Williston City Commission Meeting
Recap: Key Updates for Residents
The Williston City Commission gathered on Feb. 25 to discuss important city matters, from infrastructure projects to business developments. Here is what residents need to know.
City Projects and Improvements
The commission approved several bids for construction and maintenance projects throughout the city. The 2025
ect, which will repaint road markings for improved safety, went to Traffic Safety Services for $74,470.50. Additionally, a contract for sidewalk repairs was granted to Jaramillo Concrete for $161,012.50, helping maintain safe walkways for pedestrians.
Updates on Business and Development
As Williston continues to grow two Flex PACE applica
nomic development in the area.
In zoning news, the commission set a public hearing for March 25 to discuss a proposed change from commercial to residential zoning for a property at 1402 West Broadway. This move could provide more housing options for residents.
Public Safety Enhancements
The police and fire departments received funding approvals for key purchases. The police
Flight air ambulance services. The ambulance program will be partially funded through Williston’s Star Fund Sales Tax, ensuring continued emergency medical services for the region.
Additionally, Code Red Towing was awarded the city’s towing contract, while Stevens Auctioneer Service will handle city auctions.
Changes to Liquor Laws
other legally approved wines for off-site consumption. The proposed change supports local businesses while having little impact on existing liquor stores.
Looking Ahead
Residents can stay informed and participate in future discussions by attending city meetings, held both in person at City Hall and virtually via GoToMeeting. The next meeting is scheduled for March 11.
A key discussion focused on Ordinance 1157, which aims to amend Williston’s liquor license regulations. If passed, it will allow local wineries to sell not only their own wine but also
For more information, visit City of Williston’s website.
We offer state-of-the-art MRI technology using a comfortable, wide-bore scanner. Once the provider places the order and prior authorization is completed, we'll schedule you right away!
5:00pm
Contact Us
701.572.4851
Web
Become a member! Visit us online at www.willistongraphic.com
Find us on Facebook and Instagram: @willistongraphic & @ willistonconnections
Email Contacts
info@vocella.com news@vocella.com
advertising@vocella.com billing@vocella.com
Office Hours
Office hours are by appt. only. Reach us by phone or email:
Bismarck Cancer Center Earns Prestigious ASTRO APEx Accreditation for Radiation Oncology Services
BISMARCK CANCER CENTER
Bismarck Cancer Center proudly announces its accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology's APEx – Accreditation Program for Excellence®. This distinguished recognition confirms the center's commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care in radiation oncology, with the accreditation being valid through February 2029.
"Receiving APEx accreditation from ASTRO—the largest radiation oncology society globally—is a tremendous honor," said Amy Gross, Executive Director of Bismarck Cancer Center. "As the first radiation oncology clinic in North Dakota to attain this accreditation, our team has worked diligently to evaluate and enhance our safety and quality processes. This achievement reinforces our dedication to providing our community safe, effective, compassionate care."
APEx is recognized as the fastest-growing accreditation program in the United States for radiation oncology practices. The voluntary, objective and rigorous multi-step process challenges facilities to demonstrate adherence to consensus-based standards of safety, quality and patient-centered
care. Practices must prove effective communication, coordinated treatments and robust patient engagement—all essential elements of high-caliber care.
“ASTRO commends Bismarck Cancer Center for its unwavering commitment to excellence in radiation oncology,” said Howard M. Sandler, MD, FASTRO, Chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors. “Through a comprehensive external review, the center has exemplified its dedication to maintaining the highest patient safety and quality standards.”
Unique among accreditation programs, APEx requires a self-assessment phase that enables practices to internally verify compliance with quality improvement standards before undergoing a thorough facility review by an external survey team—including a radiation oncologist and a medical physicist. This accreditation framework aligns with the recommendations outlined in ASTRO's publication “Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology Care.” To date, over 400 facilities nationwide have earned APEx accreditation.
For additional information about ASTRO's APEx program, please visit www.astro.org/ APEx.
Dakota’s oil footprint with tax breaks," (Feb. 2025).
