Prairie Beat

Every parent of a kid in a North Dakota public school wants to know: who is going to replace Kirsten Baesler? This week, we found out.

Do you pay the rent or health insurance premiums? That could be the dreadful question North Dakota families will have to ask themselves if the situation in Washington isn't resolved soon.

The deadly Enderlin tornado over the summer left many in Eastern North Dakota shaken. And while video of the damage to homes looked like it might have been a stronger storm than classified, it was a train that got the storm a higher ranking.

It's almost incomprehensible to think about the school and everyday stresses faced by Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Growing up or coming of age during a global pandemic and the unprecedented time we're in are two major factors but a third has got to be navigating life online. In this week's Prairie Beat, we take a look at one school's struggle with the online exploitation of some of their students.

What happens when cell phones disappear from classrooms across North Dakota? This week on Prairie Beat, Ann Alquist joins Danielle Webster to dive into the state’s new “bell-to-bell” phone ban.

Short of heading to a tropical island, how can we unplug from the stress of the news and comments about the news we see everyday as we scroll on social media? On this week's Prairie Beat, we have some expert advice.

Public health officials worked tirelessly for years to get their arms around the opioid crisis that began in the 90s and early 2000s. Manufacturers and distributors later settled lawsuits after it was proven how addictive they were, and with those funds states were able to set up their own response programs. One way North Dakota combats overdose deaths from opioids is giving out thousands of doses of naloxone statewide every year - and it's making a big difference.

It's not a straight up David vs. Goliath story- it's more complicated than that- but a project that could be breaking ground very soon, just outside of Fargo, has unleashed strong opinions and tensions between neighboring communities. That's the focus of our news podcast this week, Prairie Beat.

Danielle Webster and Erik Deatherage take a look back at some of the earlier big stories they were following this summer, including North Dakota's distinction of once having the highest measles cases per capita in the country. And more rain than expected prevented a predicted drought, but the danger is not totally over.

The stories of the predominantly Indigenous missing children and teens in North Dakota got added attention over the weekend from a Fargo Forum lead article that spotlighted a recent sudden uptick in cases.