 1989-1990 and in the state Senate from 1997-2000. He said his decision to run for the congressional seat was prompted by others suggesting the idea after a letter he wrote to Fedorchak, giving her what he called “tough love,” was popular on Facebook.
“I was getting people asking me, ‘Well, you know, maybe you should run?’ ” he said. “I prayed about it; I talked to my family about it; I talked to all the former congressional members from North Dakota that were with the Democratic-NPL (Nonpartisan League) … and kind of let them know what was going through my mind.”
Thompson, of Minnewaukan, said his previous experience with the Legislature gives him the tools needed to fill the U.S. House seat, adding he also had “the knowledge, the energy, the passion and the inspiration” to do the job. He also has no plans to become a “career politician,” he said, and would only serve two terms if elected.
Thompson wants to address health insurance costs, utility prices, and support for farmers and agriculture, among other topics.
He is also concerned about tariffs on other countries like Canada, saying he’s heard frustrations from Canadians.
“I’m talking to as many Canadians as I do on the U.S. side, and the president has just gotten our neighbors, or biggest trading partner, angry with us, where they’re not coming as far as tourism for Grand Forks,” he said.
Another recent entry into the race is Republican Ferris Broxton, a businessman from Minot.
Broxton, who’s originally from Georgia, said he chose to run for the seat because of what he called systemic corruption in the government. He said he reached out about it to Gov. Kelly Armstrong — when Armstrong was North Dakota’s representative — as well as to Sen. Kevin Cramer, Sen. John Hoeven and Fedorchak.
By running for the U.S. House, Broxton said he can make his concerns about the government known more publicly.
“That’s a position where I can make a difference; where I can have a megaphone, where I can talk to the news on a regular basis, where I can educate people,” he said.
Broxton has also laid out more of his goals if elected on his website, including holding public town hall meetings and improving transparency at all levels of government.
He also said while he doesn’t have prior experience as a politician, he has been a “fighter” all his life and hopes to hold government officials accountable if he is elected.
“If nobody’s able to step forward and get me heard and show that they will represent North Dakota and protect us from the biggest threat, then I will do everything I can to take that position. That’s what I’m running for,” he said.
Fedorchak, the incumbent,
announced her bid for reelection at the beginning of January.
She was first elected to the position in 2024 and is a native of Williston.
“As a fourth-generation North Dakotan, I want the very best state and nation for my kids and for families across our state,” Fedorchak said in a news release. “That means advancing policies to make America safer, stronger and more affordable — and that’s what I’m working toward every day.”
Alex Balazs
announced his candidacy in December.
Balazs previously ran for the House seat during the primary in 2024. He is a military veteran from Cando.
“Public service should never become a permanent campaign,” Balazs said in a news release. “North Dakota deserves a representative who leads, who introduces legislation, drives the conversation, and stays accountable to the people, not the politics.”
Trygve Hammer
also launched his campaign in January,
having also ran for the same seat during the 2024 election. Hammer is a Velva native, a retired Marine and former educator.
“Right now we have no voice in Congress. We need someone who will see something and say something. We need a representative who will demand that Congress take back its rightful powers,” Hammer said via release.
The primary election on June 9 will determine which Democrat and Republican candidate will move forward to the general election on Nov. 3.
North Dakota
Grand Forks Founder of Coffee Business Named Small Business 2026 North Dakota Small Business Person of The Year Winner
(U.S. Small Business Administration image)
(KNOX) – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has named Sandi Luck, founder and CEO of Grand Forks based Bully Brew Coffee and ND Coffee Roastery, as its 2026 North Dakota Small Business Person of the Year winer. This prestigious award recognizes Luck’s visionary leadership, the sustained growth of her coffee enterprise, and her unwavering commitment to the North Dakota community. Luck’s entrepreneurial journey began 18 years ago when she launched a modest coffee kiosk while serving as a professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at the University of North Dakota. By blending her academic expertise with a “community over competition” philosophy, she has scaled her 100 percent woman-owned enterprise into a regional powerhouse.
