Having been in the Hettinger Public School system for only eight years, Jennifer Fordahl had not thought about being the 2026 Adams County Teacher of the Year, but here she is. Originally from Choctaw, OK, she met her husband Jeremy Fordahl in her last year of college as both were receiving business degrees from ...

Sunday, August 9 will bring internationally acclaimed Ukranian musicians Dmytro Somkin and Ksenilia Somina to the third annual Rockin’ in Reeder event. The couple now make Bismarck, ND their home …

The Hettinger City Council and Adams County Commissioners met in special session for their annual joint meeting on Tuesday, July 21. The first joint contract to be reviewed was the sheriff …

WE MAY NOT KNOW what the inside looks like, but at least we can see the changes and the forward progress happening on the outside of the bowling alley. If you notice how brown the cinder blocks are …

The Senior Citizens Center in Hettinger is maintained by the members of the 2nd Forty Club.  After reorganizing in 2025, they applied and received a $2000 grant from the Adams County Community …

While Holly Gaugler’s role at Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center (JMHCC) has evolved over the years, her commitment to com-munity and family has remained constant. Today, she dons her …

Throughout 2026, the ND250 Commission, administered by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, is leading the state’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United …

Over a three-day stretch that began last Friday, the New Salem Civic Club’s Cow Town Hoe Down brought families, friends, neighbors and classmates together for a weekend of reunions, food, games, friendly competition and music ...

The Mandan Chiefs played a two-game series against the Dickinson Roughriders on Friday, July 17. It was to be the club’s last home series of the regular season and served as an early send off to an …

The New Salem Park Board met for their monthly meeting on the evening of Tuesday, July 14, where they discussed and reviewed updates on local attractions and park property. Having held their meeting …

Amid a haven of lush vegetables and fragrant flowers, Shannay Witte has created her own little paradise in the yard of the Witte family farm near Regent. Sheltered from destructive winds and roaming rabbits, her garden is tucked away inside a high tunnel. The 100- by 30-foot structure was placed in 2012 on the Shannay and Keith Witte farm through a cost-shared Natural Resources Conservation Service program for high tunnel kits. When asked to take part in the program as more of an experiment than anything, Keith was fairly certain the space would be storing machinery after a couple years. But Shannay has diligently been planting early and harvesting late, as she finds the benefits of the semi-indoor garden. The high tunnel arrived as a kit to build a metal frame covered in plastic. The ends made of fabric with zippers have since been replaced with polycarbonate. The sides roll up and down, with chicken wire lining the bottom to keep critters out, but to allow a breeze inside to help regulate the temperature. Unlike traditional greenhouses, plants are grown directly in the ground inside a high tunnel. The high tunnel traps solar heat and protects plants from harsh weather and pests. Shannay grows both vegetables and flowers inside her high tunnel. “Whatever makes me happy, I put in here,” she says. Her lush garden includes 8-foot-tall sweet corn and a bounty of other vegetables, with the vining plants creeping up panels rather than spreading across the ground. Yellow gladiolus flowers come from Keith’s grandmother’s bulbs. Zinnias are used to create church bouquets. Tucked in the back are aromatic perennial mint and lemon verbena. A section of grape vines are producing enough to make grape juice with a steam juicer, with over 40 pounds of grapes produced last year. Ripened lettuce in early spring and fresh tomatoes in October are just a few of the benefits of a high tunnel garden. Shannay was still cutting lettuce in Thanksgiving the first year, but has tempered her gardening ambitions since. “Be realistic about how much size you need,” she offers to others considering a high tunnel. “Be realistic about how much input you have to put in here, like the water.” “You have to love it, because once you have this going on, you can’t just walk away,” she says. So, she’s in her garden at 5:30 a.m. most mornings, sometimes simply sitting inside the high tunnel during the spring just to soak in the warmth. Shannay also participates in variety trials through Tom Kalb, an NDSU Extension horticulturalist. Over 300 families work with North Dakota State University every summer to evaluate promising vegetable and cut-flower varieties in their backyards through the trials. This year, Shannay planted squash, zinnias, cucumbers, corn, carrots, beans, peas and lettuce through the trials, then will share the results of her trials to help develop a list of recommended varieties for the state. The trials have also encouraged her to experiment with different varieties of vegetables, including planting yellow wax beans instead of green beans one year. “I won’t plant green beans again,” she says. “I love the yellow wax beans.” Shannay puts her analytical talents into developing a spreadsheet each winter to plan her next garden inside the high tunnel. “My husband, the farmer, has lots of advice for me and one of those things is you can’t plant the same thing in the same place all the time,” she says. “He’s like, ‘You have to rotate your crops, honey,’” she says with a laugh. “It’s just very enjoyable,” she says. “You can control so many more factors when you have this enclosed space. It just increases your ability to be successful. You don’t get the 100-mile-an-hour wind that knocks all your corn flat on the ground. And light hail isn’t going to do anything.” The climate inside the high tunnel can be controlled by raising and lowering the sides, especially during the spring and fall. In the summer, the sides remain raised to allow the breeze inside. On a sunny January day, it will be 50 degrees inside the tunnel while it’s freezing outside. But planting too early inside the high tunnel won’t reap more rewards, she says. “One thing I’ve learned, though, is that plants are attuned to the slant of the sun,” she says. “While I could probably plant stuff in here in February or March, it’s not going to do well, because the sun is not at the right angle.” While the high tunnel traps moisture, keeping it humid for plant growth, she does have to watch for fungal diseases. Another downside is the high tunnel’s inability to allow rain inside. “Every single drop of water, you have to put in here,” Shannay says. Rather than watering at ground level, Shannay uses an overhead sprinkler system to water the plants. “It waters so much more efficiently. Instead of watering for five hours, I only water for two-and-a-half or three hours and get the same amount of water,” she says. A hose is attached to a hydrant outside, then leads to the sprinkler system down the middle of the tunnel. “The watering system was a huge improvement,” she says. Weed control is accomplished with weed barrier and hand weeding within the rows. “I couldn’t do this without weed barrier,” she says. “And, I can keep the bunnies and the deer out,” she says. And plants thrive inside the tunnel, because they don’t battle the wind. “Wind is one of the things that keeps your plants stunted,” she says. Without the wind, however, pollination can be an issue. But last year, the tunnel was filled with bees busily buzzing around the plants, coming and going through the wire openings on the side. The plastic covering the high tunnel has survived the weather, as the structure is surrounded by protective trees as well. She has lost one cover to hail, which also damaged the siding and shingles on the family home. Inside the high tunnel, Shannay plucks a cucumber from the vine, sharing her bounty with friends and family from within her little paradise.

