North Dakota
Friends and colleagues recall influence and impact of former North Dakota Lt. Gov. Lloyd Omdahl
GRAND FORKS – Lloyd Omdahl had many outstanding and endearing qualities, his friends and colleagues said, but chief among them were a strong advocacy and knowledge of state and local government, dedication to his family, a deep Christian faith, his kindness and delightful sense of humor.
Omdahl, 93, died peacefully Sunday, April 14, while in comfort care at Valley Senior Living on Columbia. His son and daughter were at his bedside. His wife, Ruth, died last November.
A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at Hope Covenant Church, Grand Forks, with a reception to follow. Visitation is planned for 2 p.m., also on May 18 at Hope Church.
Omdahl served as North Dakota’s lieutenant governor from 1987 to 1992 with Gov. George Sinner, and as state tax commissioner from 1963 to 1966. He was a longtime professor in UND’s political science department and served as director of the school’s Bureau of Governmental Affairs.
Former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., of Mandan, first met Omdahl when, as an 18-year-old UND student, she enrolled in his state and local government class.
“I thought he was one of the most dynamic, interesting professors … ” she recalled. “It really was Lloyd Omdahl and his influence that led me to think that state and local government mattered. There were a lot of us who ran for statewide office who were inspired by Lloyd Omdahl, and I think that was true (for) both Democrats and Republicans.”
When Omdahl ran for Congress, she and other UND students campaigned for him, she recalled. “Campaigning for Lloyd Omdahl was my first direct political activism.”
Omdahl was “committed to educating and growing a group of North Dakotans to assume leadership in our state,” Heitkamp said. “And I like to think I’m part of the Lloyd Omdahl legacy.”
He was “incredibly funny, he was very, very funny – but always pointed and never mean-spirited,” she said.
Courtesy of UND
Omdahl wrote “the most significant book on the Nonpartisan League … (which) will be a very, very important book for anyone to understand the political history of North Dakota. … He was very much a scholar and student of state and local government.”
She lauded Omdahl for his interest in “not just partisan politics for the sake of winning, but how do you bring people together to get things done.”
“Lloyd Omdahl was my mentor and my friend,” Heitkamp said, “but, mainly, he was my teacher. And North Dakota lost a great North Dakotan.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum issued the following statement Monday, April 15: “From his dedicated service as North Dakota’s lieutenant governor and tax commissioner to his decades as a UND educator and newspaper columnist, Lloyd Omdahl was a constant presence and passionate voice in North Dakota government and politics for over 60 years.
“We are deeply grateful for his service and commitment to the citizens of North Dakota, as well as his many contributions to our state’s Scandinavian heritage, in which he took great pride. Kathryn and I extend our condolences and prayers to his family, friends and former colleagues.”
Retired District Judge Joel Medd, of Grand Forks, said Omdahl was “instrumental” in his career.
“I was a student of his” at UND, Medd recalled.
Omdahl also provided a recommendation when Medd applied to the UND Law School; at the time, Medd was serving in the military in the Vietnam War.
Omdahl was also responsible for his appointment, filling a vacancy as district judge for Grand Forks in October 1979, he said. “He recommended me to Gov. Art Link.”
Medd ran for the judgeship in 1980 and credits Omdahl with helping him to win the race over his opposition, he said.
“He was a wonderful guy, a great friend to me and a great friend to so many,” Medd said. “He was a fantastic professor,” who followed his students’ lives long after they graduated.
Omdahl frequently invited Medd to speak about the judiciary to his political science classes at UND.
Espousing his viewpoints in his newspaper columns, Omdahl “was not afraid to take on controversial issues – guns, abortion, religion,” Medd said. “(He held) well-researched opinions.”
Omdahl was very active in humanitarian efforts, including the Feed My Starving Children project, headed by Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse.
“Some of my favorite pictures are those of us, in our hairnets, packing food” for the program, Medd said.
Omdahl has written a book that is in the publication process, but not yet released, Medd said. The subject matter deals with the treatment of women throughout U.S. history.
