North Dakota
Barika Kpeenu NFL Draft Interview: North Dakota State RB Dominated FCS in 2025
North Dakota State running back Barika Kpeenu is among the most productive players at his position in the 2026 NFL Draft. The West Fargo native was outstanding in 2025, rushing for 1,005 yards and 20 touchdowns. Kpeenu tied for the fourth-most rushing scores in the entire FCS.
Kpeenu recently spoke exclusively with NFL Draft On SI. Kpeenu discussed his experience at this year’s American Bowl, what he proved to NFL teams in attendance, his breakout 2025 season, and more.
JM: You attended this year’s American Bowl. How would you describe the overall experience?
Barika Kpeenu: I had a phenomenal experience at a great pre-draft event. They showed us a lot of hospitality. I met a lot of great people while discussing an NFL future. There were a lot of great coaches in attendance. It was an educational experience.
It was awesome. I’ll never forget the experience. I had a lot of fun.
JM: What do you think you proved to NFL teams and scouts in attendance?
Barika Kpeenu: I tried to be the ultimate competitor. I wanted to prove I belong among the prospects from the FBS conference. I went out there and put my best foot forward in everything that I was doing.
A lot of people think there’s a big drop off from the FBS to the FCS. I just wanted to go out there and prove that I’m equally as talented. I believe I can play at the highest level. I proved that at the American Bowl.
JM: There’s no doubt about that. Did you meet with any teams individually at the American Bowl?
Barika Kpeenu: I definitely met with a bunch of teams. I’d say I met with upwards of 15-20 NFL teams at the American Bowl, or at least half of the league. I had a great interview process with several teams.
JM: There’s a lot of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. You broke out at North Dakota State this season, rushing for 1,005 yards and 20 touchdowns. You waited your turn at NDSU. What do you think changed for you in 2025?
Barika Kpeenu: I went into my senior season realizing it was my last go-around. There was definitely a sense of urgency. I wanted to make it count. I didn’t wanna leave with any regrets. It was very important to me. I approached the offseason with that urgency.
I just spent a lot of time during the offseason working on my craft. I was putting in extra work during practice. I was very intentional regarding how I went about my business. I had a chip on my shoulder the entire season. I heard what some people were saying about me. I had all the motivation I needed. I played with confidence.
JM: What do you think it is about your game that led to you finding the end zone so consistently in 2025? Rushing for 20 touchdowns is pretty ridiculous.
Barika Kpeenu: We had a great offense at North Dakota State. We had a ton of weapons. Opposing defenses had to respect every element of our offense. We definitely had a great offensive line that made my life easy.
I was able to make my reads at a high level. I definitely maximized my opportunities to find the end zone. It was a bunch of things that led to my production.
JM: How would you describe your rushing style? Are you a North-South runner? Do you prefer to hit the outside?
Barika Kpeenu: I’d say I’m more of a North-South runner. I definitely took a more balanced approach this past season though. I made plays to the boundary as well. I think I have a pretty balanced skill set. I can run with power and speed. I can make defenders miss in space. I’m curious to hear how scouts describe my game throughout this process (laughs).
JM: We’ve appreciated your time today. Why should an NFL team use one of their 2026 NFL Draft picks on Barika Kpeenu?
Barika Kpeenu: I was brought up the right way. Given my background, a lot of people didn’t think I’d be able to strive for my goals. I wasn’t supposed to have this opportunity. It all played a role in my journey.
I took my chance. I’ve done the best I could to maximize the chances that came my way. Up until this point, I feel like I’ve taken advantage of every aspect of my life to better myself. I’ve flourished because of it.
If an NFL team gives me a chance, given where I come from, how I was raised, there’s no reason why I won’t continue flourishing. I’m a talented football player.
I have a lot of confidence in my abilities. An NFL team won’t regret putting immense trust in me. If you pour that effort into developing me as a player and person, I’m going to make sure you don’t regret that decision.
North Dakota
North Dakota composer launches statewide virtual choir project
GRAND FORKS — A North Dakota composer’s dream is turning into a statewide invitation.
Williston-based musician Emily Black-Driscoll was chosen as the North Dakota Music Teachers Association’s commissioned composer for 2026. She’s preparing an original composition that will premiere in August.
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North Dakota
Challengers declare victory after ND Supreme Court rules against Legislature’s attempt to alter term limits
BISMARCK — A constitutional ballot measure to amend the state’s term limits law as proposed by the Legislature will not appear on November’s ballot, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday, siding with petitioners who argued the Legislature exceeded its authority and violated the state constitution in proposing the changes.
“The people’s voice was heard,” Grand Forks County Commissioner Terry Bjerke said in reaction to the news.
