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Economy at a Glance – April 2023

The April Economy at a Glance is now available. Some data of note include: McKenzie County’s Labor Force for Feb. 2023 was 9,617, over a thousand more than Feb. 2022’s total of 8,616. Alexander’s City Sales Tax distributions for March 2023 was $42,737, higher than March 2022’s total of $35,164. McKenzie County’s LoadPass Permits for […]

Innovative Health officially open

  On April 17, Innovative Health officially opened their family practice clinic, located in Watford City at 340 North Main St., Suite 311. The clinic will include new and exciting services and medical care that will be offered to Watford City and surrounding area residents. Innovative Health is now accepting all appointments with their three […]

North Dakota Petroleum Council creates Bakken GROW program

  The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) is responding to the workforce shortages in the oil and natural gas industry by creating a program called Bakken GROW (Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers). The Bakken Grow program will be an innovative way to bring new workers to the Bakken region through immigration, specifically Ukrainian immigrants with […]

Watford City Municipal Airport recognized as General Aviation Airport of the Year

The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, partnered with the Airport Association of North Dakota, has recognized Watford City Municipal Airport as North Dakota’s 2022 General Aviation Airport of the Year. Airports with excellent community outreach, facility management, construction and beautification projects, and participation and hosting of special events receive this annual award. After a decade of […]

Ag Expo to host its first event

The McKenzie County Ag Expo is getting closer to completion and is set to open in time for the county fair this summer, scheduled for June 15-17. The facility has already been booked for other events including rodeos, tradeshows, motorsports and much more. Check out the Ag Expo Facebook page to learn more!

Average price of electricity

North Dakota has the lowest rate of electricity in the country, according to recent data taken from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. As of December 2022, the U.S. pays an average of $14.96 cents per kilowatt-hour for residential electricity, compared to North Dakota paying $9.62. Learn more on the cost of electricity here.

Next Phase of Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (U.S. 85)

The North Dakota Department of Transportation has approved the beginning stages of construction on the expansion of Highway 85. The approval will pave the way to expand Highway 85 to a four-lane highway between Watford City and the Long X Bridge. Construction is set to begin later this spring. Read more on the expansion here. […]

2021 Study on the economic impact of oil and natural gas

According to a study conducted by North Dakota State University Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics and Center for Social Research, the oil and gas industry in North Dakota attributed $42.58 billion in gross business volume, which is the business generated from direct sales and indirect economic activity throughout the state. The study also found […]

Sales tax collections up

Taxable sales and purchases for McKenzie County increased 27% when comparing 2022Q3 to 2021Q3 according to data recently released by the ND Tax Commission office. For the same time period, North Dakota’s taxable sales and purchases also increased 27%.

School District enrollment projections

McKenzie County Public School District #1’s enrollment is projected to increase 359 students in the next five years, and an additional 391 students in the five years following that for an enrollment of 2,765 students. This is according to recently released projections that were presented to the school board. See the report here.