CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows around 60. Southeast winds around 5 mph.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly sunny in the morning, then mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon,  in the Jamestown area, 20 percent in the Valley City area. Highs in the lower 80s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of
showers and thunderstorms in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area. Lows in the lower 60s. Southeast winds
5 to 10 mph shifting to the southwest after midnight.

.THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and
thunderstorms in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of
showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s.

.FRIDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers in the
morning. Highs in the upper 70s.

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

.SATURDAY…Sunny. Highs around 80.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Slight chance of showers in the morning.
Highs around 80.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. A 30 percent chance of showers
and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s.

.MONDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and
thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s.

 

 

Wednesday through Thursday night thunderstorms, with locally heavy rainfall being the main threat.

These storms will be rather slow moving, suggesting across southern North Dakota possible rainfall totals approaching 2 inches.

Friday and Saturday, dry weather. Highs in the 70s and 80s.

Late Saturday night, into Sunday afternoon, one last round of storms across

western and central North Dakota before conditions dry out on Monday.

 

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  Jamestown Police warns the public of a high risk sex offender living in Jamestown.

Eugene Wayne Fluge resides at 2605 Circle Drive, ND State Hospital, Jamestown, ND

Fluge is a 44 year old white male, five feet eight inches tall, weighing 158 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair.

He presently has no vehicle.

 

He has been assigned a High Risk assessment by the North Dakota Attorney General’s Risk Level Committee.

 

Offense:  Gross Sexual Imposition, involving a five year old girl.  Fluge had a previous offense against a six year old girl, when he was a juvenile.

Conviction Date: September 1995 in Cass County District Court.

Disposition:  10 years: 6 years, and 6 months suspended.

 

He is currently on GPS Monitoring.

 

Fluge is not wanted by police at this time and has served the sentence imposed by the court.

 

This notification is meant for public safety and not to increase fear in the community, nor should this information be used to threaten, assault, or intimidate the offender.

Any attempts to harass, intimidate or threaten these offenders, their families, landlords, or employers will be turned over for prosecution.

Printed handouts of the demographics of Eugene Wayne Fluge are available at the Jamestown Police Department.

More information on registered sex offenders is available at the North Dakota Attorney General’s web site: www.sexoffender.nd.gov

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The Valley City Commission met in Regular Session, Tuesday evening at City Hall.  All Commissioners were present.

APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS INCLUDED:

Bingo permit for Chamber of Commerce

Electrician License for Dakota Electric Construction Co., Inc.

PUBLIC COMMENTS ..No One Spoke

ORDINANCE

City Commissioners approved the first reading of an Ordinance Amending & Re-enacting Title 18, Parks. City Attorney Mertins said the Ordinance creates the name and territory.

Approved the first reading of an Ordinance Creating a Perpetual Restrictive Covenant For Structures to be Removed in Accordance with State Water Commission.  Mertins said the Ordinance outlines what can and can not be built on the property to be reimbursed for buyouts, for permanent flood protection.

 

NEW BUSINESS

The City Commission appointed Shannon Little Dog to the Renaissance Zone Authority Board for remainder of 3 year term that began July 1, 2018.

Approved the recommendation from Renaissance Zone Authority Board to approve application for purchase of new home by Edward & Jilletta Anderson at 448 13th Street NW with a 5 year income tax exemption and a 5 year property tax exemption up to $250,000 for purchase of new home, and designate it as VC-109 (pending receipt of good standing).   

The City Commission, considered decorating Central Avenue for Crazy Daze, July 28th.  City Administrator Schelkoph said the decorations would include indicating StreetScape areas, at a minimal cost to the city.

Following the discussion Commissioners  approved.

The City Commission approved a new gaming site authorization for Valley City Eagles at Captain’s Pub. City Auditor Richter the application is in addition to other Eagles gaming sites.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

City Administrator Schelkoph said the bid for a contract to haul garbage to Fargo came in higher than projected.

He suggested Valley City purchase a truck and trailer and have a city employee deliver the garbage to Fargo.  The information will be brought to the City Commission for consideration.

