The Mystician

A resident of the Dakota Cat Café hangs out in a cozy nook and says hello to lounge visitors. To the southeast of Bismarck, in the town of Lincoln, a cozy café is filled with the sounds of coffee steamers, small talk, and … meowing? The Dakota Cat Café opened for business on Dec. 16, 2025. It offers visitors a place to drink coffee while getting their fill of kitty time. Ashley Kneavel is the owner and founder of the café. She was inspired to create a cat café in North Dako

Musician Justin Payne will be visiting Bismarck on June 30 for a performance at the Laughing Sun Brewery. With a mix of country twang and alternative rock, Justin Alan Payne will bring his unique style to the Laughing Sun Brewery on June 30. Payne is an alt country/alt rock musician hailing from Nashville, Tenn. From Ohio to Texas to Illinois, this rocker has been around. Born in Newark, Ohio, Payne grew up playing classical music, starting the violin when he was about fou

College can be a challenging time. Whether it’s moving away from home, a stressful work load, or personal things happening off campus, the pressure that society has applied on young adults in college has been a problem for generations. Poor sleep, bad diet, and isolation are common problems among college students. Trying to balance everything is hard and can be overwhelming, but Bismarck State College has resources to help. Amber Vollmers is the Behavior Health & Wellness C

Tomanek reads his students' poetry during class and gives feedback afterward. There is a wide range of art and humanities programs offered throughout the Bismarck-Mandan community. Less, however, offered to residents at the North Dakota State Penitentiary. Poetry at the Penn has been a part of bridging that gap, offering residents a chance to develop a skill that can be used in and out of the facility. Poetry at the Penn is a program created by Michael Tomanek, an Associat