North Dakota

Senators say money at heart of whistleblower dispute was intended for Fargo center

Published

2 years ago

January 31, 2024

Senators say money at heart of whistleblower dispute was intended for Fargo center

FARGO — Members of Congress who were instrumental in establishing the federal Rural Export Center in Fargo say a $1 million boost in federal funding for rural export efforts was meant for the Fargo center.

Comments from U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer, John Hoeven and Amy Klobuchar echo assertions made by Rural Export Center Director Heather Ranck,

who is facing an effort to remove her from her job

after she raised concerns about how the additional dollars are being spent.

Sen. Kevin Cramer.

File photo.

Asked if it was their understanding that the additional $1 million was intended to go to the Fargo operation, Cramer and Hoeven, both Republicans from North Dakota, were direct in their answers.

“Yes, That was the expectation,” Cramer said.

Hoeven said that at the time the additional money was approved, “We anticipated that the funding would go to the REC in Fargo, but the final language for the program did not limit the funding.”

A spokesperson for Klobuchar, D-Minn., said Klobuchar has been a longtime champion of rural exports and has worked productively with Ranck for a number of years.

After introducing the original bill creating the Rural Export Center, Klobuchar’s office pushed for higher funding levels for the center, Klobuchar’s spokesperson said, adding that at the time the additional funding was approved, only the Rural Export Center in Fargo existed.

The funding in question was approved in December 2022, when Congress voted to boost the annual funding for rural export support from $500,000 to $1.5 million.

Ranck provided her immediate supervisor with a proposal for how the additional money could be spent, emphasizing a dozen actions based on the impact they would have on rural exporters.

Ranck maintains, however, that senior officials in the Commerce Department, which oversees the export center, redirected the $1 million to establish seven new rural centers.

The new centers have Commerce Department employees, but according to Ranck, the centers do not have the ability to provide the type of research support that the Rural Export Center in Fargo provides U.S. companies looking to find markets for their products in other countries.

Concerned about how the additional allocated dollars were being directed, in February of 2023, Ranck notified a senior manager at the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, saying she was concerned the agency could be in trouble if it did not follow Congressional intent regarding the $1 million.

According to Ranck, shortly after she voiced those concerns, she was summoned to a virtual meeting with senior officials with the International Trade Administration, during which Ranck said Joseph Hanley, acting deputy assistant secretary for U.S. field operations and national field director for the International Trade Administration, shouted angrily at her and told her to never bypass the normal chain of command again.

In April 2023 and after the virtual meeting with Hanley, Ranck filed a whistleblower complaint with the Office of Inspector General, alleging patterns of abusive treatment, harassment, retaliation, gross mismanagement and abuse of authority.

Ranck named herself as the person who brought the complaint and she named Hanley as the source of the problems.

Ranck maintains that in June 2023, Hanley made a trip to the Rural Export Center in Fargo, claiming in advance that it was a courtesy visit to catch up on what had been happening at the office.

Instead, Ranck said, Hanley arrived at the center accompanied by an attorney and an armed security guard.

Ranck said she was told she was being placed on a 30-day paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

Ranck, who has been on administrative leave ever since, said she was not told the reasons for her leave until early October 2023, when she received a “notice of proposed removal,” along with accompanying materials.

She (Ranck) is a collaborator, a facilitator, and a leader. If anything, she’s guilty of being good at her job.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.

That same month, Ranck’s attorney, Joe Pekich, of the Pekich Law Firm PLLC, sent federal officials a written response refuting allegations made against Ranck by the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, which oversees the U.S. Commercial Service, the federal agency for which Ranck directly works.

Ranck said she is accused of three things: being too closely engaged with members of Congress; refusing to follow directives to promote newly created federal jobs in locations elsewhere in the country; and violating rules relating to how personally identifiable information involving people she supervised should be handled.

Ranck maintains there is no truth in the allegations and counters that the action to remove her is retaliation for the whistleblower complaint she filed in April 2023, a complaint that was subsequently dismissed without any negative consequences for Hanley, the official Ranck named in her complaint.

After filing a Freedom of Information Act request, Ranck said she was informed in September 2023 that the reason her complaint was dismissed was because the enabling legislation behind the $1 million in additional funding for rural export support said the money was to go toward rural export centers — plural — and not a specific export center.

