North Dakota
Cellphone ban means less drama, more focus for some North Dakota students
North Dakota schools implemented a bell-to-bell cellphone restriction for the 2025-26 school year and some administrators are starting to see the results.
Controversial data center moves forward in eastern North Dakota
Local leaders in North Dakota pushed forward with a planned data center development this week after contentious public hearings.
North Dakota’s ‘aviation spirit’ lives on through drones
The state used drones to examine damage from last month’s severe storms and is experimenting with delivery as a way to make life easier for its rural residents and military bases.
North Dakota version of DOGE to take a slower approach to cost savings
North Dakota’s version of DOGE is poised to begin work this week, but members say it won’t be just like the federal government version that inspired it.
North Dakota to require age verification for pornography sites
The new legislation also prohibits deepfakes and recommends study of impacts of explicit content.
How governments can get agencies to stop using foreign drones: Pay up.
A proposed bill in North Dakota offers an effective model for other states looking to cut ties with foreign-made drones.
North Dakota lawmakers discuss adding computer-generated images to definition of child pornography
Possessing a computer-generated image of child pornography would be punishable as a felony in North Dakota under a bill discussed Monday by state lawmakers.
Cross-state partnership looks to boost drone use and research
The Tennessee Department of Transportation announced this week it would partner with North Dakota to build its own testing site and figure out potential uses for the technology.
Ballot questions tackle high property taxes that come with rising home values
Colorado’s new cap on property tax revenue isn’t enough for some activists. Conservatives elsewhere agree.
North Dakota Governor for President?
What the U.S. Supreme Court rulings mean for states and localities; watching the debt limit drama; and more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.
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The Country’s Most Cost-Effective Highway Systems
North Dakota’s highways are in the best condition for the least amount of money, according to an annual report released this month.
How Common Are Ransomware Attacks? Lawmakers Want to Find Out.
Nobody knows how often government agencies are hit.
Timber, Condos, Glamping? States Debate Land Use to Fund Schools
Some states are getting into the development business.
Oil-Friendly States Fight Back Against Sustainable Investment Trend
New bills would force states to stop investing in companies that use sustainable strategies.
Americans Aren’t Actually Quarantining
Many states have quarantine requirements for visitors, but only one really enforces them: Hawaii.
Study: The Best—and Worst—State Highway Systems
North Dakota maintained its first-place ranking in the 25th Annual Highway Report, which uses 13 categories to evaluate the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-run highways.
North Dakota Will Allow Covid-Positive Hospital Staff to Keep Working
STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Money runs out on Honolulu rail project … El Paso County plans to set up 10 mobile morgues as Covid deaths rise … Most Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical of ACA challenge.
One Republican Governor Reversed Course on a Mask Mandate. Others Are Still Resisting.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declared an indefinite statewide mask mandate on Sunday as coronavirus cases continue to spike around the country, but other governors—including those in states hit hardest by the virus—haven't budged.
Covid-19 Cases Dropped by 75% in One State After Local Leaders Were Allowed to Require Masks
A CDC report said the drop followed a spike in cases in Arizona after the state's stay-at-home order expired, underscoring the utility of face coverings in curbing spread of the disease.
In Slumping Energy States, Plugging Abandoned Wells Could Provide an Economic Boost
North Dakota may be the only state using CARES Act money to plug abandoned oil wells.
