Top Stories Of 2023 For The Red River Valley

Some major events changed our entire region forever in 2023. KVRR's Adam Ladwig put together a list of some of the biggest stories, both good and bad, that impacted the Red River Valley this year

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Some major events changed our entire region forever in 2023. KVRR’s Adam Ladwig put together a list of some of the biggest stories, both good and bad, that impacted the Red River Valley this year.

2023 started with dashed hopes. The NDSU Bison made yet another FCS Championship game, this time against arch rival South Dakota State. But it was the Jackrabbits who would prevail, giving the Bison their first loss in Frisco after nine titles in 11 years. SDSU won their first FCS title, 45 to 21.

In February, the Grand Forks City Council killed the controversial Fufeng corn milling plant project. The Chinese company bout 370 acres of land north of the city and was slated to build the ag facility until concerns over national security and its proximity to sites like the Grand Forks Air Force Base prompted a strong resistance.

Lawmakers in the region had a busy year. Democrats in Minnesota enjoyed a new majority in the State Senate, giving them control of both legislative chambers and the governor’s seat. They used that advantage to push forward an ambitions agenda, passing gun safety packages, expanded voting rights, free meals for all students, and increased protections for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ people. The session put Minnesota in the political spotlight, with former president Barack Obama heaping praise on lawmakers for their accomplishments.

The man who was once the longest active-serving state senator in North Dakota was indicted on federal sex crime charges. Ray Holmberg is accused of traveling to the Czech Republic multiple times for the purpose of engaging in sex with a minor, as well as receiving child porn. Holmberg served District 17 in Grand Forks from 1976 to 2022. He is set to go on trial next April.

North Dakota governor Doug Burgum ran for president. He launched his campaign in June. Burgum spent months campaigning, but he never climbed far in the polls. He qualified for the first two GOP debates in part thanks to a novel strategy. He gave away 20 dollar gift cards for donations as little as one dollar to reach donor requirements. But he failed to raise his national profile enough to make the third debate and dropped out of the race in early December.

A man who brought one of Fargo’s marquee events to life dies tragically. Fargo Marathon founder Mark Knutson fell off his bike and was hit by a truck in Detroit Lakes in July. He was just 53 years old. Knutson started the Fargo Marathon in 2005. Tributes poured in for the man who helped put running on the map in the Metro.

July 14th will forever be one of the darkest days in Fargo’s history. 23-year-old Fargo Police officer Jake Wallin was shot and killed by a gunman who also shot and injured two other officers and a civilian bystander. Officer Zach Robinson shot and killed the gunman and may have saved the city from further tragedy. Authorities say he was likely heading to the crowded downtown street fair when he came across a crash scene that officers were attending to.

The skyline will never be the same after the 52-year-old Lashkowitz high rise was imploded in September, three years after the plan to tear down the building was approved. They are replacing the high rise with a 110 unit apartment development with low-income housing.

War broke out in Israel and Gaza in October, and the impacts stretched here to the Red River Valley. Members of a tour group from West Fargo’s Holy Cross Catholic Church were in Israel when Hamas launched an attack in the country. As Israel responded and full-blown war began, they were stranded in the country for days before fleeing to Jordan, and eventually making their way back home.

The man convicted of murdering George Floyd, an event that sparked worldwide protest and changed the conversation surrounding race and policing in America, is stabbed in Prison. A fellow inmate is accused of stabbing Derek Chauvin 22 times the day after Thanksgiving at a prison in Tucson, Arizona. That’s where Chauvin is serving a 22-year prison sentence.

A major story is currently unfolding involving the son of U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer. 42-year-old Ian Cramer is charged in the death of Mercer County Deputy Paul Martin following a chase in early December. Senator Cramer says his son was suffering from a mental health issue when he stole a family vehicle and fled from a Bismarck Hospital.
Deputy Martin was outside his squad vehicle when Ian Cramer hit the vehicle, which then hit and killed Martin.

And finally, we start with the Bison, and end with the Bison. Head Coach Matt Entz left Fargo after their overtime loss in the fcs semifinals to Montana, agreeing to take a position at Linebackers Coach and assistant Head Coach for Defense at USC in Los Angeles. He leaves the Bison after five season as head coach and 2 FCS titles. Former Bison assistant Tim Polasek is back in town to replace him. We’ll have to see how the Bison fare with a new coach, and what other stories make the top headlines, in 2024.