Wayne Byers Show Weekdays on CSi 2

CSi Weather…

TONIGHT…Clear. Lows in the lower 60s. West winds around 5 mph.

.TUESDAY…Sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon in the Valley City area. Highs in the mid 80s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s. Northwest winds

around 5 mph shifting to the north after midnight.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. North winds

5 to 10 mph.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s.

.THURSDAY…Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s.

.FRIDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. A 20 percent chance of rain

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s.

.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of rain showers and

thunderstorms in the morning. Highs in the upper 70s.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s.

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

thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s.

 

Overnight Early Monday rainfall official totals.

Valley City 1.35 inches

Jamestown 0.52 inches

 

There may be some stronger storms over the far south on Tuesday afternoon,

Highs will generally be into the 70s and lower 80s this week.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The Valley City Commission met in Special Session, Monday morning to continue with budgeting for the 2020 City Budget.  All members were present.

Highlights from  Monday’s meeting, include, City Auditor Avis Richter said, one insurance policy was eliminated from the budget, reducing the Mill Levy by one mill,  which left the mill levy increase at  $137,00 over last year, a seven percent increase over the 2019 budget.

Previous budget requests were reviewed.

Transfer of funds were approved, to balance the budget.

City County Health’s budget request was untouched.

Bridges Arts Council’s request of $1,000 in the budget was approved. Other funding sources are also available.

The Public Library request was put at 8 Mills, including covering part of the branch library expansion.

The library is also supported with Barnes County Funding.

South Central Adult Services, transportation request of $10,000 was left in the budget.

The City Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the  2020 Preliminary Budget, with the preliminary budget numbers, including the mill levy, mill levy increase, and the mill value and changes over the 2019 budget included, in  the First Reading of the Ordinance, by the  City Commission.

From that point on the 2020 budget numbers may be reduced but not increased at any subsequent city budget meeting.

Monday’s Budget Meeting was recorded by CSi Cable 68 followed by replays.

 

Jamestown (CSi)  The Jamestown City Council met in Regular Session Monday evening at City Hall.  All members were present.

HEARING FROM THE AUDIENCE:  Eva Wiest who has rental property on 12th Avenue, Southeast, brought a matter of dust control and excessive speed.  She requested traffic control signage.  She also brought up, as a landlord, having to pay the water utility bill, when left unpaid by renters who have left the property.

Mayor Heinrich said the road matter will be addressed, needing the city’s attention.

Opening bids

Bid received with irregularity waived by the City Council for the Jamestown Civic Center Roofing Removal and Replacement Area “A” Project. To be awarded later in the meeting.

Bids received for the Jamestown Civic Center Expansion Joint Removal and Replacement Project.

The Council the contractor’s  for one bid was recommended not be accepted due to a lack of a notary signature on the bid bond.  A second bid will be considered.

The bid openings will be later in the meeting.

 

NO CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS CONSIDERED SEPARATELY…

The City Council accepted the reports of the Municipal Judge, Police Department, Fire Department, Public Works Departments, Inspection Department, Forestry Department, Civic Center, Central Valley Health Unit, and financial status.

 

REGULAR AGENDA

 

RESOLUTIONS:   NONE…

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 

As discussed earlier.

A Bid received was approved for the Jamestown Civic Center Roofing Removal and Replacement Area “A” Project in the amount of $103,000 from Herzog Roofing from Detroit Lakes Minnesota.

The Bid received was approved for the Jamestown Civic Center Expansion Joint Removal and Replacement Project, in the amount of $39,740, from Sticky Construction from Thompson, North Dakota.

 

ORDINANCES:

FIRST READING: An ordinance to amend and re-enact a section of the City Code, increase the City Sales Tax by one-half percent from two percent (2%) to two and one-half percent (2.5%) effective January 1, 2020, and remain in force until, January 2, 2040. A half percent would generate $600,000 to the city annually.

The City reports in the draft ordinance, that dedication of the tax proceeds are earmarked for infrastructure capital improvements, including, the Civic Center maintenance, infrastructure capital improvements and operations. The governing body, shall determine the amounts dedicated if any to infrastructure capital improvements and the Civic Center.  All revenues shall be placed in a separate sales and use tax fund, to be kept separate from all other funds.

With the Preliminary 2020 budget:

FIRST READING: An ordinance pertaining to the appropriation of the General and Special Funds for the fiscal year January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

FIRST READING: An ordinance pertaining to the appropriation of the Revenue and Special Funds for the fiscal year January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

Following the First Readings, the Preliminary Budget numbers may be reduced, but not increased at any subsequent City Budget Meetings.

On Monday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich said the Preliminary Budget, in part, addresses the “Free-fall,” in the Reserve Fund, now at $877,000 by adding $254,000, for a reserve balance of $1,132,167.

 

APPOINTMENTS:

Appoint Brian Paulsen, Don Fry ,and Mitchell Ostle, to serve as members of the Planning Commission with five year terms to expire August 2024.

 

MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER’S REPORT:

Pam Phillips said another Census Committee meeting is upcoming to help organize taking the 2020 Census.

