New school for South Fargo
The Fargo Forum reported that on Sept. 10, an unanimous vote by the Fargo School Board moved another step closer to building an 8th-9th grade school in South Fargo. The board recently updated the long-range facility plans which now is set on the design phase for the fall of next year. There is a possibility that the groundbreaking will be held in the spring of 2021. The 8th-9th grade school is projected to open in the fall of 2023 though the superintendent of Fargo Public Schools, Rupak Gandhi, wanted the public to know that the long-range facility plan is only an estimate of when the school will be built.
HIV awareness walk
People were able to show their support at the second annual HIV Awareness Walk on Sept. 10 at Island Park in Fargo. According to KVRR Local News, the event was put on by the North Dakota Community Planning Group for HIV and Vital Hepatitis Prevention, Care and Treatment (NDCPG). The purpose of the organization is to make sure that people in North Dakota have the access to HIV prevention services. People who came out to the walk were able to discuss the testing and treatment options for HIV and learn about the misconceptions that are linked with HIV. The NDCPG wants to reduce the stigma that’s associated with those who are living with or are at risk of HIV.
Drilling near national monument
The U.S. government has sold drilling rights to approximately 40 square miles of land near the Utah-Colorado boarder to Ayres Energy LLC as reported by the Miami Herold. With this comes protests from environmentalists and tribal organizations who don’t want the energy company drilling on the land near Hovenweep National Monument located in southeast Utah. The protesters claim that the drilling on the high desert can end up damaging the prehistoric tribal structures and pollute the air.
Apple watch price tags
Just about five years ago, Apple revealed the Apple smartwatch which was the first released hardware product after Steve Jobs’ death. Though people at first thought the product was worthless, this week Apple has shown the smartwatch is popular among consumers and is receiving some features that will help the product grow. According to CNN, one of these changes is the price tag. Apple has recently cut the price of their smartwatch in half. The typical smartwatch can be purchased for $300, but Apple is now selling the series three watch for $199 which is more comparable to the Fitbit which costs $169. The price slashes have been a tactic used by Apple before as they have cut the prices of their iPhones in order to appeal to the consumers with affordability.
Water repeal
The Trump administration announced a legal repeal of the clean water regulation on Sept. 12. The clean water regulation was put in place in 2015 and it limits the amount of pollutants and chemicals that can end up in the nations rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands. CNBC reported that the Trump administration proposed replacing the clean water regulation in December 2018 after President Trump issued an executive order that claimed the regulation restricted farmers, real estate developers and landowners rights. Environmental groups have spoken out about why the regulation shouldn’t be repealed claiming that the looser restrictions will harm the country’s safe drinking water sources.