u/SayOw

FARGO — There was one cowboy tough team at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome on Saturday afternoon and it wasn’t the one from the Laramie Plains of Wyoming. North Dakota State put on its leather boots with metal spurs, said thanks to its swarming defense and won its first-ever Mountain West Conference home game.

The Bison held the University of Wyoming offense in check all day to take a 28-0 victory before 18,586 engaged homecoming fans. NDSU moved to 5-0 overall in its first FBS season and 2-0 in the league, already just one win away from being bowl eligible.

In doing so, the Bison kept the Cowboys on the road struggle bus, dropping them to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the league, taking some luster off of last week’s win over Hawaii. If the Fargodome seemed cramped to them, it was made worse against the Bison defense.

NDSU held the Cowboys to 162 total yards in the first game of the Battle for the Basins trophy. Quarterback Tyler Hughes was 5 of 14 passing for 52 yards, including an interception on the game’s first play.

"Man did Code Green show up," said Bison head coach Tim Polasek, in reference to his team's defense. "I'm excited where we're at. We're in the middle of this process and moving on with FBS and bowl eligible and those things."

The Bison defensive effort included a fourth-and-goal stop late in the third quarter when the Cowboys recovered a fumble deep in Bison territory. Wyoming had third-and-goal at the 1, but a false start penalty that could have been crowd-induced turned into a fourth down incompletion.

"The kids can feel that," Polasek said of the noise.

The Bison still had their shutout.

They’re also turning into one of the country’s top scoring defenses with only a second-half lapse at Air Force on the resume.

"We were all on the same page and communicating well and we do that we can go out and play fast," said Bison linebacker Donovan Woolen said.

The start was not what Wyoming was looking for. Hughes was picked off by Woolen on the first play of the game, Woolen returning it to the Cowboys 19-yard line.

"Anytime we're able to get an interception, we'll take it," Woolen said. "It was awesome to be able to set the tone like that."

A pass to receiver Jackson Williams gained eight yards. On third-and-goal from the 8, Hayes found nobody open, but took it himself untouched into the end zone and it was quickly 7-0.

"I woke up today and got a workout in, I wasn't nervous, but anxious, big deal first Mountain West (home) game," Polasek said. "I couldn't find many seats that were empty. A play like that, almost playing with a free series. I wasn't going to pass up on that gift to score seven points. That was huge, Donovan, that was a big play."

The interception brought Hughes’ road statistics to six interceptions and no TD passes in three games away from Laramie, all losses.

The Cowboys, however, prevented an explosive Bison start like they had in their last game at Sacramento State two weeks ago when NDSU led 21-0 after the first 15 minutes. Wyoming stopping Bison running back DJ Scott on a fourth-and-2 run at the UW 32-yard line was one reason. The Cowboys also put together three first downs to keep the Bison offense on the sideline.

Moreover, a Wyoming punt pinned the Bison on their 3-yard line early in the second quarter. Hayes ditched the hole with a 9-yard QB sneak on the first play. NDSU found some room after that, getting an 18-yard run from Williams and a 35-yard pass to Williams, the latter reaching the Wyoming 19.

"The way we prepared throughout the week, the sky's the limit for us," Williams said.

Hayes culminated the 97-yard drive with a 15-yard TD scamper and it was 14-0.

"A good variety with the offense," Polasek said. "The play-action game today I thought, we finally cultivated some first downs, I was very pleased with that drive."

Two video reviews in NDSU’s favor to close the half, which ended on a 31-yard field goal by kicker Drew Klein with 20 seconds left. Bison safety Darius Givance was called for a targeting penalty, but the flag was picked up after video review.

Wyoming did reach the end zone a few minutes later when Williams fumbled on a punt return and UW’s Drew Jackson scooped it up and scored. The review ruled Williams was down.

Meanwhile, the Bison defense was doing its thing. Wyoming had 73 total yards in the first half with just 28 through the air on Hughes’ 3-of-6 passing.

NDSU took the second half kickoff, ran off 15 plays before stalling, but went up 20-0 on a 37-yard Klein field goal. Counting NDSU’s last possession of the second half, the Bison ran 28 plays to Wyoming’s one in that span.