New Initiative Aims to Strengthen Local News in North Dakota
Anew effort is underway to address the decline of rural news coverage in North Dakota. The Rural Development Finance Corporation has launched the Future of Local News Initiative to support local journalism and prevent the spread of “news deserts” in communities lacking dedicated news sources.
The initiative brings together journalists, businesses and industry leaders to research the challenges faced by newspapers and develop solutions. A steering committee will lead the project, conducting surveys with newspaper publishers to assess business sustainability, succession planning and ownership transitions. The committee will also examine read-
er habits and explore potential innovations in news delivery.
“Local newspapers are essential to fostering informed communities and critical to the well-being of the community,” said Ellen Huber, RDFC executive director. “This effort aligns with RDFC’s mission to support economic diversification and community vitality.”
The project is being carried out in partnership with the North Dakota Newspaper Association and is funded by the Bush Foundation Partnership Fund, which supports initiatives to strengthen communities in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.
The steering committee held its first meeting on Feb. 27 in Mandan and will continue to
meet throughout the year before releasing recommendations in the fall. Members include representatives from print and television media, tribal affairs and economic development, as well as a high school student from Watford City.
The initiative’s goal is to retain local news sources and help newspapers evolve to better serve their communities in a changing media landscape.
Information for this article was sourced from Forum Communications’ “New initiative aims to stop ‘erosion’ of rural news coverage in North Dakota” and The Jamestown Sun’s “Study launching on future of local news in North Dakota.”
North Dakota
North Dakota House sends 3 property tax reform bills to Senate
MARY STEURER NORTH DAKOTA MONITOR
The North Dakota House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon approved three sweeping packages aimed at reducing property taxes.
All three incorporate some form of cap on year-over-year tax increases and would be funded in part by earnings on the state’s Legacy Fund. One bill focuses mainly on tax reductions for residential property, while the other two would lower taxes for all kinds of property.
Each proposal passed with near-total support from lawmakers.
Rep. Craig Headland, R-Montpelier, chair of the House Finance and Taxation Committee, said he wasn’t sure how the Senate will tackle the three proposals.
Headland said he suspects the Senate will favor the bills that provide relief for all property categories, but could try to merge elements from all three bills into one.
The proposals come after voters initiated a ballot measure last year that would have eliminated property taxes based on assessed value. Although the measure failed, many voters called on the Legislature to do more to reduce property taxes.
House Bill 1176
One major piece of House Bill 1176 expands on the state’s primary residence tax credit, which was originally created by lawmakers in 2023.
As originally written, the bill would have increased the tax credit from $500 to up to $1,550. An amendment approved earlier this month lowered that figure slightly to up to $1,450.
“This bill focuses strictly on residences — strictly on Joe Six Pack’s house, not his lake cabin, not his ag land,” Rep. Mike Nathe, the bill’s primary sponsor, said.
The Bismarck Republican said there are roughly 163,100 primary residences in North Dakota.
The bill would also cap annual property tax increases for local governments at 3% annually.
Nathe acknowledged that the bill is likely to strain some local governments.
It does give them some flexibility, however. For one, local governments would be allowed to “bank” unused tax increases from the five previous years. With approval from voters, they would also be able to exceed the caps for four years at a time.
House Majority Leader Rep. Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson, said that
eventually, the primary residence tax credit could be bankrolled solely by Legacy Fund earnings.
“This is a sustainable path — using Legacy Fund for the benefit of our kids and our grandkids,” Lefor said.
The bill also grows two other relief programs, one for seniors and North Dakotans with disabilities, and another for renters.
The bill formerly included income tax cuts, as well, but that was removed in an amendment
House Bill 1176 cleared the House by a vote of 81-10.
The bill incorporates ideas championed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong at the start of the session. Armstrong’s vision is that property taxes could eventually be eliminated for most homeowners through a program funded through Legacy Fund earnings.
The bill only addresses the 2025-2027 budget cycle. It would provide an estimated $503.3 million in tax relief to citizens, Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus said.
House Bill 1168
House Bill 1168, sponsored by Rep. Scott Louser, R-Minot, would affect residential property as well as agricultural and commercial land.
One portion of the bill reduces what residents pay in property taxes for school districts by about 16%. The state would be responsible for making schools whole for that missing funding.
