CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Cloudy. Patchy fog through the night. Lows 5 to 10 above. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the north after midnight.

.FRIDAY…Mostly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the

upper 20s. West winds around 5 mph shifting to the south around 5 mph in the afternoon.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Lows 15 to 20. Southwest winds

5 to 10 mph.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Southwest winds

around 10 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows around 20.

.MONDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 20s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows around 15.

.TUESDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 20s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Cloudy. Lows 10 to 15.

.CHRISTMAS DAY…Cloudy. Slight chance of light snow.

Highs around 20.

Temperatures this weekend ranging from the mid 30s east to near 50

Southwest.

One period of precipitation somewhere across the region next week, but it is impossible to determine when, where, and how much that might be at this time.

 

UPDATE…

Jamestown  (CSi)  Jamestown Public Works informs motorists of an extension in the time for the detour, in Downtown Jamestown. Due to City utility repairs, 1st Ave will be closed to through traffic from 1st St. South to 4th St. North. Traffic will be diverted to 2nd St. East and 2nd St. West

This section of 1st Ave will continue to be closed until Friday (December 20th) at 5pm. Please watch for signage & use alternate routes.

Intermittent water outages may occur within 200 block of 1st Ave N on Friday, December 20th.

Motorist’s should use extreme caution in this area.

PLEASE NOTE:

The above schedule is contingent upon weather conditions.

PLEASE CALL THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT AT 252-5131 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown City Council’s Police & Fire, and Public Works Committees met Thursday afternoon at City Hall.  All members were present.

POLICE & FIRE COMMITTEE

Discussion was held on replacing State of North Dakota ladder truck at the Fire Department.

City Fire Chief Jim Reuter made a presentation, and included equipment that has been appreciated out, and needs replacement.  He said the new ladder truck is needed for support and rescue, costing about $1.3 million, including a platform, with the ladder reaching over 100 feet.  The current truck has undergone expense repairs over the past few years, some of the repairs failed.  This year it was determined additional repairs are too expensive. He added the Rescue Truck has electrical problems, and repairs to the pumper truck is at a cost of a half million dollars.  He noted other equipment that needs replacement in the future, including the equipment truck. The search for grant funding has been unsuccessful at this time.

Mayor Heinrich said he and other officials met in Bismarck with state officials, including the Governor’s Office, saying that the truck’s funding has in the past come from state funds.  He added that local legislative representative have been informed of the situation, which could come before the next legislative session.  He feels there will be positive movement on getting state funding, on behalf of the state legislators.

Reuther said he is not comfortable with the liability of not having a ladder truck available, and is not comfortable in being in the position of Fire Chief without a ladder truck.

The cost to rent a ladder truck is estimated at $100,000 per year on a lease to buy basis.

The committee recommends the City Council pass a Resolution to forward to the Governor, and state legislators, stating the urgency of having a ladder truck.  Mayor Heinrich said the Resolution needs to be worded properly.

Considered was a review of police department staffing and operations.

Police Chief Scott Edinger said there is an urgency in recruiting new officers, which he said is a nationwide problem.

He said in Jamestown the call for service is higher than other cities of comparable size, due to agencies located in town.  He said over the past 11 months, nine officers have resigned for other employment.  The schools Resource Officer is also spending more time patrolling, than at the schools.

He added that the local pay and benefit package is not on a par with other law enforcement agencies. He pointed out several other issues, that are a liability to the police department.

He proposes adjusting the salary step policy, including new officers, and the residency requirement of an officer living in city limits.

The committee  took no formal action, and Mayor Heinrich suggested the city review the situation, and come back to the committee with recommendations.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

Considered  was quotations for the Paste-type Lime Slaker for the Water Treatment Plant.

The committee recommends awarding the quotation to Integrity in the amount of $149,500 plus hiring a contractor.

Considered was the bids for the LeFevre Building Demolition at 1100 Railroad Drive. City Attorney Ryan said some of the bids were not opened due to not having the proper paperwork in place.  Three bids were viable and opened.   The committee recommends the bid be awarded to Dewin of Minot in the amount $22,350, and reject the other bids that were opened.

Considered was the prepared response to the NDDOT regarding I-94 exit 257.  The response includes the city opposed to closing the exit, and if it is closed, have a design in place for a 17th Avenue I-94 overpass and frontage road improvements at the cost of the NDDOT.

The committee recommends sending that response.

Prioritized was the 2021-2024 NDDOT Urban Roads and Urban Regional State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) list.   The committee recommends submitting the prioritized list.

