CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Partly cloudy with chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then mostly cloudy with showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s.

West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph. Chance of

precipitation 60 percent in the Jamestown area 50 percent in the Valley City area.  New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly cloudy with chance of showers and slight

chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then sunny in the

afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Northwest winds 15 to 20 mph

with gusts to around 35 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent in the Jamestown area, 70 percent in the Valley City area.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s. North

winds around 5 mph with gusts to around 20 mph shifting to the

west after midnight.

.THURSDAY…Sunny. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear with a 20 percent chance of

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 60s.

.FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs in the mid 80s.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. A 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s.

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

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 60s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the morning. Highs in the upper 80s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers

and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 60s.

.MONDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s.

 

Numerous showers and scattered thunderstorms, some with heavy
rain, are expected through Tuesday evening. A few storms may become
severe Tuesday  afternoon and early evening, with hail up to quarter
size and damaging winds to 60 mph.

The next main chances of thunderstorms will occur Thursday
evening and again next Monday. The atmosphere is such so that it
is possible strong or severe storms may occur.

 

 

WEST FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) — The West Fargo Fire Dept was on the scene, Tuesday morning,  about 7-O’Clock, of a reported semi that was on fire on the shoulder of the westbound lanes of I-94, near the West Fargo, Main Avenue Exit.

They conducted a partial lane closure of the westbound lanes.

The call originally came in for a semi truck that was on fire, but when crews arrived, they discovered the semi’s break was stuck.

While crews were working the scene, a UPS truck had lost control and ended up on its side next to where the original call came in.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol reports, Kiauni Witthauer of Jamestown the female driver of the UPS delivery van, approached too fast for conditions, over corrected, entered the median and overturned onto its side.

Witthauer was wearing a seatbelt.

She was charged with care required.

Troopers were able to clear the scene in less than an hour.

No injuries were reported.

The Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by FM Ambulance and the West Fargo Fire, and Rescue Squad.

The Highway Patrol reminds motorists to use extra caution during inclement weather, reduce travel speeds, and move over for emergency vehicles.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  Members of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Committee and the Young Professionals of Jamestown presented the Customer Service Award for July to Lori Graves and Miranda Erickson of The Medicine Shoppe for their outstanding customer service.  The chamber honors individuals who demonstrate a consistent commitment to delivering products or services that satisfy customers by exceeding their requirements or expectations.

Their letter of nomination outlined instances where each of these employees went above and beyond for their customers including staying after hours and gathering extra information.

Congratulations to Lori and Miranda, who along with all the other monthly winners, will be recognized at the Chamber’s annual banquet in January 2020.  Customer Service Award nomination forms are available at the Chamber office and on their website at www.jamestownchamber.com or call 701-252-4830.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Highway Patrol has identified the motorcyclist who died in a head-on crash with a pickup truck near Bismarck.

The patrol says 54-year-old Deon Prinsloo, of Wing, died as the scene of Monday’s crash on Highway 10.

Authorities say the pickup was headed west on Highway 10 when the motorcycle crossed into its lane and was struck.

A 52-year-old Bismarck woman driving the pickup was not injured.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Insurance Department announced Tuesday it fined the state’s largest provider of health insurance $125,000 for improperly denying some claims and not reporting suspected cases of fraud.Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread said the 16-month investigation of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota focused largely on mental health and substance abuse claims. Some of the claims were improperly denied and there was “disagreement on the treatment level” of others, he said.Under a 2008 federal law, health insurers are required to treat mental illness and substance abuse the same as other conditions. Jeff Ubben, the insurance agency’s deputy commissioner and general counsel, said Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota was not in compliance with the parity law.Godfread said Blues has been “extremely cooperative” with regulators and has “fixed problems proactively as we found them.””The health insurance industry continues to grow significantly more complex and this review reveals that we can do more to ensure its compliance in this highly regulated environment,” Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota President and CEO Tim Huckle said in a statement.The health insurer expects to invest more than $300,000 to address issues identified by regulators, Huckle said. Those costs would be funded through “reductions and efficiencies” and not passed on to its members in the form of higher premiums, his statement said.Godfread said while the state fine may seem small against the company, the goal is for the insurer to cover mental health and substance disorder treatment at the same level as physical health.”Our goal is compliance,” he said.

Blue Cross Blue Shield insures or administers claims for about 347,000 people in North Dakota, including people who worked for the state for more than three decades until 2015. It also has been the only insurer offering statewide coverage on the federal Affordable Care Act exchange.

 

Bismarck  (CSi)  Nominations are being accepted through August 30,  for the 2019 Main Street Awards, a program of North Dakota’s Main Street Initiative

The Main Street Awards honor communities that show excellence in applying the principles of Main Street Initiative by actively working to differentiate and enhance the quality of life for their present and future residents.

The Main Street Awards are a collaborative effort of the Office of Governor and the North Dakota Department of Commerce. A selection committee made up of the collaborating agencies and partners judge the entries to make final awards.

This year’s award categories include:

ND Legendary Heritage Award – 

ND Arts and Culture Award – 

Revitalizer Award –

Legendary Young Leader Award –

Vibrancy Award –

Livability for All Ages Award – 

Differentiator Award –

Future Leaders Empowerment Award –.

