North Dakota
Could a state icon bring more attention to North Dakota?
BISMARCK — A
state icon
could help North Dakota promote itself to the rest of the country and possibly bring in more visitors, a tourism leader says.
More than 5,200 people have voted for one of two state icons that could represent the Peace Garden State. Voting began last week and runs through the end of the month.
Voters who go to
surveymonkey.com/r/StateIconPress
can choose between two options: a circular icon that features an American bison in the Badlands or a sunset icon inside the letters ND.
The results could be revealed as early as mid-March, North Dakota Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman told The Forum on Tuesday, Feb. 18. The state icon will help North Dakota promote itself to potential visitors, she said.
“We not only wanted to help educate and raise awareness for the state, but we also really wanted to create some in-state pride and have it be something that people would want to buy and wear and tout,” she said.
The state icon will complement the state’s
“Be Legendary”
brand, Coleman said. North Dakota changed its logo in 2018 as a way to bring its 57 brands under one unifying logo.
Contributed
The rebrand attracted criticism and controversy. The state changed its longtime black-and-white logo and “Legendary” slogan, opting for a simpler font with color.
Lawmakers and others questioned why
North Dakota didn’t bid out the logo project.
Instead, the state hired Kara Ellefson, a longtime marketing executive at Great Plains Software from Hawley, Minnesota, for $9,500 to create the logo. Then-North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum knew Ellefson — he was the CEO of Great Plains before he sold it to Microsoft in 2001.
The threshold for bidding a North Dakota project is $10,000, meaning the transaction was legal. The governor’s office said Burgum did not suggest Ellefson for the project.
Contributed
The North Dakota Department of Commerce asked for bids to design the state icon, Coleman said. Four companies submitted proposals, and The Good Kids, a design studio in Bismarck, won with a bid of about $23,000, she said.
Other states have icons, like Minnesota’s blue and green “MN.” Some states have multiple symbols, Coleman noted.
There could be tweaks to the proposed icons before a final one is announced, she said.
“This is something to build on,” she said. “It’s not the do-all, end-all. … It’s just kind of a fun marketing metric.”
North Dakota has used different visuals in the past to promote the state, including the pioneer logo used for the Centennial Celebration in 1989 and imagery of Lewis and Clark.
The state proposed themes to include in the icon designs, Coleman said. People praise the state’s “beautiful sunsets, landscapes and blue skies,” she said.
State tourism leaders also encouraged “ND” to be a part of the logo, she said.
“I think they’re fun,” she said of the proposed icons. “I’m excited about them. I think either one of them could work well.”
The state has limited recognition in the U.S., Coleman noted. A 2022 study showed that only 22% of respondents were familiar with North Dakota, according to the request for proposals that sought bids for the icon. North Dakota is largely seen as a flyover state with few attractions.
North Dakota Tourism expanded advertising in recent years. TV promotions used Minot native and actor
Josh Duhamel
to highlight attractions like Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
It seems to have paid off. About 3.6 million people visited the state tourism website last year, up 30% from 2023, she said. Several visitor metrics, such as the number of people flying into the state and Canadian border crossings into North Dakota, were up about 10% each last year, she said.
Other metrics, including hotel occupancy rates and Theodore Roosevelt National Park visits, remained flat, Coleman noted.
“We’ve had great results with the work that we do, considering we have one of the smallest budgets in the country,” she said.
North Dakota has in the past underfunded its marketing budget, Coleman said, but it is making progress in telling its story.
“Hopefully, next time we do that national survey, we will show a higher number than 22%,” she said.
The survey doesn’t have a comment section, but input on the icons can be sent to
tourism@nd.gov.
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.
MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – Todd Cresap, who has served as a North Dakota district judge since 2009, announced he will retire in July.
Cresap wrote a letter to Gov. Kelly Armstrong, R-ND, he would retire effective July 17.
In the letter, Cresap said he had ‘mixed emotions’ over the decision, calling it an ‘honor’ to serve, but said it was time for someone ‘with a new perspective’ to serve.
A Valley City native, Cresap studied at Minot State University and the University of North Dakota.
Then-Gov. John Hoeven appointed Cresap to fill a judgeship in the Northwest Judicial District in 2009 that was created by the legislature. He served in that district until 2014, when it was split into Northwest and North Central.
Voters elected Cresap to the bench in 2012, 2016, and 2022. He served as a lawyer in private practice before his appointment as judge.
Armstrong can appoint a replacement to fill Cresap’s remaining term from a nominating committee’s list, ask the committee for new candidates, or call a special election.
The North Central District covers Ward, Mountrail, and Burke Counties.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
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