Main Street

Monday, August 21, 2023 - Jeffrey Miller's new book is "Forever Towards the Sunrise: A Lifetime Lived in the Outdoors." It's a collection of more than 100 articles he's authored over the years. His work has appeared in a wide variety of magazines on topics including hunting, fishing, fur trapping and modern homesteading. He and his significant other Melanie live with their four children on the banks of the Sheyenne River near Kindred, North Dakota. ~~~ Pests that can kill many trees quickly can pose real economic dangers. Some Midwestern communities are now hedging their arboreal bets. Celia Llopis-Jepsen of the Kansas News Service reports. ~~~ In a Dakota Diners segment from the Great American Folk Show, Tom Brousseau takes us to the Pastime Club and Steakhouse in Marmarth, North Dakota. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “The Culbertson Ballads.”

Friday, August 18, 2023 - The beautiful Missouri River Heritage Mural has been installed under the I-94 bridge in Bismarck. A big unveiling event is scheduled for Monday. It’s the culmination of a project that began many months ago by the Northern Plains Heritage Foundation. Here to tell us more are Aaron Barth, the foundation’s executive director; and Emily Sakariassen, project manager. ~~~ News director Dave Thompson joins us to discuss the week’s news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” the latest in the oft-visited Dracula theme.

Thursday, August 17, 2023 - Mike Maples will be embarking on a 5-day, 1671-mile motorcycle ride through North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and back to North Dakota, traveling through 5 of the top 10 states with the highest suicide rates. The ride is in memory of Mike’s son and thousands of other Americans who have died by suicide. He joins us to discuss the “Wish You Were Here Ride.” ~~~ An episode of BirdNote takes a look at bird song, and how the tunes can vary over time. ~~~ Sue Balcom joins us for another episode of Main Street Eats. Today’s topic: insects. ~~~ An essay from the Veeder Ranch: “Rescue Mission.”

Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - Teachings of Our Elders is a special Dakota Datebook series we've been airing on Prairie Public. We visit with producers Sharla Steever and Scott Simpson. ~~~ Patty Krawec is the author of “Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future.” She visits with NPR’s Rachel Martin. ~~~ Prairie Public is partnering with Barnes & Noble for a book fair. A portion of the proceeds will help Prairie Public offer various educational services. Joining us with the details are Marie Offutt, communications manager, and Callista Martinez, community engagement coordinator. ~~~ A BirdNote feature about pigeons and their head-bobbing walk.

Tuesday, August 15, 2023 - Darley Newman, the host of "Travels with Darley," is back in North Dakota, filming in Bismarck, Carrington, and Fargo. Main Street visits with Darley during a stop at the Plains Art Museum. ~~~ Shrimping in North Dakota? Sounds crazy, but as we hear in a Harvest Public Media report, farming shrimp is happening in the Midwest. ~~~ The Buckstop Junction Hootenanny is coming up this weekend in Bismarck. The Missouri Valley Historical Society fundraiser will help support the historic town. Joining us to tell us more about the society, Buckstop Junction, and this week’s hootenanny is board member Vonnie Ereth. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Happy as a Clam.”

Monday, August 14, 2023 - Paul Phillips (pen name James Chandler) is a former US Army officer and lawyer and now is a judge of the Sixth Circuit Court in Wyoming. He also writes best-selling legal thrillers. His debut novel, Misjudged, is the first in the Sam Johnstone series; and his fifth book, The Truthful Witness, has just been released. We visit with the author about his incredible rise to the top of best-selling book lists. ~~~ Agnes Yellow Bear, Kawacatoose First Nation, is an advocate for murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. She was recently awarded a fellowship from the Bush Foundation. We visit about her work. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota about sweetgrass.

Friday, August 11, 2023 - Meet ND Native Art Mortvedt. Now living in Alaska, Art is back in the state to appear at a free presentation at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum. His topic is “Polar Flight 90: ‘The Polar Pumpkin’ Cessna 185 Flights to the South and North Poles.” As a pilot, Mortvedt has been involved with polar expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica for 25 years. ~~~ In an episode of Natural North Dakota, Chuck Lura takes us to the Maah Daah Hey Trail. ~~~ Venerable news director Dave Thompson is here for our weekly discussion of topics in the news. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Sound of Freedom.” He also reflects on the career of director William Friedkin, who passed away on Monday. Two of Friedkin’s famous films are “The Exorcist” and “The French Connection.”

Thursday, August 10, 2023 - Nick Archuletta is president of North Dakota United, the labor group that includes the state’s teachers. He joins us to discuss the state’s teacher shortage, and the emergency rules giving student teachers more responsibility. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for “Main Street Eats.” Today’s topic is Top Soil. ~~~ Just four companies dominate about 85% of the beef processing market. That means higher prices for consumers, and lower returns for the people raising the animals. In an attempt to break away from that control, ranchers and cattle feeders are organizing to build their own meat plants in the Midwest and Great Plains. Harvest Public Media’s Elizabeth Rembert reports on Sustainable Beef, one rancher-led meatpacking project in Nebraska. ~~~ We continue with some touching thoughts about life on the ranch from Jessie Veeder of Watford City. This essay is titled “Cousins.”

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 - Jack Russell Weinstein joins us to preview next Sunday’s episode of Why, Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life. His guest is David Mura, the author of “The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives.” ~~~ Minot State is implementing a new student mental health approach. We visit with Troy Roness, MSU clinical mental health counselor.

Tuesday, August 8, 2023 - People with physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs and veterans and military personnel have an opportunity to build connections and improve mindfulness by working with horses during the summer session of Bison Strides. Main Street stops by the NDSU Equine Center to visit with Doug Kliman, a participating veteran, and Erika Berg, director of the program. ~~~ Ben Holsen, the owner of Holsen Home Solar, says investing in an all-electric pickup truck aligns with his business where he installs solar panel roofs onto people’s homes. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Corbin’s Advice.”