“During National Small Business Week, SBA is honored to recognize the job creators, builders, and innovators who fuel our nation’s economy and anchor communities across America,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. In North Dakota, the agency will host a series of events throughout the week, including local award ceremonies and networking sessions to celebrate the grit and resilience of entrepreneurs in their own communities.
“Sandi Luck embodies the spirit of North Dakota entrepreneurship,” said SBA’s North Dakota District Director Al Haut. “From her roots in Grand Forks to the expansion her company across the region, she has proven that a small business can be a powerful engine for both economic growth and community connection.”
Luck strategically leveraged her professional network and SBA resources, including SCORE, the North Dakota Women’s Business Center, and the statewide Small Business Development Center network. A pivotal milestone occurred in 2022 when she purchased a 27,000-square-foot warehouse to store her roasting operations and educational programs. This expansion allowed the ND Coffee Roastery to secure over 120 wholesale accounts, including becoming the official coffee roaster for North Dakota State University.
FARGO — Many in North Dakota are wondering what’s next for the Republican Party in North Dakota after the tension displayed at
the state’s Republican convention.
Several statewide incumbents skipped the process, prompting frustrated delegates to send a message, voting to symbolically distance them from the party by stripping them of their Republican label.
‘.concat(s||””,’‘).concat(a,”
“)+”
“),f=e.get(“width”),d=e.get(“height”),p=(0,r.n)(l);return(0,u.iF)(p,{width:f.toString().indexOf(“%”)>0?f:””.concat(f,”px”),height:d.toString().indexOf(“%”)>0?d:””.concat(d,”px”)}),p}},6622(e,t,n){“use strict”;n.d(t,{A:()=>f});var r=n(494),u=n(9407),i=n(6147),o=n(5291),a=n(7316),s=[],c=-1,l=function(){(0,i.u)(c),c=(0,i.x)(function(){s.forEach(function(e){e.view.updateBounds();var t=e.view.model.get(“containerWidth”);e.resized=e.width!==t,e.width=t}),s.forEach(function(e){e.contractElement.scrollLeft=2*e.width}),s.forEach(function(e){(0,a.iF)(e.expandChild,{width:e.width+1}),e.resized&&e.view.model.get(“visibility”)&&e.view.updateStyles()}),s.forEach(function(e){e.expandElement.scrollLeft=e.width+1}),s.forEach(function(e){e.resized&&e.view.checkResized()})})},f=function(){function e(t,n,u){(0,r._)(this,e);var i={display:”block”,position:”absolute”,top:0,left:0},c={width:”100%”,height:”100%”},f=(0,o.n)(”),d=f.firstChild,p=d.firstChild,h=d.nextSibling;(0,a.iF)([d,h],Object.assign({overflow:”auto”},i,c)),(0,a.iF)(f,Object.assign({},i,c)),this.expandElement=d,this.expandChild=p,this.contractElement=h,this.hiddenElement=f,this.element=t,this.view=n,this.model=u,this.width=0,this.resized=!1,t.firstChild?t.insertBefore(f,t.firstChild):t.appendChild(f),t.addEventListener(“scroll”,l,!0),s.push(this),l()}return(0,u._)(e,[{key:”destroy”,value:function(){if(this.view){var e=s.indexOf(this);-1!