North Dakota

New agency poised to tackle ND workforce challenges

Published

1 year ago

August 28, 2023

New agency poised to tackle ND workforce challenges

BISMARCK — A newly minted state agency is poised to help tackle North Dakota’s workforce shortage even as a promotional campaign that kicked off a little over a year ago continues to make headway.

That’s according to Katie Ralston Howe, director of the Work Force Division of the North Dakota Department of Commerce, who said the first order of business for the Office of Legal Immigration, recently formed by the state legislature, will be to hire a consultant to help develop the scope and goals of the young agency.

Officials who have been dealing with workforce development have been hearing a lot of questions about immigration, according to Howe, who said while officials can speculate on what the opportunities may be in that area, “We want to understand how we best support employers, communities, individuals and families when it comes to navigating the opportunity for bringing in global talent.”

Job Service North Dakota estimates about 40,000 job vacancies exist in the state.

The Office of Legal Immigration, part of the North Dakota Department of Commerce, is legislatively mandated to develop and implement a statewide strategy to support recruitment and retention of foreign labor, including immigrants already in the U.S.

Other things the agency will be tasked with include:

Advising and making recommendations to the governor, legislative assembly and state agencies regarding immigrant integration and foreign labor issues
Developing a pilot program that supports businesses pursuing or employing work-authorized immigrants and supporting communities to develop integration plans and activities
Partnering with other state agencies to develop and administer programs or services related to immigration integration.

While a perception exists among some that government payments made as part of pandemic relief and stimulus were a big part of why some have left the workforce, Howe believes whatever impact such payments may have had is now over.
“I think it (opting out of the workforce) has less to do with choice and comfort and not working and more to do with external factors that are affecting someone’s ability to work,” Howe said, adding that some of those external forces include barriers like child care and transportation.

She said affordable housing is another factor often mentioned when it comes to people who are interested in moving to North Dakota to fill jobs and create a life in the state.

North Dakota’s

Find the Good Life promotional campaign

has been paying dividends when it comes to luring workers to the state. The effort is credited with bringing in 29 workers since it was launched in early 2022, according to Howe.

“That number doesn’t include the number of spouses and children that came with those 29 workers; when we add that in, we’re almost double that number,” Howe said, noting that there are about 2,000 leads in the pipeline regarding possible new workers.

As far as the 29 new workers the state knows about thanks to the Find the Good Life campaign, Howe said it may not seem like a large number considering the number of job openings in North Dakota. But, she added, “You have to start somewhere and we’re making progress.”

Overall, North Dakota has about 3,000 more workers in its workforce than it had a year ago, according to Howe, who said some of those people might have learned about North Dakota through marketing work the Department of Commerce is doing, or they might be students who stayed after graduating from college.

“We’re trying to pin down what’s working the most, so we can double down in those areas,” Howe said.

For more information, visit

commerce.nd.gov/workforce/office-legal-immigration

I’m a reporter and a photographer and sometimes I create videos to go with my stories.

I graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead and in my time with The Forum I have covered a number of beats, from cops and courts to business and education.

I’ve also written about UFOs, ghosts, dinosaur bones and the planet Pluto.

You may reach me by phone at 701-241-5555, or by email at dolson@forumcomm.com.

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North Dakota

No. 3 South Dakota State football vs. No. 2 North Dakota State: Who has the edge?

Published

2 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

No. 3 South Dakota State football vs. No. 2 North Dakota State: Who has the edge?

South Dakota State football is set to face North Dakota State in Fargo at 11 a.m. Saturday with a trip to the FCS national championship game on the line.

This is the sixth time NDSU has faced SDSU in the playoffs, but the Bison hold a 5-1 advantage in those games as well as the Dakota Marker after a 13-9 win in October.

Here is the tale of the tape between the two sides.

No. 3 South Dakota State (12-2, 7-1) vs No. 2 North Dakota State (12-2, 7-1)

When: Saturday, 11 a.m.

Where: Fargodome

TV/Radio: ABC, ESPN+/Jackrabbit Sports Network

What’s at stake?: History, the 2024 season, and bragging rights in a historic rivalry. This game has everything. North Dakota State has been viewed as the dominant team in the FCS for years, but South Dakota State has stolen that place on the mantle for the past couple of seasons.

