Wayne Byers Show – Morning – Dec 24

CSi Weather…

REST O TODAY…Cloudy. Areas of fog through the day. Highs in the mid 20s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

.TONIGHT…Cloudy. Areas of fog through the night. Lows around 15. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

.CHRISTMAS DAY …Cloudy. Patchy fog in the morning. Chance of

light freezing drizzle, possibly mixed with snow in the

afternoon. Highs in the mid 20s. Northeast winds 5 to 15 mph.

Chance of precipitation 30 percent in the Jamestown area, 20 percent in the Valley City area.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Cloudy with a 60 percent chance of light

freezing drizzle and snow. Lows 15 to 20. North winds around 10 mph.

.THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area. Highs

in the mid 20s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Lows around 15.

.FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs in the mid 20s.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows 15 to 20.

.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 20s.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows 10 to 15.

.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 20s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows around 10.

.MONDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 20s.

 

Fog will continue over much of western and central North Dakota

this morning. Some fog could be dense, with occasional reductions

in visibility to less than one quarter mile at times. Use extra

caution at intersections and railroad crossings.

The fog may deposit a thin layer of ice on untreated surfaces, creating

slippery roads and sidewalks. Motorists are urged to slow down, and

allow plenty of distance ahead of you.

Freezing drizzle is possible Christmas afternoon and evening. A
light glaze to a few hundreths of an inch of ice is
possible, mainly across central and eastern North Dakota.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown City Fire Department was called to 625 First Street West, on Monday about 3:30-p.m. where  scanner reports indicated that smoke was reported coming from the second floor of the structure.

Scanner reports indicate that when the units arrived on the scene, no fire was found, no hot spots, in the building, and no electrical breakers were blown, (in the one story) house.

The units were discharged from the scene, at 4:03-p.m.

City Fire Chief Jim Reuther says, five city fire units and 19 firefighters were on the scene.

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown City Fire Department, has returned the State owned ladder truck to the state, where it is now located at the State Hospital Grounds.

City Fire Chief Jim Reuther said, he drove the vehicle from the city fire hall, to the State Hospital on Monday, at the request of the State of North Dakota.

He says the state indicates that the truck will become state surplus.

Previously…

Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown City Council’s Police & Fire, and Public Works Committees met Thursday afternoon (December 19, 2019)  at City Hall. All members were present.  Discussion was held on replacing State of North Dakota ladder truck at the Fire Department.

City Fire Chief Jim Reuther 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.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  Public Works, City Hall & Transfer Station will close Noon Tues Dec 24 and closed Weds Dec 25.

Garbage Schedule: Week of Dec 23

• Tues route picked up Tues Dec 24 by Noon.
• Weds & Thurs route picked up on Thurs Dec 26
• Fri route will be picked up on Fri Dec 27.

Valley City  (CSi)  The community is invited to the  Annual Community Christmas Eve Dinner, Tuesday, December 24, 5:30-p.m.m to 7-p.m. at the St. Catherine’s Church Dining Hall.

A good will offering of baked goods, salads and homemade candies are  appreciated.

Bernie Nelson says the Christmas Eve gathering is for those  alone on Christmas. Volunteers are welcome to help out.

Those needing transportation may call 845-0556 from 1-pm to 4-pm only on Tuesday, December 24.  No deliveries, however to go boxes are available.

Financial donations can be mailed to:
St. Catherine’s Church

ATTN: Christmas Eve Dinner

540 3rd Avenue Northeast

Valley City, N.D. 58072

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  Water releases from Jamestown and Pipestem dams have been steady since December 4.  Currently the James River Level at Jamestown is at seven feet.

Jamestown Dam

James River level through Jamestown.

Currently, water releases are at 450 cubic feet per second from Jamestown Dam and 250 cfs from the Pipestem for a combined 700 cfs flowing through Jamestown.

National Weather Service Hydrologist, Allen Schlag  says, current conditions are likely to continue at least for the next few weeks.

