Main Street

Thursday, July 14, 2022 - If you missed the Everly Brothers Experience when they came to North Dakota earlier this year, there are other chances coming up as the Zmed brothers’ show comes to Pelican Rapids in Minnesota and Billings in Montana. Dylan & Zachary join us to discuss the art, and the challenge, of creating a tribute show worthy of the Everly Brothers, one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ~~~ There aren’t any definite numbers about how many farmers belong to the LGBTQ community in the U-S. But many are making a point to be visible in their rural communities. Catherine Wheeler has this report for Harvest Public Media. ~~~ Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats, talking today about hoeing the garden.

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 - Meet Connie Nelson, author of “Cavalier – The Story of an Unsolved Murder in a Small Town.” Connie says: “The last time I saw my friend Jack we were in the hospital lobby. He was wearing faded green scrubs and a lab jacket. He went through the door to the second floor. I never saw him again.” ~~~ Fifth generation farmer Jessica Hawkes is seeking non-profit status for her family farm in New Rockford. With the help of friends Ryan Keel and Anna Burger she has converted her family farm, Hawkes Homestead, into an animal sanctuary. Hawkes Homestead is now a permanent and temporary home to a host of various animals, including runaway pigs, a spitting llama, and a mail-stealing donkey.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 - Small towns are known for people stepping up and helping out. Sometimes it’s for a health crisis, sometimes it’s new jerseys for the local team. A group of friends from Velva, about 20 miles southeast of Minot, wanted to take the spirit of giving to the realm of charitable gaming. They started the Aggie Foundation. We visit with board president Terry Peterson. ~~~ The agriculture industry accounts for ten percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. And yet, polls show that most conventional farmers in the Midwest don’t believe humans are the cause of climate change. Harvest Public Media’s Dana Cronin reports on a program that finds some common ground. ~~~ Tom Isern has a Plains Folk essay titled “Cattle King’s Prayer.” ~~~ The pandemic hit gig musicians pretty hard. Some help came from American Rescue Plan money. Special contributor Brandi Malarkey introduces us to Jerry and Friends, a trio of accordion players who used the funds to pivot to Facebook live.

Monday, July 11, 2022 - Joseph Allen is the co-author of “Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity.” Healthy buildings have significance on many fronts, including pandemics. Allen visits with Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter, the co-hosts of “Conversations on Health Care” about new efforts to elevate the quality of indoor spaces in an overall health strategy. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay titled “Cottonwoods.” ~~~ US cities are designed for cars. That can make it difficult for people who walk or bike. The Anne Street Bridge connects north and south Minot, but it's no longer accessible to pedestrians. Ashley Thornberg visits with Josh Wolsky, a walkability advocate, about an effort to increase accessibility in Minot.

Friday, July 8, 2022 - Jack Russell Weinstein is here to preview this Sunday’s Why radio show as he visits with Firoze Manji in an episode titled “What does it Mean to be ‘African’?” ~~~ Dave Thompson is here with this week’s news chat. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Elvis.”

Thursday, July 7, 2022 - “Grilling season is in full swing, and that means It’s busy for butchers. Melissa Evans runs She Said Butcher Shop in Moorhead. She talks with Ashley Thornberg about her 14 to 16 hour days. ~~~ Horticulturist Ron Smith is here for another lawn and garden update. Among his topics this week: lilacs and their care, wise watering, bug woes and more. ~~~ Some listeners may be familiar with the Sons of Norway fraternal organization. Well, its Fargo lodge is home to a regular non-Norwegian musical event. Prairie Public intern Nick Rommel not only has a report, he joined in! ~~~ Sue Balcom is here with Main Street Eats. Today’s topic is garlic.

Wednesday, July 6, 2022 - For 70 years, the town of Ellendale was home to a distinctive school established in 1889 as the State Industrial and Manual Training School. It attracted a talented faculty and graduated hundreds of fond alumni. It offered short courses in a variety of practical fields -- dressmaking, music teaching, carpentry, bookkeeping, farm mechanics and more. We visit with historian Connie Goddard, who has written a history of this interesting school. ~~~ Tom Isern has this week’s Plains Folk essay, “Sowers Prayer.” ~~~ “Artists on Main Street” is a project recently undertaken by the town of Bowman. It’s an effort at economic development with the help of a handful of artists. Special contributor Brandi Malarkey visits with a number of folks who pitched in to make it happen. ~~~ Chuck Lura shares a Natural North Dakota essay about the July supermoon.

Tuesday, July 5, 2022 - Staci Lola Drouillard is a descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Anishinaabe, and she writes about that heritage. She joins us today to discuss her latest book published by the University of Minnesota Press, “Seven Aunts.” The stories of Staci Drouillard’s relatives reveal the heart and soul of the times they lived as they made a place in the world for the next generation. ~~~ Blue prints hidden behind a false wall. This sounds like a movie plot, it actually happened in Hillsboro at the Plummer House, which is now the Traill County Museum. It was a goldmine for the preservationists who restored the building to its original glory with Italian tile, glass from New Orleans, and indoor plumbing, a rarity in the 1800s. Special Contributor Brandi Malarkey goes on a tour with Curator LeAnn Beck.

Friday, July 1, 2022 - For our monthly Journalists Roundtable, news director Dave Thompson visits with Cecile Wehrman editor for Journal Publishing in Crosby; and Mike Jacobs, columnist and former publisher of the Grand Forks Herald. ~~~ Matt Olien reviews “Lamb,” a folk horror film.

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 [email protected] ~~~ And Sue Balcom is here for Main Street Eats. She has the best tips and tricks when shopping at Farmers Markets.