Dakota Lifestyle » Uncategorized

Rain Gardens In North Dakota

gwen — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:17:17 +0000

I’m not following the directions exactly, but I am going to try a rain garden this year.

As far as I can tell, a rain garden is a low spot that collects rainwater and runoff water. The area contains plants that use the water.

Taxable Sales Show A Strong North Dakota Economy

gwen — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:13:59 +0000

This AP article published by Minot Daily News states that North Dakotans have been spending money for things like motels, restaurant dining and other fun things…an indication that the economy here so far is doing relatively well.

State taxable sales are up 21 percent.

Swine Flu In North Dakota

gwen — Sun, 24 May 2009 01:01:59 +0000

Swine Flu, or the H1N1 virus reached North Dakota around Mother’s Day, according to this KX News article. So far there have been four confirmed cases in the state.

The North Dakota Department of Health has posted this page showing swine flu statistics and a map of where the cases have occured.

An Interesting Bit Of North Dakota History

gwen — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:13:14 +0000

I knew that North Dakota was the first state in the nation to oust a governor, but I didn’t know that it was tried a second time. Here is a very interesting bit of North Dakota history from 1934, from Time magazine.

More North Dakota Fun Facts

gwen — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:06:42 +0000

Okay. Maybe THIS is the place to go for North Dakota fun facts.

I’m sure the tourism department gets hard data for the facts it posts. Who knew that the parking meter was invented in North Dakota? Or that we apparently could be behind 216 billion crayons?

If You Want To Learn Something Fun About North Dakota…

gwen — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 03:02:07 +0000

This is the site to go if you want to learn some interesting new facts about North Dakota. I stumbled upon this by accident and really enjoyed some of the fun new trivia I read.

This is such an odd, happy place to live!

Two-Part Series On North Dakota Property Taxes

gwen — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 02:54:18 +0000

Property taxes are an issue in North Dakota. Bismarck Tribune reporter Brian Duggan takes a look at them in his two-part series.

From the article:

When lawmakers converged in Bismarck this winter to tinker with tax codes and tax relief, they knew something was going to be different this session — namely the state’s $1.2 billion in its reserves, despite a sour national economy.

Things have changed since then as an estimated $650 million in federal stimulus money starts flowing into the state while the costs of record flooding in North Dakota are bound to capture the attention of lawmakers during the fleeting weeks of the 2009 Legislature.

While the 80-day legislative deadline nears, a picture of what kind of tax relief North Dakotans can expect is becoming clearer, including a $295 million property tax relief package and another $114 million income tax cut that are both in committees.

“All of it’s a moving target right now,” said Rep. Ken Svedjan, R-Grand Forks, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, currently handling this session’s property tax relief package.

Read the complete first installment here.

Small Bottle Rockets In North Dakota

gwen — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:53:26 +0000

The floor debate on a bill to stop the sale of small bottle rockets in North Dakota may have been about the risk of fire, but the testimony in committees included a separate safety hazard: protecting the eyes.

Tourism In North Dakota Still Going Strong

gwen — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:47:27 +0000

This is the North Dakota I love. In spite of the soured economy and slightly higher unemployment rates here (we’re still the second lowest in the nation), our tourism industry is still going strong. If you’re looking to go abroad, try Australia. We had luck with car hire Australia.

It even grew in 2007. Read Crystal Reid’s article on it here.

More On Abortion: Prevention Through Legislation?

gwen — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:39:23 +0000

Some North Dakota lawmakers say we should be focusing our efforts on prevention of abortion by providing better prenatal care. The idea is that better prenatal care would alleviate some of the stress women in vulnerable circumstances are feeling that leads them to consider abortion.