This is the sixth time NDSU has faced SDSU in the playoffs. The Jackrabbits will have a tall task ahead of them this weekend as the Bison have won all five playoff games in Fargo. South Dakota State’s lone win in the playoff series was the most recent matchup when they defeated NDSU in the 2022 national championship game, 45-21.

Who’s better?: The two sides are pretty evenly matched, although North Dakota State did defeat South Dakota State this season to win the Dakota Marker for the first time in four years.

Statistically though, South Dakota State certainly looks like the better team. It has the best scoring defense in the FCS, allowing only 12 points per game. The Jackrabbits also rank higher in total defense (280.4) and total offense (441.3) but NDSU has been more efficient with its offense and averaged more points per game. The Bison also ranks sixth in red zone offense while SDSU is 27th.

Matchup to watch: This is going to sound a bit vague, but the South Dakota State offense vs the North Dakota State defense. The last time these two teams faced off the Jacks actually held a 9-7 lead late and had multiple chances to build on it but failed. Instead, the offense sputtered out and the Bison eventually took advantage with a touchdown late to win the game.

The lone offensive highlight of the game for SDSU was a 66-yard touchdown run by Chase Mason. Mason had been out injured for a few weeks but made his return in limited snaps against Incarnate Word last weekend. He looked a bit rusty, but having both Mark Gronowski and Mason in the backfield adds a bit of unpredictability to the South Dakota State attack.

The South Dakota State offense certainly started the season as a question mark after losing many key pieces, but it feels like it’s clicking at the right time. The Gronowski-Griffin Wilde connection is the best it’s been all season and Amar Johnson, alongside the offensive line, has also looked sharp the past couple weeks.

SDSU wins if: Its offense can overcome a solid North Dakota State defense. The South Dakota State offense has struggled when it’s faced some of the top teams in its conference. The Jackrabbits scored 20 or fewer points against both South Dakota and NDSU. The Bison allow only 17.5 points per game and rank in the top 25 for rushing yards allowed per game.

Prediction: 21-17, SDSU. It feels like the Jacks are peaking at the right time and they’ll be extra hungry with a chance at another FCS national title on the line.

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North Dakota

How to watch: No. 6 Alabama at North Dakota

Published

10 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

How to watch: No. 6 Alabama at North Dakota

After surviving the gauntlet stretch of its non-conference schedule, No. 6 Alabama will hope a chilly trip to the Great Plains won’t cool down its recent run. North Dakota native Grant Nelson will get a homecoming game as the Crimson Tide travels to face North Dakota on Wednesday night. The matchup will be the first leg of a two-for-one series with the Fighting Hawks traveling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2025 and 2027.

Wednesday will mark the first matchup between Alabama and UND. Nelson, on the other hand, boasts a 6-1 record against the Fighting Hawks, dating back to his time at North Dakota State. The Devils Lake, North Dakota native averaged 16.8 points and 5.28 rebounds while shooting 56% from the floor, including 10 of 21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc in those seven games. That includes his last outing against UND when he dropped 36 points and seven boards while shooting 13 of 20 from the floor.

Here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday’s game.

How to watch

Who: No. 6 Alabama (8-2) at North Dakota (4-8)

When: 8 p.m. CT, Saturday, Dec. 14

Where: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Watch: CBS Sports Network (play-by-play: Alex Heinert, analyst: Shon Morris, sideline Missy Heidrick)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network | SIRIUS/XM 134/201 (play-by-play: Roger Hoover, analyst: Bryan Passink)

Alabama’s projected starters

Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, graduate

Stats: 17.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, 39.0% FG, 31.8% 3-pt

Labaron Philon: 6-foot-4, 177 pounds, freshman

Stats: 11.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 53.5% FG, 24.0% 3-pt

Jarin Stevenson: 6-foot-11, 215 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 4.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 38.5% FG, 24.1% 3-pt

Grant Nelson: 6-foot-11, 230 pounds, graduate

Stats: 12.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 51.2% FG, 27.6% 3-pt

