Sunday, January 29, 2012

North Dakotans find that wealth can come at a cost

The gravel road that borders Dave Hynek's farm is designed to carry 10 tractor-trailers a day. In a recent 24-hour period, about 800 passed by. Some are traveling 90 minutes west to Williston, where school Superintendent Viola LaFontaine expects as many as 3,800 students in the fall, about 57 percent more than her primary schools were built to hold.

North Dakota's economy outpaced every other state in 2011, with the fastest growth in personal income, jobs and home prices, according to Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States. Yet the oil boom fueling the nation's lowest unemployment rate also has a dark side. It's pushing rural North Dakota's housing, electric, water, police and emergency services to the breaking point.

Read more in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.