Author: Emily Welker

LIVE: A Return to Elevated and Personalized Retail

FARGO — Workers at West Acres’s newest department sore are putting the final touches in place ahead of the Von Maur grand opening celebration Saturday morning. The company bills itself as an elevated shopping experience that offers hands-on, personalized customer service. They have free gift wrapping, free shipping, and in-house alterations. They also offer a variety of products from smaller,…

Pet Connection: Meet Vinny

FARGO — A beefy boy who narrowly escaped a bad ending to his story, Vinny the pit bull came to Pet Connection with the help of his friends at Kritter Krazy Reptile and Exotic Rescue in Bottineau, N.D. They found him at the local pound as a possible euthanasia candidate, and got him out in the nick of time. Once…

DOGE cuts threaten Fargo Public Library programs

FARGO (KVRR) – The director of Fargo’s public library says some of the city’s most popular library programs are at risk from DOGE cuts in Washington, D.C. Tim Dirks says the organization that oversees grants that go to state libraries was abruptly closed within the last few days, employees sent home and the building locked. Since then, they’ve brought back…

Portrait of Leonard Peltier heading to Library of Congress

BELCOURT, N.D. (KVRR) – Leonard Peltier is on home confinement here in North Dakota, But he’s still headed to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. That’s after a photo session with Bismarck-based wet plate photographer Shane Balkowitsch. Peltier sat for a two-hour portrait session in late March for a series of images that capture the controversial convict and Native…

LIVE: Pet Connection: Meet Hannon

FARGO — She’s a pocket-size treat for Pet Connection Thursday, but Hannon the blue heeler/Australian shepherd cross probably won’t stay that way. She’s part of a “surprise” litter of three that came in to 4 Luv of Dog shelter, and her two brothers have more of the typical brindle markings of blue heelers. However, you can see in her body…

LIVE: Laws on Claws

ST. PAUL — There could be a new law on claws soon in Minnesota. That’s after a bill was introduced at the state legislature that would outlaw declawing pet cats. It reflects a trend of outlawing the pet surgery that a number of other jurisdictions have passed across the country, including the states of New York and Maryland.H Other nations,…

Moorhead’s acting deputy police chief placed on paid administrative leave

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) – Moorhead’s acting deputy police chief has been placed on paid administrative leave. Moorhead City Manager Dan Mahli tells KVRR Local News that Captain Deric Swenson, who is also a police department spokesman, was placed on administrative leave after a complaint was filed. The allegations in the complaint have not been released. It’s also not clear whether…

LIVE: Pet Connection: Meet Reba

CASSELTON, N.D. — Reba the little boxer/lab mix was born about nine months ago somewhere in the Fertile, Minnesota area, and she’s already as smart, sweet and accomplished as her country-music namesake. She comes to us from Smiley’s Rescue courtesy of volunteer Crystal Aakre, who’s had a lot of success in her work with area shelter dogs in getting them…

New sanctuary provides shelter & care for abused animals

New Rockford, N.D. — It sounds a little like a real-life version of the famous children’s book “Charlotte’s Web.” But the backstories of these animal characters are very different, and much sadder, than the ones in the E.B. White novel. The new sanctuary, Hawkes Homestead, operating in the New Rockford area, gives shelter and care for surrendered, abandoned, neglected and…

Homelessness Numbers On The Rise in FM Metro

FARGO —  The region’s homelessness problem is on the rise. That’s according to officials with the United Way of Cass-Clay and the coalition United to End Homelessness. It’s a group of area organizations joining forces and mobilizing to get the problem reduced, and ultimately ended completely. They’ve identified a five percent increase in homeless rates, across all age and life…