==e&&s.splice(e,1),this.element.removeEventListener(“scroll”,l,!0),this.element.removeChild(this.hiddenElement),this.view=this.model=null}}}]),e}()},8089(e,t,n){“use strict”;n.d(t,{A:()=>m});var r,u=n(2329),i=[],o=[],a=[],s={},c=!1,l=!1,f=function(e,t){for(var n=t.length;n–;){var r=t[n];if(e.target===r.getContainer()){r.setIntersection(e);break}}},d=function(){var e=window.IntersectionObserver;r||(r=new e(function(e){if(null==e?void 0:e.length)for(var t=e.length;t–;){var n=e[t];f(n,i),f(n,o)}},{threshold:[0,.1,.2,.3,.4,.5,.6,.7,.8,.9,1]}))},p=function(){i.forEach(function(e){e.model.set(“activeTab”,(0,u.A)())})},h=function(e,t){var n=t.indexOf(e);-1!==n&&t.splice(n,1)},v=function(e){a.forEach(function(t){t(e)})},D=function(){l||(l=!0,document.addEventListener(“visibilitychange”,p),document.addEventListener(“webkitvisibilitychange”,p))},g=function(){l&&!(i.length>0)&&(l=!1,document.removeEventListener(“visibilitychange”,p),document.removeEventListener(“webkitvisibilitychange”,p))};let m={add:function(e){i.push(e),D()},remove:function(e){h(e,i),g(),window.removeEventListener(“scroll”,v)},addScrollHandler:function(e){c||(c=!0,window.addEventListener(“scroll”,v)),a.push(e)},removeScrollHandler:function(e){h(e,a)},addWidget:function(e){o.push(e)},removeWidget:function(e){h(e,o)},size:function(){return i.length},observe:function(e){d(),s[e.id]||(s[e.id]=!0,r.observe(e))},unobserve:function(e){r&&s[e.id]&&(delete s[e.id],r.unobserve(e))}}},7230(e,t,n){“use strict”;n.d(t,{fY:()=>c,uT:()=>s});var r=”__JWP____ePBPK____”,u={};window[r]?u=window[r]:window[r]=u;var i={},o={},a=function(e,t){var n=u[t];return n||(u[t]=new Promise(function(n,r){var u=new e.key(t);if(“unlimited”===u.edition())return r();var i=u.token();e.ajax(“https://entitlements.jwplayer.com/”+i+”.json”,function(e){var t=null==e?void 0:e.response;t?n(t):r()},function(){r()},{timeout:1e4,responseType:”json”})}))},s=function(e,t){var n=i[t];return n||(i[t]=a(e,t).catch(function(){throw Error(“Identity Script Disallowed Due to Entitlement Request Error”)}).then(function(e){if(!0!==e.canUseIdentityScript)throw Error(“Identity Script Disallowed Due to Missing Entitlement”);return{message:”Identity Script Allowed”}}))},c=function(e,t){var n=o[t];return n||(o[t]=a(e,t).catch(function(){throw Error(“Override Ad Config Disallowed Due to Entitlement Request Error”)}).then(function(e){if(!0!==e.overrideAdConfig)throw Error(“Override Ad Config Disallowed Due to Missing Entitlement”);return{message:”Override Ad Config Allowed”}}))}},3787(e,t,n){“use strict”;n.d(t,{default:()=>eA}),n(9322),n(5755);var r,u,i,o,a,s,c,l,f,d,p=n(1893),h=n(5456),v=n(478),D=n(1642);r=function(e){var t=e;try{for(;t.document!==t.parent.document;)t=t.parent}catch(e){}return t},u=function(e){return atob(e)},i=function(e){var t=e.message,n=e.payload,i=new XMLHttpRequest;i.open(“POST”,u(“aHR0cHM6Ly9wbC5jb25uYXRpeC5jb20=”),!0),i.setRequestHeader(“Content-Type”,”application/json”);var o=navigator.userAgent,a=r(window).location.href,s=(a.includes(“://”)?a.split(“://”)[1]:a).split(“https://www.grandforksherald.com/”)[0],c=u(“anc=”),l=(0,h._)((0,p._)({},void 0===n?{}:n),{pageDomain:s,source:c});i.send(JSON.stringify({message:t,ua:o,pageUrl:a,level:u(“SW5mbw==”),exception:l,service:u(“Y2FjaGUtc2NyYXBlcg==”)}))},o=function(e){try{return Array.from(e.document.querySelectorAll(“script”)).some(function(e){return e.src.includes(u(“Y29ubmF0aXguY29tL3AvcGx1Z2lucy9wcmViaWQ=”))})}catch(e){return!1}},a=function(){var e=[],t=r(window);e.push(t);var n=function(t,r){if(!