Jack Dalrymple has been John Hoeven's No. 2 man for 10 years, helping him successfully campaign three times for governor and running with him on the ticket.

Devils Lake is given a 10 percent chance by 2019 of overflowing its natural outlet and spilling into the Sheyenne River, according to preliminary figures discussed Tuesday.

Demolition of the northwest corner of Minard Hall at North Dakota State University started Monday.

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero on Tuesday proposed having Michigan follow the lead of North Dakota and open a state-owned bank that could make low-interest loans to businesses and college students.

State Sen. Tracy Potter, D-Bismarck, is questioning the accuracy of Republican Gov. John Hoeven's jobs creation claims reported on radio and Web site ads as the two prepare for North Dakota's U.S. Senate race.

About one-fourth of the 650 North Dakota National Guard soldiers serving in Kosovo will be coming home earlier than expected.

A new Web site from the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce will encourage the state's business community and residents to get involved in the legislative process, the chamber announced Monday.

North Dakota Tax Commissioner Cory Fong said he will seek re-election in November.

In Michigan, where many enterprises are struggling to survive, the renowned University of Michigan is in the midst of a construction boom and hiring spree. Michigan State University, on the other hand, plans to lay off faculty and cut programs, blaming state funding that is lower than it was a decade ago. Flagship universities in other states are also prospering, while their lesser-known counterparts suffer from vanishing state appropriations. 

So, why not change the arrangement and require big-name universities to take responsibility for their own financing, leaving more state money to support the other state schools? As legislatures face their toughest budget year since the recession began, the idea of giving a few universities autonomy to control their own finances has some appeal.