wbPM2CSi Weather…

TONIGHT…INCREASING CLOUDS. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS

ZERO TO 5 ABOVE. SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.

.SATURDAY…CLOUDY. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF

SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 20S. SOUTHEAST WINDS

AROUND 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH IN THE

AFTERNOON.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS ZERO TO 5 ABOVE. NORTHWEST

WINDS 15 TO 20 MPH DECREASING TO 5 TO 10 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

.SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE

AFTERNOON. HIGHS AROUND 15. NORTH WINDS AROUND 5 MPH SHIFTING TO

THE SOUTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW IN THE EVENING IN THE VALLEY CITY AREA. LOWS 5 TO 10 ABOVE. SOUTHEAST

WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.

.MONDAY…CLOUDY. HIGHS 15 TO 20.

.MONDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE EVENING, THEN SNOW

LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THROUGH

THE NIGHT. LOWS ZERO TO 5 ABOVE. CHANCE OF SNOW 70 PERCENT.

.TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IN

THE MORNING. SNOW LIKELY IN THE MORNING, THEN CHANCE OF SNOW IN

THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS 5 TO 10 ABOVE. CHANCE OF SNOW 60 PERCENT.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS AROUND 10 BELOW.

.WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS ZERO TO 5 ABOVE.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS AROUND

10 BELOW. HIGHS 5 TO 10 ABOVE.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…INCREASING CLOUDS. LOWS 5 TO 10 ABOVE.

.FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGHS

IN THE LOWER 30S.

 

A STORM SYSTEM MAY BRING LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND GUSTY WINDS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. BLOWING SNOW IS POSSIBLE.

VERY COLD AIR AND DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

 

 

Update…

(CSi)  The North Dakota Highway Patrol, Friday afternoon  was still searching for 23-year-old Daniel Michael TwoHearts. The Traill County State’s Attorney’s Office has charged Two Hearts with the Class A felony, which carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. An arrest warrant also has been issued for Two Hearts.

TwoHearts fired three shots from a 9 mm handgun, at State Trooper Eric Rumple shortly after 9:30-p.m. Thursday, as  the  trooper attempted a traffic stop on a red Chevrolet pickup with excessively loud exhaust on I-29 at Grand Forks. .  The trooper avoided being struck.  No shots were fired by law enforcement.

The vehicle fled southbound on I-29 at approximately 100 mph.  Just south of Exit 104 (Hillsboro), law enforcement successfully deployed tire spikes and flattened the tires of the fleeing vehicle.  Upon stopping, the driver of the suspect vehicle exited and fired shots at the NDHP trooper.  The suspect fled on foot.   Two passengers in the vehicle were taken into custody without further incident.   Methamphetamine was located inside the vehicle. Area residents were notified as the ground search was conducted.

While law enforcement was still searching for the suspect on foot at approximately 11:04 p.m., a report was received of a vehicle stolen from Hillsboro with a baby in it.  Law enforcement located the stolen vehicle northbound on County Road 81 and successfully deployed tire spikes, flattening its tires east of Reynolds.  The driver again fled on foot.   The baby was located in the vehicle by officers, uninjured, and brought to safety.

Numerous law enforcement agencies Friday afternoon continued to actively search for this suspect east of Reynolds, believed to be armed and dangerous.  Citizens are asked to call 911 if they see anything or anyone suspicious in this area.  Citizens are advised not to approach the suspect.  Law enforcement aircraft are being utilized in the search.  Northbound traffic on I-29 was shut down for approximately one hour and was re-opened at approximately 11:30 p.m.

 

Update…

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) –  A North Dakota legislative panel has endorsed a proposal to study the impacts of refugee resettlement in the state.

The committee’s action came late Friday after some Republican lawmakers pushed a measure that would let communities and the governor temporarily ban refugee resettlement while data is being collected.

Critics believe the measure was discriminatory and probably unconstitutional. The House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee decided to study the issue instead.

West Fargo Rep. Christopher Olson says the purpose of his bill was to allow local and state governments to “have a say” in refugee resettlement process.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — An American Indian activist arrested along with 73 other Dakota Access oil pipeline opponents for allegedly trespassing on private land is now accused of inciting a riot.

Chase Iron Eyes could face up to five years in prison if convicted on the felony charge. He also faces a misdemeanor count of criminal trespass.

Iron Eyes and the others were arrested Wednesday after setting up teepees on land that authorities say is owned by the pipeline developer. Protesters say they were peacefully assembling on land they believe rightfully belongs to American Indians.

