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Cavalier County

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Single Copy Volume 135

Republican

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In this issue:

Copyright © Langdon, North Dakota

All news and advertising for the Nov. 29 paper MUST be in before 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23 Read the latest from the Cavalier County Commissioners and Langdon Area School Board on Page 3.

Index

OPINION CHURCH COMMUNITY SPORTS PROF DIR AG PN CLASSIFIED

PAGE 4 PAGE 6 PAGE 7 PAGE 8-10 PAGE 11 PAGE 12 PAGE 13-14 PAGE 15

Monday, November 22, 2021

Number 47

HND presents Adler and Wehner: Critical issues facing our democracy By Linda Timian Republican Writer

Early Deadline Notice

Official Newspaper of Cavalier County Published since 1889

Humanities North Dakota held a virtual discussion and debate about Critical Issues Facing our Democracy with Dr. David Adler and Peter Wehner on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. Adler is the president of the Alturas Institute and writes the “We the People” column that appears on the Opinion page. Wehner is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a lifelong Republican and contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and the Atlantic magazine and has served in three Republican administrations. All opinions expressed are their own. Dr. Larry Skogen, president emeritus at Bismarck State College, moderated the debate. Skogen began with the primary question, “What is the critical issue facing our democracy?” Adler singled out voter suppression as the major threat to our democracy. The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. Some 20 legislatures over the past nine months or so have initiated or otherwise enacted laws that will make it extremely difficult for many Americans to vote. Wehner felt it was the assault on truth. Without truth, a free society doesn’t really exist. We all interpret data based on the presuppositions we hold; that is nothing new. What is new is the effort to murder the idea of truth. The chief perpetrator, though not the only one, has been Donald Trump, who was and continues to be a great

threat to American society. The assault on truth manifests itself in different ways. One example is the effort to overthrow the election, the so-called “stop the steal” campaign. People believe something that is a lie, that the 2020 election was stolen. This is shaking American democracy at its foundations. Adler agreed and said the great problem posed to our country is the loss of agreement on facts and the continuing attack on reason and truth. He also agreed that the principal provocateur is likely Trump. Politicians from the federal, state, and local levels will continue to embrace this tactic of denying reason and truth due to Trump’s success at doing so. Adler fears for the future of our democracy when we cannot agree on what constitutes a fact, when we cannot agree that we need to pursue the truth. Skogen prompted further, how did we get here, how did this happen? Wehner said it is a complicated question and likely several things have happened. There has been an enormous loss of trust in authority figures and in our political system. An example of this is not deferring to leading epidemiologists in a health crisis. Social media is a driving factor, and it’s hard to overstate the import of social media getting people incensed, angry, and in a state of perpetual frustration. Wehner sees populism in both parties but particularly the Republican party. The founding fathers and Lincoln were very wary about the dangers of populism, which could lead to a kind

of mob mentality. There used to be conservative Democrats and liberal Republicans which helped bridge the political divide, but people have begun to go into political tribes and show animosity and outright hatred toward people in the other party, thinking those people want to destroy the country. Adler said democracy does not function well if we look at people with whom we disagree as the enemy. He pointed out that the assault on expertise, the denial of facts, and the attack on truth and reason reflect Trump’s assault on freedom of the press. In the past, it was generally agreed upon that we could get facts and accurate reporting from the nation’s leading newspapers and that provided a foundation for us to discuss public events and public policy. The attack on freedom of the press, viewing it as Trump said, “the enemy of the people,” has taken us to a very dark place in this country. Wehner’s parents used to watch ABC, NBC, and CBS and the story selection was virtually the same. Later, as a conservative, he felt story selection had a liberal slant. If a person is liberal, you probably would not have noticed it. If you were more conservative, you would have sensed the different perspective. When Fox was founded in 1995, that version of Fox News was helpful. They gave a responsible, balanced view from a more conservative perspective. However, Wehner feels that Fox has jumped the rails and is probably one of the most dangerous

