Main Street

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Main Street, hosted by Doug Hamilton and with contributor Ashley Thornberg, keeps its finger on the pulse of Prairie Public's broadcast region

Prairie Public


    • Mar 23, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 51m AVG DURATION
    • 1,018 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Main Street

    Courage Under Pressure: Teachers, Stories, and Rural Care

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2026 50:03


    A look at Norwegian teachers who defied Nazis, UND's Writers Conference, and how loan limits could impact rural healthcare access.

    Pressure Points: Taxes, Tech, and Troubling Headlines

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2026 50:36


    Property tax strain, wearable tech's rise, a wrongful arrest case, and a deadly tiger attack: examining pressure points, innovation, and accountability.

    Prairie Musicians Season 18 & Fargo's Growing Food Scene Spotlighted

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2026 50:05


    Prairie Musicians returns for Season 18, showcasing Upper Midwest talent, while Prairie Plates explores Fargo's food scene—from cheese boards to the rising tinned fish trend.

    America's Drug Crisis and a 19th-Century Battle of Words

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2026 50:00


    Insights on addiction, fentanyl, and drug policy from a former U.S. drug czar, plus the story of North Dakota's first recorded spelling bee.

    Growth & Health: Watford City Part 2; Advances in Colorectal Cancer Care

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2026 50:00


    Watford City Mayor Phil Riely discusses infrastructure, growth and the city's future beyond the Bakken boom. Plus, Dr. Bassim Kobrossy on advances in colorectal cancer care.

    Oil Royalties, Roughrider Coin, STEM Events and the PC at 50

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2026 50:05


    Oil royalty ruling could spark lawsuits, North Dakota explores a Roughrider Coin stablecoin, spring STEM programs at Gateway to Science, and Tech with Peck - the PC at 50

    From Boomtown to Stability: Watford City and St. Patrick's Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2026 49:51


    Watford City's Mayor Phil Riely discusses the city's path beyond the Bakken boom. Plus: St. Patrick's Day at Fargo's Blarney Stone & North Dakota's push for sober rides.

    Colon Cancer Warning, Fish Fries, and Robot Beavers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2026 50:00


    A Fargo woman shares her unexpected colon cancer diagnosis; Tom Isern explores prairie fish fry history; plus robot beavers, urban FFA programs, and water recycling innovation.

    Seen, Heard, Supported: Student Mental Health in North Dakota Schools

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2026 49:58


    North Dakota Teachers of the Year Sheila Peterson and Frannie Tunseth discuss student mental health, trauma-informed practices, and how schools help students feel seen and supported.

    Streaming Overload, Greenpeace Lawsuit Update, and the Science of Moss

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2026 50:20


    Tech With Peck untangles streaming TV, reporters update the $345M Greenpeace pipeline case, and scientists highlight the surprising ecological power of moss.

    Knights of Leisure, Noodle Month, and Rising Colon Cancer Risk

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 50:16


    Frontier pinochle with the Knights of Leisure, pasta at Ziti's for National Noodle Month, rising colon cancer in younger adults, and poetry from Colorado's first Indigenous poet laureate.

    Oscars, Fargo Film Festival and Fargo Theatre at 100 & Storm at Nome

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2026 49:59


    Matt Olien previews the Oscars and Fargo Theatre's 100th, plus powerful storm stories from the Nome Schoolhouse shared at The Tell.

    theater oscars film festival nome fargo theatre matt olien
    Workforce Strain - Immigration, Travel Warnings and Tech at Home

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2026 49:46


    Immigration policy strains ND's workforce, travel advisories reshape Mexico plans, home theater sound tips, and hands-on science explores the body.

    Faith, Fish Fries, Ash Borer & the Meaning of a Nation

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2026 50:07


    Lenten fish fries in West Fargo, the emerald ash borer threat in Devils Lake, and a philosophical look at what makes a nation with UND's Dr. Jack Russell Weinstein.

    meaning fish fries lenten west fargo devils lake ash borer jack russell weinstein
    Rural Nurses, Pioneer Memory & Climate Leadership

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 50:02


    Rural nurse training in North Dakota, Icelandic pioneer reflections, Indigenous climate leadership, America's protein debate, and the week's top water stories.

    Trump Preview & Women's Flag Football's Olympic Rise

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2026 49:57


    DSU Historian Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane previews Trump's address, while filmmaker Monica Medellin explores women's flag football's Olympic debut in The Future Is Flag.

    Ag Fraud, Ag Insurance Gap, STEM Camps, TV Tech & Dave's News Review

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2026 50:05


    Cattle fraud charges and crop insurance risks, Gateway STEM events, TV tech decoded with George Peck, plus Dave's weekly news review.

    Maharaja Burger, Measles & Geothermal Rising

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2026 50:32


    Prairie Plates spotlights India Clay Oven's award-winning Maharaja Burger, Prairie Beat covers measles, and we explore next-gen geothermal power.

    NDSU-RAND, Pioneer Journeys, Mesa Verde, 988 Funding Concerns

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2026 49:50


    NDSU and RAND target rural needs; pioneer immigrant journeys, Mesa Verde storytelling, and rising demand with uncertain funding for the 988 crisis lifeline.

    ICE in Court, TV vs. Projector, and STEM on the Road

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2026 50:47


    ICE detention cases reach ND courts, TV vs. projector buying advice, and how Gateway to Science brings hands-on STEM to schools statewide.

    Feeding the Plains, Remembering a Hero, Building Business

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2026 50:15


    Fighting hunger across the Plains, honoring Officer Jason Moszer's legacy, and supporting entrepreneurs through the North Dakota Women's Business Center.

