🧵 Episode Description:
🎆 Fourth of July is near, and guest host Michelle Kommer brings a radiant, heartfelt, and joyful show packed with good news only!
This vibrant episode celebrates:
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🏡 Adoption & Foster Care with Lizzy LaFond of the North Dakota Heart Gallery
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🐶 Pet Adoption & Shelter Stories with Rep. Greg Steman and foster-fail hero Ellen Dahl
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✈️ A Life-Changing Mission Trip to Jamaica with high schoolers Brant and Riley
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💍 A marriage announcement from Rep. Julie Fedorchak
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🎇 Explosive (but safe!) fireworks news from Governor Kelly Armstrong
Michelle fills in with her signature warmth, humor, and surprise dreams (🧊 spoiler: she wants to drive a Zamboni!).
⏱️ Key Moments & Timestamps:
00:00 – 04:30 | 🎙 “Welcome to the Good News Show”
Michelle opens with sunshine, 701 Day spirit, and the promise: no political brawls—only good news today.
04:30 – 10:15 | 🧒 Interview: Lizzy LaFond – ND Heart Gallery
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ND Heart Gallery’s mission: finding forever homes for kids in foster care through photography
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Lizzy shares her own adoption story, growing up with 12 siblings (!), and the joy of their first 2025 photo shoot
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✨ Best moment: a child choosing an outfit that “screams who they are” for their shoot
10:15 – 21:24 | 🐾 Interview: Rep. Greg Steman – Homeward Animal Shelter
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Greg shifts from politics to puppies
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Insight into the shelter’s growth, adoption process, capital campaign, and volunteer needs
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Highlights their 42,000+ animals saved since 1966
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Foster fail stories and NDSU vet student partnerships
21:24 – 26:00 | 🐾 Interview: Ellen Dahl – Prosecutor & Foster Fail Queen
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A Maricopa County prosecutor with a pack of 5 adopted dogs
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Ellen shares the emotional (and hilarious) side of “failing” at fostering
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Big ❤️ for foster-to-adopt test drives for families
26:00 – 38:45 | 🐕 Pet Adoption Story: Samson the Gentle Giant
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Local guest Paul Oslukson recounts his family's story of adopting a Pyrenees-Retriever mix named Samson
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Beautiful memory of a massive dog showing gentle love to a toddler
📸 “He just walked up to my daughter and licked her head to toe.”
38:45 – 54:00 | 🌍 Mission Trip to Jamaica – Part 1
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Michelle introduces her recent Hope Lutheran mission trip
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Paul Oslukson, Riley Scott, and Brant Oslukson reflect on serving in Trelawny, Jamaica
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Cement mixing, school visits, and living out faith—without phones
💬 “We were covered in concrete, but our hearts were full.”
54:00 – 1:02:40 | 🇯🇲 Mission Trip to Jamaica – Part 2
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Riley’s moving story of “Bartimus,” a blind man in the infirmary asking for Scripture
“Blind, but never lost sight of his faith.”
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Brant shares joy in worship bus rides, and Paul calls the students “present, faithful, and powerful examples of Christ.”
1:02:40 – 1:05:00 | 🛒 🎉 David Disrud wins!
Michelle and Addison celebrate a listener qualifying for $10,000 in groceries after a last-minute call-in!
1:05:00 – 1:12:15 | 🎇 Closing Thoughts + Special Messages
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Riley shares her favorite Bible verse (Mark 10:45)
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Brant reflects on the joy and simplicity of Jamaican life: “They’ve got Jesus, and that’s enough.”
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🎆 Surprise message from Gov. Kelly Armstrong announcing the return of his “Armstrong & Son Pyrotechnics” display