North Dakota

Letter: ND senators should support AADAPT Act

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

Letter: ND senators should support AADAPT Act

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that affects millions of Americans, both directly and indirectly, by placing an enormous emotional and financial burden on individuals and families. This is particularly hard for those of us who live in states like North Dakota, where needed services may be a long drive away.

I know firsthand how Alzheimer’s greatly affected our family when my grandfather was diagnosed. He was my hero and to watch his memory of my family and myself slowly deteriorate was the hardest thing. To honor his legacy, I served as an Alzheimer’s board member for the MN-ND Chapter of Alzheimer’s for six years. My fight however isn’t over, I will continue to advocate and serve as a volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association the rest of my life. I fight to find a cure for this disease that that took my grandfather and has impacted so many families in North Dakota.

Unfortunately for many people, it often takes a long time to get a diagnosis of dementia, as many primary care providers do not receive enough training. In fact, nearly half of doctors say they are uncomfortable making a diagnosis. This is a particular problem for those of us in rural America where it can be hard to get a second opinion.

That is why I am asking Senators Cramer and Hoeven to cosponsor the AADAPT Act (S. 4276) to help fund needed training for care providers to better understand detection, diagnosis, care, and treatment, and importantly, allow the program to expand its reach in rural and underserved communities.

If your loved one is diagnosed with dementia, The Alzheimer’s Association MN-ND offers free classes on Alzheimer’s and dementia, and support groups for people impacted. Visit alz.org/mnnd or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900 for support.

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North Dakota

State launches new system to improve farming data

Published

2 hours ago

June 6, 2026

Press Room

State launches new system to improve farming data

Even in 2026, many farmers still use pen and paper to map planting information. That’s starting to change in North Dakota, one of two states piloting the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new GEAR system, short for Geospatially Enhanced Acreage Reporting.

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North Dakota

Unearth a Story this summer at the Leach Public Library

Published

12 hours ago

June 5, 2026

Press Room

Unearth a Story this summer at the Leach Public Library

Summer is here, and that means our annual Summer Reading Program is underway. This year’s theme is “Unearth a Story!” and focuses on dinosaurs, archaeology and history.

We have a variety of programs for all ages, including story times for preschoolers and school-age children, movies for kids and adults, crafts and special presentations. This summer, we are bringing back crowd favorite The Mixed Nuts, who will perform their family-friendly comedy show at 1 p.m. June 24. We will also host a puppet performance by Sonflower Puppets at 1 p.m. July 15. All programs are free and open to the public.

We are once again partnering with the Bank of North Dakota to give College SAVE certificates to all youth reading program finishers. When children age 18 and younger complete their reading logs, they will receive money from the Bank of North Dakota to contribute to a 529 college savings account. All finishers will also be entered into a drawing for one of 10 additional $529 scholarships at the end of the summer program.

We are also excited to announce a new partnership with the FM RedHawks. Children enrolled in the school-age summer reading program for grades K-5 can sign up to become one of Hawkeye’s Bookworms. Participants will receive four additional prizes from the RedHawks, including tickets to a RedHawks home game. No additional forms or reading requirements are needed to participate.

Thank you to the Bank of North Dakota and the FM RedHawks for supporting our summer reading program.

Lastly, we are pleased to announce that the Leach Public Library is now fine-free. If you have been reluctant to use the library because of overdue fines on your account, those fines are now being waived. If you have a long-lost library book at home, simply return it and no fine will be charged.

We are excited to remove this barrier, which has often prevented people from using both the library’s physical collection and digital services available throughout the Libby app. Fines will still apply to lost or damaged materials, as well as circulating technology such as iPads and Launchpad tablets.

For more information about fines or library cards, please contact the library.

Have a safe and happy June! We look forward to seeing you at the Leach Public Library!

Rachel Kercher is the youth services librarian at the Leach Public Library.

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North Dakota

Hartford woman takes home the Miss South Dakota crown

Published

23 hours ago

June 5, 2026

Press Room

Hartford woman takes home the Miss South Dakota crown

Kianna Healy of Hartford, South Dakota, was crowned Miss South Dakota 2026 at the competition on May 30.

Twenty-seven women competed for the title, which was a record number of candidates, according to a community announcement.

Healy, 23, graduated from O’Gorman High School and Pace University, where she majored in film and arts and entertainment management.

Healy won a $13,000 scholarship, a $1,000 preliminary talent award, a $500 preliminary fitness award and the $500 Callee Bauman Wachter top performing arts award.

Healy’s community service initiative is The Second Chance Project. For her talent, she performed “I’m a Star” by Scott Alan.

She is set to represent South Dakota at the Miss America Competition in September.

First runner-up was Amelie Wilcox of Rapid City, who earned a $5,000 scholarship. Wilcox also received the $5,000 South Dakota Strong award, the overall interview award ($1,000), a $1,000 community service award and the $500 Hunter Widvey Medical scholarship. She also took home the $1,000 Ray Peterson Rookie of the Year award for being the highest placing delegate competing at Miss South Dakota for the first time.

Second runner-up was Sydney Morgan of Hot Springs, who received a $4,000 scholarship and the $500 STEM scholarship. Third runner-up was Katie Milbrandt of Brookings, who earned a $3,000 scholarship and the $1,000 Quality of Life Award. Briley Steffensen of Hartford was fourth runner-up and won a preliminary fitness award, totaling $2,500 in awards and scholarships.

The top ten semi-finalists, each receiving a $750 scholarship, were Thea Tanton of Brookings, Lilly Mae Blume of Redfield, Javonte Madsen of Sioux Falls, Rylin Yerdon of Harrisburg and Natalie Biegler of Timber Lake. Tanton and Biegler tied for the preliminary talent award.

Additional awards included Laney Titze of Mitchell receiving $1,000 in the South Dakota Strong competition. Olivia Granaas, Jensine Matson and Taysan Rouselle each won $500 in the same category. Kyla Andvik of Fargo, North Dakota, earned the most talented non-semifinalist award ($250), while Jenisha Gurung received the highest score for non-finalist in interview ($250). The top fundraiser award ($500) went to Jayden Bender.

Miss Congeniality ($500) was awarded to Miss Northern State University Evelynn Carlson of Aberdeen. Each non-semi-finalist received a $300 scholarship, with total scholarships exceeding $60,000 for all participants.

This story was created by reporter Charles Rankin, crankin@salina.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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