CSi Weather…

.REST OF TODAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 30s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.

.TONIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Lows 15 to 20. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

.FRIDAY…Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of snow in the

morning, in the Jamestown area, 40 percent in the Valley City area, then sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 20s.

Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows 5 to 10 above. West winds 5 to

10 mph.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s. South winds

5 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Decreasing clouds. Windy. Lows in the lower

20s.

.SUNDAY…Sunny, windy. Highs in the lower 30s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows around 15.

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

.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 5 to 10 above.

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs 15 to 20.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows near zero.

.WEDNESDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs 15 to 20.

 

Light accumulating snow is possible Thursday afternoon through
Thursday night.

Light snow Thursday night with an inch or two of snow possible, and continue into Friday.

On Friday, cold Arctic high pressure will move in after the

clipper, dropping high temperatures back into the 20s with breezy

winds that could lead to patchy areas of blowing snow.

Another round of light snow is possible for Saturday night and Sunday with an inch or less expected.

Also strong winds will be possible Saturday night into Sunday with gusts up to 45 mph. These winds could create potential impacts with blowing and drifting snow.

 

 

Update…

Valley City  (CSi)   Valley City  Public Works reports that snow removal and garbage pickup  citywide, will continue Thursday and Friday, Jan 2, 3.

Public Works Director Jeff Differding announces that city crews will be widening city streets over the two day period along with  sanding icy street surfaces.

He cautions, that because of high snow piles at several intersetions motorists are urged  to approach intersections slowly.

Snow removal from intersections will start next week.

Differding adds that  three garbage trucks will be out Thursday and Friday to collect  remaining residential and commercial garbage.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  Residential Garbage & Recycling Schedule…

Due to the large amount of snow, in Jamestown, the city and Recycle North Dakota did not collect garbage or recycling on Monday, December 30.

Thank you for your patience and understanding with this revised collection schedule.

Regular Collection Day Collection This Week:
Monday & Tuesday Collected Tuesday, Dec 31 and Thursday, Jan 2, 2020

Wednesday Collected Thursday, Jan 2, