The City of Minot is set to host a public town hall on Wednesday, May 28, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at City Hall, providing residents an opportunity to engage directly with the three finalists vying for the position of Chief of Police. This initiative underscores the city’s commitment to transparency in its hiring process, allowing community members to pose questions and assess each candidate’s vision for the department. The finalists include Michael Frye, a retired Minneapolis Police Lieutenant with expertise in civil unrest response and homeland security; Edward A. Orgon Jr., the current Chief of Police in Lake Hallie, Wisconsin, and a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and Dale Plessas, Minot’s Interim Chief of Police since September 2024, who brings 23 years of service within the department and emphasizes transparency and collaboration.
On May 20, 2025, a bipartisan U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee indicated plans to allocate more funding to the Department of the Interior than President Trump’s proposed budget. During a hearing, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the administration’s proposed $5 billion cut to the department, emphasizing priorities like national security and technological competition. However, lawmakers from both parties expressed concerns over the potential impacts of such reductions on public lands, environmental programs, and tribal services. The subcommittee’s stance reflects Congress’s intent to assert its budgetary authority and ensure adequate resources for the Interior Department’s diverse responsibilities.
North Dakota State Representative Cindy Schreiber-Beck, R-Wahpeton, passed away on May 18, 2025, at the age of 70. Elected to the legislature in 2014, she served as vice chair of the House Education Committee and was widely respected for her bipartisan approach and deep expertise in K-12 and higher education policy. Beyond the Capitol, Schreiber-Beck was a prominent figure in aviation, volunteering nearly 40 years as executive director of the North Dakota Agricultural Aviation Association and co-owning Tri-State Aviation with her late husband. She also served 25 years on the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission and was instrumental in establishing the state’s Unmanned Aerial Systems test site. In March, she was inducted into the North Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame. Governor Kelly Armstrong ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of her interment, and funeral services are scheduled for May 28 at the Fargo Air Museum.
