Wayne Byers Show – Evening – Apr 12

CSi Weather…

Valley City  (CSi)  During a hearing, Southeast Judicial District Judge Jay Schmitz, on Wednesday April 11th, dismissed a motion asking for a Temporary Restraining Order against the City of Valley City.

The order would have stopped the “Streetscape,” street improvement project on Central Avenue, in Valley City.

The complaint was brought by Valley City resident, Robert Drake, who stated that irreparable harm will be done to the merchants of downtown Valley City if the project is allowed to move forward, slated for this summer.

Drake said the organized effort is focused on an attempt to slow down the process until Valley City residents can vote on the issue.

Judge Schmitz said the action taken by the Valley City Commission on January 2, 2018 was a legislative decision, and so there is no legal basis for the court to act on the compliant.

The City of Valley City has denied a recent petition submitted by three Valley City residents to get an initiated measure on a ballot.

Valley City Attorney Lilie Mertins indicated that  the petition did not conform to the appropriate form and failed to contain the full text of the measure.

Drake has indicated the group’s attorney is writing another petition for distribution, to be resubmitted to city officials.

According to the Valley City Home Rule Charter, if the petition language is approved by the city, the necessary number of necessary signatures, are able to be obtained.

A special vote would then be held 90 days after the petition is certified, containing the required number of signatures with verified residency.

Jamestown  (CSi)  University of Jamestown President, Dr. Polly Peterson was name the recipient of the 3rd annual Outstanding Women Leader award, by the Jamestown Zonta Club.

She was one of the nominees. The Zonta Club  this year, selected one woman to receive the award, while recognizing all women nominated. The award was announced on April 7th during the 3rd Annual Zonta Brunch.

The Jamestown finalists for  2018 included:

Lisa Jackson
Lisa Jackson joined Jamestown Regional Medical Center as its Foundation Director

Joan Enderle
Joan Enderle is a graduate of North Dakota State University, Fargo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics and received her MBA from University of Mary in 2009.

Joan Halvorson
Joan has been a member of the Zonta Club of Jamestown since the early 1990’s. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree from North Dakota State University in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and began her law enforcement career as the first female patrol officer for the City of Jamestown where she was honored as the communities’ 1986 Officer of the Year.

Courtney VanDyke
Courtney is a Bismarck native who grew up on a family farm and participated in volleyball, basketball, and rodeo throughout high school. She later attended the University of Mary where she majored in Finance and minored in Accounting while playing college volleyball and starting a career in finance.

Bismarck  (CSi) – The North Dakota Department of Human Services’ regional child support offices across the state will be temporarily closed from Tuesday, April 24 through Thursday, April 26. The closure will allow employees from the Child Support Division to attend annual training to improve the service they provide to child support customers.

Regional child support offices are located in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown, Minot and Williston.

Child support customers with questions can continue to contact customer service at 701-328-5440, toll-free 800-231-4255 or online at www.childsupportnd.gov.

Child support’s disbursement unit will continue to process payments during the temporary closure. Payments can be made online at www.childsupportnd.gov, at any MoneyGram location https://secure.moneygram.com/locations or by mail to the State Disbursement Unit, P.O. Box 7280, Bismarck, N.D., 58507-7280.

All regional child support offices will resume normal business hours on Friday, April 27.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota regulators have approved an expansion project that aims to reduce natural gas flaring.

The Bismarck Tribune reports that the North Dakota Public Service Commission approved the expansion of the Oneok Bear Creek natural gas processing plant on Wednesday.

The plant has been operational since 2016, processing 80 million cubic feet (2.27 million cubic meters) of natural gas per day. It’ll process natural gas gathered from local oil and gas wells, and natural gas liquids will be transported through a pipeline. Residue gas will be transferred to the Northern Border Pipeline.

Commissioner Brian Kroshus says increasing natural gas processing capacity will help companies meet their targets.

The expansion is one of five natural gas processing plant expansions or construction projects under development in the state.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Deadly bacterial pneumonia among bighorn sheep in the western North Dakota Badlands spread to three previously unaffected herds last year.

That resulted in the smallest estimated population in more than a decade — 265 animals.

Big game biologist Brett Wiedmann says the Game and Fish Department is still confident this year’s fall hunting season will be held, though possibly with fewer licenses.

The outbreak of disease four years ago prompted Game and Fish to cancel the fall hunting season in 2015 for the first time in more than three decades. The agency reinstated hunting in 2016 after the deaths tapered off but reduced licenses last year, from eight to five.

A decision on this year’s hunting season will be made in September, after a summer survey of the sheep population.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Documents show a man sentenced to death for killing a University of North Dakota student more than a decade ago offered to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.

KFGO obtained the previously undisclosed 2006 letter in Alfonso Rodriguez Jr.’s case from federal court files this week.

Rodriguez’s attorney, Richard Ney, wrote to then-U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley that the plea would spare pain for Rodriguez’s family and that of his victim, Dru Sjodin of Pequot Lakes, Minnesota.

The offer was rejected and Rodriguez, of Crookston, Minnesota, was convicted later that year of kidnapping and killing Sjodin. His appeal of his death sentence is still working its way through the courts.

Then-U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley declined to comment on the letter. But he told KFGO in a 2015 interview that he stands behind his work on the case.

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) — A Georgia man has been sentenced to serve 8 years in prison in North Dakota for infecting two women with HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS.

KXMC-TV reports that Angel Rodriguez, of Jonesboro, Georgia, entered an Alford plea in Williston on Tuesday to a felony charge, acknowledging there’s enough evidence to convict him. The court treats it like a guilty plea.

Authorities say Rodriguez did not tell the women that he was HIV-positive before having unprotected sex with them, and both women became infected.

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Supreme Court has ruled that a Minot man convicted of killing his ex-wife can have contact with the two children he had with her.

Richie Wilder Jr. is serving life in prison on a murder conviction in the November 2015 death of 30-year-old Angila Wilder, who authorities say was stabbed 44 times in the neck, face and chest.

Wilder last fall appealed a judge’s order prohibiting him from having contact with the 6-year-old and 12-year-old children while they’re still minors.

The Minot Daily News reports that the Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the lower court’s order. Justices also rejected Wilder’s request for a new trial.

Wilder’s current wife, Cynthia Wilder, is awaiting sentencing for helping him plan the killing of his ex-wife.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Authorities say a man has been arrested for a shooting outside a Fargo strip club.

Police say the man tried to enter the Northern Gentleman’s Club Wednesday night, showed up on a list for no admittance and was told to leave. KFGO reports that a short time later, employees heard a gunshot and the man was seen on surveillance video firing a round from a handgun at the building. No one was struck.

Police say they recovered a slug from an exterior wall and a shell casing nearby. The 47-year-old man was arrested at his West Fargo home.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Next year’s nonconference schedule for the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team will feature several games against old Western Collegiate Hockey Association rivals.

UND now plays in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. But it will play nonconference games next year against Minnesota, Wisconsin, Minnesota State, Bemidji State and Alaska Anchorage.

An Oct. 27 matchup against Minnesota will be in the 2018 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in Las Vegas.

UND opens conference play at Miami in early November and will host its first NCHC series the following weekend against Western Michigan.

UND also will serve as the host school for the NCAA West Regional in Fargo.

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