North Dakota

American opinion: If 10 straight months of record-breaking heat isn’t a climate emergency, what is?

Published

2 years ago

April 21, 2024

Press Room

American opinion: If 10 straight months of record-breaking heat isn’t a climate emergency, what is?

Californians have had

weekend after weekend

of cool, stormy weather and the Sierra Nevada has been blessed with

a healthy snowpack

. But the reality is that even the last few months have been more than

2 degrees hotter than average

The planet is experiencing a horrifying streak of record-breaking heat, with March marking the

10th month in a row

that the average global temperature has been the highest ever recorded.

It would be shocking if it wasn’t so predictable. Despite everything we know about the effects of burning fossil fuels, humanity is still going in the wrong direction with self-destructive abandon. Last year greenhouse gas pollution climbed to

a new high

, a 1.1% increase over the prior year.

If 10 months of record heat isn’t enough to jolt world leaders into crisis mode, it’s hard to say what will.

It should be a flashing, red warning light that we are entering dangerous new territory and need to change course. We have the renewable energy technology, but it’s being adopted at a pace that’s too slow to protect people, animals and plants from unacceptable levels of suffering.

The concept of a higher average global temperature doesn’t paint a true picture of the effects that severe heat waves, drought, storms, wildfires and other climate-fueled disasters are having on the ground. Some communities are doing significantly worse than average. And examples aren’t hard to find.

Phoenix last year recorded 31 consecutive days of temperatures of 110 degrees. Maricopa County officials have confirmed

more than 600 heat-related deaths in 2023

, shattering the previous year’s record. The Texas Panhandle this year experienced its

largest wildfire in state history

, which burned more than 1 million acres and

killed thousands of cattle

. In the Horn of Africa, communities experiencing

a hunger crisis

after three years of drought were pummeled with torrential rains and flooding last year that killed hundreds of people across Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania.

While these disasters are in line with scientists’ predictions about rising temperatures,

some are worried

that the spike in global temperatures that began last summer is an indication that warming

may be accelerating

. We are already on the edge of blowing past the 2.7-degree (1.5 degrees Celsius) rise in global temperatures, a limit virtually every nation on Earth has agreed to try to stay below to prevent catastrophic climate impacts.

One of the most important things Americans can do right now is to exercise their political power at the ballot box, by demanding that leaders at all levels of government deliver serious climate action or stay out of office.

The stakes are especially high this year. A former president who has arguably the worst climate record in U.S. history, having rolled back more than

100 environmental protections

is polling neck and neck

with a president who has done more to fight climate change than anyone before him, even if it’s still not enough.

Still, the choice should be clear if we want to stop setting records, month after month and year after year.

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North Dakota

PHOTOS: Long Beach State vs. North Dakota State, Softball

Published

20 minutes ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

PHOTOS: Long Beach State vs. North Dakota State, Softball

The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.

Long Beach State hosted North Dakota State on March 10 where they suffered a 5-2 loss. Freshman Nina Sepulveda had two hits in the loss. Long Beach State will resume Big West play this weekend when they travel to UC Riverside for a three-game series starting Friday, March 13.

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North Dakota

Four area players land on North Dakota Division A all-state team

Published

12 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Four area players land on North Dakota Division A all-state team

GRAND FORKS — Four area athletes were selected to the North Dakota Division A all-state girls basketball team, which was released by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association on Tuesday.

The North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association will release all-state teams later this month.

Thompson’s Addison Sage led the way as a first team all-state pick, as well as receiving the division’s Outstanding Senior Athlete honor. Her coach, Jason Brend, was the Coach of the Year.

All-state second team choices from the area are Devils Lake junior Tylie Brodina, Four Winds-Minnewaukan sophomore Suri Gourd and Thompson senior Kya Hurst.

Sage, a 5-foot-6 guard, averaged 22.3 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game. Sage has more than 1,900 career points and holds the Tommies’ all-time scoring record.

Brodina, a 5-8 guard, averaged 18.8 points and 2.6 steals per game. She shot 82 percent from the foul line and 32 percent from 3-point range.

Hurst, a 5-6 forward, averaged 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. She added 3.7 steals and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range. Hurst has scored more than 1,600 points and grabbed more than 840 rebounds in her career.

Gourd, a 5-8 guard, averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 4.4 steals per game. Gourd has more than 1,600 career points in her career with two more seasons to play.

Gourd led Four Winds-Minnewaukan from a 5-17 record last season to a 16-8 mark this year.

Miller has covered sports at the Grand Forks Herald since 2004 and was the state sportswriter of the year in 2019 (NSMA, NDAPSSA), 2022 (NSMA, NDAPSSA), 2024 (NDAPSSA) and 2025 (NDAPSSA).

His primary beat is UND football but also reports on a variety of UND sports and local preps.

He can be reached at (701) 780-1121, tmiller@gfherald.com or on Twitter at @tommillergf.

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North Dakota

Annabelle Weber

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Funeral Mass for Annabelle Weber, 95, of Dickinson will be 10:00 AM, Thursday, March 12, 2026 at Queen of Peace Church with Msgr. Thomas Richter celebrating. Burial will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Dickinson. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson, with Rosary and Vigil service taking place at 6:00 PM. Annabelle passed away Friday, March 6, 2026 at St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson. Annabelle S. Weber was born on December 8, 1930, in Killdeer, North Dakota, to Frank and Eva (Kowis) Schmalz. She grew up in Killdeer and graduated from Killdeer High School in 1947. At the age of 17, Annabelle began working at Zimbrich’s Department Store in Killdeer. She later moved to Dickinson, where she worked at S&L in retail sales and spent many years at Kessel’s Bridal Shop. While working at the Esquire Steak House, she met Gerald Weber, the love of her life. The couple was united in marriage on November 1, 1954, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dickinson, where they made their home and built their life together. Annabelle was a woman who loved staying busy and caring for her family and home. She enjoyed hunting and fishing, along with hobbies such as crafts, sewing, and gardening. She was well known for keeping an immaculate home and took great pride in caring for those around her. Faith was an important part of her life. She joined the Catholic Daughters in 1957 and was active in church circles, often helping with funeral dinners and parish gatherings. Annabelle’s greatest joy was her family. Annabelle is survived by her sons, Greg (Barbara) Weber of Grand Forks, Russ (Rhonda) Weber of Dickinson; daughter, Sharon (Tony) Allen of Andover, MN; nine grandchildren, Christi (Ryan), Tiffani (Tim), Shane (Kayla), Tonya (Adam), Samantha (Scott), Kevin, Tracey (Analisa), Stacie, Tyler; 15 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Eva Schmalz; husband, Gerald Weber; siblings, William (Evelyn) Schmalz, Elaine (John) Buresh, and Vernon (Dolores) Schmalz; and daughter-in-law, Coleen Weber (Krance). Remembrances and condolences can be shared at www.stevensonfuneralhome.com.

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