CSi Weather…

TONIGHT…Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Lows zero to 5 above. East winds 10 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY…Cloudy. A 50 percent chance of snow in the morning.

Highs 10 to 15. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of snow

after midnight in the Jamestown area, 20 percent in the Valley City area. Lows zero to 5 above. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

.SUNDAY…An 80 percent chance of snow. Moderate snow accumulations. Highs 15 to 20. East winds 15 to 20 mph.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow in the Jamestown area, 40 percent in the Valley City area.

Lows zero to 5 above. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

.MONDAY…Partly sunny. Highs 15 to 20.

.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY…Partly cloudy. Lows zero to 5 above.

Highs 15 to 20.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows around 15.

.WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid

30s. Lows 15 to 20.

.THURSDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of rain and

snow in the evening. Lows in the upper 20s.

.FRIDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.

 

Light snow is expected to develop Friday and continue Friday night and into Saturday morning. Accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are possible.

A brief lull will occur Saturday afternoon and evening, followed by another period of snow Saturday night through Sunday night, with 1 to 4 inches accumulation possible.

The maximum total accumulation may be around 7 inches by Monday morning, depending on the track of the storm system.

If you have travel plans  through Sunday, allow extra time in reaching your destination.

Keep up to date on the latest forecast on CSi cable 2 and on line along with the latest road reports at CSiNewsNow.com

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The most beautiful town in North Dakota is Valley City.

Expedia Viewfinder Content Team Spokesperson Suse Sampaio explains that  the article listed on the Expedia website is intended to pinpoint the most beautiful places in every state and encourage people to travel to these unique towns.

The article says, “Settled cozily along the Sheyenne River, pretty Valley City is home to 11 historic bridges, some of which date back as far as the 1890s. Take a tour of these celebrated arches, and then see what’s in store at the Medicine Wheel Park. The 30 acres of serene parkland features the impressive medicine wheel solar calendar, native burial grounds and even a perennial garden. On your way out of town, take the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway for unbeatable views.”

The website also recommends taking a trip on the Sheyenne River Valley National Scenic Byway for “unbeatable” views.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The tourism division for the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce says tourism ads brought in $328.3 million in non-resident visitor spending in 2016.

The non-resident visitors contributed $18.7 million to the state’s tax base.

The chamber’s tourism division director Sara Otte Coleman says the campaign featuring actor Josh Duhamel showcased a variety of state amenities revolving around North Dakota history, the outdoors and city attractions.

North Dakota invested $3.17 million in advertising to out-of-state markets in 2016, resulting in 354,000 non-resident trips to the state. All told, the advertising brought in $104 in non-resident spending for every $1 spent on advertising.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The City of Jamestown is currently accepting applications for the following:

One opening on the Special Assessment Commission—6 year term

One opening on the Fire Code Board of Appeals—term to November 2019

Two openings on the Shade Tree Committee—Unexpired term to April 2018 and one 3 year term

Anyone interested in serving on the above committees/boards should complete an “Application for Appointment”. The application may be obtained in person at City Hall, 102 3rd Ave SE, Jamestown, ND, by calling 701-252-5900 or online at jamestownnd.org and select government tab/city committees to download the form.

The application should be returned by March 31, 2017, to:

City of Jamestown

Attn: Appointments

102 3rd Avenue SE

Jamestown, ND 58401-420

 

 

Valley City  (CSi)  Two men will be honored, at the North Dakota Winter Show, on Saturday, selected to become the newest members of the North Dakota Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Selected this year, for their contributions to agriculture are Alan Bergman of Jud and Dr. James Tilton of Fargo.

The ceremony will be March 11, 2017, at 1:45-p.m. in the main arena.

Alan Bergman is a third generation farmer and former president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, who is a life-long advocate for cooperatives and family farm agriculture.

Dr. James Tilton is a retired Animal and Range Science professor, who spent nearly four decades as a faculty member and research scientist at NDSU.

 

Bismarck –  Gov. Doug Burgum accepted more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from oil company executives last fall, despite comments he made as a candidate that accepting donations from the oil industry would be a conflict of interest.

WDAY reports, that Burgum did not accept contributions from oil company political action committees, but he did receive contributions of up to $25,000 from individual oil industry executives.

North Dakota’s governor regulates the oil industry as chairman of the state Industrial Commission.

Ahead of the June 2016 primary, Burgum received no apparent contributions from the oil industry while his opponent Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, also a member of the Industrial Commission, received at least $50,000 in donations tied to the oil industry, according to campaign disclosures filed with the Secretary of State.

At the time, Burgum told Forum News Service he believed a conflict of interest exists when candidates accept donations from industries they regulate.

Burgum declined an interview with Forum Commnications request but issued this statement:

“As a candidate, I made it clear I would not accept campaign contributions from entities I would directly regulate if elected governor. I honored that pledge. Individuals are free to express their preference and participate in the political process no matter where they work. As chairman of the Industrial Commission, I am committed to fair and unbiased oversight, regardless of campaign contributions.”

Democrat Marvin Nelson, who ran against Burgum last November, said his “heart kind of sank” when he first saw oil executive donations show up in Burgum’s campaign disclosures last fall.

Don Morton, who worked as chief of staff for Burgum at Microsoft in Fargo, said he doesn’t expect the contributions to influence Burgum’s decision-making.

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of people have rallied outside the White House and President Donald Trump’s Washington hotel in a last-ditch effort to stop construction of the Dakota Access pipeline.

