Today’s Business Briefing:

Oct 24, 2025

NEW or MEANINGFULLY UPDATED items since yesterday; prioritized for impact in the next 30–45 days.

Energy, Utilities & Mining

PSC coal/AML program passes federal review (NEW today).
What happened: The ND Public Service Commission’s Coal Regulatory & Abandoned Mine Lands program had its annual federal evaluation with no issues found. KNOX News Radio
Why it matters: Signals regulatory stability for coal mines, power plants, contractors, and landowners—reduces risk of surprise compliance actions.
Who’s affected: Lignite/coal operators, mine contractors, utilities, reclamation vendors.
Dates: Effective now; applies to 2025 program year.
Oil & gas: “Director’s Cut” live today 9:00 a.m. CT (A.M. UPDATE).
What’s happening: DMR will release August 2025 production numbers and outlook at 9:00 a.m. CT. North Dakota Mineral Resources
Why it matters: Fresh volumes/gas-capture and rig guidance influence contracts, trucking, sand, water, midstream and service pricing for November–December.
Who’s affected: E&Ps, OFS, midstream, mineral owners, lenders.
Dates: Today, Fri Oct 24 at 9:00 a.m. CT (streamed + emailed). North Dakota Mineral Resources

Applied Digital inks $5B, 200 MW lease at Polaris Forge 2 (Oct 22).
What happened: 15‑year lease with a U.S. hyperscaler; total leased ND capacity now ~600 MW across Polaris Forge 1 & 2. Reuters
Why it matters: Big lift to construction pipelines, grid planning, and local vendor demand (HVAC, electrical, site work). Expect higher large‑load interconnect activity and potential rate/infra cases.
Who’s affected: Contractors, CEC/IOUs/RECs, equipment suppliers, workforce programs, nearby landowners.
Dates: Contract announced Oct 22; multi‑year build/energization phases to follow.

Mandan: Memorial Highway traffic pattern change (Oct 23).
What happened: City shifted lane patterns for the Memorial Hwy corridor construction.
Why it matters: Short‑term access impacts for corridor retailers, service businesses and carriers; adjust signage, delivery windows, and customer comms.
Who’s affected: Mandan retailers, restaurants, logistics/delivery, commuters.
Dates: In effect now; watch city updates for next switches.
Cass County revamps business tax‑incentive policy (Oct 22).
What happened: County simplified approvals and capped general incentives at 50% for up to 5 years (policy shrunk from 5 pages to ~2). InForum
Why it matters: Clearer, faster path but leaner awards—model projects accordingly; coordinate city + county stacks.
Who’s affected: Developers, manufacturers, data centers, primary‑sector firms in Cass County.
Dates: Approved Oct 20; applies to future applications. InForum

West Fargo short‑term rental rules advance (Oct 20 first reading).
What happened: Commission passed first reading of a STR licensing ordinance without a primary‑residence requirement; sets occupancy to building code; license cycle Jul 1–Jun 30. Second reading next meeting. InForum
Why it matters: Opens door for non‑owner‑occupied/LLC‑owned STRs if final is approved; hosts should prep for licensing and posting “good neighbor” rules.
Who’s affected: STR hosts/operators, property managers, neighbors, platforms.
Dates: Second reading expected at the next regular meeting (date TBA). InForum

SNAP benefit risk amid shutdown; tribal emergency calls (Oct 23).
What happened: Spirit Lake Tribal Council declared a state of emergency; state/tribes warning SNAP may pause Nov 1 if the federal shutdown persists. minotdailynews.com+1
Why it matters: Grocers, convenience stores, farmers’ market vendors, and nonprofits should brace for demand shifts and plan assistance/communications.
Who’s affected: Food retailers, nonprofits/food banks, SNAP households, processors.
Dates: Potential impact Nov 1; monitor state HHS updates.
BCBSND Caring Foundation community health grants (OPENED Oct 22).
What happened: Small grants opened for ND community health projects. Deadline Nov 14, 5:00 p.m. CT. Center for Rural Health
Why it matters: Quick‑turn funding for clinics, nonprofits, and partners (education/outreach, prevention, wellness).
Who’s affected: Nonprofits, clinics, schools, community coalitions.
Dates: Apply by Fri Nov 14; projects run Jan–Dec 2026. Center for Rural Health
Enforcement: 665 distracted‑driving citations in October blitz (Oct 23).
What happened: Vision Zero reported statewide enforcement results; distracted driving remains a top focus.
Why it matters: Delivery fleets and gig drivers should update policies and training to cut liability.
Who’s affected: Fleet operators, gig drivers, insurers.
Dates: Ongoing enforcement; October results posted Oct 23.

ND HHS RFP: “Improving Treatment Services Statewide” (POSTED Oct 23).
What happened: HHS posted an RFP for statewide treatment‑services improvements. Proposals due Nov 20.
Why it matters: Opportunity for providers/consortia to fund care coordination, access and outcomes work.
Who’s affected: Behavioral health providers, hospitals/clinics, nonprofits, IT/consultants.
Dates: Due Thu Nov 20 (see solicitation for Q&A dates).
ND HHS RFP: Pharmacy “Cost of Dispensing Survey” solution (OPEN).
What happened: HHS seeking a vendor for COD survey/analytics. Proposals due Nov 7.
Why it matters: Impacts Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement analytics; IT/health‑econ firms can bid.
Who’s affected: Analytics vendors, pharmacy associations, Medicaid partners.
Dates: Due Fri Nov 7.

New State Superintendent named; policy signals (Oct 21–22).
What happened: Gov. Armstrong appointed Levi Bachmeier as Superintendent; Bachmeier indicated openness to broader school‑choice debates but backed the spring veto of a narrow ESA bill. North Dakota Office of the Governor+1
Why it matters: Expect administrative/finance guidance transitions for districts and training providers over the winter—potential tweaks to accountability, innovation grants, and reporting.
Who’s affected: K‑12 districts, private schools, ed‑tech/training vendors, workforce programs.
Dates: Appointment announced Oct 21; transition timing tied to federal swearing‑in of outgoing Supt. Baesler. North Dakota Office of the Governor

USDA re‑opening FSA offices during shutdown (UPDATED y/day).
What happened: USDA will re‑open ~2,100 FSA offices with limited staffing so producers can access $3B in existing aid despite the shutdown. AP News
Why it matters: Lets ND farmers/ranchers process loans, disaster aid and program paperwork before winter.
Who’s affected: Crop/livestock producers, lenders, crop‑insurance agents.
Dates: Phased re‑openings underway; check local FSA calendars. AP News

Pride of Dakota Showcase — Minot (STARTS TODAY).
What happened: Two‑day showcase of ND‑made goods at the State Fair Center in Minot. North Dakota Department of Agriculture
Why it matters: Immediate sales/wholesale leads for small makers, cottage food producers, and retailers; good B2B networking.
Who’s affected: Vendors, buyers, local shops, event/food service.
Dates: Fri–Sat, Oct 24–25.North Dakota Department of Agriculture