institutions in American life. He feels Tucker Carlson perpetrates many of the things that he is talking about. Skogen said that reminded him of the saying, “Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but not to their facts.” When we watched Walter Cronkite, we knew we were getting the facts, but with Eric Sevareid, we knew he was giving his opinion. Adler said one thing that would help provide some clarity to the public is for networks and other cable stations to present reporters as reporters, and pundits as pundits. When you blur the line, it becomes difficult for the public to know whether they are hearing a news report or the political slant of a reporter. Skogen went on to discuss the lack of political center, that everybody seems to be out on the ends of the spectrum. Were there any comparisons from the 1850s to what we’re seeing going on right now? Wehner and Adler disagreed on the underlying cause of the political unrest. While Adler feels the public policy issues are fueling the social and cultural unrest, Wehner felt it was basically the reverse, that the social and cultural unrest is fueling the divisiveness of the issues. Wehner said the 1850s is an example a lot of people come up with. Right now, a majority of Trump supporters and a minority of Biden supporters want to succeed from the union. The nation is in a very acrimonious and perilous cont. on page 2

JDA to offer grants for ND Career Builders Staples opens Screamin’ Beans there as well as many hot and By Linda Timian Republican Writer

The Langdon City Commission recently approved $25,000 to be appropriated to the Cavalier County Job Development Authority (CCJDA) in order to provide grants to Cavalier County businesses to help with matching funds for the North Dakota Career Builders Scholarship and Loan Repayment Program. “Workforce is such an issue everywhere,” said CCJDA Director Shannon Duerr. “Langdon is not alone; it’s throughout the whole state. A lot of our employers are having difficulties finding people.” The ND Career Builders Scholarship and Loan Repayment program is a tool for businesses to recruit and retain talent in high-need and emerging occupations in the state. It is a state-business partnership that provides $1 of state funds for each $1 of private sector matching funds, up to a total of $17,000 per recipient. Many students are being offered student loan repayment when they’re looking for jobs. Putting this kind of program in place will help businesses in Cavalier

County be more competitive. “This is where JDA ‘s new program will come in,” said Duerr. “If the business is approved by the North Dakota University System and they have an employee selected, CCJDA will provide 50% of the business's match or 80% of non-profit's match.”

This means a business would only need to invest $4250 over a 3-year period for a student or employee to receive the maximum $17,000 in loan repayment. The investment for a nonprofit would be $1700. In return, the student would sign an agreement to live and work in the Cavalier County region and remain employed with the business for 3 years. The job position must be located in Cavalier County, and the occupation must be on the emerging and high demand occupation list developed by the state to be eligible for the funding. The categories on the list are education,

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engineering & architecture, financial, healthcare, information technology, management, professional/other, sales, skilled trade, social services, and transportation. “There are several that would fit Cavalier County,” said Duerr. “There’s a lot of medical positions, so our hospital would benefit. There’s a lot of teaching type positions so the school will benefit. There’s also a lot of the trades for people looking for mechanics, farm technicians, things like that.” The program is capped at $25,000 for the first year but may be revisited at a later date. It will be on a first come, first served basis. Each application is subject to approval by the CCJDA Board and is contingent upon being approved for the NDUS Career Builders Program. Businesses must apply through the state and the NDUS, so if you are interested, contact Duerr at the CCJDA office in the courthouse. Companies who participate will offer full-time employment with competitive wages once the qualifying applicant is hired cont. on page 3

By Linda Timian Republican Writer

Mallorie Staples opened Screamin’ Beans Coffee Shop at 402 10th Street in downtown Walhalla on November 4, 2021. Staples got the idea to start a business in early March this year, thinking it would be a good way to get out of the house, meet new

cold favorites such as mochas, cappuccinos, lattes, teas, chai latte, Matcha latte, cold brew iced drinks, frappes, Italian sodas, and hot chocolate. A staple on her menu will be her breakfast sandwiches. Several options are egg, bacon, peppers, and onions; ham, cheese, and egg; egg white, spinach and tomatoes;

Wanda Carlock from Nature’s Best, on the left, welcomes Mallorie Staples to the Walhalla business community. people, and still bring her kids to work with her. She operates the shop solo, and November has been busy. “I am a family-friendly place to come,” said Staples. “For moms that home school and need a break, I have a large playroom. Everyone is welcome.” You will find regular coffee

and the Meat Daddy that has everything on it. There will also be baked goods like muffins, banana breads, and chocolate oatmeal bars to name a few. “I do offer birthday parties, because winter parties are hard to plan for kids,” said Staples. “I’ll have a spa theme, cont. on page 3

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