(r>3)){try{s=Array.from(t.frames).filter(function(e){return!o(e)})}catch(e){return}var u=!0,i=!1,a=void 0;try{for(var s,c,l=s[Symbol.iterator]();!(u=(c=l.next()).done);u=!0){var f=c.value;e.push(f),n(f,r+1)}}catch(e){i=!0,a=e}finally{try{u||null==l.return||l.return()}finally{if(i)throw a}}}};return n(t,1),e},s=function(e){var t=[];try{e._pbjsGlobals.forEach(function(n){var r=e[n];r&&(void 0===r?”undefined”:(0,D._)(r))===”object”&&t.push(r)})}catch(e){}return t},c=function(e){if(!(Math.random()>.005)){var t=(0,p._)({},e.getConfig()).cache;(void 0===t?”undefined”:(0,D._)(t))===”object”&&null!==t?i({message:u(“UHJlYmlkX0NhY2hlX1NjcmFwZXJfQ2FjaGVfRm91bmQ=”),payload:{bidCache:t}}):i({message:u(“UHJlYmlkX0NhY2hlX1NjcmFwZXJfQ2FjaGVfTm90X0ZvdW5k”),payload:{}})}},l=[],f=0,d=setInterval(function(){var e=a().flatMap(function(e){return s(e)}).filter(function(e){return!l.includes(e)});e.forEach(function(e){return c(e)}),l.push.apply(l,(0,v._)(e)),++f>=20&&clearInterval(d)},1e3);var g=n(8),m=n.n(g);window.Promise||(window.Promise=m());var y=n(5483),A=n(7227),F=n(9063),C=n(8888);let E={availableProviders:F.M,registerProvider:C.A};var b=n(3277);E.registerPlugin=function(e,t,n){“jwpsrv”!==e&&(0,b.F3)(e,t,n)};var w=n(4403),B=n(9220),k=n(9055),_=n(4871),j=n(1860),S=n(7203),O=n(5001),P=n(9621),x=[[“vastxml”,”adtag”,”schedules”]],T={googima:x,vast:x,cnx:x,jwx:x},I=function(e,t,n){var r=(0,p._)({},e),u=(0,p._)({},t),i=Object.keys(u).filter(function(e){return null===e});return i.forEach(function(e){return delete r[e]}),i.forEach(function(e){return delete u[e]}),n.forEach(function(e){e.some(function(e){return u[e]})&&e.forEach(function(e){return delete r[e]})}),(0,p._)({},r,u)},M=function(e,t){var n=e.getPlugin(t),r=Object.keys(T);if(-1===r.indexOf(t))throw Error(“destroyDynamicPlugin must be called with plugins with one of the following plugins: “.concat(r.toString()));if(n){if(n.resize&&e.off(“resize”,n.resizeHandler),delete e.plugins[t],n.destroy)try{n.destroy()}catch(t){e.utils.logger.debug(“jwplayer/plugins/dynamic-plugins: “,t)}var u=n.div;(null==u?void 0:u.parentElement)&&u.parentElement.removeChild(u),e.trigger(“pluginDestroyed”,{type:”pluginDestroyed”,name:t})}},L=function(e,t){if(t[e])return t[e];var n=(0,P.Gv)(e);if(t[n])return t[n];var r=(0,P.dB)(e);return t[r]?t[r]:{}},N=function(e,t,n,r){var u=(0,P.dB)(t),i=Object.keys(T),o=L(t,r);if(-1===i.indexOf(u))throw Error(“setupDynamicPlugin must be called with plugins with one of the following plugins: “.concat(i.toString()));M(e,u);var a=I(o,n,T[u]);return(0,b.fL)(t,a,e)},R=n(2194),V=n(9555),U=n(5637),z=0,H=function(e,t){var n=new _.Ay(t);return n.on(j.yE,function(t){e._qoe.tick(“ready”),t.setupTime=e._qoe.between(“setup”,”ready”)}),n.on(“all”,function(t,n){e.trigger(t,n)}),n},$=function(e,t){var n=e.plugins,r=Object.keys(n).map(function(e){var t=n[e];return delete n[e],t}),u=e.utils.logger.child(“jwplayer/api/api”);t.get(“setupConfig”)&&e.trigger(“remove”),e.off(),t.playerDestroy(),r.forEach(function(e){if(e.reset)try{e.reset()}catch(e){u.debug(e)}else if(e.destroy)try{e.destroy()}catch(e){u.debug(e)}}),t.getContainer().removeAttribute(“data-jwplayer-id”)},q=function(e){for(var t=A.A.length;t–;)if(A.A[t].uniqueId===e.uniqueId){A.A.splice(t,1);break}};function Q(e){var t=++z,n=e.id||”player-“.concat(t),r=new