– Wayne Byers Show – Evening – Mar 29

CSi Weather…

UPDATE

…FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON…

SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Areas of fog through the night. Lows in
the lower 20s. North winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the west after
midnight.
.MONDAY…Partly sunny. Areas of fog in the morning. Highs in the
lower 40s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s. West winds
5 to 10 mph.
.TUESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. Northwest winds
10 to 20 mph.
.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 20s. West winds
5 to 10 mph.
.WEDNESDAY…Sunny. Highs around 40.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.
.THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of rain in the
afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s.
.THURSDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Lows in the lower 30s.
.FRIDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s.
.FRIDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s.
.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
.SATURDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows in the upper 30s.
.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of rain in the
afternoon. Highs in the upper 50s.

The multi-model consensus we used to build the forecast calls for
highs in the 40s Monday through Wednesday, warming to the low to
mid 60s west and south central by Saturday. Most, but not all, of
the 00 UTC GFS ensemble members simulated an even more robust
warming trend by next weekend as broad ridging builds downstream
of a trough that enters the west coast. Thus, later forecasts may
call for even warmer temperatures by next weekend.

Valley City (CSi) The latest information provided by the National Weather Service on river and reservoir levels for the the Valley City area, and adjacent water sheds.

National Weather Service

Water amounts in the snow pack

James River level through Jamestown.

Sheyenne River Level Though Valley City

Lake Ashtabula Level

On Friday, the James River at LaMoure is currently at 7.5 feet and has risen around six inches in the past week, with a 50 percent chance the river will reach minor flood stage of 14 feet at LaMoure and a 5 percent chance it will reach major flood stage of 18 feet.

North of Jamestown the James River basin Jamestown and Pipestem dams shows a normal to slightly above normal chance of overland and small stream flooding.

South of the dams includes a well above normal chance of overland flooding.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers still forecasts a combined release from Jamestown and Pipestem dams of 750 cfs, below levels that would action for flood protection in Jamestown.

Jamestown (CSi) Just about all the numbers have been tabulated in the 2019 Runnin O’ The Green fundraiser held in Jamestown on March 23^rd.

Organizer Larry Knoblich says as of Friday, the total dollars raised were between $35,000 and $40,000 as about four more bars are yet to report their numbers. He adds, that one expected large donation is still forthcoming.

He says, with the current numbers, the Elks Camp Grassick will receive about $25,000, from this year’s event, and $10,000 is set aside for cancer patients, as 20 patients will have the opportunity to receive the dollars. As of Friday, four patients will receive about $500 each.

A few more dollars will likely be available when the final count is in.

He points out that if more cancer patients would like more information on getting donations from this year’s run to call Larry Knoblich at 701-269-0603.

He adds that 1,600 registered to participate in the 2019 run.

He says, he plans to hold the 2020 Runnin O’ The Green on Saturday March 22, the weekend after St. Patrick’s Day. He says this year the event was a week later than in the past due to the NAIA National Wrestling Tournament held at the University of Jamestown that brought a large number of participants and family to Jamestown.

In talking with officials with the wrestling tournament, Larry says, they plan to hold another national wrestling tournament in Jamestown during St. Patrick’s Day weekend in 2020, so the Runnin O’ The Green will be held the following Saturday like this year.

Jamestown (CSi) The Marine Corps League serving the James River-Sheyenne River Valley will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at the All Vets Club in Jamestown.

All area Marines/FMF corpsman and FMF chaplains are invited to attend.

Bring $20 the prorated-annual dues, and proof of your service as a U.S .Marine/sailor.

Fargo, N.D. (Valley News Live) Based off the latest flood forecasts, the city of Fargo is suspending sandbag operations at 7 p.m. Friday, March 29.

Officials with the city say at 7 Friday evening, they expect to have 400,000 sandbags. That would be enough to fight a 39 foot crest. Originally, the city wanted to make 1 million sandbags to fight a potentially higher Red River crest.

However, the city says it’s important that volunteers still show up until 7 Friday evening to finish a strong sandbag production effort.