Clifford Omoruyi: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, graduate

Stats: 8.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.9 apg, 71.4% FG

North Dakota’s projected starters

Eli King: 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, junior

Stats: 6.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.7 apg, 33.8% FG, 34.3% 3-pt

Mier Panoam: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 11.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 38.6% FG, 24.0% 3-pt

Treyshen Eaglestaff: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, junior

Stats: 18.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 42.4% FG, 37.1% 3-pt

Deng Mayar: 6-foot-8, 180 pounds, senior

Stats: 4.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.3 apg, 41.0% FG, 35.7% 3-pt

Amar Kulijuhov: 6-foot-8, 2225 pounds, senior

Stats: 11.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 53.4% FG

Focus for a full 40

Nate Oats knows he’ll have far more talent on the floor than his opposition on Wednesday night. The Alabama head coach even admitted as much during his Tuesday press conference. It’s hard to find a betting line for Wednesday’s matchup, but it’s safe to say the Tide is heavily favored.

While Alabama is confident about coming back from North Dakota with a win, Oats is hoping to see his team display better focus than it has at times this season. The Tide played with its food during non-conference wins against Arkansas State and McNeese State in November. Last week, it allowed Creighton to get back into the game twice before polishing off the Bluejays for an 83-75 victory. Regardless of the score Wednesday night, Oats said he wants to see his team play winning basketball for 40 minutes.

“We’ve got some guys that are really talented, want to be good, don’t quite realize the mental side of it, staying locked in on every possession to close the game,” Oats said. “We’ve got to play every possession. We can’t play the score. We’ve got to be locked in and try to get stops every possession.”

A name to know

North Dakota guard Treysen Eaglestaff leads the Summit League averaging 18.6 points per game and has recorded at least 12 points in all of his 12 starts this season. While the majority of that production has come against mid-major opposition, the 6-foot-6, 190-pound junior scored 13 points while shooting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc during a loss at Notre Dame in November.

“He’s a good shooter, can get to the rim, get to the free-throw line,” Oats said. “He’s good, and they know he’s good. They get him the ball all kinds of different ways.”

Oats said Alabama might treat Eaglestaff the way it did North Carolina guard R.J. Davis, by putting a bigger body on him. Davis scored 18 points during Alabama’s 94-79 win at North Carolina earlier this month. However, the Tide was able to hold the reigning ACC Player of the Year to 1 of 11 shooting from beyond the arc.

Game notes

— Wednesday’s matchup will feature two of the best rebounding teams in the nation. North Dakota ranks No. 8, averaging 15.08 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Alabama ranks No. 8, averaging 30.4 defensive boards.

— Nelson currently ranks fifth in the SEC averaging 8.0 rebounds per game.

— Wednesday’s game will be a drop in competition for an Alabama team that has faced eight programs that currently rank inside KenPom’s top 100. Six of those rank inside the top 50.

— Paul Sather is in his sixth season at North Dakota. With 65 victories, he is one of eight coaches in program history to reach the 60-win mark.

— North Dakota was picked to finish sixth in the Summit League while Eaglestaff and Amar Kuljuhaovic earned First Team All-Summit League recognition.

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North Dakota

Moorhead man arrested for DUI, assaulting ND State Trooper

Published

18 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Moorhead man arrested for DUI, assaulting ND State Trooper

FARGO — A Moorhead man faces multiple charges after a run in with a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Oscar Lee Jr., a 44-year-old Moorhead resident, was in a vehicle with children when a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper made contact with him in a parking lot at 2535 23rd Ave. S., in Fargo, according to a release from the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The trooper arrested Lee Jr. for driving under the influence. When Lee Jr. was placed under arrest, he “resisted” and kicked at officers, the release said. A trooper was struck several times and went to a nearby hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Oscar Lee Jr.

Cass County Jail

Lee Jr. was arrested for driving under the influence and driving under revocation, the release said. He was also arrested for felon resisting arrest, assault on a peace officer and terrorizing.

Lee Jr. is being held in Cass County Jail, according to the release. No charges have officially been filed, according to North Dakota Court Records.

Lee Jr. pleaded guilty to felony terrorizing and reckless endangerment in 2022 and two separate misdemeanor DUI incidents in 2024.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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