HORACE, N.D. — A 64-year-old woman was found dead after a residential fire south of Horace on Tuesday evening, Dec. 9, according to a release from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said the homeowner returned shortly before 7 p.m. and found the house filled with smoke. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Southern Valley Fire & Rescue, the West Fargo Fire Department, the North Dakota Highway Patrol and Sanford Ambulance responded.

Fire crews contained the blaze, and most of the damage appeared to be inside the structure, the release said. The woman’s name has not been released.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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FARGO — Picture the classic Hallmark Christmas movie: light snow drifts over a festively decorated town square as a big-city protagonist returns to her charming, but small hometown, and, against all odds, discovers holiday romance.

For many, the Christmas season isn’t complete without watching one — or a few — of these feel-good films. This year, North Dakotans and country music lovers have an extra reason to get festive with these films as the country singing sister duo Tigirlily Gold made their Hallmark debut in one of the network’s newest holiday releases.

The Hazen, North Dakota natives Krista and Kendra Slaubaugh appeared in “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas,” which premiered Nov. 29 on The Hallmark Channel.

The film carries the familiar warmth of a Hallmark storyline, but instead of a hometown reunion and newfound love, this plot leans into time travel — where romance plays second fiddle to family.

The 1-hour, 24-minute movie follows Gentry Wade (Nikki DeLoach), the daughter of late country music icon Jett Wade (Rob Mayes). After a tragic accident 30 years prior, Gentry abandoned her songwriting dreams and distanced herself from her father’s legacy. When the Grand Ole Opry invites her to represent Jett at their Christmas centennial celebration, she’s hesitant to return to the place steeped in bittersweet memories.

Hallmark’s

description continues: “Encouraged by her good friends, Gentry visits the Opry and, while seated in one of the vaunted venue’s oak church pews, is suddenly transported to 1995. Gentry’s lifelong friend Mac (Kristoffer Polaha), a country music talent manager, finds himself in 1995 as well. Thanks to some Christmas magic, Gentry gets precious time with her father, creative inspiration to finish the song she began decades earlier as a teen and learns surprising answers to questions about her father that have followed her for the last three decades.”

Tigirlily Gold makes a cameo in a performance scene, singing their holiday single “Mistletoe Tipsy,” a country-styled Christmas tune that blends with the movie’s heartwarming, nostalgic tone.

Following the premiere of “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas,” the sisters were recognized as members of the 2025 Opry NextStage Class, alongside Dasha, Kashus Culpepper, Chayce Beckham, Avery Anna and Kaitlin Butts, as they took the stage Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Category 10 for the fifth annual “Opry NextStage Live.”

The sister duo’s cameo can be seen throughout the holiday season on the Hallmark Channel or streamed anytime on Hallmark+.