CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy Lows in the mid 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph.

. Lows in the mid 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

.SATURDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. West

winds 5 to 10 mph.

.SUNDAY…Sunny in the morning, then partly sunny with a

20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Highs in the lower 80s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s.

.MONDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s.

.TUESDAY…Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 60s.

.INDEPENDENCE DAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 60s.

.THURSDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s.

 

 

MAPLETON, N.D. (AP- CSi) — All of the members of a girl’s basketball team are expected to be OK after the van they were traveling in was involved in a crash in Cass County.

The Highway Patrol says the 11 teens from the Lisbon and Fort Ransom areas were taken to a Fargo hospital Thursday night with injuries not considered life-threatening.

The patrol says the van struck a car driven by 23 year old Levi Allmaras that failed to yield at a rural intersection.

The two people in the car also were injured, one critically.

The news release from the Highway Patrol has identified the van occupants.

The driver, 18 year old Elizabeth Lyons, of Lisbon.  Injured.  Wearing a seat belt

Passengers:

17 year old Jamie Reinke, of Lisbon.   Injured. Wearing a seat belt. No Charges

17 year old Kalie Lautt, of Ft. Ransom.  Injured.  Not restrained.  No Charges

15 year old Kendra Odegard, Lisbon. Injured. Not restrained. No Charges

14 year old Asha Sweet, of Lisbon, injured, not restrained and no charges.

14 year old Elizabeth Reiger of Lisbon, injured, not restrained and no charges.

14 year old Taylor Gilbert of Lisbon, injured, not restrained and no charges.

16 year old Sidney Anderson of Milnor, injured, not restrained and no charges.

25 year old Olivia Tuhy of Lisbon, injured, not restrained and no charges

16 year old Kasen Anderson of Ft. Ransom, injured, not restrained and no charges.

18 year old Brianna Nielsen, of Lisbon, injured, not restrained and no charges.

All of the van’s occupants were taken to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The news release says Allmaras, of West Fargo,  and his passenger, 22 year old Cameron Bolton, of Fargo, were taken to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo.

Allmaras with non-life-threatening injuries.

Charges are pending investigation.

Bolton at last report was listed in critical condition.  No Charges.

It was unknown if either was restrained.

Assisting at the scene were:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Kindred Fire Department, Kindred Ambulance, Horace Ambulance, and Davenport Fire Department.

 

 

Mandan  (Sen. Heitkamp’s Office)   U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, will tour North Dakota with a series of discussions in Mandan, Minot, Carrington, and Wahpeton on the recently passed bipartisan Senate Farm Bill that include many wins for North Dakota that Heitkamp fought for. They will also discuss how the administration’s trade policies impact farmers and ranchers.

Heitkamp will also receive the 2018 Champion of Health Care Innovation Award from the American Life Sciences Council while in Bismarck for her work to make healthcare work better for North Dakotans.

 Heitkamp will be in Carrington on Friday, July 6, 2018 at 9:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT

at the  Carrington Research Extension Center, 663 Highway 281 North, Carrington.

See the list of other locations and dates in this story at CSiNewsNow.com

 

 

WASHBURN, N.D. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say a 42-year-old man was crushed to death when strong winds blew his camper on top of him at a lakeside campsite in North Dakota.The McClean County sheriff’s office says Jerry Kellar died about 1 a.m. Friday when he stepped outside to tie things down and strong gusts knocked his camper over. Keller, of Wilton, was staying at Heckers Lake in McLean County, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Bismarck.Overnight storms brought heavy rain, large hail and strong winds to much of the state. National Weather Service reports show gusts in the Heckers Lake area exceeded 65 mph (105 kph) for at least an hour.More than 30 campers have been reported damaged. Power outages were reported in the east of the state.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s Supreme Court will retain a state district court judgeship in Bismarck.South Central District Judge Sonna Anderson is retiring at the end of the month due to health reasons.When a judge leaves the bench, justices are required by law to decide whether the judgeship should be retained, moved, or eliminated.The Supreme Court concluded that keeping the Bismarck-based judgeship is “necessary for effective judicial administration” in the South Central District.
 

In sports…

Valley City  (VCSUVikings.com) – Construction work is underway on a major renovation of Valley City State University’s outdoor track and field facilities at Lokken Stadium. 

