Brent Sanford knows and understands the issues that surround western North Dakota. Born and raised in Watford City, Sanford was elected mayor in 2010. Thanks to the Bakken oil boom, the city’s population jumped from about 2,000 to 12,000 during his tenure. The rapid increase in residents brought many challenges. Transport facilities were outdated. Water management needed to be upgraded. ...

Doug Burgum’s commitment to community is moving statewide. The Fargo-based entrepreneur and philanthropist is running for North Dakota governor and promises to create an environment that’s welcoming to business. One area he will focus on is the energy industry. “Growing up, I was told we were going to run out of oil,” Burgum said. “There was an oil crisis shortly ...

BISMARCK, N.D. — The mayor of Watford City says rents in the city have gone down by $1,000 a month or more. Mayor Brent Sanford says about 300 apartment units have been added in the western North Dakota community recently. Sanford says just a month ago, rents ranged from between $3,200 to $3,400 a month. Now they range from $1,600 ...

WATFORD CITY, N.D. — Work is starting on an $83 million event center in Watford City. Mayor Brent Sanford said Wednesday’s ground-breaking ceremony for the project was “pretty monumental” for the oil patch city. Residents last June voted to increase the city sales tax to fund the center and other projects, including a new hospital. The Bismarck Tribune reports that ...

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The same slumping oil prices that forced North Dakota’s Legislature to trim some state spending are stretching road construction dollars further, officials say. The reason: Prices for petroleum-based asphalt are down as much as 20 percent than what had been estimated for road building this summer, transportation department spokeswoman Jane Berger said. “It’s tied to oil ...

WATFORD CITY, N.D. — Before oil tanker trucks rumbled down the roads at all hours, this town was so quiet that Erin White rode her horse to a deserted Main Street one night. Back then, this was a dusty hamlet with few prospects for a future. Like many teens, White didn’t expect to be back after college. She and her ...

As the oil price slump persists consumers are reaping the benefits of lower fuel costs. Towns like Williston, however, with economies structured around the oil and gas industry, are beginning to see the effects of the nation-wide drilling slowdown. A recent report from CNN Money examines how the slowdown is beginning to affect workers in the Bakken oil formation of ...

BISMARCK, N.D. — City officials in the North Dakota oil patch say they are forging ahead with housing and infrastructure projects despite the forecast for a downturn in drilling in the next year. Watford City Mayor Brent Sanford tells the Bismarck Tribune that development and land sales are not slowing down because housing needs for permanent oil field workers have not ...