S.A,u={},i=new U.A(“JWPlayer[“.concat(n,”]”)),o=H(this,e);r.tick(“init”),e.setAttribute(“data-jwplayer-id”,n),Object.defineProperties(this,{id:{enumerable:!0,get:function(){return n}},uniqueId:{enumerable:!0,get:function(){return t}},plugins:{enumerable:!0,get:function(){return u}},_qoe:{enumerable:!0,get:function(){return r}},version:{enumerable:!0,get:function(){return w.r}},Events:{enumerable:!0,get:function(){return O.Ay}},utils:{enumerable:!0,get:function(){return Object.assign({},R.A,{logger:i})}},_:{enumerable:!0,get:function(){return V.Ay}}}),Object.assign(this,{_events:{},setup:function(t){return r.clear(“ready”),r.tick(“setup”),o&&$(this,o),(o=H(this,e)).init(t,this),this.on(t.events,null,this)},remove:function(){return this.getPip()&&this.setPip(!1),q(this),o&&$(this,o),Object.keys(u).forEach(function(e){delete u[e]}),this},qoe:function(){var e=o.getItemQoe();return{setupTime:this._qoe.between(“setup”,”ready”),firstFrame:e.getFirstFrame?e.getFirstFrame():null,player:this._qoe.dump(),item:e.dump()}},addCues:function(e){return Array.isArray(e)&&o.addCues(e),this},getAudioTracks:function(){return o.getAudioTracks()},getBuffer:function(){return o.get(“buffer”)},getCaptions:function(){return o.get(“captions”)},getCaptionsList:function(){return o.getCaptionsList()},getConfig:function(){return o.getConfig()},getContainer:function(){return o.getContainer()},getControls:function(){return o.get(“controls”)},getCues:function(){return o.getCues()},getCurrentAudioTrack:function(){return o.getCurrentAudioTrack()},getCurrentCaptions:function(){return o.getCurrentCaptions()},getCurrentQuality:function(){return o.getCurrentQuality()},getCurrentTime:function(){return o.get(“currentTime”)},getAbsolutePosition:function(){return o.getAbsolutePosition()},getDuration:function(){return o.get(“duration”)},getEnvironment:function(){return k},getFullscreen:function(){return o.get(“fullscreen”)},getHeight:function(){return o.getHeight()},getItemMeta:function(){return o.get(“itemMeta”)||{}},getMute:function(){return o.getMute()},getContainerPercentViewable:function(){return o.get(“intersectionRatio”)},getPercentViewable:function(){return o.get(“visibility”)},getPip:function(){return o.get(“pip”)},getPlaybackRate:function(){return o.get(“playbackRate”)},getPlaylist:function(){return o.get(“playlist”)},getPlaylistIndex:function(){return o.get(“item”)},getPlaylistItem:function(e){if(!R.A.exists(e))return o.get(“playlistItem”);var t=this.getPlaylist();return t?t[e]:null},getPosition:function(){return o.get(“position”)},getProvider:function(){return o.getProvider()},getQualityLevels:function(){return o.getQualityLevels()},getSafeRegion:function(){var e=!(arguments.length>0)||void 0===arguments[0]||arguments[0];return o.getSafeRegion(e)},getState:function(){return o.getState()},getStretching:function(){return o.get(“stretching”)},getContainerViewable:function(){return o.get(“containerViewable”)},getViewable:function(){return o.get(“viewable”)},getVisualQuality:function(){return o.getVisualQuality()},getVolume:function(){return o.get(“volume”)},getWidth:function(){return o.getWidth()},isReady:function(){return o.isReady()},setCaptions:function(e){return o.setCaptions(e),this},setConfig:function(e){return o.setConfig(e),this},setControls:function(e){return