 

David Steele visited Valley City to find out more information and observe the work in progress on the current street project including bump outs.

 

Daniel Buchanan said the west side of the outside of the Civic Center, has improved landscaping.

 

Mayor Heinrich thanked the City Administrator, Council Members and city staff, for their parts in drafting the 2020 City Budget.

 

OTHER BUSINESS:

The City Council approved the request from Jonny B’s Brickhouse to conduct a dance in the parking lot behind the business, on September 6, 2019. Owner Jon Beyer indicated the sale of alcoholic beverages, with the tap truck present.

Approved was the request from Buffalo Lanes, Inc., for an alley closure between 9th St and 10th St SE from 3:00 PM, August 10, 2019, to 1:00 AM, August 11, 2019, for a Cornhole Tournament & music.

Also approved was  the request from Buffalo Lanes, Inc., to allow the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages in the rear (east) parking lot and alley from 6:00 PM, August 10, 2019, to 12:00 AM, August 11, 2019, for a Cornhole Tournament & music.

The City Council approved the request to recognize Layered Education Association as an other public spirited organization and authorize the issuance of a raffle permit.

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 67 followed by replays.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Community is invited to National Night Out on Tues Aug 6 from 6 pm to 9 pm at McElroy Park in Jamestown.

The Jamestown Police Department, and the Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office  will be on hand at the Second Annual event, where the community is invited to get to know the local agencies, officials and  residents of the Jamestown/Stutsman County area and support the mission and vision of the law enforcement agencies, to unite and support the community.

There will be activities, hot dogs, and refreshments while they last, plus games music and more.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make communities safer, more caring places to live.

National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.  It Also provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  — Jamestown Regional Medical Center Hospice along with the Jamestown Area Grief Support Team (JAGST) is hosting a Memorial Service on Tuesday, August 13th at McElroy Park in Jamestown. The service starts at 6:30 p.m. in the shelter near the flagpole. This service is open to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one. JRMC Hospice will also be planting a tree in loving memory.

Grief can be an isolating and lonely experience. JRMC Hospice and JAGST are committed to providing support and an opportunity for individuals to share their grief and loss in a supportive environment.

Maren Radi, the Hospice Coordinator for JRMC, says, The annual Memorial Service and tree planting ceremony is a celebration of life and to affirm the bonds of community, memory and hope that sustain us in sorrow. It is an opportunity for bereaved families and the hospice staff to honor the loved ones who have died and an opportunity to support each other.”

The memorial service is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair to sit on if desired. For more information on this event, please call JRMC Hospice at (701) 952-4847.

About Jamestown Regional Medical Center

Jamestown Regional Medical Center is located at 2422 20th St. SW, Jamestown, ND and serves approximately 55,000 people in nine counties. JRMC was named a “Top 100 Critical Access Hospital” as well as a “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” in 2017 and 2018. For more information on services at JRMC, visit www.jrmcnd.com or call 701-952-1050.

 

UPDATE…

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The Fargo man accused of killing his girlfriend and setting fire to his apartment claims he’s innocent.

Sheldon Davis, 44, was expected in court Monday to face formal charges in the death of 52-year-old Denise Marie Anderson, but his court appearance was rescheduled for Tuesday. Authorities say Anderson died of traumatic injuries before the fire Thursday.

Davis is in the Cass County Jail where he has talked to several media outlets about the case.

“The only thing I can say is I wasn’t there,” Davis told KVRR-TV.

Davis said he left his apartment early the morning Anderson’s body was found, went to a friend’s house and didn’t find out about the fire and her death until police told him that afternoon.

“They tell me there was a fire in the house, then they tell me Denise is dead. It was kind of shocking, the whole thing. Not kind of, really shocking. In fact I’m still not over it. I still can’t believe that she’s gone,” Davis said.

When asked why the friend wouldn’t verify his alibi, Davis blamed the man’s criminal history and alleged drug use.

Davis, who knew Anderson less than a year, said he was sorry her family has to deal with her death.

“I’ve spent time back there with my emotional state, and trying to stay calm and cool and keep my thought process clear, because right now my head’s been spinning ever since this has happened. I went through different stages of emotions here,” he said. “I’m sure they feel like I’m the guilty one. But that’s not the case. I can sit here and apologize, but I don’t think it’s going to make a difference to them.”

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal appeals court has affirmed a decision by a North Dakota judge who blocked a state law meant to protect farm equipment dealers.

Four major manufacturers of farm implements filed a lawsuit two years ago challenging the law that permits North Dakota implement dealers to sell generic rather than name-brand replacement parts. They say the law is unconstitutional.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland’s decision to prevent the law from taking effect.

The legislation sailed through the Legislature in 2017 with strong bipartisan support.

The lawsuit was filed by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and manufacturers Agco, CNH, Deere & Company and Kubota. The companies argued the law interferes with federal right-to-contract and copyright protection claims.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The Standing Rock Sioux have requested a hearing on a plan by the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline to double the line’s capacity, a move the tribe believes multiplies the risk of an oil spill.

Doubling the pipeline’s capacity increases the “consequences as well as the likelihood” of an oil spill, Tribal Chairman Mike Faith said in a letter to state regulators.