Considered was the NDDOT elimination of bump outs on all side streets and at the intersection of 4th Avenue NW for an overall decrease of $292,900 in Main Street Road Diet project costs. Ben Aaseth with Interstate Engineering said, a stop sign would be at the side streets, and still be ADA accessible.

The committee recommends approval of removing all bump outs on side streets and 4th Avenue Northwest.

The committee recommends entering into a Cost Participation, Construction and Maintenance agreement with the ND Department of Transportation for the Jamestown Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) (Signing, Beacons, Bumpouts, and Sidewalks), Project No. TAU-2-987(042).

INFORMATIONAL: Quotations  have been received for 2020 Chemicals for the Water, Sewer & Wastewater Departments of the City of Jamestown.

INFORMATIONAL: Quotations received for 2020 Hydrocarbons for the City of Jamestown Operational Programs and Jamestown Park District Operational Programs.

INFORMATIONAL: City Engineer project updates.

Interstate Engineering noted  a report from the NDDOT on the Road Diet Plan, including the only traffic signal be on 3rd  Street South, and one traffic signal on Highway 20.  A letter will be sent to the NDDOT indicating the city’s considerations for the plan, differing from that of the NDDOT.

INFORMATIONAL:

Recycling and garbage collection updates were unavailable.

The Committee recommends approval of entering into a cost participation, construction, and maintenance agreement with the NDDOT for the Jamestown Safe Routes to School, including signing, beacons, bumpouts, and sidewalks.

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

Awarding the bid for the LeFevre Building Demolition at 1100 Railroad Drive went to , in the amount of $22,350 to Dewinn of Minot.

Approved was awarding the quote for the Paste-Type Lime Slaker for the Water Treatment Plant to Integrity, in the amount of $149,500.

Awarding the quote for 2020 Chemicals for the Water, Sewer & Wastewater Departments of the City of Jamestown, went to the various bidders, for each chemical.

Awarding the quote for 2020 Hydrocarbons for the City of Jamestown Operational Programs and Jamestown Park District Operational Programs went to Vining Oil Co., in the various amounts in the bid package.

The City Council, approved, allowing a City Council Member to attend and participate in Committee Meetings and Council Meetings remotely by clear, uninterrupted, two-way telephone or electronic means if the Council Member is unable to physically attend and upon approval by the Members present.

Council Members approved the request from Jamestown Tourism to authorize up to $15,000 to match a Cultural Heritage Grant for the purpose of hiring staff to inventory, identify and document artifacts at the Frontier Village, with $2,413 paid from the Jamestown Tourism (BCTF) New Projects Fund and any remainder paid from the Jamestown Tourism (BCTF) Capital Improvement Fund.

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

 

(AP)  School officials say three students were hurt when their bus collided with a train in North Dakota. The Lidgerwood Public School says the crash happened around 3:40 p.m. Thursday. Three students were taken by ambulance to a hospital. No other information was immediately available.

 

Jamestown  (NDFU)   – North Dakota Farmers Union President Mark Watne made the following statement on Thursday’s passage in the U.S. House of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade.

“The USMCA will provide important stability, especially since Canada and Mexico were our two largest ag export markets last year. As I understand it, the agreement maintains our access to Canadian and Mexican markets and makes some modest improvements over NAFTA. We’ll be able to tap into the Canadian market on a few varieties of wheat grown here in North Dakota and it gives us a bit more access to sell dairy and poultry products into Canada.

 

“Unfortunately, we missed a huge opportunity to restore Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL). Without it, consumers still don’t know where their meat comes from and U.S. ranchers can’t take credit, or earn the income they deserve, for the high-quality meat they produce.

 

“The passage of USMCA is a step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go to restore farmers’ and ranchers’ access to international markets. The loss of export markets over the last 18 months has really hurt us on the farm. We urge the Administration to continue making progress on China and repair the damage caused by trade wars.”

The U.S. Senate is expected to pass the new trade agreement sometime in January, before going to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown Arts Center’s current exhibition, all photographs by artist Dan Smith, explores one theme–HOOPS….basketball hoops, showing now through January, 18.

On Thursday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSI Cable 2, Arts Center, Director, Mindi Schmitz said, the exhibit features twenty-seven works by Dan, who is from Nanson, ND and has been a professional photographer since 1972.

In honor of Dan Smith’s exhibit the Arts Center suggests individuals might think of a photo documentary project of their own. Maybe get outside, find beauty in winter, maybe try photographing a neighborhood’s festive lights, maybe a favorite Christmas tree ornaments or foods. Anything goes.   The Arts Center will have a mini digital art exhibit, a way to creatively capture the season. To share photos, email to Sally Jeppson, at  sjeppson@jamestownarts.com.

