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North Dakota’s air, farms are increasingly homes for drones

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North Dakota’s air, farms are increasingly homes for drones


One of many nation’s least populous states, with about 775,000 folks, is betting on the way forward for industrial drones, autonomous farming, and cybersecurity schooling.

North Dakota is distinguished by its Badlands and flat lands, however excessive above the sky — 60,000 ft, to be precise — drones are being examined in order that they will ultimately ship high-tech medical tools and specialised medication to distant outposts of the Nineteenth-largest state in land dimension.

Serving to them to get there’s the Biden Administration’s $14.2 billion plan to carry higher-speed, lower-cost web to all corners of the U.S. through 20 suppliers together with AT&T Inc.
T,
-1.37%,
Comcast Corp.
CMCSA,
-1.99%
and Verizon Communications Inc.
VZ,
-0.94%.

North Dakota’s financial system is “off the rails, with a demand-shift urgency for cleaner fuels,” James Leiman, commissioner of the North Dakota Division of Commerce. “We would like folks to know we’re extra than simply the film, ‘Fargo’”, the 1996 black comedy crime movie that received two Academy Awards.

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North Dakota and its largest metropolis are reshaping their legacy with $40 billion in introduced initiatives, and one other $20 billion within the works. The state’s gross home product was $55.7 billion final 12 months. The wave of enormous offers are led by Cerilon Inc.’s plan to develop a serious gas-to-liquids advanced with an preliminary part estimated at $2.8 billion, and development of the $1.9 billion Atlas Energy Information Heart to be constructed by FX Options Inc.

“For endlessly, we’ve got been this nice white area up north that nobody has reached, and we’re OK with that,” says state native Steve Kemp, founding father of Wellspring Hydro who’s creating a $220 million waste-water plant in Trenton, N.D., for 2025.

Kemp and others credit score the current string of success to Republican Governor Doug Burgum, who as CEO of Nice Plains Software program, bought it to Microsoft Corp.
MSFT,
-1.66%
for $1.1 billion in 2001. Fargo stays the second-largest Microsoft campus within the U.S., with about 2,000 staff.

“The worldwide funding neighborhood and markets are demanding low carbon vitality,” Burgum mentioned lately. “North Dakota is well-positioned to be a world chief and coveted location for companies who want to broaden and reply to the numerous components which are at present shaping the way forward for vitality.”

Within the sky above, North Dakota’s air area is populated with Northrop Grumman Corp.
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+3.35%
RQ-4 GlobalHawk and Normal Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones, that are being examined for army and industrial use.

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One significantly intriguing industrial use is in rural well being care.

Thomas Swoyer Jr., president of Grand Sky, the nation’s first absolutely operational industrial UAS (unmanned aerial system) analysis and growth park, envisions the supply of extremely refined medical tools and specialised coronary heart medicines through cargo drones to distant elements of the state.

“This can be a state that’s wanting to develop past simply agriculture and vitality,” Swoyer says. “They’re life blood industries and essential, however it’s equally essential to benefit from the robust aviation ecosystem right here and for it to blossom and unfold to different operations.”

New investments within the state usually come to “those that assume 2, 3, 4 steps forward of the place the market will arrive,” Swoyer added. “The state is listening to these of us anticipating the long run.”

Autonomous autos within the air and on the bottom are essential in a sparsely populated large state like North Dakota.

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The Grand Farm Training and Analysis Initiative, specializing in analysis and growth of future instruments for farms, is speaking with makers of driverless vans, tractors and digging excavators to assist farmers maximize their crops with out onerous investments. “We like to consider ourselves because the Moneyball of agriculture,” says Grand Farm Director Brian Carroll.

On 40 acres that function a take a look at website, Grand Farm brings collectively farmers, expertise firms, universities and authorities companies to come back with the “bushy, audacious aim” of digitally reworking the manufacturing of crops and cattle, in line with Carroll. Its options are geared towards feeding extra folks, making higher predictions of risky climate, minimizing crop illness, and dealing with a current surge in ransomware aimed toward agriculture co-ops. The initiative has cast partnerships with Microsoft, Alphabet Inc.’s Google
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-2.62%

GOOG,
-2.70%,
North Dakota State College, Palo Alto Networks Inc.
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-0.92%,
and others.

Up the freeway in Fargo, Kevin Biffert’s 701x startup has helped create.startup has helped create an digital tag to trace livestock. The tag, connected to a cow’s ear, displays their actions and well being patterns through Verizon expertise. If profitable within the Midwest, Biffert plans to ramp up manufacturing and deal with the No. 1 cattle market in Brazil.

“There should not plenty of profitable entrepreneurs within the state,” Biffert says. “However as Fargo has successes, it’ll result in extra interactions between startups, industries and authorities officers.”

