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CSi Weather…
.WEDNESDAY….Mostly cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the upper 30s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s. West winds
5 to 10 mph.
.THURSDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. Northwest winds 10 to
15 mph.
.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 20s.
.FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs around 40.
.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s.
.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of rain in the
afternoon. Highs in the lower 40s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain possibly mixed
with snow in the evening, then chance of snow after midnight.
Lows around 30. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. Chance of snow possibly mixed with rain
in the morning, then slight chance of rain in the afternoon.
Highs in the lower 40s. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s.
.MONDAY…Partly sunny. Highs around 40.
Western and central North Dakota can expect a rainy weekend, with light snow during the overnight hours.
Valley City (CSi) The Valley City Commission met in Regular Session Tuesday evening at City Hall. All members were present.
A PROCLAMATION WAS ISSUED BY MAYOR CARLSRUD, RECOGNIZING VIETNAM VETERANS DAY, ON MARCH 29, 2019.
APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS INCLUDED:
A. Approve Electrician, Plumber and/or Mechanical Contractor licenses for a. ASAP Electric
b. Bakkegard & Schell, Inc.
c. Bentson Electric
d. Dakota Electric Construction Co., Inc.
e. Differding Electric, LLC
f. Enterprise Electric, Inc.
g. Grotberg Electric, Inc.
h. Grotberg Electric, Inc. dba Triton Mechanical
i. Hi-Line Electric, Inc.
j. Home Heating, Plumbing & A/C, Inc.
k. Jamestown Electric
l. John’s Refrigeration & Electric, Inc.
m. Keith’s Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating, Inc.
n. Kohn Electric, LLC
o. Kollman Furnace Repair
p. Peterson Mechanical, Inc.
q. Scott’s Electric, Inc.
s. Tom’s Electric, LLC
t. Valley Electric Service, Inc.
u. And all license applications received before April 1, 2019 approved by the Auditor’s Office.
Approved a House Mover licenses for a. Carrington House Moving, Inc.
b. Liechty Homes, Inc.
c. And all license applications received before April 1, 2019 approved by the Auditor’s Office.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: No one spoke
RESOLUTIONS
The City Commission approved a Resolution Determining Sufficiency of Protests for Paving Improvement District No. 119. City Auditor Richter protest numbers were insufficient.
Approved was a Resolution Determining Sufficiency of Protests for Paving Improvement District No. 119B.
Approved was a Resolution approving Engineers report & directing preparation of detailed plans, specifications & estimates of probable cost for Sanitary Sewer District No. 64, Storm Sewer District No. 52 and Water Main District No. 100.
City Commissioners approved, a Resolution Approving Final Plans and Specifications for Paving Improvement District No. 119, Paving Improvement District No. 119B, Sanitary Sewer District No. 64, Storm Sewer District No. 52 and Water Main District No. 100 and Authorizing Engineer to Advertise for Bids.
CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT:
David Schelkoph said the city hosted the meeting on March 18th to make sure all of the key agencies including North Dakota Emergency Management, and local authorities including the Corps of Engineers, are on the same page if the city needs to declare an emergency and mobilize their flood fighting efforts.
He said the city is looking at a medium to moderate flood event, based on current snow melt, and snow to moisture content.
He said the city has reduced the need for sandbags after several properties that are located near the river have been a part of the flood buyout process over the last seven years.
He said the city had NOT issued a flood emergency at this time.
He added that the state legislature has approved the bill and is going to the governor for his signature that allows funding for infrastructure projects from oil taxes, called the Prairie Dog Bill. He said under the anticipating funding, Valley City stands to gain $3 million to $3 and a half million dollars in funds.
He added the State Water Commission approved funding that will allow $11 million over the next biennium to Valley City for phase four funding of the Permanent Flood Protection and part of Phase five, designing.
CITY UPDATES & COMMISSION REPORTS
Mayor Carlsrud thanked city commissioner and city employees and veterans for their service.
The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 68 followed by replays.
Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown City Council’s Finance & Legal Committee, Building, Planning & Zoning Committee and Civic Center & Promotion Committee met Tuesday afternoon at City Hall.
FINANCE & LEGAL COMMITTEE:
Mayor Heinrich proclaimed as read by Council Member Buchanan April, 2019, as Fair Housing Month and urge all citizens to understand and exercise their right to equal housing opportunity.
An Informational presentation was made by Great Plains Housing and the High Plains Housing Center regarding housing in Jamestown and fair housing practices.
