We were supposed to head to our lake cabin this past weekend and open it up.

It’s a four-hour drive to my lake oasis in northeast South Dakota, so it’s a significant hop, skip, and a jump.  You definitely have to allow yourself enough time each weekend to make the drive worth it, especially with the price of gas these days.

We took off early Saturday morning with the boat hitched up to my truck when just before the McKenzie exit on I-94 we heard a loud pop sound coming from the back of my truck.  Just then, my steering veered to the side, and I knew I had a blowout.

After getting my tire changed with the spare, and finding someplace open on a Saturday to fix the blown tire, I knew our time at the lake wasn’t going to happen at this point.  It wouldn’t be worth it with the time wasted on changing our flat and fixing the tire.

So while we were waiting for my blown tire to get fixed in Mandan, I asked the Mrs. if she wanted to get something to eat.  She told me about a place in Mandan on Main that a lot of her co-workers had talked about before.  “A waffle restaurant”.

I’m like, waffles?  Count me in.  By far my favorite of the three breakfast dishes we put syrup on.  Pancakes get soggy (not to mention the syrup runs everywhere). French toast is a step up from pancakes.  However, the “creme de la creme” of breakfast foods in my world is definitely waffles.  And, not the frozen food kind of waffles, the thick waffles that hold your syrup perfectly in a reservoir of flavor goodness.

The waffle house in Mandan that has people coming from all over the country to visit is Copper Dog Cafe on Main Street.

They had a line out the door this past Saturday morning, and now I understand why.  The atmosphere reminds me of a cafe in a big city like Minneapolis.  It’s so quaint.  They specialize in waffles and coffee.

Copper Dog’s waffles are one-of-a-kind, custom-made with only the best of wheat and flour from right here in North Dakota.

You can tell the Copper Dog is very proud of its North Dakota roots. They’re local and not afraid to tell you.  As a lifelong resident of the state, I appreciate this, and I want to frequent this business because of it (besides the delicious waffles).

I ordered a waffle with cinnamon, caramel, bananas, whipped cream, and walnuts.  Yes, it was to die for.  Here’s a picture of it.

The service at the Copper Dog was excellent (despite being very crowded), and I was very impressed with their staff.  Everybody was so friendly, including the customers.  Probably, because everybody was so happy just to be there.

Do yourself and your family a favor.  Treat yourself to the Copper Dog in Mandan.  I can’t believe I waited so long to do so.

For an hour or so, I actually forgot all about my travel woes.  Thank you, Copper Dog.

Signed,

A new loyal customer.

Rick Rider

The 11 Best Gooey Caramel Rolls You Will Find In North Dakota

When a person L-O-V-E-S their job, vacation can be interminable and excruciating.

The very first thought that popped into my head — after buying the plane tickets — was North Dakota’s May sports calendar (which features the glidepaths of track & field, baseball, softball and all the rest for prep student/athletes trying to finish strong) combined with a genuine need for a vacation, along with seeing Mom for Mother’s Day. But THE WORK is important because while my existence in North Dakota only is 15-months-old, those young people have been working hard for years and I owe it to them.

So, The Dickinson Press has allowed me to write from the road and it took a bit of weight offa my shoulders. Having a conscience also can be an encouragement and I know how important y’all’s kids are to you … that matters.

So, since May 5, Florida-Man has returned home and dwelt in his old-stomping-grounds and my southern neighbors, friends and family have been oh-so accommodating (see: photo-gallery contained within) to meet me for cocktails, invite me onto the boat and just relax to shoot-the-breeze. Yes, I’m only a week-in, but the plans are to maximize the next few days before returning to Dickinson.

It still am happy to do the job while I’m on vacation because I love doing it with all my heart … and one of the reasons I’m grateful to Forum for allowing me to write from home is because the stories still need to be told, and the job simply HAS to get done because the games always will go on for the young people we cover in community journalism. I always was sold from the start on community journalism because there is only one place you can read about a game between Richardton-Taylor and Beach (or: Insert area high school teams here _________) so I know how important it is to you.

