Taxable sales and purchases up 41%

According to data recently released by the ND Tax Commissioner, taxable sales and purchases for Watford City increased 40.63% for 2018Q1 compared to 2017Q1. Four out of the five North Dakota cities that saw the biggest increases were in the western region. Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger attributes the majority of the overall growth for the state to increasing oil activity, with the mining and oil extraction sector increasing by $253 million or 78.42%. Williston has more total collections than cities with larger populations such as Minot, Bismarck, and Grand Forks.

Travels with Darley comes to town

Watford City and its surrounding attractions will be featured on an upcoming Travels with Darley episode. Darley Newman, host of the show, and her crew of technical experts spent four days visiting the people and places of McKenzie County in late June. Her visits included the Little Missouri National Grasslands, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, interactions with Native American culture, and various amenities of the area. The next season will launch in January 2019 and should be available to approximately 97% of the United States television viewers via PBS stations. It will also be available worldwide through agreements with Amazon Prime and other distributors. We will be sure to keep you in the loop when the airing date is set.

Check out the show's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see a sneak peak of some of what she experienced while here.

July's Economy at a Glance

The July Economy at a Glance is now available. A couple notes:

Local resident launches software

Jeff Kummer, a Watford City native, is launching MineralTracker software. MineralTracker is the only mineral management software that allows mineral owners to compare actual royalty payments to expected payments based on well performance and a proprietary and Bakken-specific reservoir model built by MineralTracker’s petroleum engineers.

For more information check out their website (linked above) or listen to Kummer's interview on What's on Your Mind with Scott Hennen.

Most charming town in North Dakota

According to Reader's Digest, Watford City is North Dakota's "most charming" town! Among other qualities, the article talks about our badlands, main street, eclectic shops, and local restaurants.

Rough Rider Center brings in folks from near and far

In addition to hosting slews of sporting events and tournaments, meeting rooms, classes, swimmers, and private events, the Rough Rider Center is becoming a popular conference venue. Pictured here is the Bakken Conference and Expo that wrapped up here earlier this week that brought in attendees from throughout North America. Here's a Williston Herald article showcasing an example of the value of that conference to its attendees.

Best of the West Ribfest: August 10

The Watford City Chamber of Commerce will once again be hosting the annual Best of the West Ribfest . In addition to food vendors (with literally tons of ribs), a car show and other live music, country music megastar Craig Morgan will be performing on Main Street on August 10.

Check out the video advertisement here!

New facility for Latter Day Saints

After meeting in various shared spaces over the past few years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints now have a permanent meeting space to call their own in McKenzie County. Earlier this year they moved into their newly-constructed facility located at 110 11th Avenue Northwest, Watford City.

Watford Market returns July 26

Watford Market will return for its third season beginning on July 26 at the McKenzie County Heritage Park from 5-7pm. It will reoccur each Thursday through August 30. At each Market there will be live music, Lions Club hamburgers and hotdogs, and demonstrations in addition to vendors selling homegrown produce or handmade items and baked goods.

Registrations open for Job Fair

The next multi-industry Job Service North Dakota Job Fair will be on September 12 at the Raymond Family Community Center in Williston. Early bird booth registration is available until August 1, 2018.

The next multi-industry job fair in Watford City is projected to be in April 2019.

Little Shell Pow Wow

Looking to celebrate Native American culture? The Little Shell Pow Wow is August 9-12 in New Town, ND.

Entrepreneurial ecosystem summit

On Friday, August 10th, there will be a summit on entrepreneurial ecosystem development in Watford City. The event is free to all North Dakotans and will feature speakers from across the state, including North Dakota Lieutenant Governor Brent Sanford. At this workshop, attendees will learn why entrepreneurship matters, how to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as be able to network with other community and economic developers.

For more information, and to register visit here.

Global Leadership Summit

For the third year in a row, the Global Leadership Summit telecast will be coming to Watford City on August 9-10. Simon Sinek, John Maxwell, and Angela Ahrendts are among the speakers for the two-day summit based on Christian principles. Over 100 participants have participated in each of the last two years it has been telecast at the Watford City Assembly of God church.

Registration is now available.

Women in leadership expo

The fifth annual Women in Leadership Expo will be held October 4 in Williston, ND. Each year, the organizers of this event recruit women who are role models and thought leaders on issues relevant to experiences and concerns of women in the workforce. Stephanie Goetz, an award-winning news anchor, executive speaker coach, philanthropist, mental health advocate, accomplished speaker, and professional trainer will be presenting this year. The Emmy-nominated broadcaster anchored and reported at NBC, CBS and ABC affiliates for nearly 10 years. She will be speaking on Unleashing Your Inner Grit & Resilience and How Your Executive Presence Affects Your Influence.

FUSION conference

For the second year in a row, Bowman will be hostin g the FUSION Conference on October 3-4. The conference incorporates elements of personal and professional development into a day and a half event for community members, leadership, professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs. One of the keynote speakers announced is Steve Scheel, President and CEO of Scheels sporting goods stores. Visit the conference website for agenda and registration information.

Check out the upcoming events, like the Teddy Bear Picnic on July 24, all listed on our community calendar .

View past issues of the monthly update here.