After a two-month absence by the contractor, the city of Mott has denied a requested 60-day extension to complete an approximately $4.6 million water and sewer improvement project. The project is …

The Mott City Council approved an investment plan for a $2 million endowment to the city of Mott during its regular meeting July 13. The council approved investing the endowment in a 59-month CD at a …

An $8 million Main Avenue reconstruction project in the city of Regent is underway. The revitalization of Main Avenue will include replacement of sewer and water lines, street repaving and new curbs …

Four consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures in much of the region took a toll on crops and livestock last week. Temperatures searing the region spiked to 107 degrees in Amidon on Sunday, July …

As promised last week, here are the final results for many of the events held at the Golden Valley County Fair July 9 - 12. We checked in with Dawn Ueckert at the Extension office in Beach to see how the fair went. “Despite the heat, the fair was very successful. The new events were well received. The community once again supported the 4-H Achievement Days,” she said. “We are so appreciative of all those who participated.” Many of the 4-H members showed their animals at the fair. Below are the champions and reserve champions, listed by category of animal. Beef and Heifers Top Beef Showman, Harley Feiring. Reserve Beef Showman, Taylor Feiring. Champion Market Beef, Harley Feiring. Reserve Champion Market Beef, Taylor Feiring. Champion Breeding Heifer, Taylor Feiring. Reserve Champion Breeding Heifer, Kirby Dietz. Dairy Cow Top Dairy Showman, Bronson Manhart. Reserve Dairy Showman, Destiny Lee. Champion Dairy Cow, Bronson Manhart. Reserve Champion Dairy Cow, Destiny Lee. Sheep and Lamb: Top Sheep Showman, Harley Feiring. Reserve Sheep Showman, Dillon Manhart. Champion Market Lamb, Harley Feiring. Reserve Champion Market Lamb, Dillon Manhart. Champion Breeding Sheep, Oakley Manhart. Reserve Champion Breeding Sheep, Bronson Manhart. Pen of 3 Sheep, Bronson Manhart. Swine Top Swine Showman, Dillon Manhart. Reserve Swine Showman, Bronson Manhart. Champion Market Swine, Dillon Manhart. Reserve Champion Market Swine, Bronson Manhart. Champion Breeding Gilt, Preston Gasho. Reserve Champion Breeding Gilt, Mikayla Gasho. Pen of 3, Dillon Manhart. Dairy Goat Overall Dairy Goat Showman, Anna Lee. Overall Reserve Dairy Goat Showman, Destiny Lee. Champion Dairy Doe, Anna Lee. Reserve Champion Dairy Goat, Addie Kerr. Meat, Market and Breeding Goat Overall Meat Goat Showman, Harley Feiring. Overall Reserve Meat Goat Showman, Taylor Feiring. Champion Market Goat, Harley Feiring. Reserve Champion Market Goat, Taylor Feiring. Champion Breeding Goat, Taylor Feiring. Reserve Champion Breeding Goat, Harley Feiring. Horse Top Horse Showman, Taya Feldmann. Reserve Horse Showman, Tegan Feldmann. Horsemanship, Taya Feldmann. Poultry Top Poultry Showman, Avery Olstad. Reserve Poultry Showman, Elly Pearson. Champion Poultry, Avery Olstad. Reserve Champion Poultry, Elly Pearson. Rabbit Top Rabbit Showman, Ahava Kerr. Reserve Rabbit Showman, Bo Christopher. Champion Rabbit, Kambree Dietz. Reserve Champion Rabbit, Ariah Kerr. Round Robins Champion Round Robin, Harley Feiring. Champion Small Animal Round Robin, Avery Olstad. In the Blue Building at the fairgrounds, crafts and other items were on full display for people to admire. Out of 164 exhibitors, there were 40 first-timers. In all, there were 838 exhibit items from 4-H members and those who entered the Open Class Sweepstakes. Here are the winners of Open Class Sweepstakes. These exhibitors earned the most points in each category. Ag Production: Althea Kerr. Garden Products: Barb Oppegard. Baking: Ami Brookens. Needlework/Sewing: Ami Brookens. Food Preservation: Ami Brookens. Crafts: Ami Brookens. Arts: Shiloh Pinkey. Photography: Elly Pearson. Flowers: Barb Oppegard.

