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Feds call $20 million in meat Agridime’s most valuable asset

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Feds call  million in meat Agridime’s most valuable asset


BISMARCK — A federal agency says a defunct cattle company has about $15 million to $20 million worth of meat to sell while owing $191 million to investors, including $40 million in North Dakota.

The Securities and Exchange Commission updated the Agridime website this week with information on the case that the agency has labeled as a Ponzi scheme.

“We currently estimate that Agridime’s inventory of meat is the company’s single most valuable asset,” the Feb. 27 update says.

It says meat is being sold through a new retail website AmericanGrazedBeef.com.

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“Agridime’s retail meat sales had to be halted when credit card companies no longer wanted to work with Agridime due to the federal court case, which caused a six-week hiatus in our retail operations as we worked to put a new organization and website in place,” the update says.

It notes two farms in Kansas, Morgan Creek Farms and Goracke Farms, as raising the company’s cattle.

The update says investigators are still examining Agridime’s financial records and identifying assets, including livestock. It says the company has about 6,500 head of cattle.

A complaint by the Securities and Exchange Commission alleges that Agridime raised at least $191 million from more than 2,100 investors in at least 15 states. The complaint, which was unsealed in December, says Agridime began using money from new investors to pay off previous investors, fitting the definition of a Ponzi scheme.

The complaint said Agridime sold contracts to investors promising returns of up to 32%. Agridime said investors could reap the benefits of investing in cattle without doing any work.

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About $40 million, more than 20%, of the investments came from North Dakota, according to the state’s Securities Department.

A sales agent for Agridime, Taylor Bang, based in Killdeer in western North Dakota, collected more than $6 million in Agridime commissions selling unsecured investments, the Securities Department said.

North Dakota and Arizona issued a cease-and-desist order and the Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation.

The company was incorporated in Texas in 2017, led by Jed Wood of Texas and Josh Link of Arizona.

The complaint said from Dec. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, Agridime began using money from new investors — at least $58 million — to pay off previous investors instead of investing in cattle and raising them.

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The SEC update says there are no hearings scheduled in the case, but on Feb. 23, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman issued an order requiring attorneys for the parties to meet “as soon as practicable” for a scheduling conference. It also requested a report from attorneys in the case, due March 8, including proposals for a timeline and how the case might proceed.

Bang is not named in the federal complaint against Agridime and Bang’s attorney, Brent Edison of the Vogel Law Firm in Fargo, said he is not involved in the federal case.

Bang told the North Dakota Monitor in December that the $6 million figure for Agridime commissions was “way high.”

Edison told the Monitor that Bang, a longtime cattle broker in the Killdeer area, was “similarly situated” as other investors.

This story was originally published on NorthDakotaMonitor.com

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North Dakota

Fire burns at Pallet Green Recycling storage yard in rural Williston

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Fire burns at Pallet Green Recycling storage yard in rural Williston


WILLISTON, N.D. (KFYR) – UPDATE (5/10/2026 at 11:45 p.m.): A fire broke out at a Williston recycling business Sunday evening, and no one was injured.

Multiple crews responded to Pallet Green Recycling just before 8:30 p.m., according to the Williston Fire Department. Crews arrived at the scene where they fought heavy smoke and flames.

Industrial storage containers were on scene, and officials say it is unclear what, if any, chemical residue was inside them. Officials believe there is no danger to the public.

Williston Fire Chief Corey Johnson said the fire was contained to the business’s exterior storage yard, and crews were not concerned about it spreading beyond the property.

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“Right now, the structures are protected in the area. We’re not concerned about the fire spreading off of the lot,” Johnson said.

Multiple departments from across Williams County responded, and extra water trucks were brought in due to the fire’s remote location.

The cause remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Your News Leader will provide updates as more information becomes available.

ORIGINAL STORY (5/10/2026 at 9:39 p.m.): Crews responded to a large fire at a storage yard in rural Williston on Sunday night.

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The fire is located at Pallet Green Recycling, according to the business owner.

Sylvia Luebke captured video of the scene from a distance around 8 p.m. The fire sent a large plume of smoke over the area. Luebke said it was still burning as of around 9 p.m.

Williston Rural Fire is working to battle the fire. The department was unable to comment at this time.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.

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ND Guard officer in charge of DC special mission

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ND Guard officer in charge of DC special mission


Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.

WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.

The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.

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“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.

As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.

“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”

Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”

According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.

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“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.

According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.

“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”



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Stampede stay alive with 2-1 OT win in Fargo

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Stampede stay alive with 2-1 OT win in Fargo


FARGO, N.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede staved off elimination with a 2-1 overtime win over the Fargo Force in game four of the USHL Western Conference Finals Saturday night.

Thomas Zocco scored the game-winner 12 minutes into the extra period. Arseni Marchenko put Fargo on the board first in the first period. Noah Mannausau tied the game for the Herd in the second period.

Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 53-49, including 9-5 in overtime. Linards Feldbergs made 48 saves.

Three of the four games of the series have gone to overtime. The winner-take-all game five is Tuesday at the Premier Center.

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