It was stated that the North Dakota Century Code is inclusive of the rights of those seeking housing without discrimination, and is enforced by the agencies and includes advocacy and education, and how to file a complaint.
Cases that were filed were also presented to the committee.
The committee considered developing a resolution directing with concurrence of the Stutsman County Commission that the Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation in the future forward all requests for funding from the South Central Dakota Regional Council directly to the City and County without recommendation.
The committee recommends approval of a Resolution as moved by Mayor Heinrich.
Recommended for approval, was the updated job descriptions for the City Forester, City Assessor, City Building Inspector and City Engineering Technician II.
Considered was the application from Timothy Prescott for a property tax abatement for 2018, on Lot 3, Block 10, Curtin’s Addition, 1105 7th Ave SE, by reducing the True and Full Value from $58,646 to $30,810. City Assessor, Jamison Veil said the structure was extensively damaged in a July 2018 fire. He said the owner plans to rebuild the structure.
The committee recommends approval of the abatement.
The committee considered the appointment of a second alternate municipal court judge.
No candidate has been chosen, and no action was taken.
Recommended for approval was the request from Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Mindak Inc., for a site authorization to conduct gaming at the Gladstone Inn & Suites (Ballrooms) on April 13, 2019.
The committee recommends approving the renewal of the Montana-Dakota Utilities Company franchise agreement for the right to construct, maintain and operate within and upon, in and under the streets, alleys and public grounds of the city a gas distribution system for transmitting and distributing natural or manufactured gas, or a mixture of both, for public and private use in the city for a period of 20 years. The present franchise agreement expires at the end of this month.
A period of 10 years was suggested. City Attorney Leo Ryan said the agreement terms will be reviewed and MDU contacted concerning the language changes. The City Council will act on the matter at the April 1 meeting.
Recommended for approval was the request from the National Buffalo Museum to enter a lease agreement for January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2029.
Considered was the request from Otter Tail Power Company to lease city property next to the National Buffalo Museum for the purpose of erecting a solar photovoltaic energy generating facility.
The Museum has no problem in the city leasing adjacent property to Otter Tail.
The committee recommends tabling the issue pending additional information.
Consideration of the request from the Frontier Village to renew lease agreement for the period January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2025, was denied for lack of second for discussion purposes.
BUILDING, PLANNING & ZONING COMMITTEE
Recommended for approval was scheduling a public hearing at the April 1, 2019, City Council meeting, concerning the failure to comply with the notice of dangerous building condition at 617 3rd Avenue NW owned by Jonathan Satrom and Gate City Bank.
Informational: The Building Inspector Report regarding the notice of dangerous building condition at 609 4th Avenue NW owned by Buffalo City Rentals, LLC. Tom Blackmore said the owner intends to demolish the structure.
CIVIC CENTER AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE
No agenda items at this time.
The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 67 followed by replays.
CIVIC CENTER AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE
No agenda items at this time.
The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 67 followed by replays.
Jamestown (CSi) The James River Valley Library System Board this month, noted changes in the board, and the end of a contract with Development Director, Bill Kennedy.
According to his LinkedIn post Bill is Marketing, Communication and Development Consultant at Kennedy Consultants ND.
Library Director, Joe Rector says, the past six years, Kennedy was the independent contractor and fundraising consultant to the JRVLS board. He headed fundraising for a bookmobile, the library renovation and the centennial. Kennedy restarted the library’s adult programming.
Rector points out that with this phase of the library system’s work concluded, there just will not be a need for a capital campaign director and this is a time of transition,
Kennedy will continue to serve the Friends of the Library program.
The library board also accepted the resignation of member Dar Jung, wh served through the capital campaign, centennial initiative and the renovation of the Alfred Dickey Public Library..
The library board also elected new board officers, for 2019, President,Lynn Krueger Vice President Jay Nitschke, and Secretary, Charlotte Freeburg
*Jamestown City Council Member Pam Phillips will serve as an ex-officio board member
Valley City (Chamber) Who do you appreciate in the Chamber Membership? Nominate a business or individual for the Annual Chamber Awards
Nominations are being solicited for:
Community Image Award, Community Spirit Award, Business of the Year Award, and the Hi-Line Award.
Send nominations by email at chamber@valleycitychamber.com or by calling 701-845-1891.
Nominations due by this March 21.
Bismarck (Game & Fish) A white-tailed deer found dead just south of Williston in late February has been confirmed positive for chronic wasting disease, according to Dr. Charlie Bahnson, wildlife veterinarian for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.