The Arts Center’s new Education Coordinator, is Kathleen Roehm, who hails from Minot, originally but has been in Jamestown since 2010. She is a graduate of University of Jamestown with a degree in Applied Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance – in other words Kathleen can sing and not only can she use her voice as an instrument but she can also play many different instruments from wind to string.

Her leadership skills (a minor in Character in Leadership) have led her to positions in University government, student affairs and directing resident assistants.

Upcoming photo classes include:

Photography for Middle School and High Schoolers, with Happy Mermaid.

Mondays, January 6 &13

Thursdays, January 9 & 16

From 5-p.m., to 6-p.m.

This is a beginning class for students wanting to learn how to use a DSLR camera. Access to a DSLR camera is required. Photographer Lisa Lang is the Happy Mermaid and will be the instructor.  View her studio and photography catalogue at www.happymermaidimages.com.

Also being offered at the Arts Center:

Beginners Photography with Happy Mermaid

Monday’s January 6-27, from 7-p.m., to 8-p.m.

Saturday January 11, from 1-p.m., to 5-p.m.

This class is designed for the absolute beginner. Learn basic exposure and photo composition. Join a closed Facebook group that will enable you to share your work and ask questions. Access to a DSLR or mirrorless camera is a requirement for this class.

The Jamestown Arts Center Gallery is open weekdays 9-a.m. to 5-p.m., and Saturdays 10-a.m. to 2-p.m., with free admission.

The Arts Center will host a Wine and Cheese Tasting event, on January 18, 2020,  from 7-p.m., to 9-p.m.,with proceeds going to the Arts After School program’s Scholarships.

Advance reservations are required by calling the Arts Center, at 701-251-2496.

Tickets are $35 each, and can be purchased from The Arts Center, Cork & Barrel Liquors and any Arts Center, Board member.

The Arts Center’s Annual Wine and Cheese event will feature Spanish wines and Portuguese fortified wines. This hot, Mediterranean region produces wines that tend to be fruit forward and have less tannins (acid). The warmth that embodies these wines is especially welcoming during our cold winter months. The featured artisan cheeses originate from within or nearby the same regions where the grapes grow, which makes for a perfect pairing. After all, what grows together goes together.

Join your friends for a fun social gathering and enjoy a taste of Spain and Portugal. Tickets are $35 and available at The Arts Center, Cork & Barrel Liquors, from any Board Member or by clicking this link.

Also on our show, Mindi added that the Arts Center will be seeking talent to perform at this coming summer’s Arts Market, at Hansen Arts Park, in Downtown Jamestown.

Anyone that has information on entertainers may call the Jamestown Arts Center,  701-251-2496.

Those wishing to make a donation to the Arts Market, or become a sponsor may also get in touch with the Jamestown Arts Center.

 

Jamestown  (NDSU Ext Service)  Stutsman County 4-H was one of five organizations that BluFrog Realty chose this year to split and receive the proceeds of their annual Bingo Night that was held October 21, 2019 at the Knights of Columbus.

Pictured with the check are a few of the BluFrog team.  left to right :  Robin Carlson, Robin Barnes (Stutsman County 4-H Program Coordinator), Tricia Seckerson and Chastity Schafer.

 

 

 

 

 

Jamestown  (Chamber)       Members of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and the Young Professionals of Jamestown held a ribbon cutting ceremony for T & K Speech to celebrate their new location.  This business is located on 102 2nd Avenue Southwest in Jamestown.

Businesses qualify for a ribbon-cutting ceremony if they open, move, remodel, are under new ownership or change their name.  For more information, contact Emily Bivens by emailing: director@jamestownchamber.com or call the chamber at 701-252-4830.

 

Update…

Buxton (NDHP) The North Dakota Highway Patrol reports, a 32 year old Dilworth, Minnesota man was killed when the straight truck he was in was hit by a train two miles south of Buxton, in rural Traill County around 11 a.m., Wednesday.

The man identified by the Highway Patrol as Jose Silva, was driving a 2004 Mack straight truck was eastbound on a township road two miles south of Buxton when he failed to yield for an oncoming Burlington Northern Santa Fe train and the truck was hit on the passenger side.

The intersection was marked with railroad signs and a yield sign.

The truck driver who was not wearing a seatbelt and died on scene.