He said Valley City will not pay an increase from Missouri  River Energy Service, next year.  The balance of the city’s electricity comes from WAPA.

The information will be brought to the City Commission for consideration.

CITY UPDATES & COMMISSION REPORTS

City Attorney Mertins said she will stay in her position until January 1st.

She gave an update on the recodification process, and pending public hearing.

 

City Auditor Richter said the city budget meetings will be next Monday and Tuesday, with  meetings at City Hall at 7-a.m.  The city must shave the preliminary budget to the county by August 7th

 

Dave Andersen reminded that the city ordinance requires trees to be trimmed to 8 feet over sidewalk, 15 feet above streets.  He said there is a fine for dog owners not cleaning up waste from the animals including on private property.

He said, vehicles that are not registered and operating on the streets must be in compliance with the city Ordinance concerning such vehicles.

 

Commissioner Magnuson said Main Street should be opened by November this year.

 

CITY UPDATES & COMMISSION REPORTS

City Attorney Mertins said she will stay in her position until January 1st.

She gave an update on the recodification process, and pending public hearing.

 

City Auditor Richter said the city budget meetings will be next Monday and Tuesday, with  meetings at City Hall at 7-a.m.  The city must said the preliminary budget to the county by August 7th

 

Dave Andersen reminded that the city ordinance requires trees to be trimmed to 8 feet over sidewalk, 15 feet above streets.  He said there is a fine for dog owners not cleaning up waste from the animals including on private property.

He said, vehicles that are not registered and operating on the streets must be in compliance with the city Ordinance concerning such vehicle.

 

Commissioner Magnuson said Main Street should be opened by November this year.

Mayor Carlsrud also noted that property owners need to be in compliance with the tree trimming ordinance, pick up after animals, and motorist use turn signals, before making the turn.

The Meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 68 followed by replays.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  Jamestown Public Works reports, beginning Friday morning, July 20th, 2018 pedestrian traffic will be temporarily closed along 5th Street NE from 1st Ave N to 5th Ave NE for approximately 2 weeks.

The intersection of 1st Ave N & 4th St NE will restrict motor vehicle traffic to one lane.

Motorists and pedestrians should use extreme caution in this area and use alternate routes if possible.

 

The restrictions stem from the NDDOT curb ramp project, and sidewalk and road work, Highway 20, 4th Street and 5th Street Northeast areas.

 

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The public is invited to National Night Out to be held August 7th, from 6-p.m., to 9-p.m. at McElroy Park in Jamestown.

There is no charge to attend.

National Night Out is the annual community building campaign promoting police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

Participants will include the Jamestown Police Department, Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office,

With other invitees  including  the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Jamestown Area Ambulance Service, and the Jamestown City and Rural Fire Department.

 

 

FORT RICE, N.D. (AP) — A pilot has died in a crop duster crash into the Missouri River in western North Dakota.

The Bismarck Tribune reports the plane crashed into the river near Fort Rice on Tuesday afternoon.

A spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff’s Department says the plane crashed shortly after 3 p.m. less than a mile north of the Fort Rice boat ramp.

The plane was partially submerged in the water. A dive team boat from the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department dragged the plane to the Hazelton boat ramp.

 

 

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Authorities have euthanized a bear that caused a stir when it wandered into Grand Forks and decided to take an afternoon nap in a tree in a park.Bears are an unusual sight in North Dakota, and hundreds of people came out to see the animal Monday afternoon.A team from Fargo’s Red River Zoo eventually was brought in Monday night to tranquilize the animal so it could be lowered to the ground.WDAZ-TV reports that police on Tuesday said they consulted with wildlife experts and decided the bear would not survive the incident, so it was humanely euthanized.