Iron Eyes issued a recorded statement from jail late Thursday. He doesn’t dispute his involvement but says he wasn’t the leader of the effort and had no authority to stop it.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota regulators say evidence presented at a hearing will determine whether the developer of the four-state, $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline violated state rules regarding the reporting of Native American artifacts.

Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners last October diverted construction of the pipeline around Native American artifacts without running the plan by the Public Service Commission, which oversees pipelines. Commission staffers say that warrants a fine of at least $15,000, even though the artifacts weren’t disturbed.

ETP maintains it didn’t intentionally violate state rules and in late November asked for the case to be dismissed. The three-member Commission this week rejected the request and said the company must provide evidence at a hearing.

An administrative law judge will oversee the hearing, but the PSC will make the final decision.

 

BISMARCK, N.D.  (CSi) – Gov. Doug Burgum on Friday appointed Tioga attorney Benjamen J. Johnson to a judgeship in the Northwest Judicial District, effective March 13.

Johnson has been in private practice since 2008, with a general legal practice. He also served as assistant state’s attorney in Burke County from 2008 to 2010 and acting Burke County state’s attorney from 2010 to 2011. Johnson presently is the city attorney for the cities of Tioga, Ross, Bowbells, Wildrose, Portal and Flaxton.

Born in Williston and raised in Froid, Mont., Johnson is a 2008 graduate of the University of North Dakota School of Law in Grand Forks. He earned an undergraduate degree in 2004 from the University of Mary in Bismarck.

The Northwest Judicial District vacancy in Judgeship No. 2 was created by the Dec. 31 retirement of Judge David Nelson. Six lawyers applied to fill the vacancy.

Johnson and his wife Melissa, a physical therapist, have three children and live in Tioga.

 

 

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — The Air Force says the Minot base contributed about $591 million to the local economy in fiscal year 2016.

That’s about $30 million more than fiscal year 2015.

The base’s Lt. Col. Raymond Castro presented the economic impact report to the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee Thursday.

The  economic impact includes the annual payroll of military members, civilians employed at the base, expenditures and the estimated dollar value of the jobs created.

Castro says the Minot Air Force Base has a population of 12,129 people. That includes about 5,500 military members.

 

In world and national news…

PARIS (AP) — Two French officials close to the investigation into the attack at the Louvre (loov) Museum in Paris say several police raids have been carried out in the French capital. They aren’t giving many details about the raids. A man attacked French soldiers Friday morning near the Louvre, and they shot him while other security forces locked down the famous museum. The attacker has been hospitalized and the French president says he will be questioned “when it is possible to do so.” Police union officials say he’s believed to be an Egyptian national.

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge in Boston says he’ll decide by Sunday whether to extend a temporary injunction against President Donald Trump’s travel ban. A seven-day restraining order was granted January 29th in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of two professors who were detained at Boston’s airport as they returned home from an academic conference. The professors are Muslims from Iran and lawful permanent U.S. residents. They were eventually allowed to re-enter the country. The plaintiffs have been joined by several noncitizens who are legally in the U.S. but fear if they leave they’ll be unable to return.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration says it has eased its temporary freeze on contract and grant approvals at the Environmental Protection Agency, with all $3.9 billion in planned spending moving forward. A media blackout at the agency also appears to have been partially lifted, as a trickle of press releases were issued by EPA this week. However, the agency still has not posted to its official Twitter feed since President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

DENVER (AP) — A man accused of killing a Denver transit guard has been charged with first-degree murder. Joshua Cummings was advised of the charge filed against him in the death of Scott Von Lanken during a brief court appearance Friday. He answered “Yes sir” when the judge asked him if he understood his rights. He hasn’t been asked to enter a plea yet. Before he was led away he asked his lawyer for help getting a Quran, saying jail officials had been “dragging their feet.” Prosecutors aren’t saying whether investigators had uncovered a motive for the shooting.

OAK GROVE, Ky. (AP) — Authorities in Kentucky say a domestic dispute near Fort Campbell has left two soldiers dead and a juvenile wounded. They say the assailant forced his way into a house after tracking down his estranged wife Priscilla Ann East — and fatally shot her and the man she was with, Christopher Hoch, also a soldier. Police say Jeremy Demar then fled with a young child. He was later taken into custody, and the child wasn’t hurt. Demar is facing charges including murder.