“He was very much for equal treatment of women,” said Medd, noting that Omdahl’s daughter will likely follow through with finalizing the book’s publication.
His friend “always wanted to get things done,” Medd said. “He was interested in helping people. … He was somebody who wanted to do things. When he moved into assisted living, I called him the ‘Energizer bunny.’ ”
In a recent talk for Franklin Club members, Omdahl spoke about a “civilized society,” Medd said. “He got to be philosophical in his later life.”
Leadership in difficult times
Omdahl was lieutenant governor “at a very very difficult time in state history – a deep recession, almost an agricultural depression at that time,” said former U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., of Washington, D.C., who has known Omdahl for at least 60 years. “He and (Gov.) Bud Sinner navigated us through that very very difficult time in a very professional way.”
Omdahl also made dramatic changes in the state, including the introduction of kindergarten and public television, Conrad said. “Lloyd was a leader and he was a visionary. He saw what could be in North Dakota. He was somebody that believed North Dakota, with its agriculture and energy resources, could be a shining light for the rest of the country. And, subsequently, there have been times when we led the nation in economic growth. Lloyd Omdahl played a very fundamental role in building that foundation.”
Omdahl was also “a lot of fun to be with, because he had such an engaging personality,” Conrad said.
Omdahl was devoted to his wife, Ruth, who suffered from dementia in her final years, Conrad said. Residing in a memory care facility, “she probably wasn’t sure who Lloyd was. But he would go visit her three times a week, and he would take her chocolates, because he knew she loved chocolate.
“You know, you think about the loyalty, the love that that exemplified for him, even after she wasn’t sure who he was, that he would go see her faithfully and take her a treat.”
‘An extraordinary man’
Former U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, of McLean, Virginia, said Omdahl had “a major impact on North Dakota government in a very positive way. Even more than that, (his teaching at UND) was so powerful.
“The fact is that so many people wanted to get into his courses, they had to restrict them. I think he was one of the most popular professors that I’ve ever known at the University of North Dakota. Quite remarkable.
“In addition he began to write opinion columns, and send them throughout the state. He was really smart, really capable and had a really interesting wit about him as well. … He was just an extraordinary man.”
Dorgan presumed that “there are probably thousands of students, who would have come away from (his classes) having a much greater understanding about what government is. We are all government, the government is ours. And Lloyd taught that with fervor. …
“Time never got past him,” Dorgan said. “Although he was well up in age, he continued to think and work and express opinions on a wide range of very important issues.”
‘Deep religious faith’
State Sen. Tim Mathern, of Fargo, said, “Omdahl was a master at running the North Dakota Senate” for the years he served as lieutenant governor.
“He had a way with the rules to assure that a tie between Republicans and Democrats did not let us stalemate like today’s Congress.”
Omdahl’s greatest achievement for the state was “his melding of political science and journalism,” said Mathern.
Omdahl also “possessed a deep religious faith,” he added. “He never carried it on his sleeve, but it guided his ethics in all of his profession.”
Retired UND professor Ken Dawes, of Grand Forks, who worked in the state’s Department of Human Services while Omdahl was lieutenant governor in the 1960s, was a fellow UND faculty member. He taught in UND’s Department of Social Work.
Dawes especially admired Omdahl’s “objectivity,” he said. “Even though he was identified as a Democrat, he could be objective about issues.”
An active community member, “he was always organizing people, but doing it in a nice way,” he said.
Omdahl was “just delightful to visit with because of his sense of humor,” he said. “He truly loved what he was doing.
“All I know is, we’re going to miss him. I just wish there were more people like him.”
See Trump admire gold tractor parked on White House lawn
A gold tractor was parked on the South Lawn of the White House during President Trump’s remarks on providing relief to farmers.
CASSELTON, N.D. — North Dakota will lead the nation in a U.S. Department of Agriculture push to improve farm technology and research, federal officials announced Tuesday.
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said Grand Farm, a research campus west of Fargo, will be the national program manager for USDA’s National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech. Grand Farm will also be the first proving ground in the network, focusing on weed control.
