North Dakota
Shaw: Properly fund ND’s small state colleges; Dockter and Mitchell should resign
There is a real problem on the campuses of North Dakota’s small state colleges and universities. Many non-academic buildings are falling apart. Buildings such as dorms and student unions.
The problem is the state will not fund non-academic buildings. The philosophy is that the small schools must raise the funds themselves. That’s not possible. The donor base is too small, and there aren’t enough students to pay for these costs with increased fees.
Funding dorms and student unions should be the state’s responsibility. These buildings are vital to all students on campus. Other facilities, such as college football practice complexes, should be paid for with private funding, because they don’t benefit all the students. In nearby states, the states that North Dakota is competing with for college students, dorms and non-academic buildings are paid for with public money.
Currently, there are college dorms across the state that need to be renovated. Other dorms are in such poor shape that they need to be replaced with new dorms. However, nothing is happening on those fronts because the colleges don’t have the money. North Dakota has the money. It’s time for the Legislature to step up and support the state’s smaller colleges and universities.
North Dakota Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, should resign. Dockter was found guilty in a Bismarck court of a conflict of interest, for voting on legislation that he financially benefited from. Those were budgets for the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office. Even without the criminal conviction, Dockter should resign for making the sweetheart deal with former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. That sleazy deal for a building project sent millions of dollars to Dockter’s companies.
Likewise, Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell, D-Woodbury, should resign
. Mitchell was charged with first-degree burglary after being found in her stepmother’s house in Detroit Lakes. I realize you are considered innocent until proven guilty, but the evidence against Mitchell is overwhelming. According to police, Mitchell entered the house through a window and was found in the basement at 4:45 a.m. wearing all-black clothing and a black hat.
Donald Trump’s whining about his gag order is getting old. That order was well-deserved because of Trump’s public comments blasting those connected to his trial. Trump’s complaints that he can’t defend himself are untrue. He can testify if he wants to. He likely won’t do it because he knows he authorized the hush-money payments.
Just wondering if Minnesota Rep. Michelle Fischbach will ever stop ducking the media and actually talk to them. It’s her job. As a member of Congress, Fischbach needs to answer questions from the news media and appear on talk shows that aren’t MAGA echo chambers. Say what you will about North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer and North Dakota Rep. Kelly Armstrong, but they rightfully make themselves accessible to the media.
InForum columnist Jim Shaw is a former WDAY TV reporter and former KVRR TV news director.
Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court
North Dakota
Kaitlyn Grace Lucier, Fargo, Chapter 7
Samuel Todd Hicks, formerly known as Thomas Samuel Hicks, Fargo, Chapter 7
Teresa and Dominik Renwick, Fargo, Chapter 13
Susan Renee Fuller, formerly known as Susan R. Schaffer, doing business as Susie’s Sparkling Cleaning Service, Fargo, Chapter 7
Shannon Lynn Taylor, Fargo, Chapter 7
Jesse Patrick and Jaime Elizabeth Brown, Williston, Chapter 7
Kerri Lee Weishaar, Minot, Chapter 7
Terry Marie Moritz, Valley City, Chapter 7
Joshua Allen Sewill, Hatton, Chapter 7
Bryan Eugene Flecker, Minot, Chapter 7
Anna Marie Rahm, formerly known as Anna Marie Tanner, and Joshua Edward Rahm, Bismarck, Chapter 13
Sherri Rae Fisher, Baldwin, Chapter 13
Heather Lynn McElroy, formerly known as Heather Anderson, Grand Forks, Chapter 7
Kaitlyn Autrey, Grand Forks, Chapter 7
Michelle Lynn Miller, Fargo, Chapter 13
Kimberly Georgeann Callahan, Fargo, Chapter 13
Erin Elaine and Jose Luiz Murphy, Bismarck, Chapter 7
Shelly and Kieth Quimby, St. Thomas, Chapter 7
Minnesota
Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.
David Howard Gilpin, Osakis, Chapter 7
Timothy Virgil Hoag, Moorhead, Chapter 7
Jason Darryl Dykhoff, Ottertail, Chapter 7
Zachary Nicholas Hodgson and Jolynn Beth Warnes, formerly known as Jolynn Beth Hodgson, Kensington, Chapter 7
Riley Matthew Hinman, Alexandria, Chapter 7
Layne Christopher Condiff, Park Rapids, Chapter 13
Thomas Beecher Hoyer, Menahga, Chapter 13
Christine Karen Jakubek, also known as Cristine Anderson, Chapter 7
Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.
Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.
Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.
Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.
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North Dakota
Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – On Friday, North Dakota U.S. Senator John Hoeven, Governor Kelly Armstrong and Health and Human Services Commissioner Pat Traynor explained how the state plans to use millions of dollars from the Big Beautiful Bill’s Rural Health Transformation Fund to transform healthcare across the state.
They spoke extensively about the special session to allocate the funds, and confirmed that it is still tentatively set for Jan. 21.
The Big Beautiful Bill allocated $25 billion for rural healthcare nationwide. North Dakota received $500 million for five years and $200 million for the first year. There is still another $25 billion left to be spent, and North Dakota is hoping to receive an extra $500 million.
“I truly believe that with the plan we’re putting in place and the things we built that line up with that, we’ll get a billion dollars over five years,” said Hoeven.
Federal rules require the state to lock in contracts for the money by October first— a deadline officials say is driving the need for a special session.
In the first year, North Dakota will focus on retention grants to keep existing staff, technical assistance and consultants for rural hospitals, as well as telehealth equipment and home patient monitoring.
Governor Armstrong says the special session will include policy bills tied to how much federal rural health funding the state can earn.
“We’re going to have a physical fitness test for physical education courses, nutrition education, continuing education requirement for physicians, physician assistant licensure compact—which North Dakota has been doing, dealing with that since the heart of the oil boom and moving forward—and then an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists,” said Armstrong.
Hundreds of millions of dollars could reshape healthcare in rural North Dakota, and state leaders say the next few weeks are key to receiving and spending that money wisely.
The governor says he only wants to focus on bills related to the Rural Health Transformation Program during the special session and doesn’t intend to deal with other state issues during that time.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
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