CSi Weather…

 

TONIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows around 15. East winds around 10 mph.

.FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 30s. East winds around 10 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows 10 to 15. Southeast winds around 10 mph.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s. South winds 5 to

10 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows 15 to 20. South winds

around 5 mph.

.SUNDAY…Mostly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of drizzle and snow

in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 30s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Cloudy. Chance of snow possibly mixed with rain

in the evening, then snow likely after midnight. Lows in the

lower 20s. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.

.MONDAY…Cloudy. Snow likely in the morning, then chance of snow

in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 30s. Chance of snow

60 percent.

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

Lows 15 to 20.

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

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 15 to 20.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows around 20.

.THURSDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s.

 

Precipitation is expected  as early as late Saturday night/Sunday morning, with better chances Sunday afternoon through Monday with a

wintry mix of rain, freezing rain and snow for the southern half of

the state on Sunday, then all snow Sunday night through Monday

night. Precipitation amounts remain uncertain, but it appears a long

period of light snow Sunday night through Monday night.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)   Jamestown Public Works reported late Thursday afternoon that there will be a temporary water outage on 17th Avenue NE between 4th Street and 3rd Street due to utility repairs in progress. Water service will be resumed as soon as possible.

PLEASE CALL THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT AT 252-5131 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

 

 

Jamestown   (CSi)  The Jamestown Tourism Grant/Executive Board met Thursday at the CSi Technology Center at Historic Franklin School, to hear requests for dollars from the City Promotion Capital Construction Fund.

Requests are taken twice a year on March 1st, and October 1st.

Board members present were:  President Matt Woods, Tena Lawrence, Janna Bergstedt and Mitzi Hager.

At Thursday’s meeting the board reviewed Goals and Objectives of Capital Construction Fund.

Tourism Director Searle Swedlund pointed out that the total annual funds available are $80,000, with the goal for this fund to allocate no more than $43,000.

On hand to present requests were:

The 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse – Steve Reidburn

The Alfred Dickey Library/Louis L’Amour – Joe Rector

Fort Seward – Keith Norman

Frontier Village – Tina Busche

 

The 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse Committee represented by Site Supervisor,  Steve Reidburn applied for $8,000 with the project estimated to cost $13,800.

The project entails renovation of the courtroom doors and hardware, with plans to finish the project in time for the start of the 2018 tourist season, beginning on Memorial Day.

Additional funding is from the North Dakota State Historical Society, and the 1883 Stutsman County Courthouse Committee.  In kind support comes from volunteer help, and donations to the site.

The board recommend funding the full amount of $8,000.

 

Funds were requested by the Alfred Dickey Public Library for the Louis L’Amour project, represented by Library Director, Joe Rector.

He said the Friends of the Library is requesting the full amount of the project costs at $23,007, with plans to complete the project in time for the library’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2019.

Project work includes, electrical work, an interactive kiosk, purchase of artifacts, books, images and installation, photo a television for display, and other installation needs.

The board recommended funding at 18,000.

Rector added other plans include erecting a statue to Louis L’Amour in front of the Alfred Dickey Public Library, and a display to honor the Alfred Dickey family.

 

The Fort Seward request, made on behalf of Keith Norman, is for improvements to the Interpretive Center, to improve visitor experience.  Included is production of a 10-15 minute video to explain why Fort Seward existed, and what life was like at the Fort.

Project intent is to upgrade the displays and change the focus of the Interpretive Center to telling the story of the men who served at Fort Seward rather than simply displaying a few nails and pottery shards they left behind.

He said this will also increase the time that visitor spends at the Interpretive Center and in Jamestown and increase the likelihood of them returning to Jamestown.

The update will also improve the appearance of the museum to bring it up to speed as a modern interpretive center rather than a display of old nails and broken pottery in display cases.

The funding request was for $11, 170.61 which the total was approved for funding.

 

Frontier Village represented by Secretary Tina Busche, requested fund for improvements to the large caboose, in the amount of $18,430. Dedicated funds for the project amount to $2,795.98.

The total cost of the project is $21,226.

Planned improvements to the caboose include:  A new roof, walls, floor, siding, windows and decking on exterior landings.

She said research has been done concerning a way to tell the history of the Midland Continental Railroad caboose, that ran north and south of Jamestown.  A display is planned for a panel to be placed outside and unattached to the caboose.

On Thursday, tourism granted a request in the amount of  $5,829 from the City Promotion Capital Construction Fund.

The board voted to fund an additional $10,000 from funds allocated at the monthly Grant/Executive Board meeting, with the stipulation that the Frontier Village shows, on paper, more concrete plans on how the historical aspects on projects including the medical building are to implemented.

The total amount of funds approved on Thursday were $42,999.61.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The U.S. Senate has passed a bill to rename the Red River Valley Agricultural Research Center in Fargo as the Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center.

