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Hennen: Cramer must want a 'big tent' GOP in ND

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Hennen: Cramer must want a 'big tent' GOP in ND


Sen. Kevin Cramer is headed for a second term in one of the world’s most exclusive clubs, the United States Senate. Having first defeated incumbent Sen. Heidi Heitkamp by 11 points in 2016, he recently cruised to an even more comfortable 33-point victory over his Democratic opponent, Katrina Christiansen.

It’s been quite a storybook journey for the kid from Kindred, North Dakota. His political service began with his work for a little-known statewide candidate in 1984. Next Cramer began working for and then leading the North Dakota Republican Party at a time when Democrats controlled almost all the levers of political power in the state. Cramer was elected party chairman in 1991. He served in this role until 1993, making him the youngest person to hold that position in the state’s history.

Interestingly, even after attaining elected office, Cramer has never stopped building the state GOP. In the just-completed election cycle, two political action committees he controls contributed nearly $175,000 to North Dakota Republicans at every level. In addition to his leadership PACS, his re-election campaign gave nearly $50,000 to the Republican Party. As impressive as the amount is, the diversity of the recipients is more so. Call them MAGA, Bastiat or just conservative disruptors, Cramer supported them. Call them moderate, establishment or even liberal, he supported them. The one thing they all are is Republican.

Cramer no doubt remembers those challenging political times when Republicans were in the minority in North Dakota. Now the only political fights seem to have Republicans fighting other Republicans. So when conservative groups were running ads against moderate Republicans, Cramer helped level the playing field. An example would be his $5,000 contribution to District 10 legislative candidate Steve Swiontek.

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When more establishment types ran ads against disruptors, Cramer helped level the playing field, having given $5,000 to another District 10 legislative candidate Jared Hendrix. He also made contributions to the campaigns of Kelly Armstrong, Julie Fedorchak, Josh Gallion, and legislative candidates Jim Kasper, Ben Koppleman and Michelle Powers. Additionally, there were donations to Districts 4, 8, 9 and 12 ND GOP candidate committees.

According to the same recent Federal Election Commission filings reporting Cramer’s donations, Sen. John Hoeven’s Dakota PAC contributed $10,000 to U.S. House candidate Fedorchak and $10,000 to Gov. Doug Burgum’s campaign for president. The rest of his contributions were to U.S. Senate races elsewhere, which is what the leadership PACs are most often utilized for, and a small amount to his legislative district in Bismarck. Hoeven also gave donations to his Senate colleagues who were not up for reelection, but oddly none to Cramer.

Cramer’s contributions might be a way of building bridges between factions of North Dakota Republicans or pushing back on Republican infighting. He is fond of saying, “Politics only works by addition.” His first foray into big-time politics was when Lee Atwater was the Republican National Committee chairman who clearly articulated the “big tent” theory and never lost sight of who the real adversaries are, the Democrats.

Scott Hennen hosts the statewide radio program “What’s On Your Mind?” heard on AM 1100 “The Flag” in Fargo and on AM 1090 KTGO “The Flag” in Watford City/Williston. Email him at ScottH@FlagFamily.com.
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North Dakota

ND State Fair completes 2026 grandstand lineup with EDM artist Zedd, ‘Turn Up ND!’

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ND State Fair completes 2026 grandstand lineup with EDM artist Zedd, ‘Turn Up ND!’


MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – We now know the entertainers who will round out this year’s North Dakota State Fair grandstand lineup.

In what is a first for the state fair, Zedd will put on an EDM show at the grandstand on Friday, July 24. He’s an award-winning artist and DJ, known for hits like ‘Clarity’ and ‘The Middle.’

The show will feature immersive production, sound and visuals. Tickets will be just over $58, including fees.

The fair wraps up on Saturday, July 25, with this year’s ‘Turn Up ND’ show. It features TI, Da-Baby and Waka Flocka Flame.

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All three have made a name for themselves in the trap and hip-hop music genres.

Tickets for this show are just over $78, including fees.

So here’s a look at the full lineup, which is packed with some major stars, featuring Alex Warren, Jon Pardi, Jessie Murph, Niko Moon and Zach Top.

The fair will hold two days of the popular MHA Indian Horse Relays on July 20 and 21.

For information on tickets, dates and more, go to ndstatefair.com.

