DEPOT WORK It's good to see work ready to start on restoring again the Minot Amtrak Depot. The depot was damaged in the Souris River flood of 2011. Passenger service was shut down at the depot for a few months after the flood. Full-scale renovations are set to begin any day, with a goal of returning the depot to its former glory. The building was extensively renovated and remodeled in the years before the flood, with a local group raising money to help cover the costs. The depot was restored to resemble its appearance in the early days of service in Minot. Now, much of that work will have to be done again. We're confident that it can again be done successfully, and we look forward to the depot once again providing something of a step back in time for visitors.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU Happy belated birthday, North Dakota. The state celebrated its 123rd birthday this past Thursday, as did South?Dakota. It's certainly a happy time to be in North Dakota for the most part, with a booming economy and a growing population. Of course, there are ongoing challenges to keep up with the changing landscape of the state, but certainly the state is looking pretty good these days for being 123 years old.
SUPERSTORM More than 3.8 million homes and businesses without power as of Friday. People lined up for blocks to get the basic necessities, like gas and groceries. More than 90 people in 10 states dead. As much as $50 billion in damage. Superstorm Sandy has certainly left its mark on the East Coast, swamping residents up and down the coast over the past week. There were some signs late in the week that some parts of life were returning, including some public transportation resuming operations. But as residents of Minot and other flood-damaged parts of North Dakota know, recovery will not be a quick or easy process. It will take considerable time to restore electricity to millions of people, clean countless debris-filled streets and begin the monumental challenge of cleaning and repairing damaged homes and businesses. Our thoughts are with the victims.