Lady Cards take first place in District 8 Tournament - Pg. B2
The official newspaper of Cavalier County Theborderlandpress.com
In this issue:
Friday, November 7, 2025
Volume 4, Number 44
Association of Counties chooses new leadership Cavalier County represented with county commissioner elected 1st Vice President Sheriff, was elected President Kim Jacobson, Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone Director, was elected 2nd Vice President Becky Hagel, Foster County Commissioner, was elected 3rd Vice President Trudy Ruland, Mountrail County Commissioner, became Past President
News: Catch up on Northern Lights Arts Council news, Pg. A2
Cavalier County Commissioner Nick Moser was elected 1st Vice President of the board of the North Dakota Association of Counties.
Agriculture: NDSU Extension to host Getting It Right crop production webinars, Pg. A3
Bismarck, ND - The ND Association of Counties (NDACo) elected new leadership to its Board of Directors last week at the Annual Conference in Bismarck. County officials from every county in the state gathered to take in multiple workshops on topics important to counties, network with other officials, and focus on future potential legislation and other issues. The new officers on the NDACo Board of Directors are: Nick Moser, Cavalier County Commissioner, was elected 1st Vice President Chad Kaiser, Stutsman County
In addition, these officers were also recently elected: Tiffany Harr, Eddy County Clerk of District Court/Recorder, was recently elected by the ND County Clerks of District Court Association to represent them on the Board. Howdy Lawler, McKenzie County Commissioner, was recently elected by Region 1 to represent them on the Board Jarret Van Berkom, Burke County Commissioner, was recently elected by Region 2 to represent them on the Board. Each member of the NDACo Board of Directors represents a member association or commissioner region. A full list of board members, including pictures, can be found at www.ndaco. org/about-ndaco/board-of-directors.
NDACo Board of Directors: Jayme Tenneson, Griggs County State’s Attorney – Former President; Joshua Frey, Towner/Nelson County State’s Attorney – ND State’s Attorneys Association; Trudy Ruland, Mountrail County Commissioner – Past President; Robert Wilson, Cass County Administrator – National Association Representative; Chad Kaiser, Stutsman County Sheriff – Newly Elected President; Stanley Dick, Cavalier County Commissioner – National Association Representative; Kim Jacobson, Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone Director – 2nd Vice President; Scott Ouradnik, Slope County Commissioner – Region 8; Becky Hagel, Foster County Commissioner – 3rd Vice President; Erica Johnsrud, McKenzie County Auditor/Treasurer – County Treasurers Association; Shirley Murray, Sheridan County Auditor – ND County Auditors Association; Kelly Palm, Griggs County Recorder/Clerk – ND County Recorders Association; Nick Moser, Cavalier County Commissioner, 1st Vice President; Don Flaherty, Dickey County Tax Director – County Tax Directors Association.
The North Dakota Association of Counties is a nonprofit organization that strives to provide leadership and services to foster effective and efficient government through education, training, communication, and a
strong legislative effort for the good of North Dakota’s 53 counties. For general information, please visit www. ndaco.org.
Eight Quilts of Valor presented to area veterans Views from the Borderland: Catch a glimpse of Langdon’s Spooktacular event held last week, Pg. B8
$100,000 fee for H-1B visas has local workforce impacts New fees could price out schools, universities and hospitals in talent search By Michael Standaert/North Dakota News Cooperative School superintendents, long challenged by teacher shortages across the state, are concerned that increased fees for H-1B visas will price them out of attracting foreign teachers to become long-term members in their communities. The Trump administration implemented a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa petitions in late September, largely to target major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Apple – the main companies applying for those visas. The policy does not affect those currently holding H-1B visas. Some, like New Town Public School District on the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara reservation, could face severe challenges from the policy change. Over the past five years, the district has petitioned for 42 H-1B visas to bring in teachers, mostly from the Philippines. Marc Bluestone, superintendent at New Town, said the fee increase would be “devastating” to his school district. “North Dakota has a shortage of teachers,” Bluestone said. “Nationwide, there’s a shortage of teachers. This is one way to solve it, by having international teachers. This is one way to solve the dilemma so we don’t have 50 kids in a classroom.”
stone said. “We go to teacher career fairs and stand there and see like 80 people going to the Bismarck booth and you feel like you have to start begging people to stop by and talk about New Town.” Widespread impacts Besides K-12 schools, the policy change would also hit the two major research universities as well as healthcare facilities reliant on those visas to attract professionals and supplement their workforce needs. Over the past five years, the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University led with the most H-1B petitions, at 148 and 134, respectively. Among school districts, Grand Forks petitioned for 64 H-1B visas, New Town was second with 42, followed by Dunseith with 14, and Divide County with six over the past five years. Others, particularly smaller schools in rural areas, had a handful of petitions as well. One of those is the Mott-Regent Public School District. “I don’t believe any public school in the country is going to be able to afford $100,000,” said Mott-Regent superintendent Zachary Slayton.
It’s not only the shortage of teachers that’s at issue. Getting them to come to a rural reservation is also a challenge.
Slayton is in the process of hiring a music teacher for the school district from the Philippines on an H-1B visa. He said the district is lucky it filed before the new fee went into effect.
“Coming to teach on a reservation isn’t always an attractive place,” Blue-
“Hopefully, we’ll have him here within cont’d. on page B5
Fall of 2025 Quilts of Valor recipients (L-R) Jim Swenson (Army), Earl Steinke (Army), Scott Anderson (Army), Daniel Haugen (Marine), Bennett Spenst (Army), Bob Tapson (Army), Roger Kram (Navy), and Benjamin Bim Perius (Army). Photo by Gael Balsdon.
Eight area veterans received Quilts of Valor, presented last Sunday, June 8, with a ceremony held at the American Legion Post 98 to honor them. The Quilts of Valor program is a national initiative that awards handmade quilts to service members and veterans who have been “touched by war.” Founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, the organization’s mission is to provide a tangible token of appreciation that says, “Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and valor.”
The backs of the beautiful Quilts of Valor. Photo by Gael Balsdon.
Each quilt was carefully sewn by members of the Friendship Star Quilting Guild, a group of women who work on a series of patriotic quilts which are presented to local veterans twice a year. If anyone wants to nominate a veteran, they can contact anyone of the guild members or stop at Sports & Shirts for an application.
The Friendship Star Quilting Guild (L-R) Gael Balsdon, Karen Bimler, Linda Olson, Heidi Veit , Joanne Fewell, Mindy Balsdon, Karen Boe, Barb Boesl, Elaine Haugen, Carol Girodat, PJ Rime, and Darby Hart. Not photographed: Linda Timian, Denise Ratzlaff, Peggy Davis, JoAnn Mueller, Janelle Bata, Sue Anderson, Ann Thompson, and Pam Luhmann.