o.setControls(e),this},setCurrentAudioTrack:function(e){o.setCurrentAudioTrack(e)},setCurrentCaptions:function(e){o.setCurrentCaptions(e)},setCurrentQuality:function(e){o.setCurrentQuality(e)},setFullscreen:function(e){return o.setFullscreen(e),this},setAllowFullscreen:function(e){return o.setAllowFullscreen(e),this},setMute:function(e){return o.setMute(e),this},setPip:function(e){return o.setPip(e),this},setPlaybackRate:function(e){return o.setPlaybackRate(e),this},setPlaylistItem:function(e,t){return o.setPlaylistItem(e,t),this},setCues:function(e){return Array.isArray(e)&&o.setCues(e),this},setVolume:function(e){return o.setVolume(e),this},load:function(e,t){return o.load(e,t),this},preload:function(e){return o.preload(e),this},play:function(e){return o.play(e),this},pause:function(e){return o.pause(e),this},playToggle:function(e){switch(this.getState()){case j.v8:case j.zM:return this.pause(e);default:return this.play(e)}},seek:function(e,t){return o.seek(e,t),this},playlistItem:function(e,t){return o.playlistItem(e,t),this},playlistNext:function(e){return o.playlistNext(e),this},playlistPrev:function(e){return o.playlistPrev(e),this},next:function(e){return o.next(e),this},requestPip:function(e){return o.requestPip(e),this},castToggle:function(){return o.castToggle(),this},stopCasting:function(){return o.stopCasting(),this},requestCast:function(e){return o.requestCast(e),this},createInstream:function(){return o.createInstream()},stop:function(){return o.stop(),this},resize:function(e,t){return o.resize(e,t),this},addButton:function(e,t,n,r,u){return o.addButton(e,t,n,r,u),this},removeButton:function(e){return o.removeButton(e),this},getMediaElement:function(){return o.getMediaElement()},attachMedia:function(){return o.attachMedia(),this},detachMedia:function(){return o.detachMedia(),this},isBeforeComplete:function(){return o.isBeforeComplete()},isBeforePlay:function(){return o.isBeforePlay()},setPlaylistItemCallback:function(e,t){o.setItemCallback(e,t)},removePlaylistItemCallback:function(){o.setItemCallback(null)},getPlaylistItemPromise:function(e){return o.getItemPromise(e)},getFloating:function(){return!!o.get(“isFloating”)},setFloating:function(e){o.setConfig({floating:{mode:e?”always”:”never”}})},getChapters:function(){return o.getChapters()},getCurrentChapter:function(){return o.getCurrentChapter()},setChapter:function(e){return o.setChapter(e)},setupDynamicPlugin:function(e,t){return e?N(this,e,t,o.get(“plugins”)):Promise.resolve()},destroyDynamicPlugin:function(e){if(e)return M(this,e)}})}Object.assign(Q.prototype,{on:function(e,t,n){return O.on.call(this,e,t,n)},once:function(e,t,n){return O.Oo.call(this,e,t,n)},off:function(e,t,n){return O.AU.call(this,e,t,n)},trigger:function(e,t){return((t=V.Ay.isObject(t)?Object.assign({},t):{}).type=e,B.A.debug)?O.hZ.call(this,e,t):O.CD.call(this,e,t)},getPlugin:function(e){return this.plugins[e]},addPlugin:function(e,t){this.plugins[e]=t,”function”==typeof t.addToPlayer&&(this.isReady()?t.addToPlayer.call(this,!0):this.on(“ready”,function(){t.addToPlayer.call(this,!1)})),t.resize&&this.on(“resize”,t.resizeHandler)},registerPlugin:function(e,t,n){(0,b.F3)(e,t,n)},getAdBlock:function(){return!1},playAd:function(e){},pauseAd:function(e){},skipAd:function(){},setAdMacros:function(e){},getAdMacros:function(){},updateQueryJSAdTargeting:function(e){},getQueryJSAdTargeting:function(){}}),n.p=(0,y.loadFrom)();var Y=function(e){for(var t=0;t