After her attorney responded in writing to the notice of proposed removal she received in October, Ranck had a hearing before James Golsen, deputy director general of the International Trade Administration, the U.S. government’s primary commercial diplomacy, export and investment promotion agency.

At the time this story was published, Ranck was waiting to see how Golsen would rule on the allegations she faces.

Abuse thrives on fear and isolation. I’ve discovered how liberating truth-telling can be.

Heather Ranck, director of Fargo’s Rural Export Center

Ranck maintains that because the funding bill language for rural export support wound up using the word “centers” instead of “center,” the Office of Inspector General did not investigate any of the other claims contained in her complaint filed in April 2023, which alleged patterns of abusive management and continued attempts at sabotaging the Rural Export Center in Fargo.

When the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce was asked for comment regarding Ranck’s claims and the disciplinary action against her, a spokesman for the Department of Commerce said the ITA does not comment on personnel matters and added that the allegations in the complaint Ranck filed were investigated and found to be unsubstantiated.

Hoeven said when the North Dakota District Export Council, an organization of experienced export volunteers, notified his office that Ranck had been placed on administrative leave, he and Cramer contacted the Department of Commerce, as well as Marisa Lago, the undersecretary of commerce for the International Trade Administration, for an explanation regarding the issue.

Hoeven said the Department of Commerce would not provide any details, as it involved a personnel issue, but Hoeven said he and Cramer are continuing to work to bring Commerce Department officials to North Dakota to meet with District Export Council members intent on expressing their concerns about the issue.

“We’ve worked with Heather over many years and believe she has always been very professional and done a great job. We have made clear to Commerce that they need to treat Heather fairly and resolve this issue transparently,” Hoeven said.

Cramer went further, stating: “A good public servant is supposed to work closely with other public servants like the mayors, county commissioners, governors, departments of state, chambers of commerce, and Congressional delegations. She (Ranck) is a collaborator, a facilitator, and a leader. If anything, she’s guilty of being good at her job.”

Cramer added that one of the advantages of living in the Midwest is that people know each other and work in a collaborative manner.

“She (Ranck) would be derelict in her duties if she didn’t work with Congressional offices to help advance the agency’s mission on behalf of our workers and businesses. It’s what I would expect and what she always delivers. She’s a great public servant, and it’s a shame for her to be in this situation,” Cramer said.

In late December, Jay Schuler, current chairman of the North Dakota District Export Council, which also serves a portion of northwest Minnesota, sent a letter supporting Ranck to a number of federal officials, including Lago and Golsen.

More than two dozen individuals with connections to area companies and trade organizations endorsed the letter of support, including Thomas Shorma, former chairman of the North Dakota District Export Council and a long-standing member of the North Dakota Trade Office.

101620.B.FF.EXIM.03.jpg — Thomas Shorma, Doug Goehring, Sen. Kevin Cramer, Kimberly Reed, Sen. John Hoeven, Kirt Gallatin and John Harju participate in the EXIM Trade Finance Town Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020 at the Sanctuary Events Center in downtown Fargo. David Samson / The Forum

Shorma said many past and current members of the North Dakota District Export Council are on record as stating they will resign their positions and cut their connection with the organization if Ranck is removed from her position.

In early January, Schuler sent a letter to Michael Horowitz, inspector general of the United States, asking him to look into the matter and to put Ranck back to work as director of the Rural Export Center.

Ranck said she has received an overwhelming amount of support, including phone calls and emails, following

The Forum’s publication of a story detailing her administrative leave and the whistleblower complaint she filed

before the disciplinary action was launched.

Ranck said more than 200 people have reached out to her to express disbelief and outrage, including 40 current or past employees of the Commerce Department who told her they went through something akin to what she is experiencing.

“Abuse thrives on fear and isolation. I’ve discovered how liberating truth-telling can be,” Ranck said.

Source link

Click to comment

North Dakota

Four area players land on North Dakota Division A all-state team

Published

11 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Four area players land on North Dakota Division A all-state team

GRAND FORKS — Four area athletes were selected to the North Dakota Division A all-state girls basketball team, which was released by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association on Tuesday.

The North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association will release all-state teams later this month.

Thompson’s Addison Sage led the way as a first team all-state pick, as well as receiving the division’s Outstanding Senior Athlete honor. Her coach, Jason Brend, was the Coach of the Year.

