North Dakota
Bill proposes new office to regulate guardianships across North Dakota
BISMARCK — North Dakota legislators heard testimony on a bill that would overhaul the way guardianships and conservatorships are overseen — something the judiciary has been working toward for more than a decade.
Senate Bill 2029
would create an Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship with broad powers to oversee such matters statewide. The office would license and maintain a registry of professional guardians and conservators, set regulations and policies, oversee legal and disciplinary actions, and manage state funding for guardianship and conservatorship programs.
Those in support of the bill believe it will address the shortage of guardians and conservators facing North Dakota while enforcing greater accountability. Those in opposition to the bill are concerned it will syphon funds from existing programs.
Chief Justice Jon Jensen said the creation of the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship was a main priority of the legislative session for the state Supreme Court during his recent
State of the Judiciary address.
According to South Central District Judge Cynthia Feland, who testified in favor of the bill, the state currently has no licensing program for professional guardians and conservators, making it difficult to monitor who is claiming to be a professional and what their qualifications are.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
President of the Guardianship Association of North Dakota Margo Haut, who testified against the bill, said that guardians are already required to obtain a national certification from the Center of Guardianship Certification and must be certified by the state courts system to act as a guardian in North Dakota.
Feland said the licensing component of the bill is important because complaints against guardians and conservators are handled on a case-by-case basis in the court system. Feland said this has created instances in which a professional guardian is removed from a case for misconduct without any mechanism to investigate other cases they are handling. The proposed bill would fix this, according to the judge.
“If we now have a procedure for licensing and we can remove them, then notification goes throughout the state to all of the district courts that this person’s license has been revoked,” she said.
If a guardian’s license is revoked, Feland said the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship would be able to find other guardians to step in and take over the cases from the de-licensed guardian.
Donna Byzewski is the program director of the corporate guardianship program for people with intellectual disabilities at Catholic Charities North Dakota. She said during her neutral testimony that she was concerned the budgets of guardianship services would be devastated by legal costs when guardians were brought before the proposed office’s review board.
Byzewski did, however, say the bill would give the court tools to protect people in the case of exploitation or neglect by a guardian and remove the offending guardian in a timely manner, something that has taken months — if not years — to accomplish previously.
Feland said the judiciary is already preparing to implement the office should the bill pass.
“I don’t wait for this stuff to pass. We’re doing it now. So as we are speaking right now, we are actually putting together the rules for the Supreme Court to create these things” Feland said. “This is a problem that’s been there for over a decade and is getting worse. So the best way, then, to resolve it is to start doing these things right away.”
Getty
NDSU could make the CFP in 2026.
Winning has been the standard at North Dakota State for decades, and one college football analyst expects a similar result in the FBS right away.
Brett McMurphy of On3 believes NDSU will run the table 12-0 with a Mountain West Conference championship and make the College Football Playoff. McMurphy projects the Bison to face Oregon in the CFP, the Fargo Forum’s Jeff Kolpack reported.
That would mean the Bison would go on the road to Eugene against a perennial FBS contender, which didn’t go well for the last Group of Six team to play the Ducks. Oregon steamrolled James Madison 51-34 in last season’s CFP before the Ducks took down Texas Tech and lost to eventual national champion Indiana.
It’s not impossible for the Bison to get that far based on Sagarin Ratings and the program’s history of success against FBS teams. The Bison would need to maximize what they can control and to have a few things fall their way.
That said, all of this would be contingent upon the Bison receiving clearance for postseason competition from the NCAA on Thursday. Transitioning teams normally face a two-year postseason ban, and NDSU had been in a similar situation before, with a four-year postseason ban during the move from Division II to the FCS in 2004.
NDSU Looking to Pass JMU Again
In 2016, the JMU interrupted NDSU’s five-year FCS championship run with a playoff upset at the Fargodome.
NDSU then beat JMU in the 2017 season championship to win a sixth title in seven years. The Bison beat JMU again in the FCS championship game again for the 2019 season before the Dukes joined the FBS in 2022.
JMU’s success at the FBS level has resulted in two bowl game appearances and Sun Belt Conference title. Amid the conference crown, the Dukes slipped into the CFP as the ACC went topsy-turvy when a 5-5 Duke Blue Devils team at the time upset Virginia.
JMU made the CFP, and Miami represented the ACC while Notre Dame sat at home despite a 10-2 record and a close early-season loss to the national runner-up Hurricanes. NDSU, meanwhile, had a 12-0 regular season in the FCS and got stunned in the FCS playoffs by Illinois State, the second team ever to win a playoff game in Fargo.