"We're in a good place right now, the guys are committed to each other," Polasek said. "I'm not surprised, I'm pleased how we've handle all of it. That wasn't an easy game out there. To pitch a shutout in today's college football, they had some focus."

FARGO — Police are investigating a homicide after officers found a dead person during a welfare check Monday afternoon.

According to the Fargo Police Department, officers responded to an apartment in the 1800 block of 34th Street South just before 4:30 p.m. and made multiple attempts to contact the residents but were unsuccessful. They eventually made entry into the unit, where they located a deceased homicide victim.

The department's Criminal Investigations Division is still attempting to determine the exact cause of death, but identified a suspect in the death as 42-year-old Brandon George, of Fargo. George has since been detained in Nebraska, near the city of Lincoln, a Fargo police spokeswoman said Tuesday afternoon. Detectives will be attempting an interview with George in the next 24 hours, she said.

No further details are being released at this time "to protect the integrity of the investigation," police said.

FARGO — Fargo leaders are struggling to work more police positions into the city’s 2027 budget.

City commissioners decided Wednesday, Sept. 23, during a Finance Committee meeting that they want a budget that includes market adjustments for underpaid city employees and funding for eight additional officers, double what was initially proposed by city staff. What they could not decide was how to pay for those positions.

Commissioners need another meeting to digest information presented at the three-hour meeting and come up with ideas to make cuts, Commissioner Michelle Turnberg said. She said she would not approve a budget that doesn’t fund eight additional officers, plus a community services officer, as requested by the Fargo Police Department.

“We need those eight officers,” Turnberg said. “It’s going to happen.”

Fargo’s four city commissioners and mayor, who make up the finance committee, will meet for four hours starting at 10 a.m. Friday at City Hall.

“Everybody needs to bring to the table some other ideas for cuts because No. 1 in the city is public safety," Turnberg said.

Fargo must finalize and send its budget to the Cass County Auditor’s Office by Oct. 12. The City Commission typically approves its final budget at a regular meeting.

Monday is the final regular meeting before Oct. 12, according to city documents, but commissioners could call a special meeting if needed, City Finance Director Susan Thompson said.

The City Commission is slated to approve its roughly $147.6 million budget on Monday, but commissioners need to determine several final components. The current proposal is balanced and includes five officers, as well as a 3% cost-of-living adjustment increase and additional raise for employees whose pay is 10% or more below the market rate.

Nothing is final.

The city risks losing employees as other governments increase their pay, City Administrator Michael Redlinger said. The city told employees increases would eventually come, but 2025 and 2026 wasn’t the time, he said.

“That time was intended to be now to get some movement,” he said.

Commissioner Chad Peterson said he was not in favor of any market adjustments.

“To the team and the prior folks here, I wish you hadn’t promised those things,” Peterson said.

Turnberg proposed cutting funding to several social services programs, including ones that fund downtown cleaning crews and homelessness programs. Entities that receive a slice of the $440,000 spent the first half of the meeting explaining why that money was vital to their programs.

For example, the city gives $90,000 to The Arts Partnership, which in turn grants those funds to local groups. Audiences spend $15 million in the Fargo area, Arts Partnership Executive Director Tania Blanich said.

“That is money that I think the city can ill-afford to lose by not supporting the arts,” she said in noting that the return on investment is 160 times.

Turnberg argued the city needs to focus on core services and not charities.

Another proposal from the city, supported by Commissioner John Strand, was cutting airport funding by $228,451. The recently opened parking lot is expected to bring in more than $500,000 a year, according to the city.

Commissioners kept the full $1.8 million in place since the true profit isn’t clear.

Peterson also proposed selling unused vehicles, a 1% airport vehicle rental tax and 1% food and beverage tax to generate more funds for the city, along with a list of other cuts.

Looks like a bunch of tickets opened up for the Foo Fighters including a small allotment of $45 tickets - very back, reserved floor.

I also noticed some high end, good seats opened up as well that were previously blocked off if you wanted to get a better seat.