Like House Bill 1176, House Bill 1168 also includes year-overyear tax caps. Increases to property tax levies would be limited at 3% for all local tax districts except school districts. Tax districts could also bank any unused tax increases, though they would be limited to one year. North Dakotans could vote to permit tax districts to exceed the cap for no more than five years at a time.
Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, said he has reservations about allowing school districts’ taxes to grow proportionally with local property values.
“Me, personally, I think we should apply the 3% cap to schools as well,” Koppelman said.
Louser said he originally envisioned a much larger subsidy of school district taxes, but that the amount was reduced in committee.
“I think this is a good start, and let’s see what happens with our relief package,” he said.
The bill would provide taxpayers an estimated $120.7 million in relief, according to the tax commissioner.
The bill passed by a vote of 88-3.
REP. SCOTT LOUSER, R-MINOT, SPEAKS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR ON FEB. 25, 2025, ABOUT HIS PROPERTY TAX PROPOSAL.
(MICHAEL ACHTERLING/NORTH DAKOTA MONITOR)
House Bill 1575
House Bill 1575, sponsored by Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield, would provide property tax relief by reducing the taxable value of all categories.
The tax rate applied to residential properties would be reduced by 2.75%, while the tax rate on agricultural and commercial property would be reduced by 1.5%, according to the proposal.
The bill would also cap all annual property tax increases at 3%. Voters could approve proposals to exceed this cap on the local level for a maximum of six years at a time.
“Everyone’s a taxpayer, so we’re looking at a bill that could give relief to everyone,” said Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck, who carried the bill on the floor.
Similar to House Bill 1176, House Bill 1575 would grow the homestead tax credit and renter refund program. The bill would provide citizens with estimated tax relief of $703.2 million, according to the tax commissioner.
The proposal passed by a vote of 86-5.
Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, D-Fargo, was among the lawmakers who opposed the bills. During a House Appropriations Committee meeting last week, Hanson said she supports efforts to reduce property taxes, but she disagreed with capping local government budgets.
“I think that sends a message that we as a body don’t trust other elected bodies that are responsible for setting their budgets, and we also don’t trust the voters who elected them,” Hanson said.
This article originally appeared on the North Dakota Monitor website on Feb. 25. Find it at www. northdakotamonitor.com
Trump Enforces Tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China Amid Rising Trade Tensions
On March 4, 2025, President Donald Trump implemented significant tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, aiming to address national security concerns related to drug trafficking and unauthorized immigration. The measures include a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, with Canadian energy products facing a 10% duty, and an increase in tariffs on Chinese imports from 10% to 20%.
The announcement led to im-
mediate economic repercussions.
Major U.S. stock indices experienced significant declines, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping by 0.86% and the S&P 500 by 0.46%. Investors expressed concerns about the potential impact on economic growth and consumer prices. In response, Canada imposed 25% tariffs on $155 billion worth of American goods, while China announced additional tariffs on U.S. agricultural products and added 15 U.S. companies to its export control list. Mexico also signaled plans for its own retaliatory measures.
Lawmakers from both parties
criticized the President's decision. Republican Senator John Thune and Representative Dan Newhouse expressed concerns about the tariffs' potential impact on agricultural states and consumer prices. Democrats warned that a trade conflict with multiple countries could harm the economy, with Senator Patty Murray highlighting the negative effects on U.S.-Canada economic relations.
Information sourced from Reuters, the New York Post, The North Dakota Monitor and PBS NewsHour.
