BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong today thanked North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director Dave Glatt for his 43 years of service to the state as Glatt announced his retirement as the first – and only – director of DEQ since it became a standalone agency in 2019. His retirement is effective July 31.

“Dave has dedicated more than four decades of his life to protecting North Dakota’s air, land and water with a regulatory approach that boils down to one simple rule: follow the science,” Armstrong said. “He rejected federal overreach and ideology-based regulation, instead holding firm to a cooperative, common-sense approach that allows North Dakotans to enjoy some of the cleanest air and water in the country as our economy thrives. We’ll miss Dave’s leadership, his expertise and his wry sense of humor. We thank him for his exceptional service and wish him all the best in retirement.”

Glatt was appointed DEQ director in May 2019 by then-Gov. Doug Burgum and reappointed by Armstrong in 2024. Prior to that, he served as chief of the North Dakota Department of Health’s Environmental Health Section from 2002 to 2019. He also previously served as the section’s Division of Waste Management director, interim director of Consolidated Laboratories, Division of Water Quality assistant director, and Groundwater Protection Program manager. 

During his long career in state government, Glatt helped implement the Safe Drinking Water Act in North Dakota and was the state project manager for an EPA Superfund project to address high arsenic levels in groundwater in southeastern North Dakota. Through collaboration with government at all levels, industry and citizens of the state, Glatt helped ensure that North Dakota remains a clean air state, maintains high regulatory standards and leads through the efficient implementation of all environmental protection programs.

“It has been a privilege to work alongside so many dedicated professionals and North Dakotans who care deeply about protecting our shared environment,” Glatt said. “They made this work enjoyable, rewarding and meaningful, and I’m deeply grateful.”

Born in Valley City and raised in Milpitas, Calif., Glatt graduated from North Dakota State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in environmental engineering. He briefly worked for the Los Angeles Flood Control District before returning to North Dakota in 1983, joining the Department of Health.

The 2017 Legislative Assembly passed legislation separating the Environmental Health Section from the Department of Health to create the standalone DEQ. On April 29, 2019, DEQ became an independent agency after all programs completed a federal review and approval process. 

Currently, DEQ has a two-year total budget of $141.8 million and is authorized for 175 full-time employees in six divisions: Air Quality, Chemistry, Municipal Facilities, Waste Management, and Office of Director. 

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Valley News Live) — The U.S. Space Force wants to build a $250 million space operations center at Grand Forks Air Force Base as part of President Trump’s 2027 defense budget request.

The facility would be about 180,000 square feet and built as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, designed to handle top-secret information. It would house highly classified missile-warning and missile-tracking operations, as well as the space data network.

The project would bring more than 100 Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office personnel to the base across two to three fully manned squadrons, according to North Dakota Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer.

“This new project puts Grand Forks right at the center of what’s next in space operations,” Cramer said in a statement. “It speaks to the depth of our Airmen and Guardians’ expertise and why this base keeps getting tapped for the most important and modern missions.”

The facility builds on the low-Earth orbit satellite mission already at Grand Forks, which serves as the backbone of U.S. military communications. Hoeven worked to establish that mission and has been pushing to add missile-tracking and advanced fire-control capabilities.

The three-story facility will include a 500-person auditorium for secure briefings and conferences, as well as a dining area to support 24/7 operations, according to the Space Force.

Hoeven, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, said he spoke with Space Force Chief of Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman about the proposal this week. He said he will work to secure funding through the annual appropriations process.

Design is expected to start later this year if Congress approves the funding.

North Dakota has been on a roll recently on the recruiting trail, trying to add to their 2027 recruiting class. They did just that when they received a commitment from La Crosse (WI) Aquinas High School athlete Brady Lee on April 16.

“I committed because the coaching staff, the school, and the community made it the right fit for me,” Lee said.

He received his first offer from the Fighting Hawks on November 22, when he was in Grand Forks for the South Dakota State game, and met with head coach Eric Schmidt beforehand. Despite the UND setback that day, they made quite the impression on him.

“Coach Schmidt had me meet him on the sideline before their game against South Dakota State, and he basically told me I did everything they asked and then he offered me. The game was great, I loved the energy of the Alerus Center, and I got to watch my former teammate, Shane Willenbring, who plays for SDSU. The coaches made me feel like a priority, even though it was a huge match-up.”

The coaching staff was one of the main reasons he committed, and he was able to catch up with Schmidt and safeties coach Keaton Wilkerson when he made it out to practice on March 28.

“I love Coach Wilk and Coach Schmidt. They have made it clear to me that they are in my corner. When I was there at practice, they and the rest of the staff showed nothing but love for me, and it felt like I was at home.”

Recapping last season

Last season, Lee, who plays safety and wide receiver, was named an All-Region selection by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and an All-State Honorable Mention. He helped lead Aquinas to an 11-1 record and made it to the third round of the playoffs.

“The season went well. We had a tough loss at the end of the year, but we went 11-1. I had a slow start to the season, but things really picked up at the end of the year for me.”

That playoff loss still doesn’t sit well with Lee and the rest of the Blugolds, who still have it on their minds.

“The offseason has been very well. My teammates and I have been grinding, no doubt about it. We definitely have unfinished business.”

The recruiting process is a different experience for every prospect, and it certainly was for Lee. In addition to the Fighting Hawks, he also had offers from North Dakota State and South Dakota.

“My recruitment was overwhelming, but it was still a blessing. I had a bunch of visits and some offers, but nowhere felt like North Dakota.”

Lee adds to a North Dakota 2027 class, which is currently rated No. 79 nationally by 247Sports, and includes three-star quarterback Caden Gutzmer, Andrew McGee, Jonah Cummings, Ethan Howey, Carson Wilson, and Marlowe Strain.

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