Schafer was North Dakota’s governor between 1992 and 2000. He also served as federal Agriculture Secretary during the final year of the George W. Bush administration.

The bill earlier passed the House and will now go to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.

The Fargo center is part of the federal Agricultural Research Service.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota regulators have approved two oil and gas projects aimed at improving pipeline safety, meeting demand for diesel fuel and reducing the wasteful flaring of excess natural gas.

The Public Service Commission on Wednesday approved a project by Cenex Pipeline to upgrade a portion of a refined fuels pipeline in northwest North Dakota that was built in 1960. The company still needs to get landowners easements along about one-fourth of the route.

Commissioners also approved the Arrow Bear Den Gas Processing Plant II near Watford City to process growing volumes of natural gas in the core of the Bakken oil fields.

The Bismarck Tribune reports Commission Chairman Randy Christmann said the two projects combined total more than $250 million in economic activity for the state.

 

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge has refused to release a man accused in an alleged drug conspiracy tied to an officer-involved shooting in North Dakota.

Thirty-two-year-old Juan Nunez faces federal charges allegedly linking him to drug trafficking with a California street gang. He was initially arrested on a charge of hindering law enforcement after a Bismarck police officer in January shot another man who allegedly tried to run the officer over with a vehicle.

Twenty-two-year-old Ulises Villalobos-Alvarado was shot in the arm and later turned himself in at a gas station in Brookings, South Dakota. He also is charged in the drug conspiracy.

The Bismarck Tribune reports Nunez sought to be placed in a halfway house pending his May trial. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Miller refused, citing the seriousness of the charges.

 

In sports…

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Five finalists have been chosen for the North Dakota Mr. Basketball award.

Andrew Christianson of Fargo Oak Grove, Wyatt Hanson of Stanley, Kyler McGillis of St. John, Joe Pistorius of West Fargo and Trae Steckler of Mandan have been nominated by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

The award will be announced after the Class B boys state championship game on Saturday in Bismarck.

 

In world and national news…

 

MIAMI (AP) — A new pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a highway at a Miami-area college Thursday, crushing at least five vehicles under massive slabs. Several people were seen being loaded into ambulances and authorities launched search and rescue missions.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue tweeted that “multiple” people were injured when the Florida International University bridge collapsed. Authorities said they were working on confirming the numbers.

“We are shocked and saddened about the tragic events unfolding at the FIU-Sweetwater pedestrian bridge. At this time we are still involved in rescue efforts and gathering information,” the statement said.

The $14.2 million bridge crossed over a busy seven-lane road highway that divided the university’s campus from the city of Sweetwater. The 950-ton span was installed on Saturday to great fanfare. The main part of the 174-foot span was assembled by the side of the road and had to be swung into place. The “accelerated bridge construction” method was supposed to reduce risks to workers and pedestrians and minimize traffic disruption, the university said.

“FIU is about building bridges and student safety. This project accomplishes our mission beautifully,” FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg said in the statement Saturday.

Gov. Rick Scott tweeted that he was on his way to the scene.

 

 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Security video shows a Florida sheriff’s deputy go toward the high school building while a gunman massacred 17 students and staff members, but he stayed outside with his handgun drawn. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office released the video Thursday showing Deputy Scot Peterson pulling his weapon and taking up a position outside the building.WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Russian targeted by new U.S. sanctions has mocked the penalties, and says he’ll respond by boycotting McDonald’s. Yevgeny Prigozhin, who ran the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, has been targeted by the U.S. sanctions along with 12 of the agency’s employees. They’ve been indicted by U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Prigozhin tells the state RIA Novosti news agency that he’s not worried by the U.S. sanctions list.WASHINGTON (AP) — A Lebanese-American businessman who met with President Donald Trump’s top aides and is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe is a convicted pedophile and served time in a Prague prison more than a decade ago. His long history includes intrepid back-channel mediation between Israel and Arab countries. But Mueller is focused on Nader’s role in two high-level get-togethers after the presidential election, according to three people familiar with the case.NEW YORK (AP) — When people hear that Toys R Us will join the growing list of retail stores that are turning out the lights for the final time, it’s a gut punch to baby boomers, Gen Xers and millennials alike. But when the 70-year-old toy merchant shutters its 740 stores, there will be real-life ramifications, for the 30,000 people who work there, for the toy makers who will lose a nationwide display of their best stuff, and for the owners of thousands of square feet of retail space.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Canada is weighing in after President Donald Trump is said to have insisted that the United States runs a trade deficit with Canada. A spokesman for Canada’s foreign affairs minister says the two allies “have a balanced and mutually beneficial trading relationship.” Adam Austin says an emailed statement that “according to their own statistics, the U.S. runs a trade surplus with Canada.”