 

Update…

RAY, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Highway Patrol has identified the driver who died when his semi overturned on U.S. Highway 2.Sixty-seven-year-old Richard Cantone, of Minot, died at the scene of the crash early Monday near Ray.Authorities say the semi was hauling two trailers with about 9,000 gallons of gasoline and 1,000 gallons of diesel, some of which spilled when the semi overturned. It isn’t known how much fuel spilled. A stretch of Highway 2 was closed for more than 12 hours for cleanup.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Police say a deadly standoff in Bismarck began with a report of an armed robbery.Officers responded to a residence Sunday afternoon after an individual had gone to the home to purchase a vehicle that was listed for sale. Authorities say the man who lived at the home, 59-year-old Willie Peoples, shot a gun at the person seeking to buy the vehicle, prompting a 911 call to police.Officers arrived to find Peoples outside the home, but he quickly retreated inside and kept police at bay for about five hours. Neighbors were evacuated because natural gas could be smelled coming from Peoples’ house.Police eventually entered the home and found Peoples dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

 

WATFORD CITY, N.D. (AP) — A deadly tornado that recently struck a western North Dakota city has prompted state and local officials to call for increased safety standards for RV parks that often house oilfield workers and families.The Bismarck Tribune reports that McKenzie County leaders expect to meet with state officials this week to discuss how to limit the number of people living in recreational vehicles and how to make the trailer parks safer.An EF2 classification tornado ripped through the Prairie View RV Park in Watford City last week , killing a newborn baby and injuring more than two dozen people. The tornado destroyed at least 120 structures, including RVs that served as temporary housing.County Planning and Zoning Director Jim Talbert says that “it takes a tragedy like this to open our eyes.”

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Cash and jewelry seized from a Jamaican man accused of masterminding a large lottery scam in the U.S. will be liquidated and the proceeds doled out to victims under a federal judge’s order, a step toward getting at least some restitution for victims.

The property was seized from Lavrick Willocks when he was arrested in the Caribbean country in November 2016. It includes the equivalent of nearly $12,000 in U.S. currency and jewelry of unknown worth including gold chains, gold rings, gold and silver bracelets including one with a diamond, and Rolex watches.

Authorities say at least 90 mostly elderly Americans lost a total of more than $5.7 million to the scam operated out of a Kingston, Jamaica, mansion where Willocks lived with his mother. Court documents list victims in North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina and Texas, with illegal scam-related activity also alleged in New York, New Hampshire, California and Florida.

Willocks pleaded guilty a year ago to conspiracy in a deal with prosecutors and awaits sentencing. He faces up to 40 years in prison, though prosecutors will recommend about 10 years because he cooperated. Sentencing likely will be later this year.

 

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A volunteer firefighter accused of setting several separate fires in southern North Dakota has been charged in federal court.Authorities say John Iszler, a volunteer for the Elgin Fire Department, admitted to starting a major fire at Dakota Farm Equipment in Elgin, as well as setting three grass fires and burning down a garage and apartment building. The fires were allegedly started and accelerated with aerosol cleaner.Iszler faces two federal charges, including malicious destruction, by fire, of a business. He was charged earlier in state court with three counts of endangering by fire or explosion and one charge of criminal mischief.Iszler allegedly told investigators he was stressed out over a person calling and texting him. His attorney, Alex Kelsch, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

 

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Meridian Energy Group said Tuesday that it has begun site work for an oil refinery about 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota, though the project still faces hurdles, including a lawsuit by environmental groups.

Meridian said it hired St. Paul, Minnesota-based SEH Design/Build Inc. to oversee such work as grading land, installing erosion control devices and developing storm water ponds. Work got underway Monday, according to company spokesman Adam Williams.

Construction of the $800 million Davis Refinery isn’t planned until next year, with operations to start in 2020. It would be only the seventh oil refinery built in the U.S. in the last two decades, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The project began five years ago.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Republican U.S. House candidate Kelly Armstrong continues to hold a fundraising advantage over Democrat Mac Schneider.Federal filings show Armstrong raised more than $381,000 in the second quarter, compared with about $215,000 for Schneider. Armstrong reported more than $407,000 cash on hand, compared with $281,600 for Schneider.Armstrong has raised more than $1 million to date, include a $300,000 loan to himself. Schneider has raised a total of about $340,000.Armstrong is a lawyer and state senator from Dickinson. He also is the former state GOP party chairman.Schneider is an attorney and former state senator from Grand Forks.North Dakota’s lone House seat is being vacated by Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer, who is running against Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.

