There’s really not much I don’t like about North Dakota.

Yeah, the weather can be annoying at times.  Mostly the wind, but other than that I personally love the 4 changes of seasons even though sometimes we miss out on one or two of them  Some years we don’t get much of a spring or in other years fall is very short and we go right into winter.

Besides the weather what’s not to like right?  Well, there are some things according to our listeners that should be “outlawed” in the state of North Dakota.

Wouldn’t be nice if you could make one law in the state of North Dakota?

I recently asked my listeners on our Facebook page, app, and on-air if they could outlaw one thing in North Dakota what would it be?  Some of the answers were of course comic genius.  Like, “STDs”, “Mothers in Laws”, “White Claw Drinkers”, “South Dakotans” and my favorite “Mondays”.  Yes, we should definitely go to a 4-day work week in this country.

Some more serious answers like “Texting and Driving”, “Vaping”, “Smoking”, and “The Enforcement of Littering Fines” were also given.

I had over 1,000 answers to my question to add up. 

Those are just some of the honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the top 15 answers to my very scientific poll that encompassed over 1,000 answers.  I’m actually starting to get pretty good at math thanks to this job.

So, without further ado, here are “The Top 15 Things We Would Like to Outlaw in North Dakota.”  Hopefully, some of these will become illegal in the future.

These Are The 15 Things North Dakotans Would Like To Outlaw

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – According to AAA, nearly 71 million people are expected to travel this week. Chances are, many of you will be if you haven’t already.

It’s all hands on deck for law enforcement in Minnesota. They’re keeping an extra eye out for impaired and distracted drivers.

“We hope when we go out, we don’t find anybody. You know, making those poor choices because we want everybody to hear the conversations here than along the roadside. Really the 4th of July holiday should be about making memories and we don’t want to involve bad crashes or anything like that,” said Sgt. Jesse Grabow with the Minnesota State Patrol.

State Patrol says over the last five years, there have been 25 traffic-related deaths on the 4th. That’s more compared to other holidays including the winter ones like Christmas and New Year’s.

”Clear, sunny days, dry roads, it’s one of those things that again, just because the road conditions are in good conditions doesn’t mean you can get laxed on your behaviors when it comes to traffic safety.”

While different states, safety is also the main goal in North Dakota.

“We have a speeding grant that’s going on right now. So we’ll definitely be enforcing speeding but as always, we definitely do whatever we can to deter DUIs and we will be enforcing DUIs whenever we can,” Sgt. Matt Ysteboe with Fargo Police tells Valley News Live.

In North Dakota, a first-offense DUI is considered a Class B misdemeanor. It can lead to a $500 fine if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is below .16. The higher the BAC, the higher the penalty. Drinking and driving can be more than a penalty to your wallet.

“Making sure that you have a designated driver. We don’t want to see anybody out there getting hurt or getting involved in with some terrible accident from drinking and driving,” added Ysteboe.

For Minnesota, punishment for one’s first DWI can vary. The Department of Public Safety says a typical penalty for a first-time offender is potential jail time and the loss of a license for a minimum of up to 30 days to a year. When factoring costs and legal fees, you could be looking at a price tag as high as $20,000.

Copyright 2024 KVLY. All rights reserved.

A person in North Dakota died after consuming recalled microdosing candies that are linked to illnesses across the country, the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday.

The death is under investigation by state agencies, the poison control center and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA published a recall on June 28 of some Prophet Premium Blends Diamond Shruumz products. The products include microdosing chocolate bars, infused cones and micro-dose and mega-dose/extreme gummies.

The products are marketed as containing a proprietary blend of mushrooms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of July 1, 48 illnesses, including 27 hospitalizations, have been reported in 24 states, according to the CDC. North Dakota is the only state where a death is being investigated, the agency said. One person has been reported getting sick, according to the CDC.

North Dakota officials are warning the public because the recalled products could still be available for sale online, in stores that sell hemp-derived products, or in smoke and vape shops, said Michelle Dethloff, director of the infectious diseases and epidemiology unit.

The products are not illegal in North Dakota but they are not licensed or regulated by the state, Dethloff said.

Retail locations in Montana, including two places in Yellowstone County, were selling the products, and they’re available online.

State officials would not provide specifics about when or where in North Dakota the death occurred or the person’s age, citing privacy reasons. The person who died is an adult, Dethloff said. The exact cause of death remains under investigation.

The cases of illness reported nationwide have been severe, Dethloff said. Symptoms reported include seizures, loss of consciousness, confusion, sleepiness, abnormal heart rates, high or low blood pressure, nausea and vomiting.

People who suspect poisoning can call the Poison Center at 800-222-1222.

This story was originally produced by the North Dakota Monitor which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. 

Darrell Ehrlick in Montana contributed to this report.