<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=26nVaI_1EE3F01G00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=26nVaI_1EE3F01G00" width="788" height="425" ><figcaption>July Was Like a ‘Flash Drought</figcaption></figure>“July was one of the warmest and driest on record, and so in turn we had some very rapid shift into dry conditions across the state,” Daryl Ritchison, state climatologist for North Dakota, said last week.More than half of North Dakota is now in a drought, with blistering July heat shriveling crops and taking a toll on pastures.The U.S. Drought Monitor, which is updated weekly shows a third of the state in moderate drought and more than 23% in extreme drought. The extreme drought area increased dramatically from the previous week, when less than 9% of the state was in that category.“July was one of the warmest and driest on record, and so in turn we had some very rapid shift into dry conditions across the state,” Daryl Ritchison, state climatologist for North Dakota, said Thursday.The severe drought areas include a pocket in central North Dakota, much of the southwest corner and Cass, Traill and Steele counties in the east.Ritchison helps prepare weekly recommendations for changes in the U.S. Drought Monitor, and this week recommended the Sheridan County area in central North Dakota jump up two categories, from abnormally dry to severe drought.The U.S. Drought Monitor updated on Aug. 6, 2026, shows more than half of North Dakota in a drought stage.Miranda Meehan of North Dakota State University Extension helps facilitate reporting of pasture and crop conditions around the state. Unlike some years of prolonged dry weather, she said conditions have changed quickly this year, with several days of 100-plus degree heat in July.“This is almost like a flash drought,” Meehan said. “It was dry, but then with the heat, it just really intensified things.”(None of North Dakota is in the extreme or exceptional drought categories, which can be found in other areas of the western United States.)Ritchison submits recommendations for which areas of the state fall into drought categories. He relies in part on a system called CMOR — Condition Monitoring Observations and Reports. People can submit photos, comments and anecdotal information through the nationwide system.There has been a spike in the number of comments submitted from North Dakota in the last week, with reports of lost crop yields, dried up watering holes for livestock and pastures that can’t be grazed.“Our alfalfa dried up, as we could not take a second cutting and our first cutting was only 40 bales compared to 60 last year,” Angie Johnson reported from northern Cass and southern Traill and Steele counties. “In many areas, the corn crop is completely fried and will have no yield. Soybeans and edible beans have aborted pods.”Ranchers are having to pull livestock off of pastures early, instead using what feed they may have on hand. Some producers are baling crops to use as livestock feed instead of trying to sell poor quality grain at the elevator.An annual mid-July wheat tour to estimate yields put the North Dakota crop at a respectable 48 bushels per acre. But Kessel said the prolonged hot and dry weather means the yields will not be as good as projected.Meehan encouraged people to keep submitting reports through CMOR to create an accurate drought picture. Some U.S. Department of Agriculture drought relief programs are triggered by an area being in a severe drought and the reports can be helpful when applying for federal disaster assistance.Ritchison said he tries to read every comment. “Citizen science can very much help,” he said.Firefighters Union vs. City of MoorheadFirefighters’ union 1323 in Moorhead is raising the alarm about what they are calling a lack of support from city officials.The union told KVRR News “Moorhead is growing, call volume is increasing, and firefighter staffing has not meaningfully kept pace in about 20 years.”They say the department isn’t meeting regional or national staffing standards, lacks a dedicated, staffed ladder truck, and is in desperate need of a third fire station.They added that there are other concerns, including aging fire stations built in the 1970s, and no dedicated training facility.They say they have “turnout gear and contamination-control issues, and firefighters buying their own workout equipment.”In December 2025, the city council voted to apply for a SAFER grant from the federal government to help solve some of these issues, however they never applied for the grant.The union says they’ve received no clarification on why the plan changed, despite the Police Department side applying for the grant.Amongst the issues is a growing concern of retaliation from city officials against those that speak out.Local 1323 President Eric Welk has been placed under the International Association of Fire Fighters “Guardian Policy” for the second time in two years. The policy provides legal representation to IAFF members who are subjected to retaliation for engaging in union-related activities or speaking out on matters of public concern.In a statement to KVRR, Moorhead Fire Chief Jeff Wallin said that they believed applying for the grant before a third fire station was approved would be premature.