CSi Weather….

Wayne Byers Show Weekdays on CSi 2CSi Weather…

REST OF TODAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 30s. Northeast

winds 10 to 15 mph.

.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 15 to 20. North winds around

15 mph.

.FRIDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 20s. North winds 10 to

15 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows 10 to 15. Northwest winds

10 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 20s. Northwest winds

10 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow.

Lows 10 to 15.

.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 20s.

Lows around 15.

.MONDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 30s.

.MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a

30 percent chance of snow. Lows 15 to 20. Highs in the lower 30s.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 20s.

 

Temperatures will continue a downward trend into the upcoming

weekend. This will slow down or stop the snow melt, but rivers and

streams will continue to respond.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The Valley City Commission met in Special Session at 7-a.m., Thursday.

All members were present.

The Commissioners approved a Resolution approving the Final Plans and Specifications and Authorize for Bid for Permanent Flood Protection Phase II.

KLJ reported that this phase will be the most challenging, starting this year and wrapping up in 2018.

The area to be started this year is on Main street, and includes the nursery area, wraps around the river, and east.

It requires the purchase of three properties in that area, along with the purchase of one property to include 200 feet near the substation, which requires the relocation of a power pole in that area.

The initial demolition starts in May this year with project work this year to start in June.

The $14 million project is slated to be finished in June of 2018.

Material includes lots of steel sheeting for a coffer dam which will this year requires minor temporary closures of Main street.

The major construction on Main Street will occur in 2018, and will include the installation of new lighting.

 

The item from the Tuesday Regular Commission meeting, to approve contract renewal for City Administrator Dave Schelkoph has been moved to the Tuesday March 7, 2017 City Finance Committee for discussion, along with the discussion of the contract agreement with City Police Chief Phil Hatcher.

The items are scheduled, then for the 5-p.m., City Commission, Regular Meeting.

 

Jamestown (CSi)  The Jamestown City Council’s Fire & Police, and Public Works Committees met Thursday evening at City Hall.  Council Member Gumke was not present.

 POLICE AND FIRE COMMITTEE

No items at this time.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

The committee heard from Mandar Nangare, representing Barr Engineering, concerning  information and a short presentation regarding the Jamestown Ice House Dam.

He said a property owner questioned who owns the dam, saying records at the State Water Commission indicates the City of Jamestown owns the dam.

He added that the Ice House Dam was constructed by a private entity primarily for hydro power for a Jamestown flower mill,  with federal funding from the Civilian Conservation Corps.

He said, and inspection last year by the State Water Commission indicated that the dam is in “poor physical condition,’ with erosion affecting the structure’s concrete causing cracks and seepage.

Spillway damage was also noted.

He said options include…do nothing…decide it’s a liability and move it… repair it, or redesign it.

He says the costs of repairs or replacement has a 75 percent cost share by the State Water Commission.

A feasibility study is expected to cost about $40,000.

Another funding source is the State Health Department.

FEMA funding may also be possible.

The State Game and Fish Department may also be involved.

The Stutsman County Water Board is yet to be approached for their participation.

With the funding timetable and project work, it could take five to ten years to accomplish the project in phases.

The project will aid in safety and liability issues.

He pointed out that a similar project on the city dam, in Valley City, will start in June this year, where the dam will be replaced.

Greg Spenningsby with the Stutsman County Water Resource Board said if the dam is removed there will be no river flow through Nickeus or Klaus Parks.

The committee recommends requests for proposals for a feasibility study.

A presentation was made from Darrell Hournbuckle, of  Interstate Engineering, Inc., relative to the Preliminary Engineering Report for the Raker Building Project, at the city’s water treatment facility.

He said the present raker was installed in 1999 and is not longer adequate to handle the large waste material.

He pointed out that the proposal is for and 8 by 8 addition to the structure for electrical controls, and keep the building, alogn with replacing moving parts, and removal of accumulated grit.

He suggests replacing the raker, at the current location, and leave the funding option in place, pending the proposed soybean processing facility.

The committee recommends, proceeding with replacing the raker, and associated equipment and to authorize a loan application with the State Health Department, and authorize a loan application from the North Dakota Public Finance Agency.

The committee recommends a Change Order to Scherbenske, Inc., on the 2016 Water Main Replacement Project.

The committee considered a possible Bike Path Striping on the 5th Street NE Paving Project.

Comments coming from the recent public meeting in Jamestown on the project.

City Administrator Jeff Fuchs adds, a bike  path or pedestrian walk needs to be snow free and kept open, such as a sidewalk.

The committee recommends sending the issue to the City Council without recommendation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Ralph Friebel indicated the need for a change in the residential recycling agreement with the city and Renaissance Recycling  for a five year term, rather than a ten year term, based on financing issues.

Mayor Andersen said the city will meet with his attorney to discuss language changes, to bring before the city council for discussion.

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 67 followed by replays.

 

Jamestown (CSi)  The Stutsman County Sheriff’ Office reports a 42 year old Streeter man  was charged with  felonies, following allegations that he  stole a pickup with a passenger in it last week in Streeter.

Shane Dockter, made his initial appearance on Wednesday this week, in Southeast District Court in Jamestown  on  Class C felony charges of theft of property, terrorizing and felonious restraint.  Dockter was also charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle along with carrying a concealed firearm or dangerous weapon prohibited, which are both Class A misdemeanors.

Dockter is at the Stutsman County Correctional Center on a $100,000 bond.