Buy at the Fargodome box office and you avoid all the service fees ($45 + service fees = $61+).

2. North Dakota State (0)

Not far behind them are the Bison. Starting off their FBS career at 2-0, they haven’t played top competition yet, but they are winning in convincing fashion. North Dakota State has been able to execute their style of play thus far, featuring a heavy dose of rushing yards, some strong throws to move the ball through the air, and a stifling defense. It remains to be seen how good they can be, but it’s clear that NDSU belongs and will continue to play tough.

FARGO — The Fargodome could lose roughly 1,000 seats if it can’t secure $22 million in outside funding for critical updates.

The facility that hosts North Dakota State University football games has prioritized roughly $53.9 million in upgrades, according to Fargodome leadership. The stadium has secured city approval for $10 million for 2026 and 2027 projects, which include updated lighting for the concourse, arena and parking lot repairs.

The remaining $43.9 million are slated for renovations in the west addition to accommodate more Americans with Disabilities Act seating, as well as remodeling and expanding restrooms and making the press box and bowl ADA compliant. The bowl needs companion seating for those who require ADA seats, Fargodome Authority Vice President David Suppes told The Forum in a Monday, Aug. 31, editorial board meeting.

The Fargodome can use about $32 million of its $47 million in its permanent fund for the updates, with the remaining balance needed for maintenance and operations, Fargodome Authority President Rick Steen said. After spending $10 million on the lighting and parking lot projects, that means the stadium will fall $21.9 million short for the ADA updates.

The dome can do the updates without that $22 million, but that will be at the expense of 1,013 seats, or about 8% of stadium seating, Suppes and Steen said.

“This is not a threat. We are not threatening anyone with this,” Suppes said. “This is just a fact.”

Steen and Suppes plan to meet with NDSU President Marshall Stewart and Fargo Mayor Josh Boschee on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to discuss funding options.

The Fargodome was built in late 1992 for $49 million. The stadium sits on NDSU land but is owned by the city of Fargo. That means the City Commission makes final decisions on facility updates.

The home of the Bison can seat more than 18,500 fans during games and 25,000 for concerts.

Two moves to update the Fargodome failed in recent years.

In 2023, 52% of voters said “yes” to a $140 million project that would have renovated the stadium and added a convention center. The 3% lodging tax and quarter-cent that would have funded construction needed 60% approval.

The Fargodome planned to pitch in an additional $30 million if voters approved the 2024 referendum.

Building a new stadium would cost about $600 million, Suppes said.

The Fargodome also lost a convention center bid this year to developers who proposed a downtown location at the Civic Center.

Dome Authority leaders are trying to determine how to proceed with updates, Suppes said.

The authority approached NDSU about contributing to the latest proposal, but interim NDSU President Rick Berg turned that down, Suppes said.

“Under previous leadership, NDSU’s position was … that the Fargodome is the city’s asset and they need to take care of their stuff,” Suppes said.

In 2024, a renovation proposal without the convention center failed, with only 48% of voters approving a quarter-cent sales tax that would have raised $110 million for the project.

NDSU pays $165,000 a year in rent to play at the Fargodome, which is “significantly” lower than what should be charged, Suppes said.

A message for Berg was not returned Monday.

NDSU hired Stewart to take over as the university’s president in May. Stewart needs a chance to consider the proposal and establish a position, Suppes said.

The Fargodome Authority has not set a timeline for deciding whether to make the improvements without the additional $22 million from outside sources, including contributions from NDSU.

“Nobody wants to lose 1,000 seats,” Suppes said.

The Bison moved up this year to the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision. Losing 1,000 seats is not a good look for a university that recently went to a larger college football stage in the Mountain West Conference, Steen said.

“That’s a terrible picture to paint for NDSU,” he said.

2. North Dakota State (+1)

The Bison wasted no time announcing their arrival to the FBS level. Their dominant win looked much like how they’ve won many games over the years. Their win featured a heavy dose of rushing yards, some strong throws to move the ball through the air, and a stifling defense. While it’s unlikely North Dakota State holds opponents to under 200 yards every game, it’s nice to see what they are capable of when things are going right. The road will get tougher, no doubt, but it’s clear that NDSU belongs and will continue to play tough.