All-state second team choices from the area are Devils Lake junior Tylie Brodina, Four Winds-Minnewaukan sophomore Suri Gourd and Thompson senior Kya Hurst.

Sage, a 5-foot-6 guard, averaged 22.3 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game. Sage has more than 1,900 career points and holds the Tommies’ all-time scoring record.

Brodina, a 5-8 guard, averaged 18.8 points and 2.6 steals per game. She shot 82 percent from the foul line and 32 percent from 3-point range.

Hurst, a 5-6 forward, averaged 16.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. She added 3.7 steals and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range. Hurst has scored more than 1,600 points and grabbed more than 840 rebounds in her career.

Gourd, a 5-8 guard, averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 4.4 steals per game. Gourd has more than 1,600 career points in her career with two more seasons to play.

Gourd led Four Winds-Minnewaukan from a 5-17 record last season to a 16-8 mark this year.

Miller has covered sports at the Grand Forks Herald since 2004 and was the state sportswriter of the year in 2019 (NSMA, NDAPSSA), 2022 (NSMA, NDAPSSA), 2024 (NDAPSSA) and 2025 (NDAPSSA).

His primary beat is UND football but also reports on a variety of UND sports and local preps.

He can be reached at (701) 780-1121, tmiller@gfherald.com or on Twitter at @tommillergf.

Source link

North Dakota

Annabelle Weber

Published

24 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Funeral Mass for Annabelle Weber, 95, of Dickinson will be 10:00 AM, Thursday, March 12, 2026 at Queen of Peace Church with Msgr. Thomas Richter celebrating. Burial will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Dickinson. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson, with Rosary and Vigil service taking place at 6:00 PM. Annabelle passed away Friday, March 6, 2026 at St. Benedict’s Health Center, Dickinson. Annabelle S. Weber was born on December 8, 1930, in Killdeer, North Dakota, to Frank and Eva (Kowis) Schmalz. She grew up in Killdeer and graduated from Killdeer High School in 1947. At the age of 17, Annabelle began working at Zimbrich’s Department Store in Killdeer. She later moved to Dickinson, where she worked at S&L in retail sales and spent many years at Kessel’s Bridal Shop. While working at the Esquire Steak House, she met Gerald Weber, the love of her life. The couple was united in marriage on November 1, 1954, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Dickinson, where they made their home and built their life together. Annabelle was a woman who loved staying busy and caring for her family and home. She enjoyed hunting and fishing, along with hobbies such as crafts, sewing, and gardening. She was well known for keeping an immaculate home and took great pride in caring for those around her. Faith was an important part of her life. She joined the Catholic Daughters in 1957 and was active in church circles, often helping with funeral dinners and parish gatherings. Annabelle’s greatest joy was her family. Annabelle is survived by her sons, Greg (Barbara) Weber of Grand Forks, Russ (Rhonda) Weber of Dickinson; daughter, Sharon (Tony) Allen of Andover, MN; nine grandchildren, Christi (Ryan), Tiffani (Tim), Shane (Kayla), Tonya (Adam), Samantha (Scott), Kevin, Tracey (Analisa), Stacie, Tyler; 15 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Eva Schmalz; husband, Gerald Weber; siblings, William (Evelyn) Schmalz, Elaine (John) Buresh, and Vernon (Dolores) Schmalz; and daughter-in-law, Coleen Weber (Krance). Remembrances and condolences can be shared at www.stevensonfuneralhome.com.

Source link

North Dakota

Faber: 5 takeaways from UND’s 70-62 Summit League tournament championship loss to North Dakota State

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Faber: 5 takeaways from UND’s 70-62 Summit League tournament championship loss to North Dakota State

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — North Dakota State proved why it was the best team in the Summit League Sunday evening at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

The Bison beat UND 70-62 in the conference tournament championship. The Fighting Hawks hung around in the second half, but couldn’t put together enough consecutive shots to retake the lead.

It was the Hawks’ first Summit League championship appearance since 2020, capping off a resurgent season for a program ravaged by the transfer portal.

Despite losing top-end talent like Treysen Eaglestaff and Mier Panoam, UND reloaded through key transfer portal additions, the emergence of redshirt freshman guard Greyson Uelmen and the return of senior guard Eli King.

The Hawks finished the 2025-26 season with an 18-17 overall record.

Here are five takeaways from the loss.

King ends collegiate career on a high note

King left it all on the court in his final three games as a Hawk.