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Darlene Struble

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Darlene Struble


Darlene Kay Struble was born April 11, 1946 in Valley City, ND to Frank and Ruby (Satreaas) Klima. She grew up in LaMoure, ND and graduated from LaMoure High School 1964. After graduation, Darlene continued her education at North Dakota State School of Science in Wahpeton before completing her LPN training in Grand Forks. 

Darlene married the love of her life, Charles Struble, on October 25, 1969 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Together, they made their home in Jamestown where she began her career in the OB department at Jamestown Hospital. Her dedication to caring for others continued throughout her professional life, later leading her to Dakota Clinic in Jamestown. Her work was an extension of her compassionate spirit, and she touched many lives until her retirement in 2009. 

She filled her days with many loves; her family above all, but also the quiet joys of gardening, flowers, sewing, crafts, and scrap booking. She had a special gift of preserving memories, and spent countless hours gathering family history. Darlene started her day at the Depot Cafe nearly every morning. It was a simple tradition, but one she shared with her children, friends, and eventually grandchildren. Not only were Depot mornings filled with love and laughter, but an abundance of Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes. 

Darlene passed away peacefully on March 23rd 2026 at Eventide in Jamestown, surrounded by the love of her family. She leaves behind her husband Chuck, her sons; Cory (Deb) Struble and Dave (Leslie) Struble, two sisters; Linda (Gary) Kraft and Roberta (Karl) Wilhelm, six grandchildren; Jayden (Darsh), Allie, Jonah, Grace, Evyn, and Owen, and seven nieces and nephews. She has been reunited with her parents, her daughter, Tiffiney Dick, and her sister, Mary Lee Guffy.

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In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Jamestown Regional Medical Center Foundations, specifically to the OB ward.

Memorial Service- 3:30 PM Saturday, March 28, 2026 at Haut Funeral Home in Jamestown, ND, with Pastor Kristi Weber, officiating.

Interment- Highland Home Cemetery, Jamestown, ND (at a later date).





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Hope’s Corner: Hope Springs Eternal

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Hope’s Corner: Hope Springs Eternal


I spent the first day of spring, last Friday, weeding my back yard flower beds. Let that sink in, because this is North Dakota. We have April showers in May, and May flowers in June. We sometimes have snow in June, too. Weeding my tulips in March is a first.

The tulips have been up for a couple of weeks in my south-facing gardens. The six inches of snow last weekend did not deter their enthusiasm. According to the South Dakota State University Extension Service, tulips close to our shared border usually begin to appear in late March and early April. Mine are early risers this year. I blame the switch to Daylight Saving Time.

My yarrow and hollyhocks have been green and growing for four weeks. The yarrow was a little miffed at the one subzero night a week or so ago, but the hollyhocks merely flattened out and took it in stride. Our friends at the South Dakota Extension Service assure me both of those plant varieties normally sprout in mid-May. Maybe the frequent solar storms and northern lights displays have affected them.

Shortly after that subzero stretch in February, which Katie the Wonder Puppy and I called The Degrees of Despair, the pussywillow began to bud. I cut my first bouquet this past Friday the 13th. And did you know the blossoms are called catkins?

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That shrub is only a couple weeks early in blooming. Obviously, like all cats, my pussywillow is indifferent to solar storms, the northern lights, and Daylight Saving Time. When its feet get warm enough, it stretches out and basks in the sun. Wild catnip has, however, sprouted near the pussywillow’s trunk. I suspect some deep-rooted drug dependency at work there.

But, weeds? There is wild horseradish marching across my tastefully scattered scoria chips. There is quackgrass strangling daylilies and yarrow. There are weeds of unknown name towering over my tulips. Actually, I have a name for those weeds, but that name is best kept to myself.

I pulled out one quackgrass clump, and I am pretty sure its far end stretched all the way to Gladstone. It was like pulling one of those string strips from the top of a fifty-pound sack of sunflower seeds. Not that I regularly buy fifty-pound bags of sunflower seeds for the neighborhood birds, or anything.

I was feeling pretty smug last Saturday after I finished all my weeding. I figured I would need to start mowing in a few more days. I began looking at seed catalogs and dreaming of Big Boy tomato plants.

Late Saturday evening Katie and I went outside to take in the fresh air. It was snowing. Gotta love North Dakota.

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Jackie Hope is the longest running Dickinson Press contributor and columnist. Hope’s Corner is a weekly humorous column with a message of hope.





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