North Dakota

Epic leaders face $3 million foreclosure lawsuit as president continues to evade court

Published

2 years ago

October 27, 2024

Press Room

Epic leaders face million foreclosure lawsuit as president continues to evade court

MINOT, N.D. — A subsidiary of the now

defunct Epic Companies

is being sued for $3 million after a bank says it hasn’t received mortgage payments for property in Minot.

The foreclosure lawsuit was filed Oct. 18 in Ward County District Court against Henry Land Holdings, which is owned by Epic Holdings.

The lawsuit names Epic Companies president and founder

Todd Berning,

as well as Vice President Brian Kounovsky. It also lists William Gokey II, vice president of the Pepsi distribution Northern Bottling Co.

Henry Land Holdings owes $3 million on several lots in the Highlander Estates subdivision in far southwest Minot, according to the lawsuit filed by Bravera Bank. The mortgage has been in default since Sept. 4, according to a foreclosure notice.

Epic Companies suddenly closed in May and filed for bankruptcy shortly after.

Leaders of the company that once was one of the most active real estate entities in the Fargo-Moorhead area have kept quiet about the closing. Several of Epic’s properties have been taken over by other companies.

Just like in a lawsuit filed last month in Cass County, court summons could not be served to Berning because he no longer lived at his West Fargo residence, according an affidavit of nonservice. Minot-based 7Seven Property Partners is seeking more than $500,000 in damages from Berning for an unpaid loan to EOLA Capital, which is also part of the bankruptcy, according to court documents.

Berning could not be found, so court officials could not serve the summons in the 7Seven case, despite searches in West Fargo, Minot and Minnesota, according to The Forum’s reporting.

April Baumgarten has been a journalist in North Dakota since 2011. She joined The Forum in February 2019 as an investigative reporter. Readers can reach her at 701-241-5417 or abaumgarten@forumcomm.com.

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North Dakota

The Worst Prisons In The USA: Where Does The ND State Pen Rank?

Published

7 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Press Room

The Worst Prisons In The USA: Where Does The ND State Pen Rank?

Prison Life in North Dakota

Every time we cross the Expressway overpass in Bismarck, you get a quick glimpse into prison life in North Dakota. Occasionally, you will see inmates in the yard doing various forms of outdoor recreation. The barbed wire that surrounds the North Dakota State Penitentiary is a sobering reminder that this is not where any sane person would ever want to spend any part of their life.

I met one of our listeners recently who works at the State Pen in Bismarck, and I got a chance to ask her some questions I’ve always wondered, mostly what life is like behind bars. “Is it like prison life in the movies?” She didn’t have a bright picture to paint, and that’s probably the way it should be, to help steer individuals away from a life of crime.

Oskari-Kauko VÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¤rÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¤

I was surprised to find out that at least some of the inmates have tablets and are allowed to go online; their online experience is very controlled. I was also told prisoners are allowed to listen to the radio, something I already knew, as I have received calls from convicts making requests before. You kind of feel the pressure behind those requests, “play it or else”. Ha!

I plan to request a tour in the future using my media credentials and give you more insight into what it’s like behind bars at the North Dakota State Penitentiary.

Marina Nezhinkay

The 20 Worst Prisions in America

Did the North Dakota State Pen make the list? Nope. According to MoneyInc, these are the worst prisons that even the most hardened criminal would want to avoid.

20. Ely State Prison – Ely, Nevada

19. Folson State Prison – Folson, California

18. Penitentiary of New Mexico – Santa Fe, New Mexico

17. William C. Holman Correctional Facility – Atmore, Alabama

16. Sing Sing Correctional Facility – Ossining, New York

15. San Quentin State Prison – San Rafael, California

14. Louisiana State Pen – Angola, Louisiana

13. Rikers Island – New York, New York

12. Reeves County Detention Complex – Pecos, Texas

11. Julia Tutwiler Prison – Wetumpka, Alabama

10. Pelican Bay State Prison – Crescent City, California

9. United States Pen Marrion – Marion, Illinois

8. Idaho Correctional Center – Kuna, Idaho

7. United States Penitentiary Tucson – Tucson, Arizona

6. Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary – Leavenworth, Kansas

5. Orleans Parish Prison – New Orleans, Louisiana

4. Men’s Central Jail & Twin Towers Correctional Facility – Los Angeles, California

3. Tent City Jail – Phoenix, Arizona

2. Allan B. Polungky Unit – Livingtonston, Texas

1. US Penitentiary Administrative Maximum – Florence, Colorado

States with the most born-and-bred residents

Gallery Credit: Stacker

The 15 BEST Small-Town Cafes In North Dakota

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North Dakota

North Dakota voters to decide single-subject requirement for future constitutional amendments on June 9

Published

17 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

North Dakota voters to decide single-subject requirement for future constitutional amendments on June 9

On June 9, North Dakota voters will decide Constitutional Amendment 1, which would, if approved, create a single-subject rule for future constitutional amendments. A single-subject rule is a requirement for ballot measures to address a single subject, topic, or issue. Constitutional Amendment 1 would also establish a separate-vote requirement for legislatively referred constitutional amendments. This […]

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North Dakota

And he’s off

Published

1 day ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

BRECKENRIDGE — Coaches, teammates, friends and family gathered in the south parking lot of Breckenridge High School for another state tournament sendoff.

Friends, family, teammates and coaches joined Berndt for a photo before cheering him on as he rode off in the ceremonial convertible.

Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News

This year, it was Troy Berndt taking the ceremonial convertible ride. He is headed to St. Michael-Albertville High School for the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet on June 4-6.

Breckenridge track - Berndt, Erlandson and the Haires — Troy Berndt, left, give his supporters one last smile before embarking on his state journey. David Erlandson, next to Berndt, accompanied him in the convertible, and will be with him at the meet on June 4. Tom Haire, driving, and Christy Haire are in the front seats.

He will be running in the third heat of the 400-meter prelims, scheduled for 4:52 p.m. June 4. There are seven athletes in each heat, 21 total, and nine will advance to the finals at 6:20 p.m. June 5.

The top two finishers in each heat advance, along with the next three best times. Berndt’s personal best time of 50.67 has him seeded 13th, but the 10th-, 11th- and 12th-seeded runners are less than five hundredths of a second ahead of him. The eighth- and ninth-seeded runners are also close, at 50.33 and 50.39, respectively.

Berndt dropped nearly seven-tenths of a second from his previous personal best at the Section 6A West Subsection Meet on May 21, running 51.35, and shaved another 0.68 seconds off at the Section 6A Championships on May 28 with a time of 50.67. If he keeps lowering his time, he will have a shot at reaching the podium against the best runners in Class A.

Breckenridge track - convoy — Berndt and company taking their spot in the convoy behind Breckenridge Fire Department and Police Department vehicles.

Results and photos will be available online immediately following the race June 4 and in the June 10 print edition of the Wahpeton Daily News.

Corbin Lee is a sports reporter for the Wahpeton Daily News and Richland County News-Monitor. Corbin can be reached by calling (701) 291-3551 or emailing corbin.lee@wahpetondailynews.com.

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