CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s. Southwest winds

around 5 mph.

.SATURDAY…Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain

showers in the Jamestown area, 30 percent in the Valley City area. Lows in the mid 30s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

.SUNDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 50s. East winds 10 to

15 mph.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Cloudy. A 20 percent chance of rain showers after

midnight. Lows in the mid 30s. East winds around 15 mph.

.MONDAY…Cloudy. Rain showers likely in the morning, then chance

of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 40s. Chance

of showers 60 percent.

.MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower

30s. Highs in the mid 40s to lower 50s.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers in

the evening, then chance of rain showers and snow showers after

midnight. Lows in the lower 30s. Chance of precipitation

30 percent.

.FRIDAY…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers possibly mixed

with snow showers in the morning, then chance of rain showers in

the afternoon. Highs in the upper 40s. Chance of precipitation

50 percent.

 

Sunday night into Monday, an aggressive short wave trough

approaches the region while a surface low deepens near the Black

Hills and pushes easterly.

This will bring increasing precipitation chances to the area.

Most precipitation that does develop will be rain,  some snow developing over northern locations. Chances diminish Monday night.

 

Update…

(CSi) Phone services  returned to normal about 4:20-p.m., Friday after a Century Link fiber was cut in West Fargo shortly after noon Friday.

A fiber optic line was cut Friday April 21,  along 32nd Ave in the West Fargo, ND area.

Cell phone users can now call Century Link landline numbers, and long distance calls can be received.

Century Link’s Rachel Woodman, says t a third-party construction crew caused the damage to the company’s fiber-optic cable early Friday afternoon.

 

Reported earlier here on Friday, afternoon:

West Fargo  (CSi) Century Link reports that a fiber optic line was cut Friday along 32nd Ave in the West Fargo area.

Century Link engineers are onsite repairing the fiber line,  per a Century Link engineer that talked to CSi Friday afternoon.

The cut line has disrupted services in the Valley City and Jamestown areas.

AT&T cell users have difficulty calling landline numbers, Verizon customers are unable to  call Century link land lines and vice versa.  Also Century Link land lines are unable to call outside of Jamestown & Valley City areas.   In Jamestown,  Dakota Central users are unable to call Century Link landlines,  and vice versa.

Century Link’s Rachel Woodman, says  the break is disrupting phone and broadband service to some individuals.

She adds that an estimated time for completion of repairs will not be available until the evaluation is complete.

Stutsman County 9-1-1 Coordinator, Jerry Bergquist says 9-1-1 calls from other phone providers were still getting through.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The cause of a  house fire at 243 3rd Avenue Northwest in Valley City was accidental.

The fire was reported at 11:52-p.m, on Thursday April 13, 2017.

Valley City Fire Chief Gary Retterath the fire started in a second floor bedroom, with the cause electrical, started by an appliance, involving an electrical cord.

He says the house is  a total loss.

A fund has been established at First Community Credit Union in Valley City to assist the Leslie Uecker family displaced by the fire, as they lost all their belongings in the fire.

Cash donations can be made there  on behalf of the Uecker family in Valley City.

 

Valley City   (CSi)  The Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce and Development Corporation held it’s annual banquet April 20, 2017, at VCSU.

Tim Kadrmas received the Hi Line Award for his years of service to the community, including founding the regional Soap Box Derby  in Valley City.

The Community Image Award went  to three businesses: The GrandStay Hotel & Suites, Puklich Chevrolet and the Gaukler Family Wellness Center.

The Business of the year award was presented  to Smith Lumber Company,  for their support of many community events. The business had built several structures at their new location on east Main Street.

The Community Spirit Award goes to Faith Lutheran Church and Epworth United Methodist Church for promoting all that is good in Valley City. After the fire that destroyed the old Faith Lutheran Church, it brought both churches and their members together for several months while the new church was being built.

Valley City native Paula Bestge Klein the owner of “Smartt Interior Construction,” of Fargo was the keynote speaker.

She was awarded the 2015 North Dakota Small Business Person of the Year and North Dakota CTB Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.

Barnes County Development Jennifer Feist spoke about the growth of businesses in the region regarding millions of dollars in building permits issued over the last four years in Valley City and Barnes County.

 

Jamestown (CSi)  Three local photographers, John Steiner, Keith Norman and Troy Gunderson, have their work on exhibit at Alfred Dickey for the Love Your Library Week celebration, April 21-28, 2017.

Bill Kennedy says anyone interested in purchasing a photo,may contact the photographers directly. Their contact information is on the table next to the check out desk.

 

Bismarck  (CSi)  The NDDOT reports that Construction will begin Tuesday, April 25 on ND Highway 20 from Jamestown north to ND Highway 9. Construction consists of roadway widening, curve realignment and resurfacing.

