North Dakota
Hope Blooms teams with Top Rank Network to deliver flowers to North Dakota Veterans
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) -Local veteran business owners and active members of the North Dakota Army National Guard collaborate to celebrate Veterans Day at the North Dakota Veterans center in Lisbon, North Dakota.
Residents of the North Dakota Veterans Home celebrated the day with a pancake breakfast and flag ceremony with the Lisbon American Legion, a visit from the Jamestown Drum and Bugle Core, and were hand delivered by Hope Blooms and members of Top Rank Networking, a Fargo based network of veteran business owners. For the active service members and members of Top Rank networking todays events provided an opportunity to express their gratitude to the servicemen and women who came before them.
“At Top Rank networking we really have two main missions and those are tow support veterans who own business and those business professionals in the community but we also look to give back to our community so today working with hope blooms really was a perfect marriage of those two things,” said Sergeant Casey Drege, North Dakota Army National Guard.
“Having conversations with some of these people special especially on you today it’s an important day for me. It’s an important day for them and being able to come together partner with Hope Bloom and hopefully bring a little bit of joy to their day has been very special for me,” said Drill Sergeant Brandon Wendland.
North Dakota Veterans Home’s Susie Schlecht expressed her gratitude saying, “I think it validates especially for Vietnam veterans that maybe didn’t get a very warm homecoming or actually a horrible homecoming we want to make every day an honor or them and show them how thankful we are for them especially today.”
Hope Blooms founder, Kelly Krenzel worked with Top Rank to organize and plan the event. Her nonprofit takes donated flowers from weddings, funerals, and spread joy and goodwill throughout the community. Today, Hope Blooms focused on those who have served.
“Today we brought a whole host of volunteers along with active service members and just came out to knock on people’s doors and just say, Hey thank you so much for your service and just remind them that their community cares about them,” said Krenzel.
Copyright 2024 KVLY. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
Fargo Police participate in torch run for Special Olympics North Dakota – KVRR Local News
FARGO (KVRR) — Members of the Fargo Police Department put on their running shoes to take part in honoring Special Olympics in North Dakota.
They took part in a one-point-four mile run, taking the torch from the Fargo Regional Training Center to Fargo North High School.
The torch run is part of a long-standing relationship between the Special Olympics and law enforcement across the county.
The run aims to raise awareness for Special Olympics North Dakota as well as the athletes that participate.
“It’s just a great cause,” said Fargo Police Lieutenant Nate Nieman. “I mean, it eans a lot to just be a part of that and support that.”
The 2026 Special Olympics North Dakota State Summer Games will be taking place this weekend.
Submitted Photo
U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, spoke about the connection between North Dakota, the United States and Norway at the 12th annual Norwegian-American Defense Conference held April 17, where he delivered the congressional keynote address.
WASHINGTON – North Dakota’s deep Norwegian roots reflect the broad, long-standing relationship between the United States and Norway, one built on shared values, cultural ties and security cooperation.
U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, spoke about the connection between the two countries at the 12th annual Norwegian-American Defense Conference held April 17, where he delivered the congressional keynote address.
He described the bond as historic and strategic, but also personal. His great-great-great grandfather, Erik Hjelden, fought in the Norwegian War of Independence prior to Norway adopting a constitution on May 17, 1814, Norway’s Independence Day known as Syttende Mai.
Starting in the 1870s, Scandinavian immigrants from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland settled across what is now North Dakota. Today, one-third of the state’s population is of Norwegian descent, and North Dakota has the highest percentage of citizens with Norwegian ancestry of any state in the nation.
“I love the theme of this year’s conference, ‘From Seabed to Space,’ because I do think the size of the country is not nearly as important as the dynamic that happens when one plus one equals more than two,” Cramer said. “At a time when there’s talent on the factory floor, and talent in the executive suites, and talent in the engineering room, that we may have one or the other, maybe all. But together the dynamic of it is so much greater.”
Cramer emphasized how this foundation now supports a modern defense partnership. He said the United States and Norway are working together on Arctic security, aiming to strengthen interoperability and improve readiness across multi-domain operations. This alliance plays a key role in addressing today’s international security challenges.
Cramer also recognized the U.S.-Norway partnership through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as the history between the two countries.
“When you look at a globe, it illustrates why the Arctic is so important,” continued Cramer. “None of us can protect our silo without protecting our country, without protecting our continent, without protecting our hemisphere, without protecting ourselves. We protect one another by protecting ourselves, and we protect ourselves by protecting one another.”
Throughout his years in Congress, Cramer has been active in the House and Senate Friends of Norway caucuses. He hosted former Norwegian Ambassador to the U.S. Anniken Krutnes when she visited North Dakota in 2024, highlighting the state’s Norwegian heritage, economic strength and its role in advancing U.S.-Norway defense and national security cooperation. During the visit, Krutnes and Cramer emphasized the importance of strong alliances and the longstanding partnership between the two nations during various community stops, including events at the Sons of Norway Kringen Lodge and First Lutheran Church. The visit also focused on defense priorities, with a briefing at the North Dakota National Guard’s 119th Wing regarding the mission of the “Happy Hooligans,” before concluding with a public reception ahead of the Fargo premiere of the Norwegian film Songs of Earth.
Memorial service at North Dakota State Capitol honors fallen officers
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