North Dakota launched Grand Farm seven years ago, integrating research capabilities from North Dakota State University at Fargo with industry partners such as tech giant Microsoft.
Hoeven said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who visited Grand Farm last year, recognized that North Dakota provided a model for ag tech research and could be the manager for the rollout.
“It’s a huge deal,” Hoeven said. “It’s Grand Farm going national.”
Hoeven announced that $11 million will launch the proving grounds, a collaboration of Grand Farm, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and NDSU.
Scott Hutchins, USDA under secretary for research, education and economics, said the first year of research will be concentrated in North Dakota and Georgia. The University of Georgia announced a partnership with Grand Farm in 2024.
He said after reviewing results from the first year, the department plans to accept proposals for research hubs in other states, eventually creating the national network.
Hutchins said profitability is a top priority. He said there has been a boom in ag technology, but farmers need help sifting through it all.
“Which one can provide the greatest return on investment?” he asked.
Hoeven said focusing on profitability is a must during rough economic times. “Right now, if you’re growing a crop, in most cases, you’re not making money,” Hoeven said.
The North Dakota Legislature invested $10 million in 2021 to help propel Grand Farm, which covers 590 acres near Casselton. Operating from tents and with portable bathrooms in its first years, the research site opened its first building in 2024. The Legislature invested an additional $7 million in 2025.
“The National Proving Grounds is the next chapter,” said Brian Carroll, chief operating officer for Grand Farm.
George Vellidis, of the University of Georgia’s Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture, said Georgia is one year into operating its 250-acre research area similar to Grand Farm.
He said the goal is to translate the research in the Upper Midwest to crops grown in the southeast. A robot that can be taught to recognize weeds in North Dakota will have to be taught a different set of weeds that grow in Georgia, for example.
Grand Farm board member Kyle Courtney, who farms near Oakes, North Dakota, said the initiative will help field test practices “under a unified umbrella to help farmers make better decisions.”
North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
North Dakota
West Fargo Fire Department to host ND Ethics Commission public meeting – KVRR Local News
BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — North Dakota Ethics Commission is getting out of its dingy office setting in Bismarck to hold a public meeting in West Fargo.
The stop is part of the commission’s commitment to accessibility and public engagement.
They are hitting the road on Friday, April 24 for a 9 a.m. meeting at West Fargo Fire Department.
You can learn about their work and listen to their discussions and decisions.
You can also take part in the newly adopted public comment period.
Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, Chair of the Commission, says they want to meet people where they are and make it easier for North Dakotans to engage.
The tiny town of Kindred, N.D., just southwest of Fargo, has a population of about 1,000 people.
When a few high-profile visitors rolled through Kindred Public School District 2 on Jan. 26, it was not a surprise that the middle schoolers sharing a building with Kindred High School could hardly contain their excitement.
“Hey, Michigan is here!” young students squealed to their teachers.
“Notre Dame’s here!”
Indeed, football coaches from both staffs had made the trip to Kindred on the same day. Stanford came, too.
It’s not often that college football coaches flock to North Dakota for recruits, but it’s also not often that North Dakota — a state that, as recently as last year, didn’t have a player ranked among the top 2,000 prospects in the country — is pumping out blue-chippers.
This year, the state has two four-stars in the same class for the first time in the modern recruiting era, which dates back to 2002. And it just so happens that tight end Brooks Bakko, the nation’s No. 120 prospect, and athlete Luke Starcevic, No. 216, attend the same high school — a school with just over 400 students in grades 7-12.
“It’d be hard to put a number on it,” Kindred head coach and middle school principal Eric Burgad said of the number of college teams that have come through his program to visit the star-studded duo. “It was crazy, though. It got to a point where I had to ask myself, ‘OK, do I need some help with this?’ because I’m our middle school principal and I’ve got a job to do during the day, and the number of coaches that reach out and just want to be in Kindred … is a lot.
“We’re happy when the dead period comes around, and these guys can catch a breath.”
