Category — Fargo, North Dakota

The government says unemployment rose in 30 states in January, evidence that jobs remain scarce in most regions of the country.

It might still be winter, but spring flooding has begun in South Dakota. Ice jams and heavy rain raised the level of the Bad River near Fort Pierre.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services is cutting 200 full-time positions in a program that cares for people with mental illnesses.

Cass County opened up its sandbag central today. Operations began at 8 this morning at the Chase Steel building in West Fargo. 

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty says he’d like to see the group studying permanent flood protection for the valley keep options open regarding a diversion on the North Dakota side. He believes that option brings advantages and value that a Minnesota option would not.

A trial date of August 18 is set for a man charged with killing Fargo dentist Philip Gattuso. Forty-one-year-old Michael Nakvinda faces murder, robbery, burglary and theft charges relating to the October beating death.

The Cass County bomb squad has blown up a suspicious device near South Campus 2 — the old Agassiz Junior High building. Police say it turned out to be someone’s science fair project.

A Canadian food processing and grain handling company is offering to buy Dakota Growers Pasta Co. of Carrington for about $240 million.

Here’s a heads-up for sandbaggers who are helping in Fargo this weekend — an event at the shuttle pick-up site is forcing a temporary change to the other side of the Coliseum parking lot.

Minneosta Governor Tim Pawlenty is withdrawing his threat to reject a $1 billion construction projects bill. Instead, the Republican governor says he can work with the current proposal from House-Senate negotiators.

It took 19 rounds and nearly three hours of competition before an eighth-grader from Albertville emerged as the state’s top speller.

The University of North Dakota has reached a long-term deal to train Norwegian air traffic controllers.

A fire at a Jamestown truck stop last month has been ruled a case of arson.

Rain, freezing rain and heavy snow are hitting much of the Dakotas.

An Arizona company that promised to protect consumers from identity theft has agreed to pay $12 million to settle false advertising claims.

Doctors say she is one of the smallest preemies to be released from meritcare. Three week-old Kira Martz riddle weighs in at four pounds and six ounces, now.

The impending spring flood has many of us adults on edge. The stress and concern we all have can easily rub off on kids, and many of them are already wondering about it too. One expert spoke with first graders about an upcoming flood.

Race fans are waving the checkered flag. The red river valley fair board approved a contract Tuesday with businessman Danny Schatz.

Concerns are growing tonight that the upcoming flood could hurt the next census. Fargo leaders say evacuations, coupled with trying to save homes, could hinder the number of returned forms.

The flood fight is picking up steam as the river melts and flood officials say it’s time for us to start picking amongst ourselves for neighborhood leaders.

Plans are in the works to bring in Minnesota National Guard soldiers to the Red River Valley to help fight flood waters. Both Clay County and the City of Moorhead have declared states of emergency to set in motion official flood-fighting plans.

The criminal case against Minnesota former auto magnate Denny Hecker has gotten broader in scope. A federal grand jury indicted the 57-year-old Hecker on Tuesday with eight additional counts of wire fraud and 10 counts of bankruptcy fraud.

The North Dakota National Guard says some soldiers serving in Kosovo will be coming home earlier than expected.

About 800 sites in the Traill County town of Hillsboro will be getting a broadband upgrade as part of 22 broadband infrastructure projects nationwide being funded with federal stimulus money.

The North Dakota National Guard biathlon team swept a national competition in Camp Ripley, Minn., over the weekend.

A man suspected of breaking into vehicles in south Fargo early Tuesday was caught after one of victim spotted him wearing his stolen coat.

Federal and state investigators say they’re working to unravel a sophisticated fraud ring in the Twin Cities that steals identities, raids bank and credit card accounts and defrauds businesses and banks nationwide.  It also buys stolen identities from employees of check-cashing services and Internet data brokers.

Authorities say Eric Hirchert told his parents he was going to shoot President Obama and posted a statement on his brother’s Facebook page that he was going to kill the president.

The National Weather Service says southwestern North Dakota could get up to eight inches of snow, with lesser amounts accumulating to the north and east.

A large part of Minnesota is under an air alert from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which means the amount of particles in the air could be unhealthy for sensitive groups.