North Dakota
State commission to mediate dispute between teachers union and school board in Mapleton
MAPLETON, N.D. — A state mediation team will hear a dispute over teacher contracts between the teachers union and school board for the Mapleton Public School District.
The North Dakota Education Fact Finding Commission will hold a public hearing at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, at the elementary school at 300 First St. in Mapleton, which is located halfway between West Fargo and Casselton.
Students, teachers, school employees and interested citizens are invited to attend and speak.
Mapleton Education Association President Jennifer Helland said the teachers union and school board are at an impasse over teacher salaries for the 2025-2027 contract.
“As required by Century Code, the fact-finding commission is then notified and they step in to assist us to hopefully come to the last, best proposals that we can agree on,” she said.
The school board is proposing a district-wide salary freeze due to financial difficulties, while the teachers union maintains a 3% cost-of-living increase is required under the teacher contract.
Helland said the teacher contract has a “maintenance of standards” clause that guarantees such an increase each negotiating cycle, as a way of attracting and retaining teachers.
“When the board came to us with a freeze, not only was their last offer regressive in terms of their offerings, it doesn’t uphold that maintenance of standards,” Helland said.
Josh Radcliffe, president of the Mapleton School Board, said everything in the contract, including that clause, is up for negotiation if one party brings it to the table.
“You can’t decide something today and expect it to hold true for the rest of forever,” he said.
The Mapleton Public School offers kindergarten through sixth grade, with students in upper grades attending school in either Casselton or West Fargo.
When the current building was constructed and opened in 2017, there were approximately 90 students; now, enrollment has jumped to about 240 students, Radcliffe said.
The district’s financial difficulties date back seven or eight years, he said, to mistakes made by a then-business manager.
While payroll taxes were taken out of employee checks, they were not paid to the state of North Dakota or to the Internal Revenue Service, Radcliffe said, and it’s taken years to climb out of the hole.
“We’re not in a good financial situation. Not extremely bad, but it’s not where we feel comfortable,” Radcliffe said.
The proposed pay freeze applies to all staff, including teachers, the superintendent, business manager, cooks, secretaries, paraprofessionals, bus drivers and janitors. The board also decided not to take pay for at least the next year, Radcliffe said.
Staff cuts were considered but met with opposition. The board has also discussed cutting its preschool program or sixth grade from the school, he said, because the district doesn’t have the funds.
Helland hopes members of the community will come to the hearing Tuesday.
“Having them come to support us as educators and their children in classrooms, and knowing that if things come to pass, where changes are made and class sizes grow … we want their voices to be heard,” she said.
WASHINGTON — The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services has been recognized for its wildfire prevention efforts with a national Bronze Smokey Bear Award.
“These awardees demonstrate what fire prevention looks like in action,” said U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief Sarah Fisher. “Their efforts protect lives, support firefighters and make a real difference in communities across the country.”
May is Wildfire Awareness Month, and with North Dakota experiencing another active spring wildfire season, each fire prevented is one that local responders don’t have to put out, underscoring the importance of each individual’s responsibility to work and recreate safely outdoors. The award to the N.D. Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) recognizes its efforts in communicating just that.
The communications team is led by Strategic Communications Chief Alison Vetter and is supported by Autonomous Systems and Communications Specialist Clint Fleckenstein.
According to information from the Forest Service, the team’s creative products are visually appealing, engaging and effective. The “Learn Before You Burn” tagline urges North Dakotans to visit the interactive N.D. Fire Declarations and Burn Restrictions map to learn their local restrictions, fire danger and red flag warnings before burning or recreating outdoors. Vetter and Fleckenstein consistently take initiative to address fire prevention issues proactively and go above and beyond to become the best possible storytellers of wildfire prevention messaging.
Alison Vetter
Their statewide efforts identify unique and effective avenues to communicate these important public safety topics, addressing top human-caused fire causes like open burning and equipment use through reels, interviews, Gas Station TV, visits with local students, and GoodHealthTV kiosks found in local health units, schools and other public buildings.
During the historic October 2024 wildfires, NDDES mobilized the Joint Information Center, responding to the elevated need for education, prevention and response to determine messaging needs in real time. This included topics like publicizing daily fire danger, sharing resources for affected landowners, advocating for defensible space and safety tips, and messaging ways to minimize fire risk when harvesting, hunting, or enjoying the outdoors. Alison and her team worked over the winter of 2024-2025 to identify prevention efforts and causes, and crafted effective communications strategies to reduce wildfire occurrence, which proved necessary into an active spring 2025 fire season as well. After the devastation of the October 2024 wildfires, they created a documentary to highlight the value and appreciation for those who responded to the call and showcase the unique way North Dakota communities show up for one another in crisis.
The 2026 Smokey Bear Awards will be presented at the National Association of State Foresters’ annual meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, in September.
North Dakota
Armstrong directs flags at half-staff Thursday in observance of Peace Officers Memorial Day
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong has directed all government agencies to fly the United States and North Dakota flags at half-staff on Thursday, May 14, and encourages North Dakotans to do the same at their homes and businesses, in observance of national Peace Officers Memorial Day.
The governor’s directive is in accordance with a proclamation issued by President Donald Trump, who also proclaimed May 10-16 as national Police Week.
Armstrong will join North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley and Supreme Court Chief Justice Lisa Fair McEvers in delivering remarks during a North Dakota Peace Officers Memorial Service at 7 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Hall of the State Capitol. North Dakota’s 69 fallen peace officers will be remembered and honored during the service, and the Capitol windows will be lit to display a “Thin Blue Line” as a mark of respect for all law enforcement officers, past and present.
MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – Todd Cresap, who has served as a North Dakota district judge since 2009, announced he will retire in July.
Cresap wrote a letter to Gov. Kelly Armstrong, R-ND, he would retire effective July 17.
In the letter, Cresap said he had ‘mixed emotions’ over the decision, calling it an ‘honor’ to serve, but said it was time for someone ‘with a new perspective’ to serve.
A Valley City native, Cresap studied at Minot State University and the University of North Dakota.
Then-Gov. John Hoeven appointed Cresap to fill a judgeship in the Northwest Judicial District in 2009 that was created by the legislature. He served in that district until 2014, when it was split into Northwest and North Central.
Voters elected Cresap to the bench in 2012, 2016, and 2022. He served as a lawyer in private practice before his appointment as judge.
Armstrong can appoint a replacement to fill Cresap’s remaining term from a nominating committee’s list, ask the committee for new candidates, or call a special election.
The North Central District covers Ward, Mountrail, and Burke Counties.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
-
New York20 minutes agoFlag With Swastika and Star of David Flown on N.Y.U. Building, Police Say
-
Los Angeles, Ca26 minutes agoEarly morning Montebello fire leaves resident critically injured
-
Detroit, MI50 minutes agoWhat big announcement at DPSCD Hall of Fame Gala could mean for Detroit students
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoCasting shade on shadows: S.F. supervisor seeks to bar using shadows to block new housing
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoDallas Approves $180,500 for New Botham Jean Boulevard Street Signs
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoMiami residents sue over land for Trump presidential library
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoBoston has a secret society built on opium money in ‘The Society’
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoDenver weather: Nearing record highs again