Closures so far in 2026:

46 North Pints & Provisions

Charlie’s Place

KidCo Children’s Museum

Crystal Rock Healing

West Acres Closures (Francesca’s, Eddie Bauer, White House Black Market)

Bottle Barn

Botanical Brothers

Seventh Avenue Auto Salvage

The Doggie Dockters

Soho 23

Maurices

Sauce’d + Hi Ho

Snap Dragon

Vaqueros Tacqueria and Mexican

Glacial Peak

Top Shelf Tavern

Polished Nail Spa

Fargo Hornbachers

Grand Junction Fargo locations

Nova Supper Club and Eatery

First Choice Apparel

99 Bottles

Coffee Shops — NorthStar, Third Drop, Twenty Below, Youngblood

Just got an email from DTV saying that I got Peacock for free for 6 months. I see a credit on my bill but I have not activated the offer.

If I don't activate the offer that "credit" for Peacock will disappear after 6 months, correct? I'm not a fan of 'pre-billing' for something I don't want to pay for through DirecTV.

Now, if the offer is permanent and I can get Peacock for free through DirecTV I am more than happy to activate the offer, but I don't see anything that states the 'credit' will be extended past 6 months.

FARGO — Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney wants to use 2009 flood relief donations to help pay for the city’s recently opened homeless services center.

The City Commission will consider Monday, June 22, whether to transfer $144,000 from the “Spirit of Fargo” Fund to the Resource and Recovery Center, according to documents made public Thursday with the commission’s agenda. Mahoney proposed using the funds to help fit-up and install equipment and fixtures at the Resource and Recovery Center, as well as for winter warming operations at the facility.

The fund was set up in partnership with the Dakota Medical Foundation, the Impact Foundation and the United Way of Cass-Clay in 2009 to help people and agencies who struggled during the flood that year, according to Forum archives. After heavy snow throughout the winter, the Red River crested at a record 40.84 feet.

Thousands of volunteers worked to place millions of sandbags as the river rose, largely averting widespread flooding to the city. Some residents suffered damage, so the “Spirit of Fargo” Fund, fueled by donations, was established to help those in the Cass County area with unmet needs, according to Forum archives.

The fund has been tapped over the years to aid people in the face of disaster, Mahoney told The Forum on Friday. He said there is about $144,000 left in the fund, and it seems appropriate to use it for the Resource and Recovery Center.

The center opened May 28 in a former warehouse at 2001 First Ave. N. The 54,500-square-foot building is used to offer a number of services to those struggling with homelessness, including a clinic and connections to housing solutions.

The center, previously known as the Downtown Engagement Center or DEC, was in the former police station in downtown Fargo. The City Commission voted last year to move the center to its current location after city health officials said the DEC was too small to offer services.

Businesses also voiced concerns about a growing homeless population in downtown Fargo, which they said impacted foot traffic. Since the move, people have noticed less homelessness activity downtown, Mahoney said.

That’s because those struggling with homelessness have a place to go, he said, adding he feels the center is helping

“I think we are getting the results we wanted,” Mahoney said.

Renovating the warehouse for the current location was expected to cost $1.4 million. The commission voted to raise donations for the move.

Mahoney said the city has collected between $700,000 to $750,000, in addition to $100,000 of in-kind services. The city has secured additional pledges for next year, he said.

The move is temporary. The city signed a two-year lease for the warehouse, which started in January.

The city hasn’t discussed what will happen after that lease expires.

FARGO — A resident has asked the Cass County Commission to consider setting standards for amplified outdoor music in response to a recent three-day music festival at a rural bar.

Camille Grade, who lives about a half mile from the Wild Rice Bar and Grill, south of the Fargo city limits, told commissioners on Monday, June 15, she could hear the music through the walls of her home until 2 a.m. each day.

Located at 205 Wild Rice, Wild Rice, North Dakota, the bar staged Filth Fest from May 22-24, featuring heavy bass music, live art and rave culture. Performing artists and vendors were invited to camp in tents on the grounds.

