A Senate bill that would give Air Force base schools access to low interest loans from the state’s school construction fund drew no opposition at a Senate Education Committee hearing Wednesday.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Davrick Hayes, a 31-year-old quality assurance analyst and entrepreneur based in Bismarck, North Dakota. It's been edited for length and clarity.

serves punch from the punchbowl that is part of the 40-piece silver serving set purchased and made for the battleship USS North Dakota in 1910s, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Bismarck, N.D. (AP ...