Main Street

Wednesday, December 21, 2022 - Whether it’s family time you’re after, or family time you’re looking to avoid this holiday season, movies fit the bill. We have a lively discussion about Christmas movies from the classics to the offbeat. We hear from Matt Olien, Greg Carlson, and Brittney Goodman, all members of the North Dakota Film Society.

Tuesday, December 20, 2022 - The holidays are a time when family gathers. That makes them a good time to discuss health care plans. Craig Blumenshine visits with Tracee Capron, executive director of Hospice of the Red River Valley about available services, statewide needs, and upcoming building plans for an 18-unit Hospice center. ~~~ Tom Isern shares a Plains Folk essay, “Christmas Parable from the High Line.” ~~~ When it’s cold and snowy, it can be all too easy to stay inside. Today we reair a conversation from September about One Winter Up North. It’s a kids book exploring the flora and fauna of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We revisit with illustrator John Owens that first aired in September.

Books make a great Christmas gift, so today we’re presenting an encore episode of Main Street with Gary Goodman, the author of The Last Bookseller: A Life in the Rare Book Trade. It’s a story punctuated with book obsessives, questionable decisions, and even death-defying treks in search of books.

Friday, December 16, 2022 - Bruce Gjovig, the former director of the UND Center for Innovation, joins us to discuss his new book: “The Innovators from North Dakota: The Change Agents!” ~~~ Dave Thompson joins us for this week’s news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “The Fabelmans.”

Monday, December 12, 2022 - The Jamestown Jimmies volleyball team won the NAIA national championship last week! Craig Blumenshine visits with head coach Jon Hegerle. ~~~ In an excerpt from the Prairie Pulse television show, host John Harris visits with Jan Eliassen about homelessness. She’s director of harm reduction programs for the City of Fargo.

Thursday, December 15, 2022 - The Anne Carlsen center helps North Dakotans with special needs. They have a new campus coming soon, and we get an update from Preston Nesemeier, Anne Carlsen Foundation fund manager; and Tim Eissinger, CEO. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 - Jason Patrick is the historian for the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. We’ll talk about its mission of operating the E/RQ-4B Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role as well as some history of the Grand Forks Air Base. ~~~ In the second half of our show we feature some of our most popular shorter segments, beginning with Tom Isern shares essays about the Great Plains, called “Plains Folk.” Here’s his essay, “In Plains Sight.” ~~~ Another essayist who writes about rural life is Jessie Veeder of Watford City. Today she reflects on the power of music in an essay titled ““Mr. Tanner and singing along.” ~~~ Natural North Dakota comes to us from biologist Chuck Lura. Today he covers two topics: Rodents and the Winter Solstice. ~~~ Another nature feature is BirdNote. Today we hear about winged pirates. ~~~ And let’s not forget one of our most popular features, Dakota Datebook, written by a team of writers and voiced by Merrill Piepkorn, Marie Offutt and Bill Thomas.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 - North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.3%, and yet restaurants across the state say they’re desperate for workers. Where is everyone working? We visit with Becca Cruger, director of workforce development for the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation. ~~~ The State Historical Society of North Dakota is digitizing its newspaper archives, making searchable files available to the public. We visit with Shane Molander, director of the state archives.

Friday, December 9. 2022 - Our monthly Journalists Roundtable takes a deeper dive into the latest news. Joining Ashley and news director Dave Thompson are three special guests: Jack Zaleski and Jim Shaw, both columnists for Forum Communications; and Steve Andrist, former newspaper publisher and former executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association. ~~~ Matt Olien has this week’s movie review, “EO,” a donkey with melancholy eyes who meets good and bad people on his life's path.

Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 – Jack Russell Weinstein previews this Sunday’s episode of WHY, Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life, when he’ll visit with philosophy professor Mark Reiff of the University of California at Davis in an episode titled “The Argument for Unions.” ~~~ Jessie Veeder shares an essay from the ranch as she reflects on her writings as a child. ~~~ Sue Balcom discusses flavor bases in today’s Main Street Eats conversation.