North Dakota
Grand Forks police chief to retire after 40-year career
GRAND FORKS — One of the region’s most recognizable law enforcement officers is about to sign off the radio for the final time.
Grand Forks Police Chief Mark Nelson will take off his badge for the last time on Friday, Sept. 20.
Nelson said the decision to retire was an easy one. He made the decision nearly 10 years ago when he took over as chief that he would retire in September 2024.
Along with the patrol cruisers, much has changed over Nelson’s career. He points to how much technology is now in each police car and how many passwords officers need to remember. That wasn’t a problem when he first started at the Grand Forks Police Department in 1988.
“When I walked through the door, we would buy space pens because the ink would not freeze in the wintertime,” he said.
Nelson, 60, who also spent more than three decades with the North Dakota National Guard, said it was a Minot police officer who visited his history class in seventh grade who inspired him to pursue a career in law enforcement.
“He wasn’t talking about how fast he got to drive, how all the extra things that you do, shoot guns,” he said. “He talked about working with people, caring about people, and I don’t know, it just resonated with me. I tried to live by that the rest of my life.”
Nelson started his career with the Ward County Sheriff’s Department. After four years there, he spent the past 36 years with the GFPD, the last decade as the chief.
Along with improving the day-to-day operations, Nelson spent a lot of time focusing on community relationships.
“I tell my guys if the first time you’ve ever dealt with someone in the community is on a negative interaction, we’ve failed as a department,” he said.
That community support was so important on May 27, 2020, the day Officer Cody Holte was shot and killed during a police ambush; easily the worst day of his career.
“No. 1, being in the room with the family when they were told Cody did not make it; two, making the call to his twin brother, who at the time was a Fargo cop, that Cody did not make it. How do you tell your department, how do you look up and stand up in front of 100 people and say we lost a family member today?” Nelson said.
What he will miss the most, he said, is the people, especially the young officers. About half of the nearly 100 officer force have only been with the department for less than four years.
“Watching people achieve what they want to, and knowing I have had people in my office and you give them a little bit of advice and then they get that position they were seeking and they come in and thank you, or just watching them foster and grow and challenge themselves,” he said.
Nelson said it still hasn’t fully sunk in, that for the first time since he started working at age 11, he won’t need to be anywhere that day. Nelson also served with the National Guard for 34 years, including two deployments. Along with family time, the chief plans to do some shopping.
“I always make the joke — I’ll have to buy clothes because I’ve worn a uniform for 40 years, I don’t have much of a wardrobe, to be honest with you,” he said.
Mayor Brandon Bochenski said he waited until Nelson retired before launching a nationwide search. He hopes to pick a new chief by the end of the year.
Lt. Dwight Love will serve as interim chief until a new chief is hired.
Matt Henson is an Emmy award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Prior to joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Roads in northwest North Dakota are reporting extremely low visibility due to blowing dust and dirt.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol shared photos of an intense dust storm that led to a crash in Williams County on Highway 85 at 1:30 p.m.
-
Photo courtesy of the North Dakota Highway Patrol -
Photo courtesy of the North Dakota Highway Patrol
The NDHP is advising the public to stay home if possible, and if you must travel, slow down, turn on your headlights, increase following distance, and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
KELOLAND News also received photos from our viewers of dust storms in South Dakota.
WILLIAMS COUNTY, N.D. (Valley News Live) – The North Dakota Highway Patrol is urging drivers in northwest North Dakota to stay off the roads Thursday afternoon as blowing dirt creates near-zero visibility in some areas.
As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, troopers were reporting low to no visibility in parts of the region, including along Highway 85 in Williams County near mile marker 212, where a crash occurred. The Highway Patrol shared a photo from the crash scene showing extremely reduced visibility.
Officials are asking people to stay home if possible. Those who must travel are urged to slow down, turn on their headlights, leave extra space between vehicles and be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
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.
-
Mississippi3 minutes agoYour Mississippi forecast for Friday, May 15 – SuperTalk Mississippi
-
Missouri9 minutes agoLawsuit aims to block Missouri income tax amendment from ballot
-
Montana15 minutes agoLawsuit seeks to “cement legality” of corner crossing in Montana
-
Nebraska21 minutes agoStarting fires helped contain a Nebraska wildfire — and ignited another – Flatwater Free Press
-
Nevada27 minutes agoBest Nevada high schools for athletes? One study has revealed a top 25
-
New Hampshire33 minutes agoDAY 4 Now, What To Do About Taxes in NH?
-
New Jersey39 minutes agoBest burgers in New Jersey? 15 spots for classic and inventive burgers
-
New Mexico45 minutes agoFind out how New Mexico hospitals rank for patient safety