Congratulations to Mrs. North Dakota International Melanie Iverson and Miss North Dakota International LeAnne Brydl! Did you know:
- Mandan High School won the first state championship in eSports? They competed against 14 schools, and went on to the Central Regional Championship in Louisiana.
- The Fargo Force hockey team collects teddy bears (they are thrown on the ice during a “Teddy Bear Toss”), and then hands them out to kids at Essentia and Sanford Children’s Hospital?
- Harvey’s Allen Sauter will be inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame for his seven decade career in flight?
- The Jamestown Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign raised over $156,000 this year – $17,000 more than projected – thanks, in part, to a $40,000 donation and a gift of two rare coins?
- “Give Kids a Smile” will be providing free dental care to kids ages 3-18 at North Dakota State College of Science on February 7? You can sign up by calling 701-671-2333.
- It was my birthday yesterday (Wednesday, January 29? 🙂
And did you know this week’s news is about an enthusiastic reader, a field full of helpers, the Story of the Week – and much more? Read on.
Elgin’s Alina Maier is working her way through every book at the Elgin Public Library. She’s at 1,200 books as of this publishing – and when she finishes, she’s going to start again. (Note: the real gem of this article is the last line.) (Grant County News)
Three Burleigh County deputies – Joe Gibbs, Joseph Walker, and Cpl. Jeremy Alm – risked their own lives to rescue a woman from the frozen Missouri River. (KFYR TV)
Congratulations to the South Heart six-graders who won the North Dakota Future City competition with an essay and what looks like an amazing diorama. The kids are off to Washington, D.C. in February to compete on a national level. (Dickinson Press)
My husband is from a small rural community, and music education when he was growing up was basically non-existent. So, Fargo’s Janna Lin, a senior at Davies High School, is bringing orchestral ensembles to rural schools with the hopes of sparking interest in music. (Dickinson Press)
Rugby’s Caroline Doucette is a watercolorist whose work will be exhibited in Boston through March 1 with the New England Watercolor Society. This article is a good look at how she became a full-time professional artist. (Pierce County Tribune)
I love how North Dakotans will always rally around someone in need. (KFYR TV)
Like the Dakota Zoo? You have the Brother’s Keepers Motorcycle Club to thank, in part. (KFYR TV)
As a person who loves the movies, I think this is a great idea: Daniel Bielinski is on a one-man mission to make North Dakota a movie-making hub. (Williston Herald)
Our four-year-old loves ice cream. A few weeks ago, I whispered, “Do you want to go and get ice cream?” to my husband, and our 4-year-old came running from the other side of the house yelling, “I want to get ice cream!” So, I’m guessing he will be pretty excited about You Betcha Ice Cream. (Grand Forks Herald)
The F5 Project helps former prisoners build new-and-improved lives. One of the people behind the organization, Lenard Wells, was recently honored with one of three Martin Luther King Jr. Human Relations Awards for his work as the F5 housing coordinator. The other two recipients are Zamzam Abid, who founded NDSU’s Somali Student Association, and the Legacy Children’s Foundation, who provides academic coaches for new Americans. (Fargo Forum)
Devils Lake’s Kyle and Karin Blanchfield are the 2019 recipients of the Honor Our Heroes Patriot Award, for helping “share the stories of our nation’s true heroes, while helping them heal in the great outdoors.” (Devils Lake Journal)
Tracy’s Sanctuary House in Bismarck has spent the last 15 years providing North Dakota Nice to out-of-town families whose loved ones are in the hospital in North Dakota with a life-threatening issue. Now, they are in need of funds. (KX Net)
When Fargo’s Vern Whitten had a heart attack, first responders brought him back to life – and so Vern took some time out to say thank you in person. (Fargo Forum)
More than 450 came out to see 60 student wrestlers raise money for the Sunrise and West River Health Services foundations. (Bowman County Pioneer)
Story of the Week: Mandan’s Jerry Zachmeier spends hours each week streaming Mandan High sporting events for family members to watch the games for free. (KX Net)
North Dakota Nice 