The Golva City Council met on July 13 at City Hall. All council members were present for the meeting, as well as Public Works Manager Neal Trewhella and guest Jan Kuchera. Newly-elected Mayor Clay …

If you visited city hall this past winter, you may have been lucky enough to view a table full of jewelry boxes, candy dishes, bookends and various other amazing creations made by Golden Valley …

The Beach School District School Board met on July 8 to elect the new officers, discuss school buses, budgeting for next year and health insurance. Since this was the first meeting back after the …

With a first-responder escort out of town, Belfield High School graduates Rubi Johnson and Shane Stroh rolled out of town on Friday, July 17 as they were headed towards the 2026 installment of the National High School Rodeo Finals in Lincoln, Neb. It was the first such trip for Stroh – whose family members have appeared in the event more than 20 total times – and the second for Johnson, who last earned a spot at Nationals during her sophomore year. “I mean, it feels good, I’m really excited to get down there and start the week,” Johnson said. “I went when I was a sophomore, so It’s my last one and I feel more confident.” Stroh expressed similar sentiments, and while his Dad, Shaun Stroh, went to the national finals on five different occasions he also had numerous family and friends travel to Lincoln to watch him ride bucking horses on the national stage for the first time in his career. “I’m pretty excited, and I think the atmosphere is going to set me up good for college,” Shane said. “There’s a lot of people that go to every single performance, so just seeing the atmosphere and all the other good bronc riders back there, I’m pretty excited to just engage myself in that situation. “It’s just the atmosphere, and I’m pretty excited to see it. I’ve never had anything like this before, although I rode one time down in Cody, Wyo. with a good atmosphere, but nothing’s going to beat this.” In the meantime, Mrs. Stroh is excited for her son and watching him compete on a larger stage and in a bigger arena. “It’s his first finals, and it’s his last finals, so we’re going to make the best of it, and tomorrow (Sat. July 18) is his birthday, so I’m going to just celebrate – I thought, ‘They had it just the right time, didn’t they?’” Mrs. Stroh said. “This is our 17th trip to national finals for the kids, in both junior high and high school, and Shaun went five times to the national finals, so the tradition is strong in our family.” Rubi’s Mom, Amanda Johnson, said she was anticipating her daughter’s second trip to Nationals as a sendoff to Rubi’s future position on the rodeo team at South Dakota State University in Brookings. “It’s fun, and it’s probably a little more fun this time because my sister and her family will be there, and they rodeoed in North Dakota this year; they’re from South Dakota, but they rodeoed up here,” Mrs. Johnson said. “So, it’s just always a lot of fun because a lot of the parents are old friends, and it feels like a little bit of a reunion for us and a lot of people we’ve rodeoed with in college and high school. We get to spend the week with them, and it’s fun to see their kids and get to know them again.” The two 2026 graduates were among more than 1,700 competitors fighting not only for world championship titles but also college scholarships across a wide range of events, including bull riding, saddle-bronc riding, barrel racing, team roping, and cutting. The Stroh family has a strong rodeo tradition in general, and with Shane headed to compete for the Dickinson State University rodeo team starting in the autumn, he’s also looking forward to one final go-round with his longtime friends. “I’m pretty excited to see all my buddies ride, and that’s going to be cool for me; I’m excited to see Chase Kling, Bleu Wanner and Cooper Martin, because all three of those guys have a really good shot at winning the world, so I’m really excited for them,” Shane said. “I mean, I could go out there and do whatever I do, but I’m just more excited for them because those are some good bronc-riders, so I’m excited to see all my friends succeed too.” The event got under way on Sunday, July 19 and lasts through July 25, so the Billings County Pioneer will have all the local results for area athletes in the July 30, 2026 edition of the paper. For more information about Belfield Public School and South Heart Public School, and all their activities, please keep reading the Billings County Pioneer and/or visit their websites at www.belfield.k12.nd.us or www.southheart.k12.nd.us. Please see the Billings County Pioneer’s Facebook page for more photo-galleries and videos.