    Civics, Climate, and Culture: From Classrooms to the Prairie

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2026 50:03


    From civics education and a forgotten prairie crop to Indigenous skiers and farm climate challenges, this episode explores democracy, culture, and change across the Plains.

    MWC Adds NDSU Football; Rethinking Teacher Professional Learning

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2026 50:05


    Mountain West AD Tom Burman explains adding NDSU football, and ND Teacher of the Year Frannie Tunseth and Dr. Logan Rutten rethink professional learning for teachers.

    Oil Waste to Lithium & Home Theater Demystified: Policy and Tech

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2026 49:59


    From oilfield wastewater and lithium policy missteps to redefining what a “home theater” really is, Main Street explores energy innovation, regulation, and smart tech choices.

    From Hotdish Wins to Food System Risk and the Ash Borer

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2026 49:59


    Award-winning Prairie Plates at Rosewild, a white paper on risk and resilience in America's food system, and what Fargo's emerald ash borer discovery means statewide.

    No One Above the Law: A Philosophical Reckoning in a Time of Crisis

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2026 49:59


    A timely Philosophical Currents conversation with Jack Russell Weinstein on the rule of law, power, accountability, and democracy under strain.

    crisis reckoning philosophical jack russell weinstein
    A Life in Agriculture: Jim Kirsch and the Legacy of Little "I"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2026 50:00


    Named Agriculturalist of the Year at the 100th Little "I," Jim Kirsch reflects on a lifetime in agriculture, education, and mentoring— from farm life to NDSU leadership.

    Term Limits on Trial, STEM Takes Flight, and Tech with Peck Debuts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2026 49:59


    A term limits lawsuit heads to the ND Supreme Court, Gateway to Science lets visitors fly, and Tech with Peck launches. Plus Dave Thompson's news review.

    Campus Futures, Community Voices, and Food from the Heart

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2026 49:59


    UND launches a new campus master plan, Fargo welcomes Maria's Homestyle Mexican, and a North Dakotan in Minneapolis shares a firsthand view of immigration enforcement.

    Bakken Slowdown, Travel Choices, Food Traditions, and Dairy Survival

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 49:59


    Oil prices cool the Bakken as Williston's mayor weighs impacts, travel writer Alicia Underlee Nelson shares spring tips, Plains Folk explores pie melons, and dairies adapt.

    Preventing Disease, Strengthening Communities

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2026 49:59


    Neurologist Dr. Ray Dorsey rethinks Parkinson's prevention, while Amanda Sayre from Dakota Medical Foundation explores how philanthropy strengthens community health.

    Can Elgin's Hospital Be Saved? Loans, Science & Stories of Grit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2026 49:57


    A bill to save a rural hospital, winter STEM ideas for families, a powerful courtroom story, and the prairie roots of venison chislic.

    Century of Tradition, Culinary Craft, and a Deep Freeze

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2026 50:05


    From NDSU's 100th Little International to Fargo's Mezzaluna and a dangerous cold snap, this episode blends tradition, food, and weather safety across North Dakota.

    Trump's First Year, Water Conflicts, and the Future of U.S. Wheat

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2026 50:07


    Historian Dr. Michael Patrick Cullinane on Trump's first year back in office, global water crises from Iran to the Colo. River, and how hybrid wheat could reshape U.S. farming.

    Health Care, Heritage, News, and Hands-On Science Across the Plains

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2026 49:58


    Rural health funding, German-Russian heritage, winter STEM at Gateway to Science, news and a look at how researchers face major cuts under new federal policies.

    ICE Rights, New Nutrition Guide, Noodlezip Flavors, & Chickasaw Trees

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2026 50:02


    Your ICE rights, the latest nutrition updates, Noodlezip's bold winter flavors, and how the Chickasaw Nation is restoring land and tradition.

    How Williston Is Changing: A Conversation with Mayor Howard Klug

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2026 49:58


    Williston Mayor Howard Klug shares updates on growth, housing, public safety, and the city's long-term vision as Williston navigates rapid change and new community needs.

    Inside North Dakota's Teacher Shortage Challenge

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2026 50:21


    North Dakota faces a growing teacher shortage. We explore solutions: better pay, mentoring, workload fixes with Frannie Tunseth, UND's Dr. Diana D'Amico Pawlewicz.

    Farm Stress, A Sudan Love Story, STEM Bees, and the Week's News

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2026 50:19


    A Closer Look with the Monitor: Farm stress; a Sudanese village visit; and fresh STEM bee learning - all woven with stories of challenge, kindness, and this week's news.

    Rick's Top 2025 Picks & Marilyn Hagerty

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2025 53:04


    Mainstreet closes out the year by celebrating the people, places, and plates that make the region unforgettable. Rick Gion revisits some of Prairie Plates' most memorable food moments of 2025.We also remember journalist Marilyn Hagerty, with stories and a final conversation from someone who knew her well.

    Happy or Content? & Into The Music with Mike Olson

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2025 53:07


    Today on Main Street, Mike Olsen stops by to share five of his favorite albums from 2025, highlighting the sounds that defined the year. Plus, philosopher Jack Russell Weinstein joins Philosophical Currents to explore the difference between happiness and contentment, why we often confuse the two, and how community, perspective, and purpose shape what it really means to live well.

    Lillian Joubert, The Tell, & Tom Brosseau

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2025 52:53


    Mainstreet welcomes author Lillian Joubert to discuss her North Dakota-set romcom novel Freelance Finance at Mistletoe Inn. We'll share a story from Fargo's live monthly storytelling event The Tell about how a group of supportive women became not just friends, but a family. And Tom Brosseau takes you to one of his favorite downtown Grand Forks eateries, Ely's Ivy.

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