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One such instance of personal startup assembly schooling and authorities companies is Be Extra Colourful, an web advertising service that’s offering virtual-reality content material on jobs and faculty campuses.

The movies deal with workforce growth experiences for potential careers in petroleum engineering, welding and different vocations, says firm CEO Matt Chaussee. “There’s plenty of work on cool VR {hardware} on the market, however not plenty of content material,” he mentioned. “That’s the place we are available in.”

However Be Extra Colourful, which plans to triple its library of content material to about 70 job classes within the subsequent 12 months, solely bought its begin when Matt and his spouse, Katie, bought their home and moved into an condo with their two youngsters and canine.

Jim Higgins, co-founder and chief working officer Airtonomy Inc., one of many few software program firms within the Fargo space, can determine. The corporate, which develops software program for drone knowledge administration, has managed to lift $10.9 million regardless of no contributions from coastal enterprise capitalists.

“VCs informed me, ‘If I’ve to leap on a aircraft to go to you, neglect it,’” Higgins mentioned of the funding snub.

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Nevertheless, with greater than $60 billion in initiatives coming the state’s means, in addition to extra high-speed web entry, native entrepreneurs sense a flip in traders’ attitudes. They simply have to do a greater job of letting the remainder of the nation know, argues a state official.

“North Dakota must do a greater job of selling itself; we’re simply not good at advertising ourselves, we’re very humble,” says Shawn Riley, chief info officer for the State of North Dakota Data Expertise Division.



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North Dakota

Williston man hits off-road motorcycle in fatal crash

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Williston man hits off-road motorcycle in fatal crash


WILLISTON, N.D. — A 20-year-old Montana man was killed after a North Dakota man — who is accused of driving drunk — hit the off-road motorcycle he was driving.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, the crash happened just after 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 at the intersection of Second Avenue West and Second Street West in Williston, North Dakota.

The Poplar, Montana, man was driving a 2020 Yamaha off-road motorcycle west on Second Street when 46-year-old Maverick Stanton of Williston attempted to make a turn onto Second Avenue West. Stranton, who was driving a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500, failed to yield and struck the motorcycle, the patrol said.

The Montana man was taken to Trinity Hospital in Minot, North Dakota, where he died.

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Stranton was not injured. He was arrested for driving under the influence.

The name of the Montana man has not yet been released. The highway patrol said the roads were clear and it was sunny at the time of the crash.

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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Who is Grey Zabel? What to know about North Dakota State football lineman after Senior Bowl

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Who is Grey Zabel? What to know about North Dakota State football lineman after Senior Bowl


Grey Zabel might be the perfect player to prove the case for the Senior Bowl.

The former North Dakota State football offensive lineman has made a name for himself this week in practices and at the Senior Bowl game itself on Saturday. For his strong week at practices in Mobile, Alabama, Zabel was named the Senior Bowl Overall Practice Player of the Week in a poll by 32 NFL executives.

Zabel has worked into the conversation of being a late first-round pick following an intense week in front of NFL scouts and personnel.

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Here’s what you need to know about Zabel, including his college recruitment:

Who is Grey Zabel?

Zabel measured at 6-foot-5, 316 pounds at the Senior Bowl. He appeared in 62 games during his career with the Bison, including starting at left tackle in his final season. He has proven he can play everywhere, as he also made starts at left guard, right tackle and right guard during his career.

During the Senior Bowl, Zabel played guard and got in a drive at center, further proving his positional versatility for the next level. Zabel graduated from NDSU with a major in agribusiness and a minor in economics and precision agriculture.

Zabel earned First-Team FCS All-American this season at tackle for the Bison, but being able to show his ability to play around the offensive line and the ability he creates with his hands and feet has earned him high praise from NFL draft analysts.

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“From start-to-finish, Grey Zabel dominated the week,” ESPN analyst Field Yates wrote on social media. “He was outstanding in 1-on-1s at both guard spots and center. His hands and feet were always in sync and he finished with an edge. Leaving this week, Zabel felt like a guy who will hear his name called late in Round 1.”

Grey Zabel recruitment

  • Star rating: 0 stars
  • National ranking: No ranking
  • Positional ranking: No ranking
  • State ranking: No ranking

According to 247Sports’ Composite rankings, Zabel was unranked in the 2020 recruiting class out of T.F. Riggs High School in Pierre, South Dakota. Zabel also held offers from South Dakota and South Dakota State but committed to the Bison on July 16, 2019. He finished his high school career with 84 tackles, 25 t tackles for loss and 14 sacks.