He logged 40 minutes against NDSU. King was only off the court for two minutes against St. Thomas and four minutes against Denver.

King lived up to his billing as the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year throughout the postseason. He also averaged 15.3 points per game in the tournament.

“We were so fortunate to get him at North Dakota,” head coach Paul Sather said. “The daily example that guy brings as far as how you treat people, how you go about your work, how you show up — he’s usually the first on the floor every day. He plays the most minutes for us. … He just smiles at adversity.

“He’s a special young guy. I’m going to think of him when I’m 75 years old, thinking about all the young people you get a chance to be a part of and coach, and I’m going to see a guy that’s probably doing really well in life, and I’m going to just be so grateful I got a chance to spend some time coaching. Eli’s going to be alright.”

Here’s what an emotional King had to say after Sunday’s loss.

“The last three years have been a blast,” King said. “Built a bunch of relationships that will last forever. Coaching staff, all the players, all the great teammates I’ve had, community support from Grand Forks. It’s been awesome. The last three years, basketball-wise, I enjoyed every second of it, had a lot of ups and downs.”

College basketball teams rarely look the same from year to year. That’s just the state of the sport right now, especially at the mid-major level.

UND is going to miss its seniors.

King was the only returning starter from last year and truly seemed to be the heart and soul of the team.

Garrett Anderson averaged 10.3 points per game, and his lengthy frame was pivotal on defense. Reggie Thomas seemed to always give a boost of energy off the bench, providing scrappy defense while averaging 4.8 points per game.

That being said, there are certainly building blocks for the future. That is, if they don’t enter the transfer portal this offseason.

Uelmen, the former walk-on, averaged 18.6 points per game in a breakout season. Redshirt sophomore Zach Kraft carved out a role in the starting lineup, providing 42.5% shooting from 3-point range and improved defense.

Junior center Josh Jones became an essential piece of the starting lineup, providing physicality, defense and a frame that the Hawks just don’t have anywhere else on the roster.

Junior forward George Natsvlishvili, freshman guard Anthony Smith III and freshman forward Marley Curtis each provided the occasional pop from the bench when needed.

“You hope so, right?” Sather said when asked if this season was something to build on. “That’s the goal. Every year right now, you kind of start with a new team. Just being real — free agency starts. But we’re to the point now where you smile at it and you wish the best for young people that are trying to do things in life that are changed (compared to) what they were 10 years ago, five years ago.

“You really take a year and you start in June, when you get them all on campus, and you try to make the most out of that time. And it’s not perfect, but it’s kind of like speed dating in a way. I don’t know what that’s like, I’ve never done it, but you don’t get to have everybody for four years or three years or even two years sometimes. But the time you have with them, make the most of it. Have the joy with it and love it. And even on the hardest days, because I’m telling you, this was a team that there were some days where we had to really be on these guys. We got some young guys that got to continue to grow and get better, but they just really responded, and their example of it was awesome.”

Kraft put up his best performance in months against NDSU.

He shot 5-for-9 from the field and finished with 19 points. Only Uelmen scored more, finishing with 24.

It was Kraft’s first double-digit point total since Feb. 19. He nearly reached his previous career high of 22 points.

Kraft scored 13 points in the second half. He nailed a 3-pointer with 3 minutes, 6 seconds to go to kick off a 9-0 run for UND.

Offensive rebounds sting again

North Dakota State collected 12 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second-chance points in the win over the Hawks.

UND managed to survive against St. Thomas while giving up 14 offensive rebounds in the tournament semifinals.

This time around, it stung.

“A game like that, where you’re not making the shots that we have been or that were just right there, we can’t be giving them extra possessions like that,” Sather said.

What opposing coaches had to say about Sather and the program

Head coach David Richman had positive words for Sather and his program after the Bison’s championship win.

“Paul Sather did a terrific job this year, terrific job,” Richman said. “You’ve got a guy like Eli King, the competitive spirit, and Greyson, and the tournament that they had. So I know there’s Bison people that don’t want to hear me talk about UND, but I’m glad to talk about a guy and a program that does things the right way. And Paul Sather does a lot of great things.”

Likewise, St. Thomas head coach John Tauer voiced his respect after the Tommies’ loss in the semifinals.

“Credit to North Dakota, they played incredibly,” Tauer said. “They’ve been really good all season. Paul does a tremendous job with his team and those guys.”

Source link