Bakko, who received his first Division I offer from Minnesota around this time last year, committed to the Gophers late Monday night, waking his parents up around midnight to tell them the good news once he got off the phone with tight ends coach Eric Koehler.
#AGTG COMMITTED❗️❗️
I am blessed to announce my commitment to the University of Minnesota 〽️〽️ I would like to thank my Family, Coaches, and teammates for this opportunity! ROW THE BOAT! @CoachKoehler @Coach_Fleck @CoachHarbaugh @nick20lee @kindredfootball #skiumah pic.twitter.com/bSguMs0rjf— Brooks Bakko (@BakkoBrooks) April 7, 2026
Starcevic has upcoming official visits planned to Notre Dame, Kansas State and Oregon, and is hoping to issue a commitment within the next month or so.
The two pals have known each other since fifth grade, dating back to their days playing grassroots basketball together.
Now they’re putting North Dakota high school football on the map.
“Going through it together has been unique, obviously, and we’ve both had a lot of fun, and it’s been a really cool opportunity for us,” Starcevic said. “Maybe we’ll look back in a little bit and realize how special it is. It’s been cool to be, I guess, the face of football recruiting in the state, and it’s just been a fun journey. We’ve both worked hard for this, and we’re happy it’s all paying off.”
Burad has been a high school coach for a dozen years and a head coach for three. He’s aware that North Dakota isn’t exactly the first (or most convenient) stop on the list for college recruiters who routinely flock to Georgia, Florida, California and Texas for talent.
Recently, however, Burad has noticed that North Dakota seems to be producing more FBS-caliber recruits. Riley Sunram, a former four-star defensive lineman out of Kindred, signed with Minnesota in the Class of 2024. Starcevic’s older brother, Jake, a former three-star linebacker, enrolled at Army in the Class of 2025 before transferring home to North Dakota in December.
Burgad has a theory for the shift.
“I honestly think social media has made the recruiting just really kind of open up,” he said. “It’s easy for these kids to take their highlights from a Friday night game or the first four games of a season and put them on their X (account) and that stuff, coaches are very well connected.
“If a coach in Minnesota sees it, it might make its way to a coach in the South and a coach on the West Coast, and I just think those things circulate a lot better. We’ve always had really good players in our state — maybe it’s just a little bit easier to access them now.”
Bakko and Starcevic have both received double-digit offers, many from schools in the Big Ten and Big 12. Because North Dakota is so cold, they play multiple sports year-round and don’t just focus on football — another advantage from Burgad’s perspective that makes his recruits more well-rounded athletically in this era of hyper-specialization. It helps that both players are comfortable playing in the snow, too.
Starcevic’s recruitment has been particularly interesting because some schools are recruiting him as a defensive end, others project him as an offensive lineman and Oregon is pursuing him as a tight end.
He played tight end and defensive end as a junior this past season, with Burgad and the school’s offensive coordinator jumping at the opportunity to put him on the field with Bakko in 12-personnel packages.
“He’s one of the best football players I’ve seen,” Bakko said. “So I’m proud of him, I’m going to support him wherever he goes.”
Kindred rolled through the 2025 regular season with a 10-0 record but was upset, in overtime, by Devils Lake in the Division AA semifinal.
In many ways, Bakko and Starcevic are the only two people in North Dakota who know exactly what the other is experiencing. Many times when a college coach would visit the school and the two friends would temporarily be excused from their respective classes, they’d walk through the hallways together, wondering about who might be waiting for them.
“Having Luke, one of my best friends, by my side through it and helping each other out, visiting places together, it’s been really fun,” Bakko said.
The duo has one more season of high school football together before Bakko heads off to Minnesota and Starcevic is off to his school of choice. In addition to Kansas State, Notre Dame and Oregon, Starcevic said he might schedule a few more official visits.
If these two are successful at the next level, it will only help put the spotlight on one of only five states in the U.S. with fewer than 1 million people.
“I definitely think it’s growing and people are finding out more about the talent in our state, which is good,” Starcevic said. “Hopefully it continues to grow in the future and North Dakota keeps thriving.”
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