BORDER Archives - KVRR Local News

School cell phone ban, legal marijuana edibles & 80 MPH on interstates go into effect August 1

Both pieces of legislation signed by Governor Armstrong don't have universal support - with opponents of the phone ban saying it cuts off students' access to communication in case of emergency, while marijuana advocates wonder why recreational consumption isn't yet legal.

July 31, 2025

Gabriel Ostler,

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – It’s been a common refrain from educators and even parents frustrated at their child’s amount of screen time. Electronics are making it exceedingly difficult for kids to focus, especially in school. Thanks to HB 1160 – those distractions should be eliminated, starting on August 27 for the 2025-26 Fargo Public school year. “It’s also going to…

Convicted head of human smuggling plot gets 10 years after Indian family dies on US-Canada border

May 28, 2025

kvrr-apiuser,

(UPDATE 4PM) Steve Anthony Shand, got 6 1/2 years Wednesday with two years’ supervised release. FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — More than three years after a family of four from India froze to death while trying to enter the U.S. along a remote stretch of the Canadian border in a blizzard, the alleged ringleader of an international human smuggling plot was sentenced…

Protest Fills Both Sides of Veterans Memorial Bridge

The protest was one of many nationwide, organized under the "Hands off Day of Action" general umbrella.

April 6, 2025

Gabriel Ostler,

A few of the many signs on display.FARGO, N.D. – Protests against President Trump and the actions of his cabinet members, especially Elon Musk, have become fairly common as of late. The one that took place Saturday afternoon on the Veterans Memorial Bridge, though, dwarfed many other prior efforts. Organizers estimated that about 2,000 people turned up, waving signs and…

Tariffs Spark Worries About Decrease in Canadian Tourism

Experts say it's too soon to calculate the monetary value of lost revenue, but there has been anecdotal evidence that Canadians will choose not to spend money in America.

March 5, 2025

Gabriel Ostler,

FARGO, N.D. – Local leaders are raising concerns that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration may put a damper on Canadian tourism in North Dakota. Experts believe that tourism generates over $300 million a year in tax revenue for the Fargo-Moorhead area. However, the U.S. Travel Association estimates a 10% reduction in Canadian tourist visits in the wake of…

Border Between U.S. and Canada is Secure, but Officials Stress Vigilance

They say all the tools are there to maintain safety.

February 9, 2025

Gabriel Ostler,

PEMBINA, ND (KVRR) – Officials on both sides of this US – Canada border say it is very secure at present, but they’re keen to take proactive steps to keep it that way. To that end – two new black hawk helicopters acquired by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police took to the skies on January 17th. In a news release,…

Human Smuggler Testifies in Fergus Falls About Illegal Operation

November 20, 2024

kvrr-apiuser,

This combination image shows left to right; undated photo released by the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office shows Harshkumar Patel in Elk River, Minn., and undated photo released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows Steve Shand. (AP Photo)FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A man convicted of human smuggling testified Tuesday that he shuttled more than 500 Indian migrants across…

House Judiciary Subcommittee to Hold Field Hearing in Grand Forks on Border Issues

May 22, 2024

KVRR Staff,

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR/FOX) — Senate Democrats plan to force a vote Thursday on new border legislation. The bipartisan Border Security Package negotiated by Republican and Democratic senators is aimed at reducing border crossings, making it tougher for migrants to qualify for asylum and quickly turn away those who fail to meet it. It was defeated once before after former President…

Smuggling suspect knew of frigid cold before Indian family’s death on Canada/Minnesota border, prosecutors say

A man accused of helping smuggle people across the U.S.-Canadian border had been warned of blizzard conditions before he arranged for four members of an Indian family to cross in 2022, prosecutors allege. The parents and two young children froze to death

March 27, 2024

Site Staff,

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man accused of helping smuggle people across the U.S.-Canadian border had been warned of blizzard conditions before he arranged for four members of an Indian family to cross in 2022, prosecutors allege. The parents and two young children froze to death. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 28, who prosecutors say went by the alias “Dirty Harry,” is due…

Train Derails After Crash Near Noyes, Minnesota, 3 People Hurt

August 30, 2023

KVRR Staff,

KITTSON CO., Minn. (KVRR/KFGO) — Three people are hurt when a truck trailer and train collide in Kittson County, Minnesota near the U.S.-Canada border. Two crew members on the Canadian Pacific Kansas City train and the driver of the truck were taken to hospitals in Hallock and Cavalier. Their conditions are not available. Several train cars derailed but didn’t tip…

Seven of Nine Rescued Near Warroad Are Citizens of Mexico, 2 Others in Hospitals

April 19, 2023

TJ Nelson,

ROSEAU CO., Minn. (KVRR) — We have new details and images from Tuesday’s rescue of nine people crossing into Minnesota from Canada illegally. U.S. Border Patrol agents responded around 4:50 a.m. after a member in the group called for help. Agents say the men were in distress after exposure to harsh weather conditions near Warroad. They were all taken to…