North Dakota
State, defense in Nichole Rice case dispute witness testimony ahead of trial
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KMOT) – The state and defense are disputing whether a witness in next week’s murder trial in Grand Forks should be allowed to testify over video from a prison in Montana, or must be brought to North Dakota to testify in person.
Earlier this week, Sand Law Firm filed a written request to allow Devin Hall to testify over video. Hall is currently incarcerated at a detention center on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Poplar on an unrelated matter.
In their filing, the defense said officials from the correctional facility in Poplar informed them they could no longer transport Hall to Grand Forks.
The state filed a written response, accusing the defense of acting in ‘bad faith,’ saying there was still time to arrange for Hall to be transported to North Dakota to testify in person.
In turn, the defense filed a response, saying they were continuing to ‘attempt to exhaust all possibilities’ to get Hall to North Dakota, but were encountering legal and economic issues with arranging transport of a prisoner on a tribal reservation across state lines.
The defense also asked to present oral arguments on the matter to the court.
Judge Richard Hagar has yet to rule on the matter.
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Copyright 2025 KFYR. All rights reserved.
MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) — The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to impact gas prices here at home.
We wanted to learn more about the current state of prices and why they aren’t lower due to the presence of the oil industry in our state.
On Monday, we told you gas prices are up roughly 15 cents across the peace garden state since last Monday and almost half a dollar in the past month.
The statewide average of $3.60 a gallon remains well below most of the rest of the country.
Eugene Graner of Heartland Investors said prices should eventually come back down as we approach an end to the conflict overseas.
Graner added that it’s typical for prices to increase as warmer weather approaches, as summer blends require a more expensive refining process.
“Prices currently may have peaked out and conversely see the prices decline towards summer, when we normally expect a price rise,” said Graner.
While North Dakota has drilling, pipelines and refineries, Graner added that doesn’t mean motorists in our state will necessarily see lower prices at the pump, as it still needs to be transported to refineries and then to market.
He added that Fargo can sometimes have ‘lower’ prices since they have three pipelines in the area.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
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A gold tractor was parked on the South Lawn of the White House during President Trump’s remarks on providing relief to farmers.
CASSELTON, N.D. — North Dakota will lead the nation in a U.S. Department of Agriculture push to improve farm technology and research, federal officials announced Tuesday.
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said Grand Farm, a research campus west of Fargo, will be the national program manager for USDA’s National Proving Grounds Network for AgTech. Grand Farm will also be the first proving ground in the network, focusing on weed control.
North Dakota launched Grand Farm seven years ago, integrating research capabilities from North Dakota State University at Fargo with industry partners such as tech giant Microsoft.
Hoeven said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who visited Grand Farm last year, recognized that North Dakota provided a model for ag tech research and could be the manager for the rollout.
“It’s a huge deal,” Hoeven said. “It’s Grand Farm going national.”
Hoeven announced that $11 million will launch the proving grounds, a collaboration of Grand Farm, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and NDSU.
Scott Hutchins, USDA under secretary for research, education and economics, said the first year of research will be concentrated in North Dakota and Georgia. The University of Georgia announced a partnership with Grand Farm in 2024.
He said after reviewing results from the first year, the department plans to accept proposals for research hubs in other states, eventually creating the national network.
Hutchins said profitability is a top priority. He said there has been a boom in ag technology, but farmers need help sifting through it all.
“Which one can provide the greatest return on investment?” he asked.
Hoeven said focusing on profitability is a must during rough economic times. “Right now, if you’re growing a crop, in most cases, you’re not making money,” Hoeven said.
The North Dakota Legislature invested $10 million in 2021 to help propel Grand Farm, which covers 590 acres near Casselton. Operating from tents and with portable bathrooms in its first years, the research site opened its first building in 2024. The Legislature invested an additional $7 million in 2025.
“The National Proving Grounds is the next chapter,” said Brian Carroll, chief operating officer for Grand Farm.
George Vellidis, of the University of Georgia’s Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture, said Georgia is one year into operating its 250-acre research area similar to Grand Farm.
He said the goal is to translate the research in the Upper Midwest to crops grown in the southeast. A robot that can be taught to recognize weeds in North Dakota will have to be taught a different set of weeds that grow in Georgia, for example.
Grand Farm board member Kyle Courtney, who farms near Oakes, North Dakota, said the initiative will help field test practices “under a unified umbrella to help farmers make better decisions.”
North Dakota Monitor is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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