JANUARY 2022

Additional 1,000 students projected for school district

Enrollment for McKenzie County Public School District #1 is projected to increase 1,000 students within the next decade. That is according to a recently-released study presented to the school board this month. The largest class this school year is kindergarten at 176 students, the smallest class is the seniors at 92. The study recommends the school district start considering plans for a third elementary school as well as ways to ensure adequate space in the middle school as the district enrollment continues to grow.

Employment for North Dakota Region 1 which includes the counties of McKenzie, Williams, and Divide is projected to increase from 38,221 in 2020 to 44,537 in 2030 which is a 16.5% increase. Employment for North Dakota is projected to increase from 453,632 in 2020 to 499,288 in 2030, a 10.1% increase. Region 1's growth rate is just below that of Region 5 which includes Fargo and its surrounding area. See more in this report from the Labor Market Information Center of Job Service North Dakota.

January Economy at a Glance

The January Economy at a Glance is now available. Some data of note include:



• McKenzie County's Taxable Sales and Purchases for 2021Q3 came in at $67,751,237 which represents a 33% increase from the 2020Q3 total of $50,862,240.

• Visitors to Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit tops 100,000 visitors coming in at 104,813 for 2021. In 2020 the visitor count came in at 90,605.

• Brookledge's apartment occupancy rate remains stable from December 2021 to January 2022 at 92%.

District 26 GOP Reorganizes

Due to redistricting, McKenzie County is now a part of North Dakota Legislative District 26. This week, the District 26 GOP held their reorganization meeting. At the meeting Representative Denton Zubke announced his plans to not run again. Senator Dale Patten announced he will plan to run again. Jeremy Olson and Reinhard Hauck announced their intentions to run for the House of Representatives. District 26 GOP will hold a meeting on March 7 to endorse candidates.

The new District 27 GOP officers that were elected include Sheldon Wahlstrom as Chair; Pete Transtrom as Vice Chair; Laurie Johansen as Secretary; Callie Thorne as Treasurer; and Cameron Wahlstrom and Weston Dvorak in the at-large positions.

ND Country Fest presents the 2022 Your Town Tour! Headlining this tour is country superstar, David Lee Murphy, along with Julia Cole and Diamonds and Whiskey. The concert will be on March 26 at the Rough Rider Center. More info and tickets here.

The All Industries NW North Dakota Semi-annual Job Fair will be happening on March 24, 2022 from 2-6pm at Williston State College. Employer registration deadline is March 17. Find more information here.

HESS corp's 2022 plans

HESS, which is a significant oil producer in McKenzie County, has announced its plans for 2022. For the Bakken, they are looking to increase production to 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent over the next several years and are considering adding a fourth rig by the end of 2022. See more in this Williston Herald article.

Foster parents needed

North Dakota is in need of more licensed foster homes. There are various levels of commitment available. To learn more visits this ND Department of Human Services webpage.

Leadership training opportunity

A full-day training event to improve one's soft and management skill development is coming to McKenzie County. Facilitator, certified trainer, and Professional Engineer Randy Wall, President of the Engineering Leadership Institute will guide participants through the unwritten laws of business, soft and management skills development, connect them with the responsibility of managers, and provide insight on FLOW, and the secret to optimal human experience. This one-day class, being offered through TrainND Northwest, will be available on February 17 and February 18 at the Rough Rider Center. To learn more and register visit here.

Isight Drones highlighted

ISight Drone Services was recently highlighted in this

Grand Forks Herald article. The company has operations in Watford City, Grand Forks and the Twin Cities. According to the article, the company's pilots has performed work in over 40 US states and internationally. They flew over 4,000 miles in McKenzie County inspecting roads.

Highway 85 expansion

Progress continues in getting Highway 85 4 laned from the Watford City bypass to the Long X Bridge near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. According to the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association, right of way is currently being acquired, which is anticipated to be completed by this summer. Utility movement should be completed by this fall, as well as project bidding. One could see construction commence by 2023. As the graphic shows, US Highway 85 consistently sees very high volumes of oversize/overweight vehicles that is similar to, or greater than, 4-lane roads in North Dakota.

Veeder releases children's book

Singer, songwriter, columnist and writer Jessie Veeder has released her first children's book: Prairie Princess. The book is inspired by Veeder's childhood growing up on her family's ranch in McKenzie County. The book is illustrated by local artist Daphne Johnson Clark. Veeder will be doing a reading and creative workshop for children at Door 204 in Watford City on January 21.

See more in this story from

KX News story as well as KFYR TV News story.

Musical comedy

The musical comedy team DUO BALDO is coming to Watford City. Their critically-acclaimed performances combine virtuosic performances, theatrical humor, and pop culture. While based in Italy, they have performed for audiences around the world with their unique blend of virtuosity and clever comedy. They will be performing as a part of the Long X Arts Concert Series on Tuesday, February 1, at 7pm at the WCHS Performing Arts Center. Find more concert information here.