Texas-based Energy Transfer announced in June it plans to expand the pipeline’s capacity from more than 500,000 barrels per day to as much as 1.1 million barrels. The pipeline has been moving North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois since June 2017.

The $3.8 billion pipeline is less than a half mile from the Standing Rock Reservation, beneath a Missouri River reservoir that is the tribe’s water source.

Fears of an oil spill into the river sparked massive protests in 2016 and 2017, drawing thousands of pipeline opponents to North Dakota.

The company said the expansion would help meet the growing demand for oil from North Dakota, the nation’s second-biggest oil producer behind Texas.

Energy Transfer is proposing additional pumping stations in the Dakotas and Illinois. The company needs permission from the North Dakota Public Service Commission for the expansion because some of the land needed is outside of the pipeline’s path.

 

DRAKE, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota lawmakers are planning a legislative study to better understand how to ensure groceries are available in rural areas where shops have been closing.

Jim Dotzenrod is a Democratic state senator. Dotzenrod sponsored a resolution calling for an investigation into the distribution and transportation of food in the state.

The Minot Daily News reports that the town of Drake is likely to lose its only grocery store beginning next year. Closure will mean customers will have to drive 30 miles (50 kilometers) to Harvey or Velva to buy groceries.

Dotzenrod says he would consider the use of state transportation and excess storage to create distribution centers for small groceries to benefit food deserts.

The Commerce Committee will lead the study. The first meeting is Aug. 12 in Bismarck.

 

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is underway in the Black Hills of western South Dakota and local communities have beefed up law enforcement.

The Rapid City Journal reports law enforcement agencies in Meade and Pennington counties are hiring more officers, temporarily opening a second jail and keeping a courthouse open seven days a week.

The rally started Friday and runs through Aug. 11.

Sturgis Police Chief Geody VanDewater says officers are “already busy.”

VanDewater wouldn’t say how many temporary officers he hires but said they come from South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Minnesota and other states.

VanDewater says the most common issues officers deal with are illegal parking, followed by drunken driving and drug use.

Nearly half a million people attended last year’s rally.

 

In world and national news…

(AP) Families are planning funerals, politicians are pointing fingers and the death toll is rising as the U.S. reels from twin mass shootings.

Thirty-one people have now died after the weekend rampages in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

President Donald Trump addressed the violence in a White House speech.

In a 10-minute address, he condemned racism and rehashed national conversations on treatment for mental health problems, depiction of violence in the media, and discourse on the internet, putting blame in part on the internet and social media, and expressing vague openness to some gun reforms.

Trump said: “Hate has no place in America.”

 

 

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The U.S. Border Patrol has re-opened its inland checkpoints around El Paso, Texas, after closing them for several months due to staffing shortages.

The re-openings were announced Monday as El Paso grapples with the aftermath of a mass shooting that left more than 20 people dead. Authorities are investigating links between the suspected gunman and a racist, anti-immigrant screed that was posted online.

Amid fears that immigrants in the U.S. illegally might not seek help after the shooting, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced it wouldn’t do any enforcement at area hospitals or shelters.

The re-opened checkpoints are used by Border Patrol agents to check vehicles coming north for human or drug smuggling. The agency closed them in March because agents were needed to process and detain surging numbers of migrant parents and children.

 

 

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Top Democrats in the Republican-led Ohio Legislature are urging colleagues to pass gun-safety proposals that were given little consideration this session before a gunman killed nine people and injured more in Dayton over the weekend.

State Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko and House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes are particularly advocating for universal background checks on gun purchases and a “red flag law” to restrict firearms access for people perceived as threats.

Police say there was nothing in the Dayton shooter’s background to prevent him from buying the firearm used.

President Donald Trump said Monday he wants federal legislation providing “strong background checks” for gun users, though he has reneged on previous promises after mass attacks. He offered few details. Trump won swing-state Ohio in 2016.

 

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Britain says it will work with the United States in a “new international maritime security mission” to protect merchant shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ministry of Defense said Monday that Royal Navy vessels will work alongside the U.S. Navy to escort vessels through the busy strait, which has become a flashpoint for tensions between Iran and the West.

The U.S. has been asking its allies to take part in a naval mission to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, though European nations have been reluctant.

Britain has been giving U.K.-flagged vessels a naval escort since Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized a British oil tanker last month.

Britain has two Royal Navy vessels in the region, the frigate HMS Montrose and the destroyer HMS Duncan. The Montrose is due to leave for repairs later this month.

 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court has agreed to rule on a lawsuit filed by the island’s Senate to oust a veteran politician who was sworn in as governor.

The court gave all parties until Tuesday at noon to file all arguments. The announcement means that a court hearing planned for early Monday evening to handle the lawsuit has been cancelled.

The Senate originally filed the lawsuit with the Court of First Instance but then asked if the Supreme Court could take the case.

The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction ordering Pedro Pierluisi to cease his functions immediately and also asks that the court declare unconstitutional a 2005 law that states a secretary of state does not have to be approved by both House and Senate if he steps in as governor