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Former Grand Forks lawmaker Corey Mock says appointment to Governor’s Cabinet was 'totally unexpected'

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Former Grand Forks lawmaker Corey Mock says appointment to Governor’s Cabinet was 'totally unexpected'


GRAND FORKS — No one may have been more surprised than Corey Mock when new North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong asked him to join the administration as the state’s chief information officer.

Mock, who for years served Grand Forks as a lawmaker representing the Democratic Party, is one of 12 Cabinet members the incoming Republican governor announced shortly after the November election.

Armstrong’s invitation to serve “was totally unexpected,” Mock said, noting that it came after his “difficult” decision in early 2024 to not seek a fifth term in the Legislature.

The appointment apparently raised eyebrows in some strongly partisan sectors, but Mock said he has gotten nothing but favorable responses.

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“I’ve only received messages of congratulations, and that’s from Republicans, Democrats and independents alike. It’s been quite evident that everyone agrees this is a nonpartisan office — there are no Republican and Democratic computers.”

Regarding his appointment, “I never thought of the political side of it until after I’d read one of the first articles,” said Mock, who served on the state’s Information Technology Committee for 16 years in the Legislature. “To me, this has never been a partisan position.”

From his perspective, political ideology is the “last (consideration) in this role — or any role, really,” he said.

“I’m an institutionalist, and proud of it. If anything, during my time in the Legislature, I became known for being stubbornly independent and focused on solving underlying problems, versus being a champion for a specific solution.”

As head of NDIT, Mock said his top priorities will be to ensure that, as an agency, “we continue to provide exceptional service.”

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Mock, who served from 2008 to 2024 in the North Dakota Legislature — eight years representing District 42 and eight years representing District 18 — is obviously proud of the strides NDIT has made.

“We are the most connected state in terms of broadband access in the country,” he said. “It is an incredible accomplishment that’s taken decades of hard work and something that we should all be proud of.”

Among the most pressing challenges NDIT faces are issues related to cybersecurity, Mock said.

“We are one of the leaders in having a whole-of-government cybersecurity protection. You never want to need it, but when there is an incident, it’s so helpful having consolidated expertise that can step in and assist really every level of government.

“And technology is rapidly changing,” he said. “Looking at this session, we’ve got AI (artificial intelligence). … We know that there’s going to be some investments needed in AI — and waiting two years is probably not an option.”

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Former Gov. Doug Burgum earmarked $15 million in the budget for AI-related grants, said Mock, who, in addition to his legislative experience, has built a career as a Realtor and leadership consultant.

He sees NDIT’s role as “not just helping with the technical questions, but that we’re anticipating future needs,” he said, “and making sure that, as we bring new technology in and we start making some investments and improvements, that we’re doing it strategically …”

During the summer and early fall, Mock reached out to colleagues, including appropriations committee chairpersons, returning legislators and both gubernatorial candidates, offering his help with any of the larger budgets he had worked on. He took this action “recognizing that we’re going to have some turnover – if there was anything I could do to help him or his team in the transition to get brought up to speed on where the Legislature had been. …

“From my perspective, that’s how a lot of this began — just offering to be a resource to him and his transition team as they were heading into the legislative session,” Mock said.

In a conversation in mid-November, Armstrong asked about Mock’s plans after his term ended “and quickly pivoted to, ‘I want you to run IT for me,’” Mock recalled. “It was totally unexpected — a true, I’d say, stunning response. It kind of set me back on my heels a bit, not even thinking that was even in the cards.”

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After mulling it over for a few days, “I called him back and said, ‘I don’t have a compelling reason to say no. I serve at the pleasure of the governor; if you want me to join your team, I would be honored.’”

The appointment “speaks so highly of Kelly Armstrong wanting to build the right team,” Mock said. “Kelly puts his trust in his team (and) wants to put the right people in the job and let them do their job.”

“I think it’s heartening to see an elected official on a party ballot, so someone who represents a major political party, to look past the labels and to put people on his team that he knows and trusts regardless of their own political affiliation,” he said.

The origin of North Dakota Information Technology can be traced to 1969, he said, when it – as Central Processing — was part of the Office of Management and Budget, Mock said. In 1999, as the result of an interim legislative study, it became a separate agency — and, with that, a chief information office position was created.

Mock, the state’s ninth chief information officer since 1999, said he expects to be “out in the public and working with our team members and our agency clients as frequently as possible. I think that’s going to help us better understand what we can do to help improve state government and make sure that we’re using our resources efficiently and effectively.”

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He intends to gain a first-hand understanding of how the workflow operates, he said.

As for the possibility of moving his family to Bismarck — the Mocks have three young children — that is something the couple will consider after the legislative session ends in the spring, he said.

He and his wife will make the decision, Mock said, based on “what makes the most sense for them — and for us.”





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