wbPM4CSi Weather…

 

.SUNDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE MID 50S. SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 10 MPH.

.MONDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 70S.

.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S. HIGHS NEAR 70.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE UPPER 40S.

 

 

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (AP) — A man who spearheaded an unsuccessful effort in Valley City to disband the local police department is accused of threatening a city commissioner.

drakerobert-vcPolice Chief Fred Thompson says Robert Drake allegedly threatened to harm City Commissioner Rick Ross during a telephone conversation with Ross and through comments Drake made to City Administrator David Schelkoph. An arrest warrant was served Friday.

Drake faces a felony terrorizing charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Court documents don’t list an attorney for him, and a home telephone listing couldn’t be found.

Drake late last year organized a citizen group that unsuccessfully sought to disband Valley City’s police department and turn protection duties over to the Barnes County Sheriff’s Office.

Valley City Police Chief Fred Thompson has issued a news release, which states:

“On September 28, 2016 at approximately 1030 hours (10:30-a.m.) Robert Drake, age 63 of Barnes County, North Dakota contacted Valley City, City Administrator, David Schelkoph at his office.

Drake issued a verbal complaint about the conduct of Commissioner Rick Ross, over Ross’ alleged interfering with the business transactions of Drake, and Drake’s business associates.

During this conversation, Drake made repeated threats to harm Ross.

Schelkoph tried to calm Drake and suggested that Drake speak to Ross in an effort to clear up whatever problem there was.  Schelkoph notified Ross, and Ross then called Drake.   During this conversation, Drake made direct and repeated threats to physically harm Ross.

Valley City Police was notified and initiated an investigation into these events.  Witnesses were contacted and statements obtained from not only Ross and Schelkoph, in addition to VCSU personnel who witnessed Drake’s statements while Drake was at VCSU attempting to locate Ross.

Valley City Police submitted for, and received a Warrant of Arrest for Drake for North Dakota Century Code 12.1-17-04, Terrorizing, which was authorized on September 30, 2016.  Drake was taken into custody without incident by the Barnes County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the Barnes County Correction Center for Booking.

Valley City Police is requesting that anyone with any information on this case to contact us at 701-845-3110.”

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown City Council met Friday morning  in Special Session, at City Hall to discuss  North Dakota Roughrider Association Rodeo contract for the Jamestown Civic Center.

The Jamestown City Council earlier this month, had approved a Resolution, to send a letter to rodeo officials, terminating the agreement between the Civic Center and the Rodeo Association, in year five of the seven year agreement, following this year’s event,  October, 28-30 at the Jamestown Civic Center, siting economic losses incurred from the rodeo by the Jamestown Civic Center.

The Association and Jamestown Civic Center were granted $7,500, by Jamestown Tourism which indicated the rodeo needs bigger support.

At a recent Civic Center and Promotion Committee meeting, Greg Carlson a member of the Association Board said the Association will look at another venue outside of Jamestown if agreements can not be reached with the city, in keeping the rodeo in Jamestown.

Mayor Katie Andersen suggested looking at a revision of the contract, and possible changes, and rental of the Civic Center.

 

At Friday morning’s Special City Council meeting, Council Members Phillips and Gumke spoke regarding meetings they had with rodeo officials.

Phillips and Gumke indicated that rodeo officials will be looking at cutting expenses and doing more advertising to draw more regional attendance and have the rodeo not be a money losing event.

At Friday’s meeting the City Council members voted unanimously to rescind the Resolution.

Following this year’s rodeo, the city will review the profits of the event, to determine  if the rodeo was successful, and not a money losing proposition.

If the city finds the rodeo was not profitable, it will likely send a letter to the rodeo officials terminating the city’s future involvement with the rodeo.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown Street Department announces that beginning Saturday morning, October 1, 2016, the downtown City parking lots will be closed for striping maintenance.

The maintenance work is expected to be completed by Tuesday, October 4, 2016; weather permitting.  Please find alternate parking until the work has been completed.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The Valley City Eagles Club fundraiser to assist with repair work to the building will be held on Friday October 14, 2016 from 5-p.m., to 7-p.m.

Needed is $94,000 in repairs to the southwest corner of the foundation that has settled.

The fundraiser is in addition to previous donations for the repair work.

The Valley City Commission had also voted to approve utilizing $50,000 from the Food and Beverage tax toward the repairs.