 

In sports..

Jamestown  (University of Jamestown)  In a news release, University of Jamestown, President, Polly Peterson announced the naming of Greg Ulland as the Vice President of Enrollment Management.  Ulland, a 2001 University of Jamestown graduate, has served as the UJ Women’s Basketball coach since 2010.

In Tuesday’s announcement Dr. Peterson stated, “Greg is a person who demonstrates passion and commitment in everything he does.  He has achieved tremendous success as a coach, recruiter, and member of the faculty and is committed to the vision of our University.  I am confident in Greg’s leadership and look forward to working with him as a member of our administrative team as we strive to make the University of Jamestown the best career-oriented liberal arts university in the Midwest. “

Ulland says, “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this expanded role.  I look forward to sharing my love and passion for the University of Jamestown with current and future Jimmies.”

Athletic Director, Sean Johnson, will be working to ensure a smooth transition for the women’s basketball team. A search for Ulland’s replacement is currently underway.

The University of Jamestown was established in 1883 and is ranked as a top tier regional school in US News and World Report and a top Midwestern school in The Princeton Review. The school features development of the whole person through its distinctive Journey to Success experience.

 

 

Valley City  (CSi)  Valley City Public Schools superintendent Josh Johnson and Dacotah Bank’s Market President, Dick Gulmon, have jointly announced the new Hanna Field Athletic Complex,  will be named Dacotah Bank Track.

For the naming rights, Dacotah Bank made a significant donation to the multi-phase project as part of the overall $4 million improvement plan.

The local bank’s contribution helps fund the initial $500,000 phase which will include a new track, redesigned water drainage, and construction of an athletic field house. Johnson and Gulmon expect the first phase to be completed in August.

Johnson says the bank’s major gift goes a long way to complete phase one. “We appreciate the generosity of Dacotah Bank in supporting the new track at Hanna Field!  We are working with Fisher Tracks for the surfacing of the new Dacotah Bank Track. The bank’s logo and slogan will appear on the track surface in front of the grandstand and elsewhere throughout the complex.”

 

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he meant the opposite when he said in Helsinki that he doesn’t see why Russia would have interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections.

Back at the White House on Tuesday, the president told reporters that he said he meant he doesn’t see why Russia “wouldn’t” be responsible.

He also said he accepts the American intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the election, but he denied that his campaign had colluded in the effort.

Trump spoke a day after returning to the U.S. to nearly universal condemnation of his performance at Russian President Vladmir Putin’s side in Helsinki. Putin said he wanted Trump to win the race against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

In Helsinki, Trump delivered no condemnation of Russia’s interference and refused to say he believes American intelligence agencies over Russia’s denials of meddling.

 

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says President Donald Trump is trying to “squirm” away from his comments about Russian interference in the 2016 election because he didn’t have the courage to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Helsinki summit.

Schumer told reporters Tuesday that Trump’s clarification is “24 hours too late and in the wrong place.”

The New York Democrat’s comments came moments after Trump backtracked from remarks made at the summit in which he sided with Putin’s denials, rather than the findings of U.S. intelligence officials, about Russian interference.

Schumer said if the president can’t directly tell Putin he’s wrong and “our intelligence agencies are right, it’s ineffective.”

He said it’s another sign of weakness that allows Putin “to take advantage” of Trump.

 

 

 

BOSTON (AP) — The heated debate over how Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would vote on the Affordable Care Act might not matter. As long as five past defenders of the health care law remain on the nation’s highest court, the odds tilt in favor of the law being allowed to stand.

Some Democrats warn President Donald Trump’s designee could spell doom for the ACA, even as some conservatives portray Kavanaugh as sympathetic to the Obama-era legislation.

But where Kavanaugh would vote if he joins the Supreme Court is less clear than both sides suggest, according to an Associated Press review of the appeals court judge’s record.

Kavanaugh could get a chance to weigh in on the ACA if the high court takes up a lawsuit brought by Texas and 19 other states.