“For now, we are continuing day-to-day work, planning, and evidence-based decision making to ensure we meet our community’s needs with the staff and resources we have today.”Moorhead City Manager Dan Mahli denied the accusations of retaliation, saying in part “The City of Moorhead believes strongly in a professional and respectful workplace. The city does not retaliate against employees for their protected speech or roles in unions. We respect the labor‑management processes.”West Nile Virus Reported in Cass CountyThe North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services says a Cass County resident was hospitalized after contracting the mosquito-borne virus. It’s the first human case of West Nile virus this year, with health officials advising people to protect themselves from mosquitoes.Five North Dakota counties have reported mosquito pools positive for West Nile virus: Cass, Grand Forks, Richland, Ward and Williams.Most people infected with West Nile virus experience no symptoms, according to the agency. The North Dakota Monitor says those who develop symptoms will commonly report fever, headache, body or joint aches, or rash. People who develop severe illness may experience stiff neck, altered mental status, paralysis, coma, or possibly death.People over 60 or those with underlying health issues are most at risk for getting ill from the virus.Health and Human Services recommends using an insect repellent, eliminating areas of stagnant water where mosquitoes breed and wearing protective clothing between dusk and dawn.Last year, 86 people in North Dakota were infected with West Nile, leading to 36 hospitalizations and two deaths, according to the agency’s annual report.Paddlefish Caught Twice inNorth Dakota LakeA paddlefish tagged by North Dakota fisheries biologists in 2007 has provided an extraordinary glimpse into the longevity and growth of one of North America’s oldest fish species.As detailed in the North Dakota Outdoors magazine published by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, the fish was originally recorded at 87 pounds before being released into Lake Sakakawea.Eighteen years later, during the 2025 paddlefish snagging season, an angler caught the very same fish upstream of Williston.The story began in the spring of 2007 when North Dakota Game and Fish Department biologists netted the female paddlefish near the Montana border on the Yellowstone River. Instead of releasing it immediately, biologists transported the fish to the Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery, where it served as a brood fish.Its eggs were collected to produce fingerling paddlefish for stocking programs aimed at supporting healthy fish populations.After spawning, the fish was fitted with a jaw tag carrying the identification number ND 8841 and released into Government Bay on Lake Sakakawea in early June. At the time, it measured 48 inches from the eye to the fork of the tail and weighed 87 pounds.For nearly two decades, the paddlefish remained in the vast Missouri River system.Then, on May 2, 2025, during North Dakota’s annual paddlefish snagging season, an angler harvested the fish upstream of Williston.Fisheries staff identified the tag and confirmed it was the same individual released 18 years earlier. By then, the paddlefish measured 51inches from eye to fork and weighed 98 pounds, meaning it had gained 11 pounds while continuing to grow in length.LGBTQ Items Banned in DL SchoolsThe Detroit Lakes School Board voted 4-2 to ban LGBTQ+ rainbow flags, stickers, posters, and buttons in district buildings.The vote on July 7 passed 4-2. It directed Superintendent Mark Jenson to immediately remove items not funded, sponsored, or authorized by the district.The Detroit Lakes Tribune reports that teachers have allowed rainbow flags, stickers, posters, and buttons on roughly a dozen classroom doors as safe-space indicators for LGBTQ+ students.Board members who voted in favor cited “a goal of institutional neutrality,” arguing that displays symbolizing support for particular social or political values can alienate families and impact district enrollment.Superintendent Mark Jenson and dissenting board members stated they were blindsided by the last-minute, unannounced motion.Students, alumni and local advocates criticized the move as harmful and unwelcoming to vulnerable youth. The ACLU of Minnesota issued a letter urging the board to reverse the decision, raising concerns over discrimination and student civil rights.Former NDG&amp;F Commissioner SentencedMandan — Former North Dakota Game and Fish Department Commissioner Terry Steinwand was ordered to serve two years on supervised probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor