Bismarck State College and The Dakota Institute of Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation hosted a two-day symposium that observed and examined the effect of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Heartland of America.

Seven additional experiences are now available on video on demand. (To view these shows online, you will need Windows Media Player.)

1) 9/11 Ten Years Later – The Psychological Impact – Gerard Jacobs, Ph.D., faculty at University of South Dakota (9/10/11)

2) 9/11 Ten Years Later – America’s Troops’ Morale: Coping with PTSD in Post-9/11 – MSGT Mike Carswell, USAF (9/10/11)

3) 9/11 Ten Years Later – The War on Terror – Progress and Pitfalls – Geoffrey Wawro, Author of Quicksand and faculty at University of North Texas (9/10/11)

4) 9/11 Ten Years Later – Partnering with Communities to Prevent Violent Extremism: North Dakota Perspectives – Tim Purdon, United States Attorney for the State of North Dakota (9/10/11)

5) 9/11 Ten Years Later – Homeland Security/TSA – John Hursey, North Dakota Director, TSA (9/10/11)

6) 9/11 Ten Years Later – American Muslim Relations – Martin Loken, Consul General, Canada and Simon Cordery, Ph.D., Monmouth College (9/10/11)

7) 9/11 Ten Years Later – Intelligence and Ethics – Chris Bailey, faculty at National Intelligence University (9/10/11)

More information on the symposium can be found here: September 11 Ten Years Later – Impact on the Heartland. View footage from this historical event through our Video On Demand library.

Thanks for watching!

BISMARCK, N.D. – The Bismarck Mayor’s Human Relations Committee is holding a Human Rights Essay and Poetry contest for students in grades 4 – 6, calling upon them to write an essay or a poem to heighten awareness of human rights in our community and among students. Entries must be postmarked or e-mailed by 5:00 p.m. March 8, 2012. Submit entries to: City of Bismarck, Human Relations Committee, Essay Contest, 221 N 5th St., Bismarck, ND 58506-5503 or e-mail entries to: gdavid@nd.gov. More information and the entry form may be found at www.bismarck.org

Outstanding entries will be recognized at a ceremony on March 19, 2012 where Mayor Warford will present the selected entrants with a special award. The selected essay or poem will be displayed on the Human Relations Committee web page on the City web site www.bismarck.org

The mission of the Human Relations Committee is to protect and promote the personal dignity of all Bismarck citizens and to eliminate any discriminatory barriers that prevent them from reaching their full human potential.

BISMARCK, N.D. – Mayor John Warford is seeking Bismarck residents who are interested in serving on the Bismarck Human Relations Committee. The volunteer committee has three open positions. A one year unexpired term that ends January 2013; and two, three-year terms that expire January 2015. Anyone residing in the City of Bismarck or the City’s extraterritorial area is eligible for appointment. The deadline for applications is February 17, 2012. The new committee member will be announced at an upcoming City Commission meeting.

The mission of the Mayor’s Human Relations Committee is to protect and promote the personal dignity of all Bismarck citizens and to eliminate any discriminatory barriers that prevent them from reaching their full human potential.

The Human Relations Committee meets the third Monday of every month at the City/County Building. The committee has adopted a policy that four consecutive absences from meetings will result in a request for resignation.

Interested Bismarck residents should send Mayor Warford a letter and or application describing their qualifications, background, and why they would be interested in serving on the committee. Please visit www.bismarck.org to learn more about the Human Relations Committee and click on application. The letter and or application should be mailed to:

Mayor John Warford
City of Bismarck
PO Box 5503
Bismarck, ND 58506-5503

For more information you may contact: Bismarck City Administration at 701-355-1300 or
visit www.bismarck.org

The 5th Annual Bismarck-Mandan Healthy Family Fun Night is scheduled for January 28, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the YMCA. Free and Open to the Community.

BISMARCK, N.D. – The YMCA, Go! Bismarck Mandan and the University of Mary’s Emerging Leaders Academy invite families to join them Saturday January 28, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the YMCA, 1608 North Washington Street, Bismarck, to enjoy Healthy Family Fun Night, an active and fun family event. Activities include kickball, dodge ball, ring toss, face painting, bouncing on the inflatables and more! Remember to bring your swimsuit and register for open swim. Please enter through the East entrance.
The event is free and open to families and kids preschool to 6th grade in the Bismarck-Mandan community. All kids must be accompanied by an adult. See you January 28 at the YMCA! For more information visit www.bismarckymca.org or call 255-1525.

Leadership Academy teacher Tanya Smith says “The Emerging Leaders Academy students and I are so excited for this year’s Healthy Family Night event! We expect every area in the YMCA to be filled with energetic children and families, learning about health and wellness. We strive to teach children and families the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, while creating a safe and fun atmosphere for learning and building relationships.”

“The YMCA is pleased to be working with the University of Mary Emerging Leaders Academy to teach our community’s youth the importance of living healthier by being more active and eating smarter,” said Bill Bauman, YMCA Operations Director. “With the event in its fifth year, we are holding strong to our commitment to fight against youth and adult obesity.”

“Childhood obesity has been on the rise over the years and is becoming a serious threat to our children’s future. With this fun event, we are able to provide our community’s families with examples of how to eat healthy and stay physically active,” states Bauman.

About the Y – The Missouri Valley Family YMCA is committed to serving the Bismarck – Mandan community through programs and resources that nurture the potential or kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility. www.bismarckymca.org

About the University of Mary’s Emerging Leaders Academy – The Emerging Leaders Academy strives to identify and develop exemplary servant leadership of moral courage.

BISMARCK, N.D. – Mandan based National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) has repaid a $200,000 loan from the Bismarck Vision Fund, the City’s sales tax supported economic development fund. In 2001, NISC initiated a second building expansion at its campus in North Mandan. The $200,000 loan from the Bismarck Vision Fund was used as a capital injection into NISC in order to match financing for the new construction.

“We are so pleased with the success of NISC. They stand out as a recognized leader in economic development in Bismarck-Mandan, our state and nationwide. They’ve become a nationally recognized brand. The leadership and employees of NISC are to be commended for their innovation and the success of their business,” said Bismarck Mayor John Warford.

Today, NISC employs 335 full-time and 90 part-time staff at its Mandan location providing services to customers such as Target, Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart and JC Penney. In addition, NISC was recently ranked number 15 on IDG’s Computerworld magazine’s list of best workplaces for information technology professionals. This marks the tenth time NISC has been recognized by IDG Computerworld.

“NISC has received tremendous support from the state and local economic development groups. We appreciate both the City of Bismarck and the City of Mandan’s participation in our building project. By receiving this local financing for our infrastructure needs, it allowed us to keep our focus on expanding our services and growing our company,” said Vern Dosch, CEO of NISC.

National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) is an information technology company that develops and supports software and hardware solutions for our Member-Owners who are primarily utility cooperatives and telecommunications companies across the nation. NISC employs more than 920 individuals in four cities Lake Saint Louis, Mo., Mandan, N.D., Shawano, Wisconsin and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.