Business News: Restaurant demo…HIVE & GF sales tax

North Dakota’s unemployment rate fell slightly in March to 2.5%.  That compares to 2.7% one year ago.  According to job service officials 10,495 people were in search of work last month.  Ten of the 13 major industries reported year-over-year employment increases.

Minnesota continues to experience an extremely tight labor market with workforce shortages.  New Americans play a vital role in meeting Minnesota’s workforce needs. From 2010-2020, foreign-born workers made up more than 50% of the state’s labor force growth.

After falling short in securing naming rights through an RFP process on the building itself the city will now focus on the naming rights to various rooms inside the HIVE.  The former Grand Forks Herald building has been transformed into a tech accelerator site targeting UAS early-stage businesses.  Under the RFP naming rights would run for a five year period with a minimum price between $5,000 and $75,000 dollars.

The April payment for city sales tax collections in Grand Forks topped $2.23 million dollars.  That pushes the year-to-date total to $10.45 million – up over 10% compared to one year ago.  The ¼% restaurant-lodging component of the tax is up nearly 14%.

Xcel Energy is reminding customers to be aware of scams that typically ramp up with the change of seasons.   The scammer often tells the customer their account is past due and service will be disconnected if a large payment isn’t made – usually within the hour. The scammer then instructs the customer to purchase a pre-paid debit or credit card.  The calls are often manipulated to look like they’re coming from Xcel Energy.  Xcel Energy does not charge customers upfront to set up new service.

Federal regulators are warning railroads that the long trains can cause problems and contribute to derailments, so they want the railroads to ensure their training and operating procedures account for that. The Federal Railroad Administration stopped short of recommending that railroads should limit the size of their trains. But they suggested a number of precautions including making sure engineers know how to handle trains that might stretch longer than 2 miles.

Multiple employers from a variety of different industries will be participating in the Virtual Spring 2023 Multi-Industry Job Fair sponsored by Job Service North Dakota. Employers are now hiring for positions in the Grand Forks area as well as Greater North Dakota.   The latest Online Job Openings Report says there are 17,124 online job postings statewide. Region 4 claims 1,994 of them.  The event is set for May 4th.   https://jsndfairs.easyvirtualfair.com/

The Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation has released a new, interactive economic indicators dashboard.  Included in the report is the unemployment rate, taxable sales and purchases, enplanements at the Grand Forks Regional Airport, building permits, housing sales, and more.

The NDHP has promoted Grand Forks native Adam Dvorak from Lieutenant to the rank of Captain.  He was a regional sergeant in Williston…Fargo…and Grand Forks.  He then served as the Deputy Chief of Operations at the HQ.   Dvorak now serves as Support Services Division Commander.

General Motors is recalling certain Chevrolet Silverado medium-duty trucks for model year 2019 or later. The company has discovered a potential leak in brake fluid that could result in a fire. Until the recall repair is done, GM advises owners to park outdoors. Possibly 40,428 vehicles could be affected.  GM said it’s not aware of any injuries related to the condition.

North Dakota Council on the Arts has named Matthew Anderson as the new Arts in Education Director effective May 1, 2023.  Matthew holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from the University of North Dakota and has 15 years of experience in the field,  NDCA Executive Director Kim Konikow said, “We are very pleased to have Matthew join the NDCA team, and look forward to sharing his enthusiasm for arts in education across the state!”