Groups or people still interested in helping the flood fight are now urged to contact Cass County or the city of Moorhead to help with their sandbagging efforts.

The city of Fargo says they may still need volunteers at later dates to deploy the sandbags to certain areas of town.

A new National Weather Service flood forecast shows the Red River in Fargo hitting minor flood stage by Saturday night.On Friday, March 29 at 9:15 a.m., the Red River was at 16.5 feet in Fargo. By Saturday night, the river is expected to hit 18 feet, that’s minor flood stage.

Elm Street North will be closing between 13th and 15th Avenues North due to rising flood waters. The closure will begin Saturday, March 30 at 8:30am. Detour will be via 3rd Street North.Elm Street will remain closed until the flood waters recede below the roadway.

By Thursday, April 4, the Red is expected to hit 23 feet. The Weather Service says the river may continue to rise after hitting 23 feet.

A bridge on North Broadway would then be impacted, shutting it down.

Bismarck (Gov. Burgum’s Office) – Gov. Doug Burgum Friday thanked Vietnam veterans and signed a proclamation declaring March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day in North Dakota during a ceremony at the Capitol.

More than 2.7 million Americans served in Vietnam, among them more than 15,000 North Dakotans, Burgum noted. More than 58,000 died, included 198 North Dakotans whose names were read aloud during today’s ceremony attended by dozens of veterans and their family members, state legislators and community members.

“Each of these young men and women left their homes faithfully and honorably to serve their nation. It’s our responsibility to make sure that their service and sacrifice is not forgotten,” Burgum said during the ceremony. “Today we honor and remember the surviving and departed Vietnam veterans, including those 198 and those veterans who were or are still missing in action or prisoners of war.”

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Vietnam Veterans Day being celebrated as an official North Dakota state holiday. The 61st Legislative Assembly passed legislation in 2009 in honor and remembrance of all Vietnam veterans.

As governor, Burgum is committed to ensuring Vietnam veterans – and all veterans – are receiving the benefits and services they have earned for protecting our nation. Last October, the governor created a task force to assess the current system for supporting military veterans in North Dakota and comprehensively examine how the state’s current resources can be organized to serve veterans most effectively. His executive budget proposal for the 2019-21 biennium also recommends exempting military retirement pay from state income taxes, a proposal that continues to move through the Legislature.

DICKINSON, N.D. (AP) — A farm aid nonprofit says nine trucks filled with donated hay will leave Dickinson Saturday bound for flood-stricken Nebraska.

Farm Rescue says it expects to deliver the hay to a drop off site in Fullerton on Sunday. The organization’s spokesman Dan Erdmann tells the Minot Daily News they delivered their first load of hay earlier this week to Nebraska.

The North Dakota-based Farm Rescue recently activated “Operation Hay Lift” to haul livestock feed to Nebraska ranchers affected by flooding, resurrecting a program first used nearly two years ago to help cattle producers facing drought conditions in the Upper Midwest..