Schlag anticipates the Corps of Engineers will reduce releases once planned winter levels are reached,  producing a more normal winter condition on the James River that would only last until the start of the spring thaw.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates the reservoirs behind Jamestown and Pipestem dams will be down to planned winter levels by March 1.

 

Bismarck  (NDGF)  ND Game & Fish Director Terry Steinwand recently honored a number of employees with performance-based awards.  Steinwand presented the following employees with special recognition awards at the department’s annual staff meeting in December.

Renae Schultz, private land biologist, Jamestown, was recognized for her attitude, persistence and efforts in coordinating a Private Lands Open to Sportsmen tract along the James River.

Mike Anderson, video project supervisor, Bismarck, was recognized for his planning, shooting, editing, script writing and voicing the North Dakota Outdoors weekly broadcast, in addition to hosting and editing the Game and Fish Department’s weekly online webcast.

Justin Mattson, administrative staff officer, Bismarck, was recognized for his work ethic, reliability and willingness to take on extra responsibilities in the administrative services division.

Bill Haase, wildlife resource management supervisor, Bismarck, was recognized for his work on several projects, including public shooting ranges, cover crops and GPS mapping for weed spraying.

Mike Szymanski, migratory game bird management supervisor, Bismarck, was recognized for his vision and coordination in combining the three separate small game, waterfowl and furbearer/trapping guides into one combined hunting and trapping guide.

Steve Dyke, conservation section leader, and Sandra Johnson and Elisha Mueller, conservation biologists, Bismarck, were recognized for their efforts in developing a new standard for wind project planning and siting in North Dakota.

In addition to special recognition recipients, Keenan Snyder, district game warden, Williston, was named North Dakota’s Boating Officer of the Year. His district has approximately 150 miles of shoreline bordering Lake Sakakawea and portions of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. Chief game warden Robert Timian said warden Snyder has been tasked with water patrols relating to monitoring environmental issues associated with oil activities in, on and around these three water bodies, and has met these challenges with enthusiasm, which reflects highly on the department and the community he serves.

(AP) A prison inmate who walked away from a halfway house in Fargo is back in custody. KFGO radio reports that Timothy Beaulieu Jr., 37, was arrested without incident Monday afternoon by tribal police in Red Lake, Minnesota, on a charge of public nuisance.

A warrant charging Beaulieu with felony escape was issued after he failed to return to Centre Inc. after signing out on Dec. 5 to attend church. He was reported missing later that evening.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Sanford Health has launched a new pilot program to attract employees who have been out of the workforce for some time. The program it calls “returnship” is aimed at finding enough employees in a region where unemployment is low. Current positions are in marketing and communications, finances and human resources, all based in Sioux Falls. The 12-week program comes with extra mentoring and coaching. Sanford administrators say the hope would be that those selected for the temporary work would prove to be a good fit for permanent job at the company.

Bismarck   (CSi)  Governor Doug Burgum has appointed Bonita Roswick, from the Coalition for Conservation and Environmental Education, to serve as North Dakota’s selection coordinator for the 2020 National Youth Science Camp scholarships. Two high school seniors will receive a full scholarship to exchange ideas with scientists and other professionals from academic, governmental, and corporate worlds. The nearly month-long experience includes lectures and hands-on research projects presented by scientists from across the nation, overnight outdoor trips into the Monongahela National Forest and a visit to

The NYSC experience is offered at no cost to its participants so that selected delegates may attend regardless of their financial status. Contributions to the National Youth Science Foundation allow delegates to participate in this experience. Educational and recreational programming, as well as meals, lodging and round-trip air travel, are provided free of charge.

Delegates arrive in Charleston, West Virginia, on Monday, June 22, and depart on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. The NYSC is held near Bartow in the eastern mountains of West Virginia, within the Monongahela National Forest. The application process is available on the NYSC website at http://apply.nysc.org. Applications must be submitted by Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, by 5 p.m. Central. For more information, contact bonita.roswick@vcsu.edu, (701) 845-7570.

