Trump comes to town
On June 27, President Donald Trump held a campaign rally at Scheels Arena in Fargo to support Senate candidate Kevin Cramer. The event was packed to the brim with supporters, and reports said thousands were turned away due to lack of room.
Trump congratulated the “North Dakota State Bison” to a rousing applause and went on to boast about his tax cuts and what he believed he accomplished while in office. The president made room in his speech to introduce Cramer and let him speak to the crowd. Cramer thanked Trump for not forgetting North Dakota and for pushing policies that Cramer said were right for North Dakotans.
LGBT support in Fargo
FM Pride hosted their annual pride festivities in downtown Fargo. The organization hosted events ranging from a parade on Broadway to interfaith worship at the Fargo Theatre. This summer’s festivities were actually the 18th consecutive FM Pride collaboration.
In regard to the festivities and what they meant to the community, the pride parade Grand Marshal Mara Wessel said, “This is one of those events or weeks where being in the LGBTQ+ community, I feel supported and comforted, and that’s what it’s for. It’s for people to feel like they have a place.” The parade included pride flags and floats.
Blue Angels make an appearance in Fargo
Fargo hosted the Blue Angels along with 14 other cities in late July for the first time in three years. The Blue Angels F-18 pilots performed coordinated stunts and maneuvers over Fargo as part of their eight-month tour in the U.S.
Commander Eric Doyle, who has roots in Fargo, told the Fargo Forum that, “Every airshow is unique; it has its own excitements and challenges. I’m excited to be here with so much family, and Fargo is such a great community.” The Blue Angels were founded in the 1940s by Admiral Chester Nimitz.
North Dakota primaries
Primary elections were held to determine both parties’ choice for U.S. Senate and House seats, State senate and house seats, attorney general, secretary of state, and agricultural commissioner. The election everyone is watching is the U.S. Senate race between Heidi Heitkamp and Kevin Cramer.
Cramer was North Dakota’s only U.S. House representative, but said he was coaxed into the Senate race by colleagues and the president himself. Cramer defeated Thomas O’Neil, an Air Force veteran with an anti-immigration stance, to become the Republican nominee. The election is forecasted to be very close, with Cramer leading by 4 percent in a recent poll.
Construction conundrum
South Fargo was a sea of orange constructions cones, equipment and frustration as people dealt with a lane split on University Drive and a closed 10th Avenue. The congestion caused by the construction lasted most of the summer and is forecasted to worsen with the school year.
City engineer Jeremy Gordon said the project is warranted, explaining, “The pavement condition out there is bad so when we’re all said and done, this will be a great project.” The construction caused confusion at the beginning of the year, according to the engineers. They hope it will be cleared up by Labor Day.
The Washington Post gives the scoop on Fargo
The Washington Post published an article on Aug. 16. about what the heck is actually in Fargo. The article by Melanie D.G. Kaplan contained different cultural locations in Fargo, from the Plains Art Museum to Young Blood Coffee.
Kaplan aimed to distinguish the town from the movie with its namesake, and described the city as “a slice of Oz on the eastern edge of the Great Plains — quirky, colorful and full of surprises.” Kaplan also referenced the people that live in Fargo and Moorhead saying, “They all seem to share a remarkable can-do attitude and collaborative energy.”