The locomotive operator, 38 year old Travis Hubrig, of Minot ND and the passenger on the train, 44 year old, Brandon Escobar, of Moorhead Minnesota, were not Injured.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota officials are considering a permit for a pipeline to carry carbon dioxide that would be used to help recover more oil.. The Bismarck Tribune reports that the pipeline would run through Slope and Bowman counties to old oil fields along the Montana-North Dakota border. The carbon dioxide would come from plants in Wyoming and be injected underground in fields where only a small portion of oil can be initially extracted once a well is drilled. Texas-based Denbury Resources plans to build the pipeline in 2020 and began injecting carbon dioxide in early 2021.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota is moving forward with a plan to livestream legislative committee meetings, despite some concerns about the cost of implementing the service. The Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee voted Wednesday to livestream committee meetings in two rooms of the state Capitol for the 2019-2020 interim. Related costs, including closed captioning, top $100,000. The 2021 Legislature could consider a proposal to outfit 14 additional committee rooms and upgrade the House and Senate chambers at a cost of more than $1 million. North Dakota’s Legislature is one of eight in the nation that does not livestream at least some committee meetings, but House and Senate floor sessions are broadcast live online and are archived.

 

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota lawmakers are proposing legislation that would require oil companies to pay for cleaning up any pipeline spills or leaks as plans are being made to construct the Keystone XL pipeline in the state. The State-Tribal Relations Committee on Wednesday agreed to sponsor the bill in the 2020 legislative session at the request of the tribes. The bill would require companies to contribute to a state fund based on the pipeline’s length with a cap of $100 million. Opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline point to a recent spill in northeastern North Dakota in raising concerns about management of the pipeline.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says the Defense Department has completed security screenings of all Saudi Arabian students in the U.S. for military training and found no indications of any immediate threat. The additional vetting comes nearly two weeks after a Saudi student killed three people and injured eight others at a Florida Navy base. The Pentagon will expand its role in vetting international students who come into the country for military training. The Pentagon last week ordered a broad review of the screening procedures in response to the recent deadly shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola by a Saudi aviation student.

 

 

(AP)  Attorneys for the Trump administration say the president has the right to order the collection of administrative records on citizenship. The attorneys on Wednesday asked for the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s order for the U.S. Census Bureau to gather citizenship information through federal and state records. Trump issued the order last summer after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a citizenship question from being added to the 2020 Census. Civil rights groups are challenging it. They’re worried citizenship information will be used by states and local governments to redraw legislative boundaries using only U.S. citizens instead of the entire population.

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted to advance a $1.4 trillion government spending package in a last, bipartisan burst of legislating before the holidays. The legislation gives President Donald Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence and gives Democrats long-sought domestic spending increases and a repeal of Obama-era taxes on high-cost health insurance plans. The first bill in the two-bill package, covering domestic programs, passed easily Thursday by a 71-23 vote. A vote on a Pentagon and homeland security measure is to come later in the day. The compromise bill would forestall a government shutdown this weekend.

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — One day after impeaching President Donald Trump, the Democratic-led House is expected to overwhelmingly pass one of his signature priorities. The House began debate Thursday on a bill implementing terms of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues won key concessions from an administration anxious to pass the trade deal before next year’s election season makes that task more difficult. The agreement is projected to have only a modest impact on the economy. But it gives lawmakers from both parties the chance to support an agreement that is attractive to farmers, ranchers and business owners.

 

 

(AP)  The Senate has passed a bill to crack down on robocalls, a persistent and costly problem for Americans. The House already passed it, and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it. The bill requires phone companies to offer free call-blocking apps and verify that the number calling you is real. That’s an issue since fraudsters fake numbers to look as though they’re coming from the IRS or others to trick you. The bill also strengthens enforcement tools against robocallers. It’s one of several measures that federal and state government and the telecom industry are taking to combat robocalls.

 

(AP)  States should soon be receiving a last-minute infusion of federal funds to help boost election security. A huge spending bill that Congress is expected to send to President Donald Trump this week sets aside $425 million for states to upgrade voting equipment, conduct post-election audits, hold cybersecurity training and take other steps to secure elections. Advocates say the funds are welcome but Congress must still do more to secure next year’s elections. States have been scrambling to shore up their systems. The nation’s intelligence chiefs have warned that Russia and others remain interested in attempting to interfere in U.S. elections and undermine democracy.

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the wake of President Donald Trump’s impeachment comes the last Democratic presidential debate of the year. Thursday’s debate in Los Angeles will feature the fewest number of candidates so far, just seven, a result of the Democratic Party’s stricter rules for qualifying. California offers the largest haul of delegates, giving candidates their biggest host venue of the campaign. Yet with impeachment leading the news and the holidays at hand, the debate isn’t expected to draw that much attention from voters. The debate begins at 8 p.m. Eastern on PBS (CSi Cable 13)  and CNN  (CSi Cable 33). Two candidates who didn’t make the debate stage are running ads reminding viewers they’re still in the race.