During construction:

  • Speeds will be reduced to 25-40 mph
  • A width restriction of 12 feet will be in place
  • Flaggers and pilot car will be present
  • Motorists may experience delays during pilot car operations
  • Gravel and oil may be present on the roadway

The project is expected to be completed this fall.

For more information about construction projects and road conditions throughout North Dakota, call 511 from any type of phone or visit the Travel Information Map on the NDDOT website at http://www.dot.nd.gov/travel-info-v2/

 

Bismarck  (CSi)  A Bismarck woman died Thursday from injuries she suffered  in a two-vehicle crash Sunday on Interstate 94 at Bismarck.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol reports, 55 year old, Gail Sailer, was an occupant  in a crash between a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2000 Chevrolet S-10 pickup.

The patrol says  at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, the Chevrolet was traveling east on I-94 near mile marker 159 with Sailer and 57 year old, Mark Backer, of Bismarck, in the truck. The Jeep, driven by 26 year old Joran Griffin,  was also eastbound on I-94 near mile marker 159.

The  Jeep struck the Chevrolet from behind, and the driver lost control of the pickup. The Chevrolet traveled across I-94 onto an on-ramp at exit 159 and into a ditch, the patrol said. The truck rolled.

 Sailer and Backer, who weren’t wearing seat belts, were ejected from the truck. Both were transported by Metro Ambulance Service to CHI St. Alexius Health in Bismarck for treatment of injuries.

The patrol is investigating which person was driving the Chevrolet.

Griffin left the scene of the accident in the Jeep.  Griffin and the Jeep were later located and Griffin was taken into custody.

The patrol is investigating the crash.

Assisting at the scene were:  The  Bismarck Police Department, Burleigh County Sheriff’s, and Bismarck Fire Department.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota legislators have endorsed a measure that says students can’t be prohibited from participating in any “student-initiated prayer” at a public or nonpublic school.

The Senate unanimously passed the measure Friday, following House approval a day earlier.

Backers say it’s in response to a prayer not being allowed to be broadcast over the public address system at football games two years ago hosted by parochial high schools. Because they were playoff games, they were overseen by the state high school association, which didn’t allow pre-game prayers to be broadcast based on a 2000 Supreme Court decision.

The legislation doesn’t address broadcasting a prayer, and high school association spokesman Brian Bubach said he doesn’t believe the group’s stance will change.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota officials are touting new legislation aimed at slowing prison growth by helping nonviolent offenders through treatment and sentencing alternatives.

Gov. Doug Burgum, lawmakers, corrections officials and others on Friday hailed a package of new laws that represent a major shift in North Dakota incarceration policies.

Among bills signed by Burgum this week is a measure that lowers penalties for possessing drugs for first time offenders. The goal is to reserve that prison space for more dangerous criminals.

Burgum also signed a bill that appropriates $7 million to improve access to substance abuse treatment programs.

Corrections director Leann Bertsch says North Dakota’s state prisoner population is about 1,840. She says that’s up from about 1,300 five years ago.

 

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) — Authorities in Williams County say no charges will be filed in the case of a toddler who shot himself with a loaded gun left on a bathroom counter.

Three-year-old Colvin Broome survived after accidentally shooting himself in the head last December at his home near Williston. The Williams County Sheriff’s Office says the case is now closed and the state attorney has declined to issue any charges.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Verlan Kvande (KWAHN’-dee) said Friday the boy flipped over a laundry basket to reach the loaded weapon on the counter in the master bathroom.

After surgery and rehabilitation the boy has returned home.

 

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says young immigrants shielded from deportation _ often referred to as “dreamers” _ should “rest easy” about his immigration policies. In an interview with The Associated Press, Trump says he is “not after the dreamers, we are after the criminals.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says businesses and individuals will receive a “massive tax cut” under a tax reform package he plans to unveil next week. In an interview with The Associated Press, Trump says the plan will result in tax cuts for both individuals and businesses.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump insists his “drain the swamp” promise was more than a throwaway presidential campaign slogan and his aides are figuring out how to deliver on cleaning up Washington. Yet, nearly 100 days in, the White House has become less transparent, hired scores of special interest players, raised money from corporations and taken no concrete steps to address campaign finance reform.

PARIS (AP) — Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni has expressed hope the attack on police in Paris won’t impact how French vote Sunday in their presidential election because “that’s what the terrorists want.” Gentiloni spoke Friday in Ottawa, Canada, at a news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Italian leader said he offered his solidarity in a phone call with French President Francois Hollande.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — The suspect in this week’s racially motivated shooting rampage in Fresno, California, entered a courtroom early Friday shouting that natural disasters striking America will increase. Kori Ali Muhammad then shouted twice during a minute-long hearing: “Let black people go in reparations.” Police say he set out to kill as many white people as possible before he was caught.