Connect with us

North Dakota

Port: Maybe don't spike the football on a man's grave

Published

on

Port: Maybe don't spike the football on a man's grave


MINOT — State Rep. Josh Christy

tragically passed

away earlier this legislative session. Under state law, legislative vacancies are filled by an appointment made by the local political party the departed lawmaker belonged to.

Christy was a Republican, so last week the District 27 NDGOP

Advertisement

selected T.J. Brown

to replace Christy, and one MAGA-aligned group is declaring victory.

“We are proud to announce that TJ Brown has won the special election in North Dakota’s District 27!” an email sent out by former state Rep. Brandon Prichard states. The email was sent from Citizens Alliance of North Dakota. Prichard serves as the executive director of that group.

“Representative-Elect Brown will proudly serve the remainder of the 69th Legislative Session, bringing a strong voice for liberty to Bismarck.”

“This win is a testament to the power of grassroots support and the growing demand for leaders who put principle over politics,” the email continues. “We need more champions like TJ Brown standing tall for North Dakotans, and together, we’re making that happen.”

Advertisement

There are so many things wrong with this it’s hard to know where to begin.

The gleeful tone in the email is abhorrent given that Brown’s appointment to the Legislature was made possible by the death of a man who had a wife, children and friends who are still mourning him. The email even comes off as critical of Christy, making it seem as though he wasn’t a voice for liberty in Bismarck.

Certainly Christy’s

thoughtful and pragmatic approach to serving in the Legislature,

and his willingness to reach out and work with Democrats, are things Prichard and his ilk find objectionable, even if they’re the pillars of honorable public service. But that doesn’t justify spiking the football on the man’s grave.

Advertisement

Also, this was not a special election. It was an appointment. It’s understandable why Prichard might spin this that way given his abysmal track record as an activist. He, through Citizens Alliance, organized

a brutal smear campaign

against a slate of moderate Republican incumbents in last year’s primaries and mostly lost. Of the 18 candidates Prichard’s group endorsed in competitive Republican legislative primaries,

just four advanced to the general election.

Prichard also lost his own primary campaign.

Advertisement

Citizens Alliance of North Dakota is the local chapter of a national organization. The fundraising Prichard conducted was of dubious ethical founding. He raised funds for a federal political committee called the YR Victory Fund and distributed literature to contributors making it seem as though their donations would support the North Dakota Young Republicans group. But Prichard ultimately

transferred nearly all of the contributions

to the YR Victory Fund (outside of a payment for himself) to a separate federal committee he established for Citizens Alliance.

He then used that committee to campaign against incumbent lawmakers, prompting at least one contributor to

demand her money back.

Advertisement

I should note that I don’t know much about Brown. He may well be a fine choice to serve the people of District 27, but his affiliation with Prichard’s group — in so far as he’s signed a pledge of fealty to the group and its goals — doesn’t bode well.

Rob Port is a news reporter, columnist, and podcast host for the Forum News Service with an extensive background in investigations and public records. He covers politics and government in North Dakota and the upper Midwest. Reach him at rport@forumcomm.com. Click here to subscribe to his Plain Talk podcast.





Source link

Advertisement

North Dakota

Runners will soon trek across North Dakota to bring awareness for families grieving the loss of a child – KVRR Local News

Published

on

Runners will soon trek across North Dakota to bring awareness for families grieving the loss of a child – KVRR Local News


FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — For more than 400 miles, 12 runners will trek across North Dakota to carry the stories of love, loss, and resilience from community to community.

“After having run Haven since 2017, the 10.15 Project came, and it just is so exciting because it’s really looking at pregnancy and infant loss and putting it in a new light. And really giving people the opportunity to do something that you can see and it’s meaningful,” said Jen Burgard, Founder and Executive Director of Haven.

The 10.15 Project was co-founded by Haven, an organization that supports grieving families. The relay begins on International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. And during the four days, the team hopes to bring awareness to families.

“It gives you pieces of solitude, of quiet, of reflection, and also a purpose. It gives you meaning, and I think endurance is one of the biggest pieces of this. It’s the endurance required to navigate pregnancy and infant loss is extreme. And I think this really mirrors that,” said Burgard.

Advertisement

While many of the runners come from different fields, many have also experienced a loss themselves.

“When it happened in my family, it was kind of something we were all struck by. You realize how common it is. And you know, I want to bring light to that,” said Ty Casey, Runner and Learning and Development Specialist at TrueNorth Steel.

Casey has multiple runs planned over the next few months, but with this run in particular, he hopes this will bring awareness.

“If this is one thing that can help bring light to it and help people be more open and help people to talk about it, and take some of the grief away that would be totally ideal for us just to help out a little bit,” said Casey.

The relay begins on October 15 in Medora and will end on October 18th in Fargo.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

North Dakota

Behind the Badge – Spring Fever

Published

on


Spring Fever

District Game Warden Sam Feldmann

As winter begins to fade and ice fishing begins to slow, everyone gets the itch to be outside on nice days when it’s warming and the sun is shining. People are beginning to think about their garden or outdoor projects around the house they have been pondering all winter.

While others have been thinking about open water fishing, getting the boat ready, hitting the field to look for shed antlers in a favorite spot they’ve been watching deer all winter, or slipping into the field to lure a spring gobbler into shotgun range with a new call they’ve been practicing with all winter.

Advertisement

With the excitement of warm weather and getting out to enjoy everything a spring day has to offer, I would like to remind everyone of a few things while enjoying what North Dakota has to offer.

This year is a registration year for all motorized watercrafts. This doesn’t just mean you have to renew your registration. It means that when you get the new red stickers sporting “28” on them that they must be affixed to both sides of the bow of the boat.

Another reminder is that if you are going shed hunting, there are a few things to remember. Shed antlers are legal to possess. This time of year, our officers receive lots of calls about shed hunters locating “dead heads,” which are animals that have died and the antlers are still attached to the skull plate.

If you happen to locate a dead head, you cannot possess it without contacting your local game warden and receiving a permit for the animal. Also, if you are going to shed hunt on posted private property or a Private Lands Opens To Sportsmen tract, you need to obtain permission to do so. Wildlife management areas and other state and federal lands are open to shed hunting, but a good rule of thumb is to check the regulations on public property before heading out.

Advertisement

If you are going to be chasing turkeys this spring through the timber, there are a few things that should be remembered. Make sure you have your tag with you when you are in the field. Remember that your tag is only legal for one bearded wild turkey. If you are lucky enough to harvest a turkey you fooled into coming to your calling and decoy, you must tag it before doing anything else.

One last reminder for the spring activities. Remember that all licenses, whether it’s a hunting license or fishing license, expired March 31 and needed to be renewed as of April 1, 2026

With these few reminders out of the way, remember to have fun and enjoy what the great state of North Dakota has to offer.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

North Dakota

Retired Game & Fish Director facing new charge of molesting a child – KVRR Local News

Published

on

Retired Game & Fish Director facing new charge of molesting a child – KVRR Local News


MANDAN, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – Former North Dakota Game & Fish Director Terry Steinwand has been charged with molesting a child.

The Class “A” misdemeanor was filed after a Morton County District Court judge rejected a proposed plea agreement to a felony charge and prosecutors dismissed the charge while retaining the right to file an amended charge.

Steinwand is from Mandan. The 72-year-old is now charged with one count of sexual assault-offensive contact. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

Steinwand was originally charged in September, 2025, when police say he admitted to sexual misconduct.

Advertisement

Steinwand worked for the Game & Fish Dept. for 40 years. He led the agency for about 15 years and retired in 2021.





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending