Articles by Dave Kolpack

U.S. Fines Company $35M Over North Dakota Drilling Wastewater Spill

An oil company that waited more than five months to investigate and report a 2014 pipeline spill in North Dakota that discharged more than 29 million gallons of drilling wastewater has agreed to pay more than $35 million in civil …

Positive Tests Mount After Virus Outbreak at North Dakota Wind Turbine Plant

A coronavirus outbreak at a northeastern North Dakota wind turbine plant has ballooned to 110 cases in early testing and one city official said he expects a “prolonged battle” to control the spread. An uptick in cases at the LM …

North Dakota Officials Promoting Flood Insurance in Red River Valley

Officials in North Dakota say it’s time for property owners in flood-prone areas of the Red River Valley to think about buying flood insurance. The push comes as early signs suggest a heightened risk of flooding this spring. The Red …

‘All Are Safe and Sound’ After Tornado Hits South Dakota Hospital

When the warning sounded shortly before midnight that a tornado could be approaching, the clock turned into a stopwatch for staff members working the night shift at a behavioral health center at a Sioux Falls hospital. “We had 10 minutes …

Critics Say North Dakota Dioceses Too Slow in Naming Problem Priests

North Dakota’s Roman Catholic dioceses are mulling whether and when to release information about priests accused of sexual abuse, even as critics say they are moving too slowly following explosive revelations in Pennsylvania last year. The Bismarck Diocese, the state’s …

Icy Blast in Midwest Recalls 2014 ‘Polar Vortex;’ Worst to Come

An arctic blast spread painful cold across the Midwest on Friday, closing schools, opening warming centers and even intimidating ice fishermen in a taste of the even more dangerous weather expected next week. Forecasters called it a replay of the …

Univ. of North Dakota Sued for Discrimination by Former Women’s Hockey Players

Eleven former University of North Dakota women’s hockey players have filed a discrimination lawsuit seeking to reinstate the program that was cut 15 months ago. The federal complaint filed against the North Dakota University System alleges that the university violated …

Defective Axle Blamed Fiery 2013 Derailment in North Dakota

A defective axle broke and caused a 2013 train derailment that led to a series of explosions just a quarter-mile outside a small North Dakota town, the National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday. A BNSF train carrying soybeans derailed and …

North Dakota Voters to Decide on Medical Marijuana

North Dakota voters will decide next month whether to legalize marijuana for medical use, by siding with opponents who say sciences is on their side or with supporters like a desperate grandmother who illegally purchased the drug to help her …

20-Foot Drone Being Tested in North Dakota for Post-Disaster Use

A 20-foot-long drone that was brought to North Dakota to test precision agriculture methods is now part of a trial run to see if can help crews restore power to areas hit by natural disasters. The Israeli-manufactured Elbit Systems Hermes …