General News

The number of unemployment claims in North Dakota has dropped dramatically since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Job Service North Dakota Deputy Director Darren Brostrom said at one point, around 100,000 individual claims were filed for state unemployment support. And Brostrom said the two federal programs created because of the pandemic – the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Assistance Program – had another 80,000 claims.

UND has hired Robert Kraus as the new Dean of UND Aerospace.

Kraus is currently the associate dean for flight and operations at Kent State University in Ohio. He previously was with the US Air Force, and was part of the Air Force Academy in Coloradio Springs.

Kraus said he’s excited about the opportunity.

A program designed to help health care workers under stress due to the COVID 19 pandemic has just launched a new Website.

The program is called “Reach for Resilience.” In October, it established a free and confidential help line.

Dr. John Ulvin is with Sanford Health in Bismarck. He’s a psychologist. Ulvin said many of these health care workers have been working on the pandemic since March.

North Dakota drivers who want the new Real ID Driver’s License have until Oct. 1, 2021 to get it.

That deadline was moved from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Currently, we have 36 percent of North Dakota drivers and ID holders who have the Real ID," said North Dakota Department of Transportation Drivers' License Director Brad Schaffer. He said North Dakota is an "opt in" state, so it may not get 100 percent of drivers with Real ID.