Tuesday , 19 March 2024

Author Archives: Heidi Marttila-Losure

Local businesses count on holiday shoppers

By Heidi Marttila-Losure, Dakotafire Media Reporting by Doug Card, The Britton Journal; Bill Krickac, Clark County Courier; and Jessica Giard   Pushing crowds. General chaos. That’s the national image of Black Friday (and, with the change in store’s door-opening hours, Black Thanksgiving Evening). Area small-town retailers would like shoppers to consider another option: Skip the crowds, and stay home for ... Read More »

FiredUp: Wearing many hats is the country way

Just when I think the urban-rural divide isn’t as wide as it once was—the UPS truck can deliver Amazon packages to skyscrapers or machine sheds, and we all have way too many channels on TV—I see something that points out we’re still not always understanding one another. So, in the interest of bridge-building, here’s a little translation. Jim Romanesko, a ... Read More »

FiredUp: Beauty is part of the structure of building to last

North Central Farmers Elevator

“If you consider only utility, the things you build will soon be useless. This building is boarded up because nobody has a use for it. Nobody has a use for it because nobody wants to be in it. And nobody wants to be in it because the thing is so damned ugly.” —Roger Scruton, speaking before a graffitied abandoned building ... Read More »

Mediation services give farmers options

Paul Shubeck has been a mediator in South Dakota for 25 years. Photo by Greg Latza

By Lana Bandoim   What happens when farm family members can’t agree about what to do with a family business or an inheritance? Both North and South Dakota offer mediation services than can help two parties resolve their issues. Mediation is a negotiation that is conducted by a neutral third party. Jodi Bechard, director of Mediation and Ag Finance Counseling ... Read More »

STUDY: South Dakota on low end of participation in farm-to-school programs; North Dakota near national average

(NPN) – Though one of the most agriculture-dependent states in the nation, South Dakota is among a group of states that have the lowest percentage of schools participating in farm-to-school activities, according a new USDA report. Twenty-four percent of South Dakota school districts that reported to the USDA said they had some sort of farm-to-school activity. Only six schools or ... Read More »

Knowledge about Common Core not so common

As Common Core standards started going into effect in Dakota classrooms this fall, state education leaders probably expected to spend some time explaining what the standards are. But Ryan Townsend, director of academic standards for the N.D. Department of Public Instruction, said he’s spent a lot of time lately explaining what the standards are not. “A lot of it is based on misinformation, unfortunately,” he said. Read More »

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