By Lucy Wyndham
Farmers in northern Dakota are now facing a new threat to their canola crops: a pest called the canola flower midge, also known scientifically as the Contarinia Brassicola. Canola flower midges have been found in the canola crops in the northern area of Dakota; they lay their larvae onto the canola plants, which can potentially drastically reduce the yield of the crop. This can greatly affect farmers’ livelihoods, particularly if they rely mostly on the canola plant for their income.
How was the pest found, and where did it come from?
Canola flower midges were found in Northern Dakota by deploying survey traps during the year 2020, and they show no sign of leaving. A total of 10 traps were used across seven counties, and six out of 10 trap sites found positive matches for the pest in five counties. 10 pheromone lures from the hotspots in Canada were also used to monitor the midge situation in Northern Dakota, according to professor and entomologist Janet Knodel
Gov. Doug Burgum signed the funding bill on Monday. 11:00 am, Apr. 27, 2021 ×
UND President Andrew Armacost presents to the North Dakota Senate Appropriations committee on Monday, Jan. 18, at the North Dakota State Capitol. Sydney Mook / Grand Forks Herald
UND leaders are mostly pleased with the higher education funding bill signed Monday, April 26, by Gov. Doug Burgum.
“All in all, I think the funding that came forward through that bill is going to be good for institutions,” UND President Andrew Armacost said. “We use that money very carefully and with the taxpayers interests at heart.”
Legislators passed the higher education funding allotment last week without having to go through a conference committee. The bill includes more than $686.6 million in state funding for the system and its 11 institutions; UND’s allotment was around $152 million.
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The legislation includes more than $686.6 million in state funding for the system and its 11 institutions. 1:00 pm, Apr. 23, 2021 ×
Tammy Dolan
This week, for the possibly the first time in 20 years, North Dakota’s Legislature passed the higher education funding bill without the bill first going through a conference committee.
The budget, typically one of the last approved by lawmakers, was largely the same as set forth in January by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The legislation includes more than $686.6 million in state funding for the system and its 11 institutions.
It’s a long way from Gov. Doug Burgum’s proposed budget in December, which called for a 7.5% cut to the North Dakota higher-ed system amid falling enrollments across the North Dakota University System. It would have meant the loss of around 200 jobs systemwide, higher-ed leaders had estimated at the time.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signs campus free speech bill into law
The law prohibits activity fee funding discrimination based on a student organization’s viewpoint and allows speakers on campus regardless of their views. Additionally, it eliminates free speech zones on college campuses, though no campuses in the North Dakota University System have free speech zones. 4:03 pm, Apr. 21, 2021 ×
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum
With his signature on House Bill 1503, Gov. Doug Burgum has added campus free speech protections into North Dakota law.
The law prohibits activity fee funding discrimination based on a student organization’s viewpoint and allows speakers on campus regardless of their views. Additionally, it eliminates free speech zones on college campuses, though no campuses in the North Dakota University System have such zones.