It will be a challenging fall for Greg Salwei, administrator at Wishek Living Center.
 
"During my 17 years on the job here, I've never had to face anything like this," he says.
 
Salwei is referring to the North Dakota budget shortfall, which is at least $310 million, according to the latest-available estimates.
 
By law, the state is not permitted to operate with a deficit. As a result, Gov. Jack Dalrymple ordered in February that all government agencies must reduce expenditures by 4.05 percent.
 
Gov. Dalrymple also ordered an additional 2.5 percent cut in August.
 
Salwei says he feels fortunate that the North Dakota Legislature essentially exempted the Department of Human Services, which coordinates aid to nursing homes, from the latest cut as part of a bill lawmakers approved during their recent special session.
 
But the original cut still looms, while the oil/energy and agricultural sectors that form the traditional heart of the state economy continue to struggle.