Participants in Friday’s march and rally say the protests against the pipeline have been successful even if it gets built because they’ve called attention to the issue of American Indian sovereignty.

A federal judge this week declined to halt construction of the final section of the $3.8 billion pipeline, meaning oil could begin flowing through it as early as next week.

The last pipeline section would pass under a reservoir that provides water to the Standing Rock Sioux.

The rally also revealed divisions among some activists. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II was booed and heckled by some in the crowd.

 

Update…

PISEK, N.D. (AP) — The Highway Patrol is investigating a crash in rural Walsh County that killed a 25-year-old Grafton man.

Authorities say an uninvolved motorist came upon a crash scene about 7 a.m. Thursday in which a pickup truck had gone off a gravel road about 7 miles east of Pisek and struck a row of trees.

The driver of the pickup was identified as Wyatt Feltman. He died at the scene. The time of the crash isn’t known.

 

KILLDEER, N.D. (AP) — Authorities have identified a 27-year-old Dickinson man killed in a one-vehicle crash in Dunn County.

The Highway Patrol says Dalton James lost control of his pickup truck on a curve on a rural road northwest of Killdeer and struck a guard rail about 12:30 a.m. Thursday.

The vehicle went down a steep embankment and overturned, coming to rest in a creek bed. James was ejected and died at the scene.

 

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota legislators have backed a bill calling for a study of the state’s energy landscape amid complaints by some that it unfairly favors wind energy over coal.

The Bismarck Tribune reports that the call for a study was attached to a bill proposed by Republican Sen. Dwight Cook that called for a moratorium of new wind energy projects in the state. The Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of the amended bill before the Legislature’s mid-session break.

Republican Sen. Jessica Unruh says she thinks “it’s time to level the playing field.” She says discussion of the topic in the Legislature seemed to pit coal against wind, and that this isn’t the intention of the study.

Cook says the project is about reliability, “and coal is the most reliable source of power we have.” He says the study is an important first step in preparing for North Dakota’s future.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has appointed a Minnesota man to be the state’s chief information officer.

Shawn Riley will head the North Dakota Information Technology Department beginning April 17. The agency supports the information technology needs of state government, K-12 education and higher education, and also leads the state’s cybersecurity efforts.

Riley has served in IT leadership positions for the past 17 years, most recently with Mayo Clinic and the Mayo Clinic Health System. He’s a native of Lanesboro, Minnesota, and lives in Austin, Minnesota.

Dan Sipes had served as interim chief information officer since December. He will return to his roles as the department’s director of operations and deputy CIO.

In sports…

Sioux City, IA  (CSi)  The 11th seeded University of Jamestown Jimmie women’s basketball team Friday morning, defeated the Number 6 seed,Davenport, Michigan (31-3)  80-67 to head to the NAIA tournament’s Elite 8.

On Friday, Senior Taylor Hammer score 36 points and with 11 rebounds. McKayla Orr, contributed  16 points in the tournament’s Sweet 16 action.

Jimmies (27-4)  play Saturday afternoon at 1-p.m., against either Number 2 seed Concordia, Nebraska or Cardinal Stritch, Wisconsin, in the national quarter finals.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Nearly three-fourths of the hunters who went in search of pronghorn in North Dakota last year were successful in bagging an animal.

The state Game and Fish Department says the success rate for last fall’s season was 73 percent, down a bit from 81 percent the year before. The agency issued 730 pronghorn licenses last year.

A string of harsh winters in the late 2000s decimated the population and prompted the state to disallow pronghorn hunting from 2010 through 2013 to allow the animals to recover. Seasons were opened again in 2014.

This year’s season will be determined in July.
In world and national  news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump was not aware his national security adviser was probably going to have to register as a foreign agent for his lobbying work. Spokesman Sean Spicer says Michael Flynn’s decision to register was a personal decision and not one for Trump’s lawyers to determine. He dismissed questions about whether Flynn’s work as a foreign agent should have given Trump pause in naming him national security adviser, saying Flynn had “impeccable credentials.” Lawyers for Flynn told Trump’s transition team before the inauguration that he might need to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent because of work on behalf of Turkey. Flynn was fired after less than a month on the job after misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says President Donald Trump has invited him to visit the White House to discuss resuming peace talks. The spokesman says the invitation came during a telephone call Friday. It was the first between Trump and Abbas since Trump took office. The last round of peace talks mediated by the United States collapsed in 2014. Trump is unpopular among Palestinians because he appeared to break from his predecessor and adopt friendlier positions toward the Israeli government.

 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The retired Florida police officer who fatally shot a man in a movie theater after a dispute over texting may now have to stand trial for second-degree murder. A judge today rejected a “stand-your-ground” defense for Curtis Reeves in the shooting death of Chad Oulson. Florida has been a leader in giving citizens immunity in cases of self-defense, with its “stand your ground” law serving as an emotional point of debate after several high-profile shooting deaths. That includes the death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Pennsylvania congressman is accusing former President Barack Obama of staying in Washington solely to run a “shadow government” to undermine the GOP agenda. Congressman Mike Kelly made the claim to fellow Republicans at an event Saturday north of Pittsburgh. The Obamas have said they would remain in the nation’s capital until their youngest daughter, Sasha, completes high school. Kelly’s spokesman says the congressman was just “sharing the frustration” of people who believe “certain Obama administration holdovers” are trying to upset President Donald Trump’s agenda.