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES DONALD TRUMP SPEAKING AT THE 2025 CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL ACTION CONFERENCE (CPAC) AT THE GAYLORD NATIONAL RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER IN NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND. | GAGE SKIDMORE, FLIKR
Through a Lutheran Lens
DUST AND ASH: OF STARS AND RUINS
PASTOR ZACH HARRIS FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH
Ash Wednesday, the first service of the Christian season of Lent, seems to bring up some explicit memories for me. In the year I was born, it was on Ash Wednesday that a huge storm overwhelmed the east coast, and especially the Outer Banks of North Carolina where I have spent a good bit of time in my life. There are legends, photos and whole books dedicated to the before and after of what is simply referred to as the “Ash Wednesday Storm.” Fast-forward almost 30 years, and I remember an eerily similar experience on my first Ash Wednesday as an ordained Pastor. I was sitting at my desk in a dilapidated old building in Fayetteville, N.C., and talking on the phone with my Church Council President. We were talking about the future of that church, and I had an inkling that a building program might be one of the main accomplishments in my ministry at my first parish. In the midst of that phone conversation, the ceiling in my office fell down on top of me. Granted it was a drop ceiling that provided more drama than danger. But all in all, it was that event, the sky falling on Ash Wednesday, that propelled new construction and renovation of my first church’s facilities.
There are other such stories, but there is one story that has been the same every year and, in particular, once I was ordained as a Pastor. Each year on Ash Wednesday, there is a solemn moment of the service which though
it is the same every year, catches me by surprise.
I’ve always made the ashes for the service myself. It is the combination of palm leaves from last year’s Palm Sunday along with bits of paper burned by the worshippers who have written their personal sins to be burned up. The words from Romans that I read, and the oil I use, many times consecrated by a Bishop, hold the image and the ashes together.
Then comes the same surprise every year. I make an ashen cross on foreheads and say, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” I say that with a grimness that outstretches the status of only symbol. Some foreheads are ones so ancient that I have known the return to dust would take place before the next Ash Wednesday. Some were but infants whose last inclination would be toward the truth of that statement. And I would be shocked how much emotion was
released by simple words and symbol. And then, usually at the last or sometimes first, those words would be spoken to me as the ashen symbol of mortality was placed on my own head. At my first parish, it was always Al Walovich, 40 plus years my elder, but probably my best friend there, who would make the sign. And years later at the church I started in Florida, where I served more years than any other place in my ministry, my good friend Art Plant was my designated ash marker. And it has always seemed that it is some sainted friend within the worshipping community who takes that dreaded task. This year will be no different. No matter who takes the role of temporary tattoo artist, that voice says those same words of reminder and places the mark of our collective corporate and personal sins on my brow. And though that cross may start out as a dignified symbol, at some point later, I always inadvertently wipe my forehead with the back
of my hand and the true mess of sin is apparent for all to see.
I don’t know why, but it seems like I have never made it home without the cross smearing for all to see the ruins that the ashes remind us of.
However, a concept occurred to me some years ago that has since been appropriated by a number of writers and poets. You see, we can also remember that we are dust not only because the body will decay and die, but because that’s what physics tells us we were from the beginning. All the matter we have in the Universe is the result of stars being born and dying, exploding and collecting, so that every atom and molecule that makes up matter in the Universe, even the ones that make up me, are the dust of stars. Genesis tells us that God took the clay from his new creation to make Adam—but the image is the same. We come from dust, and we return to dust.
And despite my guise as al-
most grim reaper in message and receiver of that message, I find great comfort on that day. For one thing, it is the beginning of Lent. And Lent leads to Easter and a new life. If we didn’t give up the old life, we couldn’t have the new one. And secondly, even from the realm of physics (though Walt Whitman had a similar sentiment), we are all part of the Universe in which matter is neither created nor destroyed. The dust comes together to be us, and when we are gone, that same matter goes back into the Universe. What makes the difference between the dust before and after: well, I suspect there is a reason that in both Greek and Hebrew there is the same word for “wind,” “breath” and “Spirit.”
So, this first week of Lent, whether you made to a service or only saw folks with strange tattoos on their foreheads of smeared crosses, I hope you remember two things. On the one hand, tattoos, for the most part, represent something precious and meaningful to those who bear them. And on the other, if you had your cross on your forehead this Ash Wednesday, remember that you are dust and carrying the ruin of sin, but also remember, that you are stardust, the very stuff of the Universe, that God created, and that God promises to redeem. That’s what Hope and Easter to come are all about after all!
Pastor Zach Harris has been an ordained minister for 33 years and currently serves First Lutheran Church in Williston. His column, “Through a Lutheran Lens: A Pastor’s Perspective,” will appear regularly in the Williston Graphic.
Job Listings & Classifieds
