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It was early May in 1960 that the northernmost stretch of I-29 was dedicated. It was the first US Interstate to connect to an international border. But even though the stretch was dedicated, it still wasn't ready. It would take seventeen more years for the highway to be completed.

It was December 1916, just about the end of a leap year, in the rural Cavalier County community of Mt. Carmel. A local wag decided to offer some free advice to single ladies of the community who might wish to exercise the waning prerogative of the leap year and latch onto a likely bachelor.

Monday, May 9, 2022 - Imagine raising 10 kids during the depression. Martin and Asta Odnes did that in Van Hook, ND, after emigrating from Norway. Granddaughter Barb Solberg of Minot traces the family’s agonizing decision to send three children back to Norway, in hopes of a better life, only to have World War Two break out. She tells the story in What We Leave Behind. ~~~ With the passing of winter, horticulturist Ron Smith is here to help us get ready for spring.

According to the Bismarck Historical Society, on this date in 1912 there was something lacking in the city of Bismarck — a public library. The public could borrow from the state library at the Capitol, but the lack of a public library still marked Bismarck as less than modern.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 - A Dusty Echo is a true North Dakota story. It won the 1976 North Dakota Bicentennial Playwriting Contest, and it’s written by Bismarck native Ev Miller. It focuses on a struggling family farm during the Dust Bowl. Alicia Hegland-Thorpe visits with director Amanda Perry and cast member Patrick Engelhart. A Dusty Echo opens tomorrow at Dakota Stage in Bismarck. ~~~ In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, John Harris visits with Marshall Johnson, the National Audubon Society’s chief conservation officer, who’s based here in North Dakota. ~~~ Speaking of birds, the country is in the midst of one of the worst bird flu outbreaks in years. Millions of wild birds and poultry have died. William Brangham has more in this story from the PBS NewsHour. ~~~ Future Business Leaders of America is an organization devoted to inspiring and preparing students to become community and business minded leaders. And it sponsors competition between its chapters. Teacher Wendy Grote is about to retire, and she’s doing so after leading her students of the Divide County High School FBLA chapter to 21 state championships!

North Dakotans have sometimes found themselves in the thick of historical disasters. In 1915, early in World War One, a German U-boat torpedoed the SS Lusitania off the Irish coast. The ocean liner sank within 20 minutes. Over 60% of the passengers died.

Go outdoors around sunrise this time of year, and you are likely to hear birds seemingly singing from everywhere. It is as if they were all trying to tell us something, which they are. It is mostly the males telling us that they are staking their claim to a territory and that they are looking for a mate.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022 - It’s the first day of our spring member drive. The Moth is coming to North Dakota with a mainstage event in Fargo in December. We visit with executive producer Sarah Austin Jenness. ~~~ The Sacred Pipe Resource Center in Bismarck presents a traveling statue to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in North Dakota. Dr. Cheryl Kary of the Sacred Pipe Resource Center in Bismarck sits with co-host Alicia Hegland-Thorpe to discuss National Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Day and the unique way Sacred Pipe is creating awareness and raising money for families and search teams.

Thursday, June 30, 2022 - The regional director of the US Department of Health and Human Services has been visiting state and tribal leaders in North Dakota this week, with the goals of discussing health and behavioral issues as well as addressing the impacts of the workforce shortage in North Dakota. She joins us to discuss what she learned. She encourages your questions and comments at lily.griego@hhs.gov ~~~ And Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats. She has the best tips and tricks when shopping at Farmers Markets.

Frost Fire is a hidden gem in northeast North Dakota. There are buses leaving from Grand Forks and Fargo during the ski season to take skiers anxious to hit the slopes without the drive. They’re also raising money on Giving Hearts Day to address some infrastructure needs and future expansion plans. We visit with Frost Fire’s Patty Gorder