North Dakota
Port: Commerce Department didn't turn over email relevant to film grant controversy
MINOT — After the debacle over former Attorney General
Wayne Stenehjem’s
deleted emails, North Dakotans might be excused if they are feeling something less than confident in the willingness of our state’s leaders to be transparent and forthcoming with public information.
Unfortunately, the state Department of Commerce just gave us another justification for our cynicism.
At issue is a controversy over film grants. The Commerce Department contends that it held a competitive process for a $600,000 film grant that
went to a Bismarck-based company called Canticle Productions.
Dozens of North Dakota filmmakers, some of whom bid for that grant, argue it was not a fair process, that the grant was always intended for Canticle and that the Commerce Department’s competitive process was a sham.
Based on the facts in evidence, the filmmakers have the better case.
The legislative record
makes it clear that at least some lawmakers wanted to steer the grant to Canticle. Additionally, the competitive process around the grant
was
abbreviated,
beginning late on a Friday and encompassing just six business days.
A report
recently issued by Auditor Josh Gallion found that this timeline was far shorter than what the Commerce Department was allowed for other similar grants from the recent past.
Now the filmmakers have more evidence coming in the form of an email that should have been included in the response to a previous open records request.
Bismarck-based businessman Matt Fern, who has been
organizing the response to this situation
on behalf of the filmmakers, had a sit-down with personnel from Gov. Doug Burgum’s administration recently. During that conversation, the officials made reference to an email sent from Daniel Bielinski, the president of Canticle Productions, to Commerce Commissioner Josh Teigen. Fern noticed that he had never received this email in response to his records request.
After the meeting, in an Aug. 22, email, Sara Otte Coleman, director of tourism and marketing for the Commerce Department, acknowledged that this email should have been turned over. She provided Fern with the copied and pasted text from the email exchange, and the contents are remarkable.
In it, Bielinski references the legislation from the 2023 session appropriating the funds for the grant, and offers the presumption that the funds are intended for his company.
“My name is Daniel Bielinski. I am the president of Canticle Productions, to whom a $600K grant was award in a bill from this past legislative session,” he wrote to Teigen in the May 26, 2023, email. “I was wondering if we might connect for a couple minutes regarding some logistics for the payout (which I know doesn’t happen until the new fiscal year). Would you have time for a quick call next week?”
“I don’t believe the legislation stated a recipient, which would require us to follow state procurement laws and post for a competitive RFP process,” Teigen responded, directing Bielinski to work with Coleman, whom he copied on his reply.
In passing Bielinski’s email along to Fern, Coleman wrote that it “didn’t come up on previous searches, as it originated from a different email address and slightly different name. We apologize and have improved our internal process to include boarder and separate search terms for public information requests going forward.”
This is a bombshell.
Let’s consider the timeline.
On May 18, 2023, Gov. Doug Burgum signed House Bill 1018, which was the Commerce Department budget and included the appropriation for the $600,000 grant Bielinski was emailing about.
On May 26, 2023, Bielinski emails Teigen, asking, essentially, how he goes about getting his company’s money. Teigen responds the same day, saying that there will have to be a competitive process for the grant, and that Bielinski should work with Coleman.
On July 21, 2023, a Friday, the Commerce Department makes a late afternoon announcement that it is accepting bids on the grant.
On July 31, 2023, just 10 calendar days, and only six business days, after announcing the availability of the grant, the Commerce Departments
stops accepting bids.
On Aug. 3, 2023, Commerce Department officials scored the bids and awarded the entire grant to Bielinski’s company.
Again, the filmmakers contend that certain lawmakers and Burgum administration officials steered the grant toward Canticle Productions, and that the competitive bidding process was just an exercise in going through the motions. The Commerce Department maintains that the bidding process was fair and open.
At the very least, there is a serious appearance of impropriety here. The legislative record indicates that the grant was to be steered toward Canticle. That company’s president certainly felt that the grant money belonged to him. The Commerce Department held what can fairly be called a perfunctory bidding process for the grant, ultimately awarding it to Canticle.
