Main Street

Wednesday, February 7 – Bridging the Dental Gap serves patients struggling to afford proper dental care in the Bismarck area. It’s one of the many charities participating in Giving Hearts Day. We visit with Mary Tello-Pool, president of the board of directors. ~~~ Author Tory Christie is a scientist and the author of the Curious McCarthy series for children. She’s Barb Gravel’s guest on this week’s Prairie Pulse. ~~~ There’s a new federal mandate for truckers to electronically track the number

Tuesday, February 6 – We visit with Paul Sum, UND professor and department chair in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration; and Mike Jacobs, former editor and publisher of the Grand Forks Herald, and current columnist for the Herald. They recently hosted a conversation at UND titled “What is Good Government in North Dakota. They join us to reprise that discussion. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on the Missouri River. ~~~ Dan Hendrickson of the Better

Monday, February 5 – Giving Hearts Day is this Thursday – a daylong fundraising for charities across the region. This week, we’re highlighting a few of the participating organizations. The Longspur Prairie Fund is dedicated to protecting native plants, animals, habitats, and their ecologies. We visit with founder Peter Schultz. ~~~ Sonja Jenson earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1977. She was soon working as an independent, custom programmer, which led to her work with Prairie

Friday, February 4 – Montana natives Keir Graff and James Grady have contributed to, and curated, a collection of hard-edged Western tales for “Montana Noir,” the latest in a noir series from Akashic Books. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson is here with this week’s discussion of the latest headlines. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Post” and “Phantom Thread.”

“Beer in the Climate Crosshairs” is a report by Ari LeVaux of the Food & Environment Reporting Network. It explains how the growing frequency of hot, dry weather and powerful storms is wreaking havoc on barley farmers. Both growers and brewers are facing a volatile future as researchers race to develop strains that can better withstand the new climate realities. ~~~ Chef Tim Rosendahl is here with this week’s food topic as he discusses his work in Minneapolis helping with Super Bowl food

Christina Dymock, author of "The Chocolate Lover's Cookbook” helps us kick off our Short and Sweet membership drive, which features the popular chocolate truffles from Nichole’s Fine Pastry. ~~~ From this week’s Prairie Pulse television show, host Barb Gravel visits with Brent Ekstrom, executive director of the Lewis and Clark Development Group. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay on "River Otters."

In another episode from the Cutting Ed podcast, host Tom Gerhardt visits with state senator Erin Oban, who represents District 35. She serves on the Education Committee and is chair of the Education Policy Committee. They discuss education innovation from a policy standpoint. ~~~ A report from Harvest Public Media on labor issues that may be exacerbated by immigration policies. Fran Morris has the story. ~~~ UND professor Mark Trahant comments on the importance of a native narrative in an essay

Monday, January 29 – UND recently hosted a Three Minute Thesis Competition, an event that requires students to explain their research in just three minutes – in an engaging, and accessible and compelling way. Here with some highlights and to explain the purpose of the event is Dr. Grant McGimpsey, UND vice president for research & economic development. ~~~ Harriett Skye, a pioneering Sioux woman who paved the way for Native Americans and hosted an unprecedented TV program in Bismarck, has

Friday, January 26 – The American Lung Association has released a “State of Tobacco Control” report, which looks at each state’s progress in addressing the use of tobacco. Here to discuss the situation in North Dakota is Reba Mathern-Jacobson, director of tobacco control for the Lung Association in North Dakota. ~~~ Over the winter months, farmers are talking to their bankers to find out if they’ll receive the loans they need to buy things like seeds and fertilizer. Some will hear "no," despite

Thursday, January 25 – This week’s Prairie Pulse television show is hosted by Matt Olien. Joining him is Greg Carlson, director of film studies and media activities at Concordia College, for a discussion of current trends in the movie industry and the art of movie reviewing. ~~~ Also from this week’s Prairie Pulse show, a “Lines and Notes” performance by pianist Teri Manno and poet Kevin Zepper. They combine music and poetry in this piece called “Cup of Twilight.” ~~~ A Plains Folk essay from