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New North Dakota Republican group aims to push back against far-right faction • Nebraska Examiner

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New North Dakota Republican group aims to push back against far-right faction • Nebraska Examiner


A new North Dakota Republican group has formed to push back against a perceived ultraconservative influence in state politics.

Former NDGOP Chair Perrie Schafer has formed the LegeNDary Fund, which he described in a letter to potential donors as supporting “center-right” Republicans. Schafer wrote that it will become increasingly difficult to win elections statewide and nationally if candidates, elected officials and leaders keep trying to “burn the house down.”

The purpose of the group, he said, is to ensure that North Dakota doesn’t become like other Republican-led states, such as Arizona and Georgia, where, even with legislative majorities, they lose statewide offices and national elections to Democrats.

“What we see happening is when the ultraconservatives take over a state, they take over the state party, but they lose elections,” Schafer told the North Dakota Monitor.

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As a result, a majority of the Republican Party became less engaged and started feeling they were not being represented, he said.

“All we’re trying to do is suggest that people from the center of the party get more engaged,” Schafer said.

Schafer was voted out as chair of the NDGOP in 2023 after serving a two-year term and replaced by current chair Sandi Sanford, who won by one vote.

“Some people are going to try to blow it out of proportion saying, ‘this is Perrie Schafer against Sandi Sanford,’’’ Schafer said. “No. It has nothing to do with that.”

He also added, “This is not an anti-NDGOP thing at all.”

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Schafer registered the LegeNDary political action committee and LegeNDary multicandidate committee with the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office.

A political action committee, or PAC, can spend funds on the same things as a political party, said Lee Ann Oliver, election specialist for the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office.

Sanford said she doesn’t see the LegeNDary political action committee as a threat to the NDGOP.

“That’s fair game,” Sanford said. “There’s different factions on both sides of the aisle that have PACs, that’s fair game in politics.”

However, she added she sees the group as settling more on the center-left than the center-right.

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“I’m a middle-right conservative,” she said. “And there’s possibly an ocean between me and the far, far-right.”

Sanford said she’s been trying to unify the party over the last year and the LegeNDary group may have the opposite effect.

She also said it’s unclear what the outcomes of the new LegeNDary group are going to be, but she considered the timing of the group’s launch to be “poor” because of the upcoming party presidential caucuses on Monday and looming statewide NDGOP Convention in April.

“It is an indication that they are supporting the bypass of the NDGOP endorsement,” Sanford said. “And for a former chair to say that he supports the NDGOP, I don’t see that in this effort at this time.”

Schafer served as the Republican National Committee’s Midwest Regional Chair from 2021 to 2022, which represented Republican interests for 14 states. He also served the RNC on the nine-member National Resolution Committee.

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Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, who along with his fellow District 30 Republican incumbents skipped their district endorsing convention to proceed directly to the June 11 statewide primary, said he considers himself a centrist-conservative and sees the new group as a reaction to the increase in far-right candidates, lawmakers and local and state party officials. He added the perceived differences between factions within the party may steer donor dollars to these upstart organizations.

“I think in the past … a lot of this money probably would’ve gone to the party,” Nathe said. “But now, these monies are ending up in these various PACs to support candidates that they want.”

Schafer said LegeNDary is not affiliated with a multicandidate committee registered by Rep. Brandon Prichard, R-Bismarck, under the same name.

This article first appeared in the North Dakota Monitor, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

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Fire burns at Pallet Green Recycling storage yard in rural Williston

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Fire burns at Pallet Green Recycling storage yard in rural Williston


WILLISTON, N.D. (KFYR) – UPDATE (5/10/2026 at 11:45 p.m.): A fire broke out at a Williston recycling business Sunday evening, and no one was injured.

Multiple crews responded to Pallet Green Recycling just before 8:30 p.m., according to the Williston Fire Department. Crews arrived at the scene where they fought heavy smoke and flames.

Industrial storage containers were on scene, and officials say it is unclear what, if any, chemical residue was inside them. Officials believe there is no danger to the public.

Williston Fire Chief Corey Johnson said the fire was contained to the business’s exterior storage yard, and crews were not concerned about it spreading beyond the property.

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“Right now, the structures are protected in the area. We’re not concerned about the fire spreading off of the lot,” Johnson said.

Multiple departments from across Williams County responded, and extra water trucks were brought in due to the fire’s remote location.

The cause remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Your News Leader will provide updates as more information becomes available.

ORIGINAL STORY (5/10/2026 at 9:39 p.m.): Crews responded to a large fire at a storage yard in rural Williston on Sunday night.

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The fire is located at Pallet Green Recycling, according to the business owner.

Sylvia Luebke captured video of the scene from a distance around 8 p.m. The fire sent a large plume of smoke over the area. Luebke said it was still burning as of around 9 p.m.

Williston Rural Fire is working to battle the fire. The department was unable to comment at this time.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.

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ND Guard officer in charge of DC special mission

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ND Guard officer in charge of DC special mission


Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.

WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.

The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.

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“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.

As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.

“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”

Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”

According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.

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“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.

According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.

“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”



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Stampede stay alive with 2-1 OT win in Fargo

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Stampede stay alive with 2-1 OT win in Fargo


FARGO, N.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede staved off elimination with a 2-1 overtime win over the Fargo Force in game four of the USHL Western Conference Finals Saturday night.

Thomas Zocco scored the game-winner 12 minutes into the extra period. Arseni Marchenko put Fargo on the board first in the first period. Noah Mannausau tied the game for the Herd in the second period.

Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 53-49, including 9-5 in overtime. Linards Feldbergs made 48 saves.

Three of the four games of the series have gone to overtime. The winner-take-all game five is Tuesday at the Premier Center.

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