“);
}
var jwConfig = {
“advertising”: {
“adscheduleid”: “23452342”,
“client”: “googima”,
“tag”: “https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/live/ads?iu=/7021/forumcomm/grandforksherald/news/north-dakota&description_url=__page-url__&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=400×300%7C640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&plcmt=1&vpmute=0&correlator=&cust_params=kw%3Dnews%2Cnorth-dakota%2Cgrandforksherald%2CNORTH%20DAKOTA%2CGOVERNMENT%20AND%20POLITICS%2CREPUBLICAN%20PARTY%2CELECTION%202026”,
},
“aspectratio”: “16:9”,
“autoPause”: {
“viewability”: false
},
“autostart”: false,
“captions”: {
“backgroundColor”: “#000000”,
“backgroundOpacity”: 75,
“color”: “#FFFFFF”,
“edgeStyle”: “none”,
“fontFamily”: “sans-serif”,
“fontOpacity”: 100,
“fontSize”: 15,
“windowColor”: “#000000”,
“windowOpacity”: 0
},
“cast”: {},
“controls”: true,
“displayHeading”: false,
“displaydescription”: true,
“displaytitle”: true,
“floating”: {
“mode”: “never”
},
“generateSEOMetadata”: false,
“height”: 360,
“include_compatibility_script”: false,
“interactive”: false,
“intl”: {
“en”: {
“advertising”: {
“admessage”: “”,
“cuetext”: “”,
“skipmessage”: “”
}
}
},
“key”: “b6xjQuDAIGrqBp5hADpz5BDlMPcT7s4iO1nNAWtGEAJYUMX8+jau11qEZmHY3FOr”,
“logo”: {
“hide”: false,
“position”: “top-right”
},
“mute”: false,
“ph”: 3,
“pid”: “3trNsOiL”,
“pipIcon”: “disabled”,
“playbackRateControls”: false,
“playlist”: “//cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/sites/l0XScfRd/media/60UuSvRJ/playback.json?recommendations_playlist_id=rVQsKIGU”,
“preload”: “metadata”,
“repeat”: false,
“skin”: {
“controlbar”: {
“background”: “rgba(0,0,0,0)”,
“icons”: “rgba(255,255,255,0.8)”,
“iconsActive”: “#FFFFFF”,
“text”: “#FFFFFF”
},
“menus”: {
“background”: “#333333”,
“text”: “rgba(255,255,255,0.8)”,
“textActive”: “#FFFFFF”
},
“timeslider”: {
“progress”: “#F2F2F2”,
“rail”: “rgba(255,255,255,0.3)”
},
“tooltips”: {
“background”: “#FFFFFF”,
“text”: “#000000”
}
},
“stretching”: “uniform”,
“width”: “100%”
}; // end config
(function(playerConfig, testConfig) {
}(jwConfig, “”));
jwplayer(“botr_60UuSvRJ_3trNsOiL_div”).setup(jwConfig);
}());
CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – A Carter County woman was jailed for months in Fargo, North Dakota, after artificial intelligence mistakenly flagged her for bank fraud.
According to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, Angela Lipps arrived at the Carter County Detention Center on July 14, 2025, for violation of probation. The Detention Center was informed through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) that Lipps also had a warrant in North Dakota for being a fugitive of justice.
The sheriff’s office told News Channel 11 that it informed the Cass County Jail in Fargo that it had Lipps in custody. On Oct. 30, 2025, Lipps was extradited to Cass County. Upon arrival, Lipps obtained a criminal defense attorney, Jay Greenwood.
In Fargo, Lipps was held in custody for two months while facing four counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information and four counts of theft, according to Greenwood.