Main Street Excellence Award –

For additional details on how to apply visit:https://www.nd.gov/living-nd/main-street-nd/main-street-awards

 

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A man accused of playing a major role in an international fentanyl trafficking operation that led to overdose deaths in several states has signed a federal plea agreement in North Dakota, according to court documents unsealed Monday.

Daniel Vivas Ceron, 38, a Colombian national who allegedly ran his part of the enterprise from a Canadian prison, plans to plead guilty to three counts, including conspiracy to import controlled substances resulting in serious bodily injury and death. He faces life in prison.

More than 30 people, including five Chinese nationals, are accused of dealing large amounts of the powerful opioid in the U.S. and Canada. Deaths from the drugs have been reported in North Dakota, North Carolina, New Jersey and Oregon.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Myers, who is prosecuting the case, and Vivas Ceron’s lawyer, Charles Stock, did not immediately respond the requests for comment.

Authorities say Vivas Ceron sold the drugs while he was serving time in the Drummond Institution, a medium security prison in Quebec, for drug-smuggling charges. He arranged co-conspirators to conduct transactions in Canada and China through money wires, bank wires, bank deposits and the use of virtual currency systems, court documents show.

The investigation known as “Operation Denial” began when 18-year-old Bailey Henke was found dead inside a Grand Forks, North Dakota apartment building in January 2015. Authorities say Henke overdosed on fentanyl supplied by Brandon Hubbard, a Portland, Oregon man who received his drugs from Vivas Ceron. Hubbard, who was sentenced to life in prison, told police he could be the largest fentanyl dealer in the country.

 

In world and national news…

DALLAS (AP) — H. Ross Perot (pur-OH’), the colorful, self-made Texas billionaire who twice ran for president, has died.

Family spokesman James Fuller says Perot died early Tuesday. He was 89.

Perot rose from Depression-era poverty to become one of the nation’s richest men as the founder of computer services giant Electronic Data Systems Corp.

In 1992, Perot jumped into the presidential campaign as an independent candidate, challenging President George H.W. Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton.

Perot drew nearly 19% of the vote, the biggest percentage for a third-party hopeful in 80 years. Republicans blamed him for Bush’s defeat.

He had founded EDS in 1962 and sold control of it to General Motors for $2.5 billion in 1984. He later founded another company, Perot Systems.

 

 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’ll look “very closely” at Labor Secretary Alex Acosta’s handling of a sex trafficking case involving billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump says he feels “very badly” for Acosta because he’s been a “very good” secretary.

Acosta was a federal prosecutor in south Florida when he was involved in a 2008 plea deal that allowed Epstein to avoid prosecution on federal charges of molesting teenage girls. He pleaded guilty to state charges and spend 13 months in jail.

Acosta’s role in the Epstein case came under renewed scrutiny after federal prosecutors in New York filed similar charges Monday against Epstein. Epstein has pleaded not guilty to the newsex trafficking charges.

Some members of Congress and Democratic presidential candidates are calling on Acosta to resign.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court says President Donald Trump can’t ban critics from his Twitter account.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled Tuesday.

A three-judge panel agreed with a lower court judge who said Trump violates the First Amendment when he blocks critics.

The ruling came in a case brought by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. It had sued on behalf of seven individuals blocked by Trump after criticizing his policies.

The appeals court said the First Amendment does not permit a public official using a social media account for “all manner of official purposes” to exclude people from an otherwise-open online dialogue because they disagree with the official.

Trump has over 60 million Twitter followers.

 

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican leaders in Virginia’s General Assembly say the state’s crime commission needs to take a measured look at gun issues to try to find a bipartisan solution.

The GOP adjourned a special legislative session Tuesday without considering Democrats’ request to vote on a series of gun control measures. The session lasted less than two hours.

Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam called the session in response to the Virginia Beach shooting that killed a dozen people in May.

House Speaker Kirk Cox says the special session was premature because the Virginia Beach shooting is still being investigated.

Cox and Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment say Northam should have called for a blue-ribbon commission to study gun and mental health issues like former Gov. Tim Kaine did after the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.

 

 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The fate of former President Barack Obama’s health care law, and its coverage and insurance protections for millions of Americans, is again being argued before a federal court.

At issue Tuesday before a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is a federal judge’s December ruling.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor declared that Congress made the law unconstitutional in 2017 by zeroing out the tax levied on people who don’t have insurance.

Without that “individual mandate” to buy insurance, O’Connor said, the entire law falls.

The law’s supporters say it remains constitutional, despite the tax change.

O’Connor’s ruling is on hold, pending appeals.

The case will likely end up before the Supreme Court, which narrowly ruled in favor of the law in 2012.

 

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Nicki Minaj is pulling out of a concert in Saudi Arabia because she says she wants to show support for women’s rights, gay rights and freedom of expression.

The chart-topping rapper says in a statement Tuesday to The Associated Press that “after careful reflection I have decided to no longer move forward with my scheduled concert at Jeddah World Fest.”

She adds, “I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.”

Minaj was originally scheduled to headline the concert on July 18. In Saudi Arabia, gender segregation between single men and women is still enforced in many restaurants, coffee shops, public schools and universities.