Local Education & Workforce: Southwest Area Career and Technical Education Academy director Aaron Anderson was named the 2026 NDACTE Administrator of the Year, spotlighting Dickinson’s push to strengthen career and technical education. STEM Leadership: The North Dakota STEM Ecosystem elected new board officers, including Adam Gehlhar as vice president, and awarded support work to North Dakota’s Gateway to Science for statewide STEM initiatives. Health & Safety: State agencies urged residents to avoid contact with bats and report dead bats for rabies testing as late-summer migration increases activity near homes. Community & Culture: The Pride of Dakota Showcase returns to Dickinson Sept. 11-12 with more than 75 North Dakota-made vendors, plus free kids activities and live culinary demos. Civic Life: Rogers City Council approved $39M in capital improvement plan bonds for a new Civic Campus, including City Hall and a Police Department. Sports & Local Pride: North Dakota women and men topped the Summit League cross country preseason coaches’ poll—women first, men second—while Central McLean runners posted strong results at the Stanley Invitational. Public Debate: A federal appeals court vacated a 25-year sentence for a climate activist convicted of attacking energy infrastructure, saying the lower court improperly boosted it over an alleged “terrorist motive.” Outdoor & Heritage: A new look at North Dakota’s past includes a Casselton pharmacy liquor ledger showing how whiskey was once sold as “medicine,” adding a quirky twist to local history.