Working America Exhibition at HCSCC

MOORHEAD – The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibit called Working America, a display of 40 brilliant full-color portraits of Americans at their jobs by photographer Sam Comen, at the Hjemkomst Center Jan. 27 through March 17.
A variety of themes are explored in the portraits and accompanying interviews, including the dignity of work, inequity among immigrant nationalities, the political relevance of labor migrants, the intergenerational legacies of inherited skills, and the learning of new skills to adapt to the new land of opportunity; and the relationship between a nation’s identity and the identities of the individuals who comprise that nation. Working America is a meditation on American belonging and American becoming; it poetically acknowledges the lives and contributions of working men and women make as a part of our country and our collective experience.
As a native Californian, Sam Comen has used his home state as a muse throughout his career and often looks to the places that define us for inspiration. He has long focused on themes of American identity, community-building, immigration, democracy, and social justice in his photographic work. His photographs are collected by the Library of Congress, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and private collectors, and he is regularly commissioned by brands and publications internationally. As Comen states, he is interested in “re-engaging with the historical portrait approach that masters of photography Eugène Atget, August Sander, and Irving Penn used to study national identity, work, and class in their own times.”
Working America is a program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts.This activity is funded in part by grants from the Lake Region Arts Council and Minnesota State Arts Board through a Minnesota State Legislative appropriation, the F-M Area Foundation, the Alex Stern Family Foundation, and The Arts Partnership with the Cities of Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo.
Regular admission is $12 adults, $11 seniors, $9 college students, $8 youth 5-17, free to 4 and under, active military, and HCSCC members. Free to all Tuesday nights 5-8pm.

FREE TAX PREPARATION OFFERED AT CONCORDIA COLLEGE THROUGH FEBRUARY
MOORHEAD – Concordia College will once again provide free tax preparation for individuals with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
From Feb. 5-28, help is available Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6-9 p.m.
It will be held on campus in room 118 of the Grant Center, which is on the northeast corner of 8th Street and 12th Avenue South in Moorhead. Free parking is available behind the building off 12th Avenue South. No appointment is needed.
VITA is a program supported by the IRS, in which IRS-certified student volunteers prepare basic tax returns. Its mission is to provide free basic tax return preparation for low-to-moderate income (less than $60,000 a year) and elderly taxpayers. VITA offers a quick and convenient way to receive a tax refund through free electronic filing.
Required things to bring:
All W-2 forms, photo ID, and Social Security card.
A blank check or bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of tax refunds.
For married couples, both spouses must be present.
For questions contact site coordinator Ronald Twedt at (218) 299-3484 or twedt@cord.edu. Twedt is an assistant professor of accounting in Concordia’s Offutt School of Business.

FARGO NATIVE APPOINTED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR RED CROSS
FARGO – The American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakota Region is pleased to announce that Kimberly Vosseteig is the new executive director for the Red Cross throughout the Red River Valley. A Fargo native, Vosseteig has deep ties to local business, government and non-profit organizations.
“Kimberly is the right leader for the Red Cross serving Fargo, Moorhead and surrounding communities,” said Brice Johnson, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region. “She has passion a purpose-driven work as well as a commitment to philanthropy, community involvement and connecting with donors.”
In the last five years, Vosseteig has raised funds for the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, Sanford Children’s, and the oldest-serving non-profit in North Dakota, Fraser, Ltd. Her roles have involved cultivating relationships with corporate donors and individual donors in her community.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my expertise and experience to this important Red Cross role,” said Kimberly Vosseteig. “I want to make a lasting impact in the lives the Red Cross impacts through disaster relief, blood donation, service to the armed forces, and more.”
Vosseteig is a graduate of North Dakota State University. Outside of work, she volunteers with various organizations. She and her husband live in Fargo with their three children, where they enjoy spending time with their extended family and friends.

CRIME FREE MULTI-HOUSING TRAINING FOR LANDLORDS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS
MOORHEAD – The next Crime Free Multi-Housing training class will be held over the course of two Tuesday evenings, March 5 and March 12, from 5-9 pm, at the Law Enforcement Center, 911 11 St. N.
Resident managers and landlords who attend this training will learn about spotting drug activity, crime prevention through environmental design, fair housing, applicant screening methods, evictions and legal issues facing landlords.
Interested participants must register on-line or contact Leann Wallin at 218.299.5143. Registrants must attend both evenings to receive a certificate of completion. There is a limited amount of spots, so don’t delay in getting registered, especially if you are a new landlord who must take this class to be in compliance with your rental registration (see notation below).
Note to new landlords: Pursuant to section 9-7-3G of the City of Moorhead Rental Registration Code, all new rental registration applicants shall submit proof that they have completed crime free multi-housing classroom training within ninety (90) days of registering a rental property.

MSU MOORHEAD BROADCAST DOCUMENTARY CLASS PREMIERES “THE PIONEER BARBER” FEB. 8
MOORHEAD – Minnesota State University Moorhead’s School of Communication and Journalism will present the premiere of “The Pioneer Barber” on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Center for Business, room 109. The event is free and open to the public.
“The Pioneer Barber” follows the life of Felix Battles – an escaped slave, a Civil War veteran, and Fargo-Moorhead’s pioneer barber. The documentary is the culmination of the work of more than a dozen students in the Fall 2023 Broadcast Documentary class.
“Felix played a pivotal role in Moorhead’s early business community. And as a well-respected barber, he paved the way for more persons of color to move to this region and call Fargo-Moorhead home,” said Kevin Wallevand, MSUM broadcast documentary instructor. “The documentary is all student-driven. They write, research, study, interview, and produce-edit the entire piece every year.”
Combing through archives, students also learned about MSUM’s efforts to bring students of color to the university.
“The documentary class chooses a topic every fall and works on that project all semester,” Wallevand said. “We have done everything from profiling farmers’ market producers, examining the impact of Covid on MSUM, to the joy of Moorhead’s The Freez.”