North Dakota
Boltz plays key role for Team North Dakota 16U
IRVINE, Calif. — Collin Boltz had an elevated role on the Dickinson Mavericks during the 2025-26 season. He was playing more minutes and set career highs across the board with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 22 games.
But he was only scratching the surface once his season ended in mid-February. Boltz was getting ready to compete at the 2026 Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier II 16U National Tournament for Team North Dakota.
It was a week-long tournament in Irvine, Calif., and he helped the program win its third Tier II 16U 1A title after cruising past Team Wyoming 9-0 in the championship game back on Sunday, March 29.
It was the third time in the state’s history that it took home a national championship trophy.
“At the beginning, we were kind of nervous. The semi-final game was [we won] 4-2 and the team that we played in the championship beat them by three,” Boltz said. “So we were thinking that they were going to be a little better. But once we got that first goal, we just hammered them.”
Courtesy / Collin Boltz
USA Nationals is one of the biggest youth hockey tournaments in the country, ranging from players ages 14 and under, all the way to the prep level for both boys and girls. All national teams hold tryouts in May and the final roster is made up of some of the best players in the state in both the east and west regions.
“That was a team that I’ve wanted to try out for a long time, and my parents finally let me try out,” Boltz said. “I wanted to see competition from other places and maybe get some exposure, and just play more hockey.”
Boltz tried out for the Tier I team, but didn’t make the final roster. However, he earned a spot on the Tier II squad and played a critical bottom-six role. One of the first things he noticed was how the pace of play was much slower than high school.
Courtesy / Collin Boltz
In five games, he tallied two points (one goal, one assist) and played heavy minutes as a third-line winger. His goal came against the Portland Jr. Winterhawks on March 27 in a dominant 8-0 victory. North Dakota was a very deep team with lots of scoring depth, and that was one of the biggest keys to winning the championship.
“It was great. We played well the whole time. We won every game. It was kind of nice because there was only one game a day, so you had the rest of the time to play on the beach or something,” Boltz said. “Just getting to travel around to new places, playing [against] different kids and playing with different kids too.”
The best aspect of Boltz’s game has always been his hard and heavy shot. That’s what caught the eyes of the coaching staff and why he was selected as one of 20 members to make the team. But he’s not afraid to go in the corners and play the body to get the puck.
“When he hits the net, there’s a good chance it goes in, and then he plays a pretty heavy game too down in the corners and when he’s attacking the puck,” Team North Dakota head coach Jared Cowden said. “His play style definitely caught the eyes of a few people who were on the evaluating staff.”
Dickinson has had a few players compete at nationals. Former Dickinson High defenseman Kaeden Krieg played for Team North Dakota Tier I 16U back in 2023. It meant a lot to Boltz to be the lone representative of his team and school.
“It’s pretty cool. But I think I have a feeling that some of our players, if they tried out, they could probably be on the team too,” Boltz said.
Now heading into his junior season, Boltz is hoping to use this experience to take another step in his development.
“I think it just helps you realize my competition and what I need to do to be better than the other kids that I play,” Boltz said. “It just tells me how much more I need to train during the summer.”
Jacob Cheris covers a variety of high school and college sports. A graduate of Penn State University’s class of 2023, with a degree in broadcast journalism, he covered Penn State Men’s Hockey for three years. Jacob also covers Big Ten Hockey for College Hockey News.
WILLIAMS COUNTY, N.D. (Valley News Live) – The North Dakota Highway Patrol is urging drivers in northwest North Dakota to stay off the roads Thursday afternoon as blowing dirt creates near-zero visibility in some areas.
As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, troopers were reporting low to no visibility in parts of the region, including along Highway 85 in Williams County near mile marker 212, where a crash occurred. The Highway Patrol shared a photo from the crash scene showing extremely reduced visibility.
Officials are asking people to stay home if possible. Those who must travel are urged to slow down, turn on their headlights, leave extra space between vehicles and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON — The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services has been recognized for its wildfire prevention efforts with a national Bronze Smokey Bear Award.
“These awardees demonstrate what fire prevention looks like in action,” said U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief Sarah Fisher. “Their efforts protect lives, support firefighters and make a real difference in communities across the country.”
May is Wildfire Awareness Month, and with North Dakota experiencing another active spring wildfire season, each fire prevented is one that local responders don’t have to put out, underscoring the importance of each individual’s responsibility to work and recreate safely outdoors. The award to the N.D. Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) recognizes its efforts in communicating just that.
The communications team is led by Strategic Communications Chief Alison Vetter and is supported by Autonomous Systems and Communications Specialist Clint Fleckenstein.
According to information from the Forest Service, the team’s creative products are visually appealing, engaging and effective. The “Learn Before You Burn” tagline urges North Dakotans to visit the interactive N.D. Fire Declarations and Burn Restrictions map to learn their local restrictions, fire danger and red flag warnings before burning or recreating outdoors. Vetter and Fleckenstein consistently take initiative to address fire prevention issues proactively and go above and beyond to become the best possible storytellers of wildfire prevention messaging.
Alison Vetter
Their statewide efforts identify unique and effective avenues to communicate these important public safety topics, addressing top human-caused fire causes like open burning and equipment use through reels, interviews, Gas Station TV, visits with local students, and GoodHealthTV kiosks found in local health units, schools and other public buildings.
During the historic October 2024 wildfires, NDDES mobilized the Joint Information Center, responding to the elevated need for education, prevention and response to determine messaging needs in real time. This included topics like publicizing daily fire danger, sharing resources for affected landowners, advocating for defensible space and safety tips, and messaging ways to minimize fire risk when harvesting, hunting, or enjoying the outdoors. Alison and her team worked over the winter of 2024-2025 to identify prevention efforts and causes, and crafted effective communications strategies to reduce wildfire occurrence, which proved necessary into an active spring 2025 fire season as well. After the devastation of the October 2024 wildfires, they created a documentary to highlight the value and appreciation for those who responded to the call and showcase the unique way North Dakota communities show up for one another in crisis.
The 2026 Smokey Bear Awards will be presented at the National Association of State Foresters’ annual meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, in September.
North Dakota
Armstrong directs flags at half-staff Thursday in observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong has directed all government agencies to fly the United States and North Dakota flags at half-staff on Thursday, May 14, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, in observance of national Peace Officers Memorial Day.
The governor’s directive is in accordance with a proclamation issued by President Donald Trump, who also proclaimed May 10-16 as national Police Week.
Armstrong will join North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Supreme Court Chief Justice Lisa Fair McEvers in delivering remarks during a North Dakota Peace Officers Memorial Service at 7 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Hall of the State Capitol. North Dakota’s 69 fallen peace officers will be remembered and honored during the service, and the Capitol windows will be lit to display a “Thin Blue Line” as a mark of respect for all law enforcement officers, past and present.
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