There are several small housing developments within about a mile radius of the bar.

Grade said she’s not in favor of unnecessary regulations, and she respects the rights of business owners to be creative, attract customers and generate revenue.

“However, situations like this demonstrate why some reasonable guardrails may be needed when common sense is not enough,” she said.

Several commissioners voiced agreement, including Joel Vettel.

“Two o’clock in the morning in an area where it's residential, it’s just unrealistic,” he said.

Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner told The Forum his office received about 14 loud music-type complaints related to the event, while another 11 such complaints may have come from within Fargo city limits.

The far south border of Fargo ends around 76th Avenue South, a few miles from the bar.

Jahner said his office was not aware the festival was taking place that weekend.

“We didn't plan for extra resources, and so it took law enforcement resources away from other entities,” Jahner said.

The county also does not have any loud music or loud party ordinance, he said. While the bar may not have broken any laws, deputies did visit the venue several times that weekend to say the sheriff’s office was getting noise complaints.

Waylon Butler, who owns the Wild Rice Bar, said the event turned what is normally a slow Memorial Day weekend into a busy weekend.

His regular customers go to the Minnesota lakes area, so Filth Fest brought in new, younger customers.

“As a business owner, that's what you want. It’s my job to bring people in the front door, and that did it,” Butler said.

People came from other states for the festival, and spent money at local hotels and restaurants, he said. The event had a discount rate for attendees at a hotel just a few miles from the venue.

“A lot of the complainers sign the back of their checks, not the front,” he said, a reference to some people not understanding the complexities of owning a business.

As for the noise aspect, Butler downplayed it. The artists performed in the horseshoe pit area outside the bar, set along the Wild Rice River.

“It just echoed down the river, that's all it was,” he said.

Jahner suggested the county consider a loud party-type ordinance, in combination with a permitting process for venues that want to hold such events.

The promoters of Filth Fest have already indicated they plan to return to the Wild Rice Bar and Grill over Memorial Day weekend in 2027.

Commission Chair Tony Grindberg said there is time over the next few months to work on possible verbal agreements or to develop a possible ordinance before the next event is held.

FARGO — Police here are asking that anyone with information about an incident that occurred early Saturday morning involving shots being fired contact the Fargo Police Department.

Please call 701-241-5777 or submit anonymous tips by texting FARGOPD and the information to 847411.

According to police, an officer responded to a disturbance in the 10 block of north Broadway around 2 a.m. and as officers approached a large group of people in the area, multiple gunshots were heard. The crowd dispersed and officers contained the scene.

One person involved in the disturbance was detained and a vehicle searched, but no gun was found, according to the police.

No victims have been identified, nor has any arrest been made. Officers continue to review video and talk to witnesses about the incident.

FARGO — The city of Fargo has approved a building permit for construction of a new Target store at 4900 Alexander Dr. S., near the intersection of Interstate 29 and 52nd Avenue South.

On a recent afternoon, dirt-moving machinery was working on the site, which is adjacent to a Planet Fitness.

According to paperwork on file with the city, the construction of the Target store is valued at $21.8 million.

When completed, the building will have about 133,000 square feet of space.

The new Target store will include a sales floor, a stock and mechanical area, an optical shop, a Starbucks, an office area and a loading and receiving dock, according to building permit information.

Attempts to reach Target officials for comment on the timetable for the new store were not successful at the time this story was published.

Word of a possible new Target store in the area broke in February 2025, when a store near the northwest intersection of Interstate 29 and 52nd Avenue South in Fargo was listed as an "upcoming location" at corporate.target.com.

At that time, a Target official applied for and was granted an off-sale liquor license for the proposed store, which at that point was expected to have a liquor store.

However, Target later removed the Interstate 29/52nd Avenue location from its website and a new building permit was eventually filed last October.

It is unclear whether a liquor store is still being contemplated for the new location, though at this time the south Fargo location is back on the Target website as the site of a future store.

A new store would be the metro area's third Target store.

Existing Target stores include one at 4202 13th Ave S., in Fargo, and another at 3301 U.S. Highway 10 in Moorhead.