Bjerke was a member of the sponsoring committee behind the successful 2022 effort to pass a term limits initiative, which amended the state constitution by capping legislative term limits to eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. The amendment, which became article XV of the state constitution, also included a clause barring the Legislature from making constitutional changes to term limits.
During the 2025 session, however, lawmakers narrowly approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 4008, in which the legislature proposed Constitutional Measure 1, a ballot measure to amend the term limits language to allow legislators to decide in which chamber they want to serve their 16 years, and to repeal the clause limiting the legislative assembly’s authority to propose an amendment to alter or repeal term limits.
Bjerke and former Minot legislator Oley Larsen brought the lawsuit challenging the validity of the Legislature’s action in January, and the state Supreme Court
heard oral arguments in the case
this spring.
“Those term limits may only be altered by a measure proposed by the people rather than the Legislative Assembly. And yet a few years later, the Legislative Assembly is doing what they are prohibited from doing,” attorney Zachary Wallen argued on Bjerke and Larsen’s behalf.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
The Legislature’s attorneys argued the clause prohibiting legislative proposals to alter the constitutional term limits language “infringes on our republican form of government” by “limiting the people’s ability to vote on amendments proposed by their elected officials.”
Justice Jon Jensen seemed skeptical of that argument during the April 2 hearing, questioning whether a second vote was appropriate.
“The public did speak on this. The public spoke on it when it passed the original constitutional amendment and they said, ‘Legislature, you don’t even get to propose a change.’ They have already spoken on it,” Jensen said. “You want a second shot, or a second bite at the apple, not a first one, a second.”
In Thursday’s ruling, all five justices sided with Bjerke and Larsen.
“We … conclude the Legislative Assembly’s adoption of S.C.R. 4008 violated N.D. Const. art. XV … and declare S.C.R. 4008 and Constitutional Measure 1 void … We enjoin the Secretary of State from placing Constitutional Measure 1 on the November 2026 general election ballot,” the ruling said.
Bjerke thanked the legal team that worked on behalf of their lawsuit, and said he was grateful the court reached the conclusion it did.
“I’m thrilled that what the people voted on and approved has been validated,” Bjerke said.
He added that the Legislature had “multiple opportunities” to address term limits prior to 2022’s initiated measure and chose not to, and gave a nod to the country’s coming milestone and the process by which voters expressed their support for term limits.
“We’ve lasted 250 years,” Bjerke said. “I have two words for those elected leaders who think they aren’t: everyone’s replaceable.”
North Dakota
Fargo woman convicted in North Dakota fraud case now faces charges in Minnesota: A deeper dive
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A North Dakota woman who was sentenced to 180 days in jail in Cass County for defrauding healthcare providers and Medicaid programs is now facing additional fraud charges in Minnesota.
Christine Marie Pryor, 55, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to theft by deception involving more than $50,000. She was sentenced to first serve 180 days with a 3-year sentence suspended. She received credit for 44 days already served.
Pryor was ordered to pay $82,584.78 in restitution to Southeast Human Services in Fargo, where she worked between 2018 and 2019.
How the scheme unfolded
According to court documents, Pryor worked at multiple healthcare facilities in North Dakota and Minnesota between 2018 and 2023, using the identities and credentials of three licensed professionals without their knowledge. She submitted fraudulent Capella University diplomas and transcripts to gain employment.
Investigators say Pryor admitted she searched state licensing websites for therapists who shared her first name, then used those therapists’ last names and license numbers when applying for jobs.
At Southeast Human Services, where she worked as a Licensed Addiction Counselor, Pryor earned $55,584.82 while providing therapy services to approximately 150 patients. She also opened her own counseling center, NIAM Brain Injury Center, in Fargo between 2020 and 2021, and worked at The Lotus Center in Moorhead, Minnesota, from 2021 to 2023.
Court documents say the three licensed professionals whose identities were used told investigators they had no knowledge of Pryor’s actions and did not give her permission to use their information.
Two additional charges against Pryor in North Dakota, unauthorized use of personal identifying information, were dismissed on motion of the state.
Additional charges in Minnesota
Pryor is also facing charges in Minnesota. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Tuesday charges against Pryor in Clay County District Court for six theft offenses and six identity theft offenses related to defrauding Minnesota’s Medicaid program of more than $150,000.
According to the Minnesota complaint, Pryor claimed to provide psychotherapy and alcohol and drug counseling services to Medicaid recipients despite having no license or credentials to do so. Prosecutors allege she used the credentials and identities of three licensed professionals while claiming to provide Medicaid-funded services to 169 clients.
The Minnesota charges were filed as part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown Day, a joint effort involving the Department of Justice and more than 40 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
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