“This is unfortunate news because it means CWD is much farther south than the positive deer harvested this past fall in the northwest corner of deer unit 3A1 in Divide County,” Bahnson said.
CWD is a fatal disease of deer, moose and elk that can cause long-term population declines if left unchecked. Since 2009, 14 other deer have tested positive for CWD in North Dakota – 13 from Grant and Sioux counties in hunting unit 3F2 in the southwest, and the other taken last fall from the northwest in Divide County.
The deer found near Williston is the first documented case of a mortality due to CWD in North Dakota.
“All 14 previous detections were perfectly healthy-looking deer that were hunter-harvested before they got sick,” Bahnson said. “This deer was severely emaciated and had an empty digestive tract, which is unusual even in starvation cases that can occur in harder winters like this one. This deer stopped trying to forage some time ago.”
Bahnson said this deer was probably not the first to die of CWD in North Dakota, especially since the disease has been documented in 3F2 for a decade. “But this animal happened to die in an area where it was highly visible, and the carcass could be recovered in time for testing,” he said.
The Game and Fish Department will collect additional samples for testing through targeted removal over the next week or so. In addition to the targeted removal and testing, Game and Fish will review the need to amend the current CWD proclamation to reflect the new CWD positive.
“In other areas of the country where CWD has reached a tipping point, finding sick or dead CWD-infected deer has become common,” Bahnson said. “We need to do everything in our power to ensure that doesn’t happen in North Dakota.”
More information about CWD and regulations regarding CWD are available on the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s Republican-led Legislature has voted to repeal the state’s longstanding Sunday business restrictions.
The National Conference of State Legislatures says North Dakota is the only state that prohibits shopping on Sunday morning. The ban is rooted in religious tradition.
Senators voted 25-21 to repeal the restrictions on Tuesday. That sends the bill to Republican Gov. Doug Burgum. He’s expected to sign it.
North Dakota law once required most businesses to stay closed on Sundays. It was changed in 1985 to allow grocery stores to open. In 1991, the Legislature agreed to let most businesses to open on Sundays but not before noon.
Lawmakers have defeated several measures over the years to end the Sunday morning shopping prohibition, most recently in 2017.
MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Police in Minot say a man broke into a residential garage and fired several gunshots into the adjacent home with a handgun.
Authorities say five people were inside the home at the time, but no one was injured when the gunshots penetrated the house Monday afternoon.
Investigators say the suspect is an acquaintance of the home’s occupants.
In sports…
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Class B girls basketball all-state first team is loaded with youth, featuring Kindred Vikings freshman Abby Duchscherer.
Duchscherer is the lone unanimous selection on a first team that has no seniors.
Kidder County sophomore Madelyn Schmidt, Hettinger-Scranton sophomore Sam Oase, Trenton junior Kaity Hove and Langdon-Edmore-Munich junior Callie Ronningen rounded out the first team. The all-state team is voted on by the North Dakota Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
Duchscherer capped her season by helping lead the Vikings to their second Class B state championship in the past three seasons.
“The kid is really, really athletic, but it’s her personality,” Kindred head coach Sam Brandt said of Duchscherer. “Everybody wants to be around her. Everybody wants to play with her.”
A 6-foot guard, Duchscherer averaged 21.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game. She made the all-state first team for a second consecutive season.
“Her ability to compete on the floor is what makes her that strong player,” Duchscherer said. “She connects so well with the girls on the team and she lifts them up.”
A 5-foot-5 point guard, Schmidt averaged 15.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.1 steals per game for Kidder County. She helped the Wolves, who finished 25-2, to the state tournament. Kidder County was undefeated entering the state tournament.
“She runs the show,” Kidder County head coach Dan Welder said. “It’s probably the most position on the court in my eyes. She’s still growing as a basketball player and a point guard.”
A 5-foot-7 point guard, Hove averaged 16.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 5.5 steals per game for Trenton, which went to the state tournament and finished with a 25-2 record.
“She’s as good of an athlete as I’ve ever coached,” said Trenton head coach Bob Turcotte, who has been a head coach for 21 seasons. “She’s quick and she sees the floor like very few girls. She does everything single thing for us.”
A 6-foot-1 center, Oase averaged 15.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 3.0 blocked shots per game for Hettinger-Scranton. The Night Hawks finished with a 24-3 record and made the state tournament.