 

ENDERLIN (AP)   An Enderlin man was sentenced to 23 years in prison for the shooting death of another man in Enderlin.

KFGO reports, 29 year old Paul Miller, shot 28 year-old Billy Holladay from his pickup as Holladay walked down the street. The shooting occurred about one year ago.

The sentence was part of a plea agreement.

Miller pleaded guilty to murder and reckless endangerment. He turned himself in after meeting with a Fargo lawyer.

 

CANNON BALL, ND  The North Dakota Joint Information Center reports, that the main Dakota Access Pipeline protest camp was “officially completely cleared” by law enforcement just after 2 p.m. Thursday, February 23,  2017.

CANNON BALL, N.D. (AP) . North Dakota officials have shut down a transition center for people who had been staying in the now-closed Dakota Access pipeline protest camp.

State Emergency Services spokeswoman Cecily Fong says the center was shut down due to lack of use. An adviser to Gov. Doug Burgum says only nine people used the center Wednesday and no one used it Thursday.

Authorities closed the camp on federal land Wednesday, in advance of spring flooding. The state offered transportation to the Bismarck center to anyone who wanted it. Once there, they could get basic necessities, along with bus and hotel vouchers.

Two rooms at the Comfort Inn were damaged, but Fong says that wasn’t a factor in closing the transition center. The hotel didn’t immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

 

About two dozen Dakota Access pipeline opponents have been arrested so far for remaining in the protest camp.

An adviser to North Dakota’s governor, Levi Bachmeier (BAWK’-my-ur), also says no one in the camp has taken advantage of a bus offered by the state to transport protesters to a transition center in Bismarck. They can avoid criminal charges and get basic necessities there, along with hotel and bus vouchers.

Most protesters left peacefully Wednesday when authorities closed the camp on Army Corps of Engineers land in advance of spring flooding, but some remained overnight.

National Guard soldiers and dozens of officers entered the camp shortly before midday Thursday, shortly after police said Corps officials had met with camp leaders. They didn’t divulge the outcome of the talks.

 

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — A possible plea deal has been negotiated for a former Minot neurosurgeon who had been scheduled to go on trial on federal sex abuse charges later this month.

Dr. Marc Edward Eichler is expected to plead guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He faces two to 10 years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender.

Eichler is accused of exchanging sexually explicit texts and photos in 2015 with two girls, ages 12 and 13.

The federal prosecutor is expected to recommend a minimal sentence, with five years of supervised release, due to Eichler accepting to take responsibility for the crime.

The prosecutor notes the sentence is subject to change if a pattern of abuse and use of a computer to commit the offense occurs.

 

DRAYTON, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s two U.S. senators are trying to help communities in northeastern North Dakota and the Devils Lake Basin prepare for possible major flooding this spring.

Republican Sen. John Hoeven led a tour and meeting in Drayton on Thursday with federal, state and local officials. Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp also joined the group.

Hoeven brought together the group, which included representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. With a recent flood outlook showing the possibility of major flooding this spring, he says the tour was aimed at ensuring communities in northeastern North Dakota “are as prepared as possible.”

Both Hoeven and Heitkamp noted that the upcoming 20th anniversary of the devastating 1997 flood shows the need for comprehensive flood control in North Dakota.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — U.S. Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer from red state North Dakota has held numerous town hall meetings since taking office in 2013, none of them more contentious than Thursday’s “Coffee With Cramer” event.

Many in the audience that packed a Fargo coffee shop heckled Cramer often, including immediately after he opened the one-hour question-and-answer session with a prayer. About 50 people were left standing outside.

Cramer was roundly booed over topics such as health care, abortion, his support of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and President Donald Trump’s dealings with Russia. Cramer was an early supporter of the Trump campaign.

One of the audience members, Nichole Mattson, says she didn’t always like Cramer’s answers and understands why people are angry. But Mattson says she doesn’t believe the hollering was productive.

 

In world and national news…

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says there will be “no mass deportations” and “no use of military forces” as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Kelly spoke in Mexico City after he and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with their Mexican counterparts. Kelly says everything the U.S. does on immigration will be done legally and with respect for human rights. He also says actions will occur in close coordination with Mexico’s government.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (mih-NOO’-shin) says the administration is committed to getting major tax reform legislation through Congress by August. In an interview with CNBC, Mnuchin says that tax reform is the administration’s top economic priority. He also says President Donald Trump’s economic proposals will boost growth significantly to annual rates above 3 percent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker John Boehner (BAY’-nur) says a full repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act is “not going to happen.” The Ohio Republican predicts that in the end, Congress will leave the basic framework of the health car law in place and make relatively modest changes. Boehner says “Republicans never, ever agree on health care.” His remarks at a health care conference in Florida were reported by Politico.

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Sen. Ted Cruz is predicting there will be another vacancy on the Supreme Court this summer. And the Texas Republican told a conference of conservatives in the Washington area that the “the next vacancy is where we have the ability to get back and restore our basic constitutional protections.” He didn’t say which justice he thought might retire.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is praising the media, at a time when President Donald Trump has accused reporters of being dishonest and delivering “fake news.” Ginsburg told the BBC’s “Newsnight” program Thursday that she reads The Washington Post and The New York Times every day, and that “reporters are trying to tell the public the truth.” The 83-year-old justice was openly critical of Trump before his election, calling him a “faker” who “really has an ego.” She later said she regretted her “ill-advised” comments.