Nonetheless, my birthday always coincides with Mother’s Day and so I decided to go home for the first time in a few years. The first thing I noticed was that while we in ND have I-94, the East Coast of Florida has I-95, and that’s a striking difference. I brag on my adopted hometown in Dickinson for having very-little traffic, and I’d forgotten just how bad it is down here. It’s misery-inducing.

Don’t get me wrong, the weather is great … but it’s still incredibly hot. And yet, there’s a pool outside to take the edge off and if you’re fishing out on the boat in the Atlantic the water is just over the side (likewise at the beach). Hanging out at the bar for a couple of cocktails with the locals also means one shall sweat a little, but there are awnings, water-mister-fans and air conditioning inside if the humidity starts to create problems. You get used to it.

Connecting the dots of seeing friends also can be complicated, because while I’m on “vacation” they still have jobs to do from Monday through Friday and I don’t like making demands on my buddies. But it’s been relatively easy to catch up with people because I know their habits. Truth-be-told, it’s still quite obvious that life hasn’t changed here much, and there’s less of it to miss each day.

In the meantime, my life has altered dramatically. Frankly, I’m grateful for those changes, because — while it’s awesome to get back down to Jensen — every day in my new home is different. Not one is precisely the same, and while there are similarities each 24 hours is unduplicatable and not one week is anything like the other. I’ve known for quite awhile that I live a charmed-life, and it takes a few days’-worth of time to step away and remind me just how charming it is.

Yeah … I’ve been asked how I could move away from “paradise” to Dickinson — countless times — and I always say roughly the same thing: It was time for a change and I love being a sportswriter. Because I’m somewhat selfish, I managed to work it out and be able to do all that while seeing my Mom and get a few stories in for y’all during the trip.

I’m about halfway in and it’s been fun, and I’ve sent some of y’all snapshots of what I’m been doing … but here are some more just so you know what’s happening down here:

Yes, Florida-Man is back in his element; but I sort of miss the elements up-home and definitely will be happy to get back to the 701 area code (side-note: When somebody asks me for my phone number at a restaurant or to get back in touch with me for something, they say, “Where’s that?” When I tell them “North Dakota” they invariably start doing that ridiculous imitation of the lady in “FARGO” … do they do that to y’all when you’re traveling?!? because it’s annoying).

In any event, I will see y’all in a couple of weeks and be home just-in-time for all the postseason North Dakota prep sports you can handle. See-you-soon.

Gaylon is a sportswriter who originally is from Jensen Beach, Fla. (and, currently writing from there) and his column generally appears on Mondays. He can be reached at

gparker@thedickinsonpress.com

and/or 701-456-1213.

Gaylon is a sportswriter from Jensen Beach, Fla., but has lived all over the world. Growing up with an athletic background gave him a love of sports that led to a journalism career in such places as Enid, Okla., Alamogordo, N.M., Pascagoula, Miss. and Viera, Fla. since 1998. His main passion is small-town community sports, particularly baseball and soccer.

WILLISTON, N.D. — A 27-year-old Williston woman missing since February is most likely dead.

The Williston Police Department posted an update to Breeanna Ward’s case on its Facebook page around 6 p.m. Sunday, May 12.

The police said around 1:45 p.m. Sunday, they responded to the 400 block of 11th Avenue West for a report of an unresponsive person who was believed dead.

When police arrived, they said they found a dead woman who matched Ward’s description.

Williston Police said they are still waiting on a positive identification.

However, on the Find Breeanna Ward Facebook page, those who manage the page said Ward is dead and include pictures that say “rest in peace” and “1996 to 2024.”

“With heavy hearts on this Mother’s Day, we announce Breeanna’s passing,” reads a posting on the Facebook page. “Authorities are investigating. We have no further info at this time. Kindly refrain from rumors and speculation. The best way to help the family is to share memories and/or condolences.”

Ward was last seen on Feb. 25, according to her family and friends.

A week later her sister told WDAY that Ward had a rough past with legal troubles, substance abuse and bad people.

If you have any information on the case, police ask that you call them at (701) 577-1212.

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.