“Sam was just an all-around impact player on the court,” Hettinger-Scranton head coach Kelly Pierce said. “On the offensive end, she was a force. Defensively, she’s a game-changer. She definitely can control the game.”
A 5-foot-10 guard, Ronningen averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.2 steals per game for the Cardinals, who went 23-3 overall and made it to the state tournament. Cardinals head coach Rob Scherr said Ronningen played more of a guard role this season after playing in the post previously.
“Her game just elevated,” Scherr said. “When she is on the floor, everyone becomes better players. She was so flexible some games I’d have her bring the ball up as the point guard and I’d also put her in the post if there was a mismatch.”
All-state second team:
Emma Passa, 5-10, Jr., F, Velva
Carlee Sieben, 5-7, So., G, Grafton
Isabelle Boyer, 5-8, So., G, Grant County
Amanda Roller, 5-4, Sr., G, Fargo Oak Grove
Mackenzie Hughes, 5-5, So., G, Thompson
Alyssa Andress, 5-7, Jr., F, Hettinger-Scranton
Megan Roob, 5-7, Fr., G, Richland
Nicole Schmitz, 5-10, Jr., C, Oakes
Anni Stier, 5-5, Sr., G, Rugby
Leah Feland, 5-7, Jr., G, Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood
Ellie Holen, 5-4, Jr., G, LaMoure-Litchville-Marion
Abbey Kubas, 5-11, So., F, Dickinson Trinity.
(AP) A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels are close to finalizing a $432 million, 12-year contract that would shatter the record for the largest deal in North American sports history.
The deal was disclosed Tuesday by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been finalized and had not been announced.
Trout would top the new $330 million, 12-year contract between Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies, and his $36 million average annual value would surpass Zack Greinke’s $34.4 million in a six-year deal with Arizona that started in 2016.
Progress toward an agreement was first reported by ESPN (CSi-14).
Trout’s deal includes a signing bonus and would supersede the $144.5 million, six-year contract that had been set to pay him $66.5 million over the next two seasons.
In world and national news…
NEW YORK (AP) — Newly released documents show the FBI was investigating President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney and fixer for nearly a year before agents raided his home and office.
A search warrant released Tuesday shows the federal inquiry into Michael Cohen had been going on since July 2017 — far longer than had previously been known.
The FBI raided Cohen’s Manhattan home and office last April and seized more than 4 million electronic and paper files.
A judge ordered the warrant released with redactions after media organizations including The Associated Press requested it be made public.
Cohen pleaded guilty to tax evasion and making hush-money payments to two women who alleged they had extramarital affairs with Trump. He is expected to begin serving a three-year prison sentence in May.
COEBURN, Va. (AP) — Inaction by Congress and the Trump administration is threatening a fund that supports coal miners suffering from black lung disease.
The Associated Press has learned that lawmakers let an automatic tax rate cut on coal take effect in January.
Federal budget officials say that has cut the flow of money so sharply into the fund that it might not have enough to cover the cost of doctors visits and medicines for about 25,000 retired coal miners starting next year.
The cuts to the fund could save coal operators hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
President Donald Trump vowed to save the coal industry during the 2016 campaign and has repeatedly praised miners.
The shrinking of the fund comes amid a surge in black lung disease among Appalachian coal miners.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Hundreds are dead, many more missing and thousands at risk from massive flooding in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe caused by Cyclone Idai and persistent rains.
International aid agencies and government officials are scrambling Tuesday to rescue families trapped by the floodwaters from rivers that have burst their banks and are still rising.
Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi said the death toll could go as high as 1,000 from the cyclone and flooding. Although emergency workers caution they do not know if the fatalities will reach that estimate, they say this is the most destructive flooding in 20 years.
Hardest hit by the cyclone is Mozambique’s Beira port, a city of 500,000, where thousands of homes have been destroyed. Flooding waters have inundated large areas of rural Mozambique and its neighboring countries.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says something should be done to make social media companies liable for their content.
Speaking at a joint press conference with the president of Brazil, Trump said “we have to do something.” He also argued, without citing evidence, there was “discrimination” against Republicans on social media platforms.
Added Trump: “It’s very, very fair to say that we have to do something about it.”
Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted that “Facebook, Google and Twitter, not to mention the Corrupt Media, are sooo on the side of the Radical Left Democrats.”
Trump’s social media director Dan Scavino posted on his Facebook page this week that he had been temporarily blocked from making comments. Trump tweeted that he would be looking into it.
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