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North Dakota mayor resigns after sending lewd video to city attorney by mistake

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North Dakota mayor resigns after sending lewd video to city attorney by mistake


MINOT, N.D. — The mayor of one of North Dakota’s largest cities resigned after an investigation into him mistakenly sending a lewd video to the city attorney.

Minot Mayor Tom Ross resigned Tuesday, the same day an investigative report was made public that found Ross sent a video of himself masturbating to City Attorney Stefanie Stalheim in January. He sent the video minutes after the two had a telephone call discussing a police officer’s suicide.

Ross asked Stalheim to delete the video, not to watch it and to keep the incident between them, the report said. Ross told an interviewer he had recorded the video at home during a lunch break and meant to send it to his romantic partner, not to Stalheim. He had said it was “a sexy video for his girlfriend.”

The report said Stalheim struggled with whether to make a formal report. Ross was her direct supervisor, and Stalheim’s annual review was pending at the time, the report said. Her complaint asked for an apology from Ross and that he consider resigning as mayor.

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The investigator found Ross’s conduct “directly caused Stalheim’s inability to work in an environment free from unreasonable sexual harassment and created an offensive work environment.”

Ross said Wednesday he takes full responsibility and holds Stalheim “in the utmost regard and respect.” He said he had not resigned earlier “to respect the process.” He plans to focus on himself, healing and moving forward with his family, he said.

Telephone and email messages seeking comment were left for Stalheim Tuesday.

The Minot City Council on Tuesday to appoint a mayor from within the council after 15 days, which is the timeframe for citizens to petition for a special election.

Ross was elected mayor in 2022 after serving two years on the city council. Minot, about 50 miles (80kilometers) south of the Canadian border, is home to more than 47,000 people.

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The North Dakota Attorney General issued an opinion to the ND State Auditor – North Dakota Attorney General

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The North Dakota Attorney General issued an opinion to the ND State Auditor

March 4, 2026

Media Contact: Suzie Weigel, 701.328.2210

BISMARCK, ND – It is the opinion that federal law does not prevent the state from auditing P&A and even though P&A possesses confidential records, N.D.C.C. § 54-10-22.1 and 42 C.F.R. § 51.45(c) authorize the state auditor and the employees of the auditor’s office, to review the records without detriment to P &A.

Also, whether Rule 1.6 of the North Dakota Rules of Professional Conduct for licensed attorneys prohibits P&A from disclosing to the State Auditor the contents of a client file for the purpose of conducting a non-financial performance audit under N.D.C.C. ch. 54-10 when the requested file includes information about individuals and businesses in the private sector who chose to contact P &A.

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This issue was already addressed in a 1995 opinion of this office regarding P&A. The 1995 opinion highlighted that P&A has authority to contract with private attorneys to represent private individuals. 17 During that performance audit, auditors asked to see billings from the contracted attorneys. 18 P&A redacted the names of the individuals represented by the contract attorneys under the rules for attorney-client privilege or attorney-client confidentiality. 19 The names of individuals seeking services of P&A are protected under N.D.C.C. § 25-01.3. The opinion stated:

Thus, P&A’s records which indicate to whom its services were provided are available to the State Auditor for performance audit purposes. The State Auditor has
been given access by P&A to its records other than the attorney’s billings. Therefore, the State Auditor already has access to the names of the persons to whom P&A
provides services. State law requires that the State Auditor and his employees must keep such information confidential.

Here, P&A has not identified a specific record. Given that, I rely on the past opinions declaring that records made confidential by N.D.C.C. § 25-01.3-10 are available under N.D.C.C. § 54-10-22 to the State Auditor and the Auditor’s employees for audit purposes.

Link to opinion 2026-L-01

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Angler may have broken North Dakota’s perch record on Devils Lake

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Angler may have broken North Dakota’s perch record on Devils Lake


FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A Wisconsin angler may have reeled in a new North Dakota state record yellow perch on Devils Lake.

Alan Hintz of Stevens Point, Wis., caught the fish while fishing with Perch Patrol Guide Service’s Tyler Elshaug. North Dakota Game Warden Jon Peterson weighed the perch at 2.99 pounds and measured it at 16.5 inches at Woodland Resort.

The current state record perch of 2 pounds, 15 ounces was caught by Kyle Smith of Carrington, N.D., also on Devils Lake, on March 28, 1982.

The catch is still considered unofficial. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department requires a four-week waiting period to verify all details before officially recognizing a new state record.

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Alan Hintz of Stevens Point, Wis., caught the fish that has unofficially weighed at 2.99 pounds and measured it at 16.5 inches(Perch Patrol Guide Service)

Steve Dahl with Perch Patrol Guide Service confirmed the details to Valley News Live. Dahl said overall perch numbers on Devils Lake are down this year, but anglers are seeing more fish weighing over 2 pounds.

Devils Lake is one of North Dakota’s most popular ice fishing destinations, known for producing trophy-sized perch.



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The Democratic Spirit: Reflections on North Dakota History and the Declaration of Independence at 250 – America250

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The Democratic Spirit: Reflections on North Dakota History and the Declaration of Independence at 250 – America250


A state and national public forum comprising a lecture, and then a question-answer session. Kwame Anthony Appiah’s lecture commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and explore its enduring significance in American life. Appiah’s scholarship on ethics, identity, and cosmopolitanism offers a unique lens for examining democratic ideals in a diverse society. By connecting these themes to North Dakota’s historical narrative, the forum fosters civic engagement, intellectual discourse, and cultural understanding within our community.



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