 

CASSELTON, N.D. (AP) — The lone grocery store in a small town close to North Dakota’s largest city had planned to close it doors for good on Christmas. Instead the holiday just got brighter for the 2,500 or so residents of Casselton, located 30 miles west of Fargo. Store owner Fred Wrangler tells KFGO radio he decided to hire a new manager to help keep the business afloat while he looks for a buyer. Like other full-service rural grocery stores, Wrangler Foods is struggling to compete with larger stores in urban areas. Lawmakers are studying ways to keep rural grocery stores from closing.

 

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — Settlements from a lawsuit over a 2013 prescribed burn that became a wildfire on the South Dakota and North Dakota border have now cost the federal government nearly $900,000. The Rapid City Journal reports that two more settlements were filed last week in federal court, bringing the number of resolved claims to nine. The deals were for $170,000 to the Diamond Acre Trust and $7,500 to Jamie Herman. More settlements are likely. The suit remains open for four plaintiffs, all of whom were not able to come to terms during a settlement conference last month.

 

CANNON BALL, N.D. (AP) — A variety of green energy projects are sprouting up on American Indian reservations. Some tribes are looking to make money and others just want to benefit their communities with reduced energy bills and green jobs. The Standing Rock tribe in North Dakota recently built a small solar farm near the site of long and tumultuous protests over the Dakota Access pipeline. The tribe is hoping its publicity will shine a light on other Native American renewable energy projects around the country _ including some that are powering homes and other buildings off the reservations.

 

In sports…

In world and national news…

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Thousands of Christians have descended on Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, for Christmas Eve celebrations in this West Bank town. The top Catholic cleric arrived in Bethlehem from Jerusalem ahead of the midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, built in the place where Christians believe Jesus was born. Palestinian scouts paraded past throngs of visiting pilgrims in Manger Square, which was bedecked with lights and a large Christmas tree. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, said that he draws hope from the “desire, especially in the youth, to do something for their societies, families.”

 

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — The U.N. says that a dozen humanitarian organizations in war-torn southern Yemen have suspended their work after a string of targeted attacks. Unknown assailants fired rocket-propelled grenades at three aid organizations in a southwestern province over the weekend, wounding a security guard and damaging office buildings. Yemeni officials blame the bombings on Islamic extremist groups, accusing them of inciting violence against foreign aid programs. The attacks raised alarm among organizations that provide hundreds of thousands of civilians with badly needed assistance. Since 2014, the Arab world’s poorest country has been convulsed by a civil war that set off a humanitarian crisis.

 

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A new satellite image of a factory where North Korea makes military equipment used to launch long-range missiles shows the construction of a new structure. The release of several new images from Planet Labs comes amid concern that North Korea could launch a rocket or missile as it seeks concessions in stalled nuclear negotiations with the United States. North Korea has warned that what “Christmas gift” it gives the U.S. depends on what action Washington takes. One new satellite image shows the March 16 Factory near Pyongyang where North Korea manufactures trucks used as mobile launchers for its long-range missiles.

 

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan defense ministry says at least seven soldiers were killed when their checkpoint came under attack by the “enemy” in northern Balkh province. The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. The ministry says six other members of the security forces — three soldiers and three intelligence agents — were wounded in the Tuesday morning attack in the district of Dawlat Abad. The Taliban now control about half of Afghanistan and continue to stage near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces, as well as government officials.

 

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces are pressing ahead with a new military assault on the country’s last rebel stronghold. The offensive has triggered a mass exodus of civilians fleeing to safer areas near the Turkish border in recent weeks. Under the cover of airstrikes and heavy shelling Monday, Syrian troops pushed deeper into the northwestern province of Idlib. The stronghold is dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants. It’s also home to 3 million civilians and the U.N. has warned of the growing risk of a humanitarian catastrophe as residents flee the fighting. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called late Monday for an immediate halt to the hostilities.