ND-first sweep; only NEW/meaningful updates since yesterday; near-term impact in 30–45 days.
Energy / Utilities
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Xcel ND electric rate case — settlement pending PSC vote (UPDATED): Settlement trims the request to ~10–11% overall; PSC decision expected soon. Action: expect new tariffs to post quickly after the order. North Dakota Monitor+2Prairie Public+2
Light note: If your January pricing sheets look nervous, you’re reading the room correctly. -
DAPL Final EIS favors continued operation with added safeguards (NEW context): USACE published its Final EIS (Dec 19); Record of Decision still pending. Planning assumption: continuity with enhanced monitoring. NWO+1
Taxes & Compliance (All sectors)
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Local sales/use tax changes are live (NEW): Walsh County now 1.00% (cap $50); city updates (e.g., Medina, Sherwood, Surrey) also took effect Jan 1, 2026—update POS, carts, invoices, and rate tables. ND State Tax Commission+1
Light note: New year, new math—triple-check that checkout screen.
Transportation / Logistics
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Travel Alerts/No-Travel Advisories ripple effects (NEW): NDDOT notes evolving winter restrictions and reminds carriers to use ND 511 for up-to-hour condition checks; some corridors only recently reopened. Expect lingering delivery/service delays. NDDOT+2NDDOT+2
Light note: Today’s best route might still be “later.”
Healthcare
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Medicaid State Plan updates effective Jan 1 (NEW effective): ND HHS posted multiple SPA items (e.g., LMSWs as OLPs; school-based LPN services; BH rehab refinements; PPS VBP % tweak). Update billing, credentialing, and prior-auth rules. Health and Human Services North Dakota+2Health and Human Services North Dakota+2
Light note: A little setup work now saves a denial down the road.
Government / Nonprofit
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Nonprofit annual reports due Feb 2 (REMINDER): ND SOS FirstStop lists Feb 2, 2026 as the due date for nonprofit corporations/LLCs—keep good standing for banking, grants, and contracts. First Stop
Light note: Two minutes today beats a late fee tomorrow.
Education (K–12)
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PowerSchool → Infinite Campus migration—district action needed (UPDATE): NDDPI asks districts to open an NDIT ticket to enable weekly DB replication so the spring cutover stays on schedule. ND Portal+1
Light note: The ticket you open now is the outage you avoid later.
Two Numbers & a Nudge
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1.00% — New Walsh County local tax rate (cap $50 per sale). ND State Tax Commission
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~10–11% — Xcel ND rate increase implied by the settlement (awaiting PSC order). North Dakota Monitor+1
Nudge: Push those tax-engine/POS updates today and add a January utility-contingency line to any open quotes.
Headwind / Tailwind
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Headwind: Winter travel disruptions continue to ripple through parcel/LTL and field-service ETAs—pad schedules and message customers early. NDDOT
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Tailwind: DAPL Final EIS signals short-term continuity for crude takeaway—less whiplash for producers, midstream, and shippers while awaiting the ROD. NWO