Can the filmmakers, particularly those who took the time to prepare proposals for the grant, be blamed for feeling like they got the short end of the stick? And now, further undermining our trust in this process, Commerce officials just happen to find an email that bolsters the argument that this process was unfair, but only after it was incidentally referenced in a meeting with the filmmakers?
That stinks, and it’s well past time for Gov. Doug Burgum and legislative leaders to admit it.
North Dakota
North Dakota Seeks to Recover $778K Surety Bond for Grain Sellers in Hansen-Mueller Case
The surety bond amount would be used to pay farmers and grain sellers who were not paid for grain sold to the company under standard contracts.
The state’s indemnity fund that is owned and operated by the North Dakota State Treasury, is available to reimburse someone who sold grain to a licensee under a credit-sale contract who was not fully compensated under such a contract.
Assessments to the state’s indemnity fund stop when the fund hits $6 million and restart if it drops below $3 million. According to the state, indemnity fund coverage is limited to 80% of a farmer’s unpaid credit-sale contract, up to a maximum payout of $280,000 per insolvency.
North Dakota is the second state to file such a motion, following the Nebraska Public Service Commission.
Also, this week, the Nebraska PSC asked the bankruptcy court for an extension of the Dec. 29, 2025, deadline to notify creditors of its plan to pay farmers in the state using funds from a $1 million surety bond.
Because of the Christmas holiday, the Nebraska PSC said it will be unable to meet the deadline and asked for an extension to Jan. 5, 2026.
Under the Nebraska Grain Dealer Act, dealers are required to post surety bonds to obtain licenses. If payment terms are violated by the company, the Nebraska Public Service Commission can forfeit the bond and distribute it to valid claimants.
Read more on DTN:
“Nebraska to Use $1M Hansen-Mueller Bond,” https://www.dtnpf.com/….
Todd Neeley can be reached at todd.neeley@dtn.com
Follow him on social platform X @DTNeeley
(c) Copyright 2025 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
A true story of sacrifice: North Dakota film ‘Hazel’s Heart’ begins streaming on major platforms
FARGO – People around the country can now watch a movie based on a heroic North Dakota teenager.
“Hazel’s Heart” was filmed and directed in North Dakota and follows the story of 16-year old Hazel Miner, who sacrificed her life to save her two siblings during a brutal March 1920 blizzard near Center, N.D., in Oliver County.
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North Dakota
Wintering Well Series Back For Another Season At McKenzie Co. Heritage Park & North Dakota Oil Museum
For those who are looking for community interaction, interested in learning an old-fashioned skill, or just simply looking for a way to offset those winter blues, join McKenzie County Heritage Park & North Dakota Oil Museum, 904 2nd Ave. SW, Watford City, for another season of Wintering Well: Slow Down & Savor. Classes begin Jan. 2, 2026, and will continue the first Friday of each month through the winter, 5-7 p.m. CT..
The holiday season is a time where many remember and honor past traditions, though it can also be a time where the usual business of life gets ramped up. In this modern word, we are heavily inundated with outside pressures that tell us to “keep busy and work harder”. Technology can be a constant pull, drawing us away from quiet connection.
But, for many of the people who settled and lived in this region before us, life, the holidays and winter in general carried a different feeling altogether. The winter season was often a time that was looked forward to and folks seemed more willing to go along with nature rather than struggling against it. Winter is a time of rest and renewal. A time for life to slow, and strength and energy to be gathered for spring, summer and fall. With the cold winter outside their doors, people were content to sit by the fire, catch up with friends and family, and engage in pastimes that were both fun and functional.
These Hygge style Wintering Well evenings offer an opportunity to slow down and savor this time of year. Bring a crocheting, knitting or embroidery project or start a new one. Even if you have no experience with these skills, bring a crochet hook and some yarn and other participants can help you get started. In addition to learning new skills and practicing existing ones, there is good conversation to share, new relationships to foster and snacks will be served.
These classes are intended for adults, but tweens who want to learn are welcome to come along with their parents. There is no charge to join, but donations are always welcome.
Take a step back from technology and busy schedules to reconnect with the old-fashioned life at these cozy, creative sessions, and Winter Well this season.
For more information, visit McKenzie County Heritage Park & North Dakota Oil Museum’s Facebook page or call them at 701-842-6434.
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