The Nebraska Farm Bureau estimates that farm and ranch losses in that state could reach $1 billion.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s Republican-led Senate has endorsed legislation that would ban the most commonly used procedure in second-trimester abortions.Senators voted to approve the House bill Friday to outlaw the abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation. The bill uses the non-medical term “dismemberment abortion” to describe the procedure.Abortion-rights groups argue that banning the procedure is unconstitutional because it interferes with private medical decisions.Similar laws in other states are on hold because of legal challenges.The Senate amended the bill to make the ban effective when a federal appeals court or the U.S. Supreme Court allows its enforcement. The House still must approve that change.Republican Gov. Doug Burgum has not said whether he would sign or veto the measure.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Legislature has passed a bill that would allow school districts to designate an armed first responder at schools.The Senate passed the House bill on Friday.The legislation requires districts to create a plan that must be approved by law enforcement and the local school boards. School districts also have the ability to withdraw from the plan at any time.Supporters of the guns-in-schools bill say it’s focused on rural schools without a school resource officer, since it takes law enforcement time to respond to an emergency situation.Education groups have opposed the idea, fearing safety of students and potential lawsuits and higher insurance costs.The bill now goes to Gov. Doug Burgum.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The Republican-led North Dakota Legislature has passed a bill banning gun buyback programs subsidized by taxpayers.The Senate approved the House bill on Friday. It now goes to Gov. Doug Burgum for his signature.Backers of the bill outlawing gun buybacks say they do nothing to increase public safety and only threaten gun rights.Republican Rep. Luke Simons, the primary sponsor of the bill, says the firearm buyback programs send a message to children that the “government is buying evil guns to get them off the street.”Kansas and Indiana passed similar legislation in 2014 that bans local governments from using taxpayer money for gun buyback programs to remove weapons from circulation.BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s male-dominated Legislature is considering a resolution to nullify its 1975 support of the Equal Rights Amendment.It’s a move seen as offsetting revived efforts nationally to enshrine the nearly half-century-old measure in the U.S. Constitution.

The resolution is sponsored by seven male Republican lawmakers. It says Congress’ deadline for ratification of the gender-equality amendment passed 40 years ago and is no longer valid.

The resolution already has passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate.

If the resolution is approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, North Dakota would join Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee and South Dakota as states that ratified the amendment and later withdrew their support.

But North Dakota is believed to be the first state to seek to withdraw its ratification since the 1970s.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s Republican-led House has defeated a proposal to make it more difficult for citizen-led initiatives that amend the state constitution.The House voted unanimously Friday to kill the Senate resolution to raise to 60 percent the voting margin necessary to approve a constitutional amendment, instead of a majority.GOP majority leaders sponsored the measure.The move was inspired in part by a string of successful ballot measures funded largely by out-of-state interests.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Legislature has passed a bipartisan bill is to exempt lawmakers’ communications with public employees.The House approved the Senate bill on Friday.GOP Sen. Judy Lee of West Fargo says her bill is intended to clarify what she says already is understood to be the case in private correspondence between the Legislature and public employees.Records of communications between lawmakers and their constituents already are exempt from North Dakota’s open records law.Jack McDonald, a Bismarck attorney who represents media outlets on issues regarding the state’s open records and meetings laws, has argued that such communications should be open.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he will close the nation’s southern border, or large sections of it, next week if Mexico does not immediately stop illegal immigration. In a tweet Friday, Trump ramped up his repeated threat to close the border by saying he will do it next week unless Mexico takes action. He says it “would be so easy” for Mexico to stop illegal immigration, which would also strike a blow to drug-trafficking.

LONDON (AP) — Two senior German officials see little chance of reviving Britain’s treaty with the European Union to withdraw from the bloc, after it was again rejected by the UK parliament. Manfred Weber, a European lawmaker and center-right candidate to head the European Commission, says that “the treaty is off the table.” Justice Minister Katarina Barley, the center-left Social Democrats’ top candidate for upcoming European elections, says “everything points to a hard Brexit” without a deal.LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal is all but dead, after lawmakers voted to reject it for a third time Friday _ the day Britain had long been scheduled to leave the European Union. The U.K. now faces a deadline of April 12 to present the EU with a new plan, or crash out of the bloc without an agreement.VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — A ship captain says African migrants who hijacked an oil tanker after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea seized metal objects and began smashing the ship and threatening crew members after they realized they were being returned to Libya. Nader Hiblu, the 42-year-old captain of the El Hiblu 1 ship, said he and five other crew members feared being killed during the “horror” that played out at sea this week. Hiblu turned the ship away from Libya and headed to Europe under duress.RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Two months after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s political career was all but dead in a scandal over a blackface photo, he seems back to normal. The Democratic governor is cracking jokes as he pushes policies addressing racial inequalities, and Democrats are standing by him. In an Associated Press interview, Northam said he still has listening and learning to do. And Republicans are calling Democrats hypocrites. But Northam says Virginians are working with him because of his long track record.