Dustin Monke

Study shows Bakken natural gas flare satellite images aren't accurate

Satellite images that circulated the Internet more than two years ago purported to show natural gas flares lighting up the Bakken Oil Patch as bright as a major metropolitan city were “highly processed,” “manipulated” and “inaccurate,” researchers at the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center said Wednesday.

Chris Zygarlicke, the EERC’s deputy associate director for research, said he took an interest in the images because the science involved aligns closely with his background. He said having driven through western North Dakota and the Oil Patch, he believed the images were inaccurately portraying the area.

“There’s no way that we’re lighting up the land like you see people talking about everywhere,” he said.

Continue reading “Study shows Bakken natural gas flare satellite images aren't accurate”

One year down, forever to go

A year ago today, I got married.

The first year, it is said, can either be the easiest or the hardest. Like anyone else, Sarah and I have our ups and downs. We have our good and bad days. But, we’re better together because of all of it.

Together, we’re still learning what makes a healthy marriage.

Because we lived together for about two years before we were married, we were already well aware of each other’s habits, ticks and boiling points. We each know when the other needs time alone — even if I still don’t always take the hint — and we know when one of us needs a lift either physically or emotionally.

Despite our busy lives — she’ll say I’m the only real busy one — we still make it a point to eat supper together every night, spend time together on Saturday mornings and go to church as often as we can on Sundays. We try and do this regardless of whether or not some days don’t go as planned.

Continue reading “One year down, forever to go”

Sen. Kelly Armstrong of Dickinson elected chair of ND Republican Party

BISMARCK — The newest chairman of North Dakota’s Republican Party is from Dickinson.

Sen. Kelly Armstrong was unanimously elected by the party Saturday afternoon during a statewide GOP committee meeting at the Doublewood Inn.

Armstrong will serve a two-year term as he chairs the GOP’s executive committee. The position primarily takes the lead for Republican messaging and candidate recruitment in the state.

“I think I can bring some things to the table that help the Republican Party experience success in the future,” Armstrong said.

Former GOP Chairman Robert Harms announced to party officials Friday morning that he would not seek re-election to a second term.

Continue reading “Sen. Kelly Armstrong of Dickinson elected chair of ND Republican Party”

Artistic concentration: Fargo artist begins painting downtown mural

Fargo artist Paul Ide began painting a mural that will grace the west wall of the old Dickinson Press building on Saturday afternoon in downtown Dickinson.

Building owner Eric Smallwood said he found Ide after searching for the best mural artist in North Dakota.

He wanted to add color to downtown Dickinson and to get rid of the drab gray brick wall that he said needed to be repainted anyway.

For more photos, visit The Press website.

A generation stuck in transition

I was born in 1984. It was the year in which George Orwell set his classic dystopian novel of the same name. In reality, Big Brother didn’t come around until a few years later. (That’s another column for another time.)

Instead, the world got the “Ghostbusters,” George Michael and four more years of Ronald Reagan. Oh, and let’s not forget me and millions of other newborns.

Today, a little more than three decades later, the children of the early ’80s are an interesting bunch. Some of us are well into raising the next generation of Americans — the so-called “Boomlets” — while others are still raising hell.

In North Dakota, our age group — at least on the surface — is doing well. We are fortunate to be in an area where jobs are plentiful and pay well. Many of our peers throughout the country can’t say the same.

However, there’s one thing we should all be able to agree on: we are a generation without a classification.

Continue reading “A generation stuck in transition”