1. Candidates, city leaders silent about police chief search; some former bosses vouch for candidates
Fargo police chief candidates and city leaders are not discussing the selection process or responding to questions about the finalists' backgrounds.
But some of the contenders’ former bosses vouched for them with good reviews, including one who oversaw a police department an Arkansas mayor said was "trying to stab people in the back."
The Fargo Police Chief Selection Committee has chosen John Franklin of Chicago, Stacy Kelly of Scottsdale, Ariz., and David Zibolski of Beloit, Wis., as three finalists who will come to town next week for a round of interviews. The candidates will participate in ride-alongs on Tuesday, Aug. 18, partake in tours on Wednesday, and go through interviews on Thursday, which are open to the public, Fargo city spokesman Ty Filley said.
In an attempt to find more information about their pasts, The Forum reached out to the candidates to discuss complaints and accomplishments at previous jobs, as well as leadership styles. All three declined to comment.
Read more from The Forum's April Baumgarten
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2. North Dakota oil production stays low as state expert predicts long road back
North Dakota's oil output stayed well below pre-pandemic levels in June as even the state's heavy-hitting producers struggled to keep drilling rigs running and workers on the job.
Companies operating in the state produced about 890,000 barrels of oil per day in June — a nearly 37% decrease from March levels, but a slight increase from May.
Oil producers enjoyed prices above $60 a barrel at the beginning of the year, but prices initially began to decline in late January as the coronavirus epidemic put a stranglehold on the world economy and demand for oil swiftly declined. Crude prices then took a further nosedive in early March when Saudi Arabia and Russia, two of the world’s largest producers, locked horns in a "price war." The West Texas Intermediate, a benchmark for American oil prices, now sits around $40 a barrel.
Read more from Forum News Service's Jeremy Turley
3. North Dakota delegation expresses support for Trump's comments on Postal Service, vote-by-mail
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North Dakota's congressional delegation defended the president Friday, Aug. 14, after he expressed opposition to emergency funding for the U.S. Postal Service, relief he linked directly to the expansion of vote-by-mail for November's election.
"Like President (Donald) Trump, I oppose the HEROES Act and Democratic efforts to hastily implement an unprecedented universal mail-in voting system which would be ripe for fraud," wrote Sen. Kevin Cramer in a statement to The Forum, referring to the Democrat's proposed $3 trillion coronavirus emergency aid package.
The statement came in response to Trump's comments to Fox News Thursday, in which he said he opposed a multi-billion dollar injection into the U.S. Postal Service aimed at expanding mail-in voting infrastructure in anticipation of an unprecedented election.
Read more from The Forum's Adam Willis
4. Fargo's retail landscape could be in for 'tumultuous' change in next few years
The retail landscape could change considerably in Fargo in the near future - particularly in the West Acres area - as a number of major retail chains weigh where they should continue to keep stores open.
Already, two longtime retailers are nearing their end here. Gordman’s is less than two weeks from ending its going-out-of-business sale and locking its doors, and Pier 1 will likely soon follow.
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A smaller outlet, Justice, a clothing store for tweens, recently closed at West Acres mall. It was one of more than 600 Justice stores that Ascena Retail Group announced would close in its July bankruptcy filing. (Other Ascena stores, Loft and Lane Bryant, remain open at West Acres.)
Other retailers are either reorganizing on their own or have turned to bankruptcy to shed debt, lease obligations or underperforming stores, in the hope that leaner operations will survive. Count Macy’s and JCPenney, both West Acres anchors, among that bunch.
Read more from The Forum's Helmut Schmidt
5. NDSU will not play fall football games
Fall football will not happen in Fargo. North Dakota State has decided against playing three nonconference games with the biggest reason being the inability to find three teams to play.
"That was the primary reason," said athletic director Matt Larsen, "the ability to build a schedule with meaningful games. It came down to the availability of games and finding people to play North Dakota State."
Larsen said NDSU, which has won eight of the past nine Division I FCS national titles, was having no coronavirus issues after having some players test postive over the summer. He said the school was meeting all NCAA guidelines.
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"That's why we felt good about moving forward to play three nonconference games," he said. "We felt good about our safety protocols. It became a scheduling problem."
He said his program "was motivated to play" and said NDSU was open to take a guarantee game with an FBS opponent at lower figure than usual. Most schools would have reduced attendance, Larsen said, so that alone would drive the cost down.