Construction crews began removing the old track surface on Thursday, the first step in rebuilding and resurfacing the 400-meter track over the next few months. The project also includes new throwing cages for field events, and new runways and pits for the jumping events. The bulk of the construction is expected to be completed this summer, and the facility should be fully available for VCSU student-athletes later this fall. 

The old track was experiencing both surface and sub-surface issues, leading to the necessity for a complete renovation. The project will also add to the momentum of VCSU’s surging track and field program, which has experienced significant growth in recent years. About 70 student-athletes currently participate in the Viking program, said Jill DeVries, VCSU athletic director. The team set 26 new school records during the 2018 season and had nine national qualifiers and two All-Americans. 

“The groundbreaking on this project represents a commitment to the needs of the student-athletes at VCSU,” said DeVries. “The track and field program has seen tremendous growth and success under head coach Chris Johnson and the new track will improve performance, instill pride, and help us to recruit and retain student-athletes. We look forward to providing our student-athletes the opportunity to compete at home in front of their roommates, fans, and family.”

 

Larry Robinson, executive director of the VCSU Foundation, says the project is being completed with private donations. A total of $826,000 has been raised so far and fundraising efforts continue to cover the remaining balance of the estimated $1.2 million project.

For more information about the track renovation project, contact the VCSU Foundation Office at 701-845-7203.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A spring survey indicates North Dakota’s pheasant population is down dramatically from a year ago due to drought, more bad news for hunters after a dismal 2017 fall hunt.

The spring pheasant crowing count survey showed a 30 percent decline statewide from last year, according to the state Game and Fish Department. It was the largest percentage drop in three decades.

The drop in prime pheasant regions ranged from 15 percent to 38 percent, according to R.J Gross, upland game management biologist.

“We entered spring with a lower-than-average number of adult birds,” he said. “Last year’s production was far below average due to the statewide drought conditions.”

Much of western North Dakota was mired in severe, extreme and even exceptional drought last summer. That reduced food and habitat for pheasants, resulting in a population loss of about 60 percent from 2016 — the lowest level in two decades.

Last year’s hunting season was one of the most dismal this century, with the number of hunters declining 24 percent and the total harvest of 309,000 birds not approaching the Game and Fish benchmark for a good season of 500,000 birds. It was a drop of 38 percent from the previous year, and the smallest pheasant harvest since 2001.

However, Gross said bird survival during the relatively mild winter that followed was good, and hens should be in good physical shape for nesting season. Rainfall also has been more plentiful so far this year.

“The climate conditions compared to what we had (in 2017) are drastically different,” state Wildlife Chief Jeb Williams said. “We have much better conditions associated with upland game reproduction.”

Game and Fish will conduct pheasant brood surveys next month, giving hunters a better idea of what to expect for the fall hunt that’s set to begin in early October.

“If the (weather) trend continues, a good hatch should be expected,” Gross said. “But it will take a few years of good reproduction to get the population back to where it was before the drought.”

 

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James has informed the Cavaliers that he is not exercising his $35.6 million option for next season, two people familiar with the decision told the Associated Press. The decision does not mean James is necessarily leaving Cleveland. He could re-sign with the Cavs or choose to join the Los Angeles Lakers and form a “Super Team” to compete with the champion Golden State Warriors.

 

In world and national news…

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump has offered a statement of support for journalists after a gunman fatally shot five people at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. He said Friday at the White House that “journalists, like all Americans, should be free from the fear of being violently attacked while doing their jobs.”

 

UNDATED (AP) — Four journalists and a sales assistant were killed Thursday in a shooting at a Maryland newspaper. Authorities said the gunman entered the Capital Gazette in Annapolis and “looked for his victims.” The employees killed were Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters.

 

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — A family from Guatemala is experiencing the harsh reality of the tougher border policies imposed by President Donald Trump. Buena Ventura Martin Godinez crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with her infant boy in her arms. Her husband followed two weeks later with their 7-year-old daughter. Now the husband’s in an Atlanta jail awaiting deportation, while their daughter was sent to Michigan.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration’s request for the Pentagon to house migrants detained at the U.S. southern border and even help prosecute them is prompting concern about strains to the military. In Congress, several lawmakers are already criticizing the move. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who has made it his top priority to improve the military’s fitness for combat, argues that the Pentagon is obliged to help.