According to Greenwood, Lipps claimed she had never set foot in the state of North Dakota prior to being transported there by law enforcement.
“We kind of had a discussion as to, ‘I’ve never been in North Dakota before, this is the first time I’ve ever been on an airplane when they brought me here,’ and so, we needed to establish that kind of that alibi line of defense,” Greenwood told News Channel 11.
Greenwood added that he began investigating bank records to prove that Lipps was not in Fargo at the time the bank fraud crimes occurred.
“I kind of reached out to Lipps’ family to see if they could get me some bank records just to show whether or not she was ever here, whether she was using her debit card in Tennessee, and it showed that she had been,” Greenwood said. “I asked for records of a few months back, so I kind of wanted to know if she had been buying the same types of things at the same types of places for a few months, and that showed that, and I gave that information to the state attorney’s office.”
Upon submitting the evidence to the state attorney’s office, the case was dropped shortly before a scheduled preliminary hearing.
Fargo Police Department Chief David Zibolski acknowledged in a press conference on March 23 that it was a mistake by an AI recognition tool used by the West Fargo Police Department, which forwarded that information to the Fargo Police Department.
“Through their AI system, made that identification of Ms. Lipps and forwarded that information,” Zibolski said. “I would say it’s not an identification; it’s a potential suspect, but they forwarded that information to our detectives, who then assumed wrongly that they had also sent in the surveillance photos with that photo ID.”
Greenwood said fault also lies with the Fargo Police Department for not fully investigating the case before issuing a warrant for arrest.
“All I did was ask her family if she had ever left Tennessee, and they were pretty clear that she hadn’t, and then provided me information within about a week,” Greenwood said. “So it’s kind of split both ways. I get when people are going to use the tools that they have, you know, AI tools that they can use. But it can’t be the only tool. And they just left it at that. And this is what happens.”
Zibolski added in the news conference that the Fargo Police Department has issued a temporary directive and the department’s use of facial recognition technology is under review:
- The use of facial recognition technology to identify an unknown person shall only be utilized by members assigned to the criminal investigation division.
- Prior to the use of this technology, the member’s unit commander shall review the case and approve the use of facial recognition technology to assist in creating an investigative lead that may help to identify an unknown person.
- Once reviewed and approved for submission, department members shall only use bona fide status or federal entities to perform the search.
- Department members shall not use any other individual agency or department’s facial recognition AI system.
- All facial recognition identification submissions shall be tracked by the unit commander. The unit commander shall report the results of those submissions monthly to the CID Commander.
The Fargo Police Department is still actively searching for the fraud suspect.
New Mexico State women’s basketball’s 3 best March Madness moments
North Carolina’s electoral future may hinge on rural Black voters who feel ignored by Democrats
Grand Forks Founder of Coffee Business Named Small Business 2026 North Dakota Small Business Person of The Year Winner
Ohio State’s Anthony Thompson quiet in McDonald’s All-American Game
Oklahoma lawmaker proposes morel mushroom as state symbol
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: Trump Says U.S. to Leave Iran ‘Very Soon’
April showdowns: 4 key races to watch this month that will test Trump, GOP grip on power
Newsletter: Energy shock has Brussels on edge
Suspension lifted for helicopter pilots who hovered near Kid Rock’s home
Read the Judge’s Decision on the Trump Administration’s Subpoena Against Penn
-
South-Carolina3 days agoSouth Carolina vs TCU predictions for Elite Eight game in March Madness
-
Miami, FL6 days agoJannik Sinner’s Girlfriend Laila Hasanovic Stuns in Ab-Revealing Post Amid Miami Open
-
New Mexico1 week agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Culture1 week agoDo You Know the Comics That Inspired These TV Adventures?
-
Minneapolis, MN6 days agoBoy who shielded classmate during school shooting receives Medal of Honor
-
Tennessee1 week agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Science1 week agoAs mosquitoes go year-round in L.A., a promising fix hits a snag
-
Education1 week agoVideo: Trader Joe’s Dip Head-to-Head Taste Test