sex crime under a plea agreement.Steinwand, who court records of Garrison, entered an Alford plea of guilty to one count of gross sexual imposition on April 30th. Steinwand will receive a suspended jail sentence of nearly one year and serve two years of supervised probation.Specific conditions included in Steinwand’s probation will require him to attend, participate in, cooperate with and successfully follow and complete all sex offender treatment program rules and requirements, and admit responsibility for his offense as part of the treatment requirements.The McKenzie County Farmer says Steinwand will also be required to attend aftercare if recommended by the probation officer or treatment staff, and he shall not initiate, establish or maintain contact directly or indirectly with any child under the age of 18, or attempt to do so, except under circumstances approved in advance and in writing by his probation officer.Minnesota Wildfires EasingGov. Tim Walz says that he does not see a need to call a legislative special session to extend the state’s “peacetime” emergency declaration for the wildfires in the Boundary Waters.Tens of thousands of acres over the past month have burned tens of thousands of acres in Minnesota. However, fire activity has been relatively calm recently. Hundreds of firefighters from across the country are still working to contain them.Walz praised the work of those firefighters and other first responders who have helped battle the fires in the northern Minnesota wilderness.He praised, saying, “…No loss of life, no significant injury, and protection of the vast majority of our infrastructure,”Walz also said calling a special session to address economic relief for businesses affected by the fires…appears unlikely at this point.“I think all of us … know the difficulty of coming to an agreement on a special session, especially at a time of political campaigns going on…”Walz said the Legislature should act as soon as it can, either in a special session or the next regular session, which begins in January.The fire has burned more than 65,000 acres in the BWCA.NDSU Insect CollectionGoes To The SmithsonianA North Dakota State University professor emeritus has donated a collection of more than 81,000 insect specimens to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington.Allan Ashworth, a university distinguished professor emeritus of geosciences, compiled the 81,014-specimen collection over decades.The collection made up of beetles, features specimens gathered from both the northern and southern hemispheres, including high-altitude habitats across the Rocky Mountains, the Cascades and New England. Ashworth and NDSU professor Donald Schwert used the insects to analyze ancient environments and reconstruct past climates throughout the Quaternary period, the geological epoch spanning from 2.6 million years ago to the present.KFGO News noted that each specimen in the collection includes detailed labels containing precise location data, ecological information, and the names of the student and faculty collectors. “Those names will now be in the Smithsonian,” Ashworth said.Ashworth’s relationship with the Smithsonian began in 1969, the same year he arrived at NDSU from England, when he visited Washington as a young geologist to identify fossilized insects from a site in Buchanan, North Dakota.In late July, Floyd Shockley, collections manager for the Smithsonian’s entomology department, traveled to Fargo with three museum specialists to oversee the packing and truck transport of the specimens to Washington, where the collection will reside within the museum’s Coleoptera department.“To know that the specimens that were part of the QEL collection will have a very long life after I, Don Schwert and students have passed is rewarding,” Ashworth said.Fargo Commission-or-Council Vote SetThe date for a public vote on whether Fargo will change from a City Commission system to a ward-based Council is October 6.Former Commissioner and member of the Fargo Wards Steering Committee Arlette Preston says changing to a ward system would better represent all Fargo residents, and create accountability for addressing concerns in specific neighborhoods.Voting machines are not available for the special election so the city is planning to use paper ballots for the election.The election will cost the city of Fargo $30,000-$50,000.</div></body>

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“July was one of the warmest and driest on record, and so in turn we had some very rapid shift into dry conditions across the state,” Daryl Ritchison, state climatologist for North Dakota, said last week. More than half of North Dakota is now in a drought, with blistering...

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“July was one of the warmest and driest on record, and so in turn we had some very rapid shift into dry conditions across the state,” Daryl Ritchison, stat

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