The Bison looked like a program retooling to get back up from a postseason disappointment in January, but February brought the news of NDSU’s long-anticipated move up to the FBS. The Mountain West Conference invited the Bison amid the conference’s restructuring with five teams leaving for the Pac-12.
That made the former FCS titan attractive to the Mountain West, which notably lost former CFP entrant Boise State. Whether or not NDSU can become the Mountain West’s new Boise State or pass JMU as a premiere Group of Six team remains unknown.
Common Opponents Key For Bison
The Bison have the odds stacked against them in 2026 to make the CFP, but it’s not impossible.
NDSU doesn’t have a Power Four opponent, but the Bison can make up for that by margin of victory, especially with any Mountain West contenders that have Power Four opponents during the season.
New Mexico has the biggest Power Four opponent among Mountain West teams with Oklahoma, and UTEP faces Oklahoma and Michigan. San Jose State faces USC, another team with CFP hopes.
NDSU beating New Mexico, UTEP and San Jose State handily will especially help in making a run for the playoff.
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
April 20, 1957 – May 2, 2026
Via Miller-Carlin Funeral Home
Steven Privratsky, 69, of Hettinger, North Dakota, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones.
Steven was born on April 20, 1957, in Dickinson, North Dakota, to Steve and Minnie (Binstock) Privratsky. He was raised on the family farm, where he learned the value of hard work, dedication, and family values that he carried with him throughout his life. On June 3, 1977, Steven married the love of his life, Lori Lien, and together they were blessed with three sons: Scott, Mark, and Jason.
Steven was a proud farmer and dedicated many years to raising cattle, planting fields, and cutting hay. Farming was more than a livelihood; it was a way of life he deeply cherished. Steven was also a car enthusiast and a mechanic at heart, and in 1999, he opened Steve’s Service Plus, where he became the town’s trusted mechanic. He took great pride in his work and truly enjoyed visiting with customers, sharing stories, and lending a helping hand.
Above all, Steven’s greatest joy was his family. He loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, creating special memories and turning the farm into an “amusement park” with tractor, truck, and skid steer rides. Over the past five years, living closer to family in Minnesota was a true blessing. He treasured attending his grandchildren’s activities and being present for the moments that mattered most.
Steven is survived by his loving wife, Lori; his children, Scott (Carmen) Privratsky of Rice, MN, Mark (Sarah) Privratsky of Eden Prairie, MN, and Jason (Kristin) Privratsky of Grant, MN; seven grandchildren, Makenna, Grant, Benjamin, Luke, Caleb, Logan, and Nolan; his siblings, Delores (Harold) Messmer, Lewis (Linda) Privratsky, Larry Privratsky, Mary Kay (Allen) Whitehead, Debbie (Roy) Hofland, and Jeff Privratsky; and his in-laws, Tony (Bev) Volesky, Sharon (Denis) Wells, Donna Lien, Sandra Lien, Lyle (Pat) Lien, Ruth Klein, Alton (Tammy) Lien, Rita (Bill) Frank, Kevin (Terri) Lien, Carla (Jim) Messer, and Curtis Lien. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Steve and Minnie (Binstock) Privratsky; his sister, Betty Jane Volesky; his in-laws, Harold and Dorothy (Shern) Lien, and Linda Privratsky; and his nieces and nephews, Rhonda Starling, Dustin Perfett, Cody Perfett, and Corie Lien.
Steven will be remembered for his strong work ethic, kind heart, and deep love for his family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes, 3013 Roosevelt Road, St. Cloud, Minnesota. A second Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Hettinger Lutheran Church, 904 2nd Avenue South, Hettinger, North Dakota, with visitation at 10:00 AM and funeral service at 11:30 AM, with fellowship and burial to follow.
North Dakota
Connections Tourism: Projects in Wheatland, Mountain and Lakota win North Dakota tourism grants – KVRR Local News
BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — A total of $4 million has been awarded to 8 projects in the latest round of grants to boost tourism in North Dakota.
The 2026 cycle of Destination Development Grants saw 103 applications from 61 communities.
Those in our region include $300,000 to help create the new Icelandic Roosthus heritage center in Mountain in Pembina County.
It has been in development for over eight years.
$870,000 to Johnny’s Landing in Wheatland in Cass County which is a lodging development with 14 RV sites and 12 wellness-focused heritage cabins converted from authentic granaries and grain bins.
And $500,000 to The Prairie Experience at The Bins in Lakota in Nelson County.
Three grain bin lodging units will be developed and the project will include agritourism experiences.
This grant program was funded by the legislature to promote tourism and attractions in North Dakota.
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