Repairs are slated to start October 1, 2016, and during this time the south entrance to the building will be closed, with public access through the east entrance.

 

WISHEK, N.D. (AP) — A reward is being offered in the case of two people who went missing 23 years ago while on their way to a North Dakota farm.

Authorities say Kristin Diede and Robert Anderson were last seen on their way to a farm north of Wishek during the late afternoon hours on Aug. 15, 1993.

A van that Diede and Anderson were driving was found abandoned a few days later in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation considers Diede and Anderson to be homicide victims, but few details have been released.

A $5,000 reward is available to anyone who can lead authorities to remains of the victims. More information can be found on the website www.kristinjoydiede.com.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz is back in Fargo, where he starred at North Dakota State University. Wentz on Friday was with a film crew shooting a commercial in downtown Fargo for a truck accessories business. Wentz on Wednesday went bow hunting for deer in his home state, posting a picture on Twitter of a buck he had shot. He plans to attend NDSU’s homecoming game Saturday.

 

CROSBY, N.D. (AP) — Bond has been set at $15,000 for a Florida man facing three felony manslaughter charges in a triple-fatal crash in North Dakota’s oil patch.

Forty-nine-year-old William Koehler, of Chiefland, Florida, could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted in the Aug. 23 crash in a Divide County construction zone that killed two children and their father.

Koehler is accused of speeding and using his cellphone moments before rear-ending a car that was stopped for a flagger.

Koehler could enter pleas at an Oct. 27 hearing. His attorney has not responded to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A small town tavern in central North Dakota is laying claim as the center of North America.

Hanson’s Bar in Robinson now is now touting its continental bull’s-eye status after snatching the title from the nearby city of Rugby that allowed its trademark to lapse.

Former Rugby Mayor Dale Niewoehner says people in his city are upset.

Niewoehner says the city found out this week that it has lost its trademark phrase “Geographical Center of North America” to the bar in Robinson.

Robinson Mayor Bill Bender says bar patrons always have been suspect of Rugby’s claim. He says Rugby’s trademark expired about 20 years ago and bar patrons raised $350 and sent it off to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to buy the trademark.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The process needed to obtain a federal permit for a project to alleviate erosion of native burial grounds at the Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site north of Bismarck might delay construction until spring.

Fern Swenson, director of archaeology and historic preservation with the State Historical Society of North Dakota, says that would be concerning because a delay would allow for more destruction of the site.

Sixteen burial areas already have been exposed and subsequently moved.

Toni Erhardt, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District’s North Dakota Regulatory Office in Bismarck, says more than 20 comments from the public, various agencies and stakeholders were received during a 30-day public comment period that ended Sept. 15.

Swenson says she expects a public hearing on the issue to be held soon.

 

In world and national news….

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Homeland Security Department official says hackers have targeted the voter registration systems of more than 20 states in recent months. The official says it’s unclear whether the hackers were foreign or domestic, or what their motives might be. The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the subject and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has formally stopped helping the U.S. government provide aid and services to refugees, citing safety concerns. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said last week that Texas would withdraw from the federally funded refugee resettlement program unless the state’s demands for stricter refugee vetting were met. Abbott said today that federal authorities have failed to meet those demands, and he announced Texas’ official withdrawal. The move follows withdrawals by Kansas and New Jersey.

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) — A 14-year-old South Carolina boy has been charged as a juvenile with murder and three counts of attempted murder after authorities say he killed his father, then opened fire at a school playground. Three people were wounded in Wednesday’s shootings at Townville Elementary School. One is a 6-year-old boy who is on life support, according to his family.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — A suspect in a deadly weekend shooting at a party near the University of Illinois campus has turned himself in. Champaign police say 18-year-old Robbie M. Patton unexpectedly surrendered Thursday night at the Champaign County Jail. He’s expected to be charged with first-degree murder in the Sunday death of a 22-year-old man. Police say the shooting followed a disagreement over a spilled drink that led to a fight. Three other people were injured.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A military judge has rejected efforts to dismiss the desertion case against Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl over comments made by U.S. Sen. John McCain. Berdahl’s lawyers argued that McCain improperly influenced the case by telling a reporter in 2015 that his Senate committee would hold a hearing if Bergdahl weren’t punished. Bergdahl walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and wound up in captivity of the Taliban and its allies for five years. He is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.