Watford City | McKenzie County July 2023 update

July 2023

Ribfest 2023

Thousands of attendees, music, ribs, and other food vendors, inflatables, a cornhole tournament, and more will be coming to Watford City's Main Street on Friday, August 11 for the Best of the West Ribfest!

Click here for the schedule.

Taxable sales and purchases at all time high

Taxable sales and purchases for McKenzie County in 2023Q1 is the highest it has been for quarter 1 since at least 2017. The amount increased from $56.5 million in 2022Q1 to $76.7 million in 2023Q1--a 36% increase.

The Bakken Area Skills Center beam rising event

The Bakken Area Skills Center held their beam signing and rising event in late June where CTE students from Watford City High School had the opportunity to sign their names on the beam as a time capsule for future generations! Financial partner logos were also added to the beam for all their contributions in making this skills center possible.

Click here to view more photos of this exciting event!

Nationally-known social media influencer in Watford City

Blair Wheeler, a social media influencer from South Carolina, traveled to Watford City in June and highlighted many areas of the town and surrounding areas through his social media. Wheeler is a golfer, marketer, amateur photographer, husband, and adventurer who has been using social media to document his golf experiences all over the country. His 50,000 followers on Instagram has made him a successful influencer and many people love his goofy, family-friendly golf videos. In his Watford City video series, Wheeler showcased Fox Hills Golf Course as he golfed the course, ate at Stonehome, and adventured through the Theodore Roosevelt National Park North Unit. He has gained over 60,000 views on these highlighted videos.

To watch his videos and check out his time in Watford City, click here.

North Dakota leads nation in growth of earnings and real GDP

Recent data taken from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows North Dakota's exceptional performance in terms of earnings and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. According to the BEA estimates, North Dakota achieved the highest growth in real GDP among all 50 states in the first quarter of 2023, experiencing a surge of 12.4% over the past year, which is more than six times higher than the national increase of 2%. North Dakota also led the nation in earnings growth, with an annualized rate of 12.4% in the first quarter of 2023, nearly triple the national growth rate of 4.6%. The state's substantial increases in personal income and real GDP were attributed to oil and gas extraction, mining, and new project investments, leading to a rise in wages and employment opportunities.

Read more on North Dakota's economic growth here.

July Economy at a Glance

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

McKenzie County's May 2023 labor force was 9,780; in May 2022 it was 8,839.

Alexander's city sales tax distributions for June 2023 was $51,164; in June 2022 it was $24,460.

The landfill daily average for McKenzie County in June 2023 was 94.2 tons; in June 2022 it was 70.8 tons.

Keynote speaker announced for Main Street ND Summit

The State of North Dakota has announced Eric Termuende as a keynote speaker for the Main Street ND Summit. Termuende is a best-selling author, internationally recognized thought leader, and keynote speaker on all things future of work, leadership, workplace culture, and talent management. His work has inspired category-leading companies like Amazon, Coca-Cola Nationwide, IBM, and more. Learn more about Termuende's career here.

The Main Street ND Summit 2023 is set to take place on October 24-25 in Watford City. The Main Street Summit is a highly anticipated event that aims to bring together individuals and organizations to foster connections, inspire creativity, and gain valuable insights for community building and growth. Click here to register for the 2023 Main Street Summit.

Mining and Oil Extraction at near all time high

Taxable sales and purchases for North Dakota's Mining and Oil Extraction industry in 2023Q1 came in at $698.7 million, which represents a 59% increase from 2022Q1 and is close to the 2021Q1 total of $733.3 million.

McKenzie County attorney appointed to Northwest Judicial District judgeship

Governor Burgum has appointed Charles "Chas" Neff Jr. to serve as a judge in the Northwest Judicial District. Neff brings a wealth of legal experience, having worked as a staff attorney for the Northwest Judicial District Court since May 2020. Neff's background includes serving as McKenzie County state's attorney in 2017 and 2018 and as an assistant state's attorney from 2014-2017, where he handled thousands of criminal cases and advised on legal matters for the County Commission. He is an active member of the legal community, belonging to the Upper Missouri Bar Association, and is also involved with the Long X Arts Foundation.

Neff's appointment fills the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Paul W. Jacobson and will be based in Williston, ND.

Read more on Chas Neff Jr.'s judgeship appointment here.

Indian Arts Festival to be held at Fort Union Trading Post

The Indian Arts Festival is scheduled for August 5-6, located at the Fort Union Trading Post. The festival will showcase American Indian history and culture through music, singing, dancing, traditional crafts and lectures by tribal historians and elders from tribes of the Upper Missouri.

The schedule of events can be found here.

Housing program available

The McKenzie County JDA Home Builder Construction Loan Participation Program has been approved with $4.5 million in revolving loan funds provided by the McKenzie County Commission. The purpose of the program is to incentivize builders to build 3-6 houses at a reduced construction loan interest rate. Builders will work with their local lender, and the lender will submit the application to the JDA.

For more information on the program, click here.

Watford Market set to start

The Watford Market is set to start July 20 and will run every Thursday night from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Kent Pelton Nature Park until September 28. Now in its eighth season, Watford Market brings together farmers and makers with the public and also includes live music, food and demonstrations.

Check out the Watford Market Facebook page here.

ND Navigators coming to Watford City

North Dakota Navigators is coming to Watford City's McKenzie Health to provide free, unbiased and local education about different health insurance options. ND Navigators are certified to help individuals and families with looking for and enrolling in health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Plans (CHIP). Sorting through health insurance plans can be confusing and frustrating. ND Navigators can help by answering questions and assisting in comparing plans so individuals can be confident with their selection.

If you don't have health insurance or know of somebody who doesn't have health insurance and would like to learn more, reach out to ND Navigators at ndnavigators@minotstateu.edu or by visiting their website.

Watford City's Mitch Haugeberg's board game Strike it Rich now available for purchase

Watford City resident Mitch Haugeberg invented a board game named Strike it Rich in the 1990s that can now be purchased by anyone. Described as cross between Monopoly and The Game of Life, Strike it Rich is a classic family-style board game that is simple to learn, fast-paced and educational.

Visit the Long X Visitor Center in Watford City (100 2nd Ave SW) to purchase this innovative and fun board game, or visit the Strike it Rich website to purchase online.

Homestead Physical Therapy opens

A locally owned outpatient physical therapy clinic named Homestead Physical Therapy held its grand opening in Watford City on July 12. Homestead Physical Therapy will help treat locals with a caring and friendly hand and will treat many different injuries. Therapy services include manual therapy, sports rehabilitation, workers compensation rehabilitation, kinesiotaping, dry needling, and other treatment services. Homestead Physical Therapy is located at 105 9th Ave SE, Suite 2.

Visit their website or call 701-842-4424 so set up an appointment.

Healthcare training facility coming to Williston State College

Williston State College (WSC) is working on a significant initiative to address the growing demand for healthcare professionals by constructing a state-of-the-art healthcare training facility on its campus to attract individuals interested in the healthcare field. The proposed building, totaling 40,000 square feet and spanning two stories, will house classrooms, labs, office spaces, and an auditorium. The facility will also include an ambulance bay to accommodate a new paramedic/EMT program. This project is one of three major capital projects planned for WSC. Construction is projected to commence in late fall or early spring.