North Dakota

Bismarck adopts public camping ban similar to Fargo

Published

1 year ago

October 10, 2024

Press Room

Bismarck adopts public camping ban similar to Fargo

BISMARCK — Homelessness is not just a Fargo issue in North Dakota.
Bismarck now has its own ban on public camping.

The Bismarck City Commission passed that ban Tuesday, Oct. 8, just a month

after Fargo passed its own rules

for homeless encampments.

Bismarck City Commissioners faced a struggle the Fargo City Commission is very familiar with: balancing public safety and cleanliness with compassion for one of the state’s most vulnerable communities.

Some officials say the issue is growing across the state, with North Dakota’s candidates for governor also weighing in.

“The first step is to provide a tool for the law enforcement, for Bismarck Police Department to be able to respond to situations where we do have calls for complaints effectively,” Bismarck city administrator Jason Tomanek, said.

Bismarck’s prohibition on public camping includes exceptions, much like Fargo’s own ordinance. Homeless people will be able to sleep outside in certain designated areas.

Before removing a campsite, the city must provide 24-hour notice. In Fargo, the city offers 48 hours.

Fargo’s ordinance contains exceptions for people who establish a housing plan with a mobile outreach team staff from the Downtown Engagement Center, and abide by certain rules covering cleanliness and proximity to other camps.

At Tuesday’s Bismarck City Commission meeting, there was a long line for public comment, with some citizens raising concerns about cleanliness and safety.

City commissioner Michael Connelly argued that without a clear set of guidelines, the problem could only get worse.

“Folks are going to go to the communities that don’t have ordinances, and that’s going to be a huge challenge,” he said.

Multiple people who work with Bismarck’s homeless population told the council that area shelters are overcapacity, just as they are in Fargo.

North Dakota’s gubernatorial candidates acknowledge the issue is now statewide, with both calling on boosts to services.

“We just can’t throw out the mentally ill who need help. We just can’t abandon them on the streets,” State Sen. Merrill Piepkorn, the Democratic candidate for governor, said.

“We have to get really, really aggressive, and we have to get creative, because we don’t have enough addiction counselors,” U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., said.

One Bismarck commissioner echoed that concern, saying that it might be the time for more than local solutions.

“We need to have the state involved and engaged in trying to solve this problem. This doesn’t solve homelessness, but it’s a step forward to try and keep our cities safe and clean up some of the more egregious problems we have,” Bismarck City Commissioner John Risch said.

Violating the Bismarck ordinance would be class B misdemeanor, and includes a fine up to $1,500.

Bismarck City Attorney Jannelle Combs said that’s primarily a tool for police to be able to enforce the ordinance, and says it’s very unlikely that anyone would face such a fine.

Mike McGurran has been a reporter and anchor at WDAY-TV since 2021.

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North Dakota

Bankruptcies for North Dakota and western Minnesota published Jan. 10, 2026

Published

9 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court

North Dakota

Kaitlyn Grace Lucier, Fargo, Chapter 7

Samuel Todd Hicks, formerly known as Thomas Samuel Hicks, Fargo, Chapter 7

Teresa and Dominik Renwick, Fargo, Chapter 13

Susan Renee Fuller, formerly known as Susan R. Schaffer, doing business as Susie’s Sparkling Cleaning Service, Fargo, Chapter 7

Shannon Lynn Taylor, Fargo, Chapter 7

Jesse Patrick and Jaime Elizabeth Brown, Williston, Chapter 7

Kerri Lee Weishaar, Minot, Chapter 7

Terry Marie Moritz, Valley City, Chapter 7

Joshua Allen Sewill, Hatton, Chapter 7

Bryan Eugene Flecker, Minot, Chapter 7

Anna Marie Rahm, formerly known as Anna Marie Tanner, and Joshua Edward Rahm, Bismarck, Chapter 13

Sherri Rae Fisher, Baldwin, Chapter 13

Heather Lynn McElroy, formerly known as Heather Anderson, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Kaitlyn Autrey, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Michelle Lynn Miller, Fargo, Chapter 13

Kimberly Georgeann Callahan, Fargo, Chapter 13

Erin Elaine and Jose Luiz Murphy, Bismarck, Chapter 7

Shelly and Kieth Quimby, St. Thomas, Chapter 7

Minnesota

Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.

David Howard Gilpin, Osakis, Chapter 7

Timothy Virgil Hoag, Moorhead, Chapter 7

Jason Darryl Dykhoff, Ottertail, Chapter 7

Zachary Nicholas Hodgson and Jolynn Beth Warnes, formerly known as Jolynn Beth Hodgson, Kensington, Chapter 7

Riley Matthew Hinman, Alexandria, Chapter 7

Layne Christopher Condiff, Park Rapids, Chapter 13

Thomas Beecher Hoyer, Menahga, Chapter 13

Christine Karen Jakubek, also known as Cristine Anderson, Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.

Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.

Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.

Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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North Dakota

Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND

Published

21 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – On Friday, North Dakota U.S. Senator John Hoeven, Governor Kelly Armstrong and Health and Human Services Commissioner Pat Traynor explained how the state plans to use millions of dollars from the Big Beautiful Bill’s Rural Health Transformation Fund to transform healthcare across the state.

They spoke extensively about the special session to allocate the funds, and confirmed that it is still tentatively set for Jan. 21.

The Big Beautiful Bill allocated $25 billion for rural healthcare nationwide. North Dakota received $500 million for five years and $200 million for the first year. There is still another $25 billion left to be spent, and North Dakota is hoping to receive an extra $500 million.

“I truly believe that with the plan we’re putting in place and the things we built that line up with that, we’ll get a billion dollars over five years,” said Hoeven.

Federal rules require the state to lock in contracts for the money by October first— a deadline officials say is driving the need for a special session.

In the first year, North Dakota will focus on retention grants to keep existing staff, technical assistance and consultants for rural hospitals, as well as telehealth equipment and home patient monitoring.

A KFYR+ exclusive

Governor Armstrong says the special session will include policy bills tied to how much federal rural health funding the state can earn.

“We’re going to have a physical fitness test for physical education courses, nutrition education, continuing education requirement for physicians, physician assistant licensure compact—which North Dakota has been doing, dealing with that since the heart of the oil boom and moving forward—and then an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists,” said Armstrong.

Hundreds of millions of dollars could reshape healthcare in rural North Dakota, and state leaders say the next few weeks are key to receiving and spending that money wisely.

The governor says he only wants to focus on bills related to the Rural Health Transformation Program during the special session and doesn’t intend to deal with other state issues during that time.

Politicians outline plans for ND Rural Health Transformation Program

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North Dakota

North Dakota officials celebrate being among big winners in federal rural health funding

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

North Dakota officials celebrate being among big winners in federal rural health funding

North Dakota U.S. Sen. John Hoeven and Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Friday touted the success of the state’s application for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding, which landed one of the largest per-capita awards in the nation.

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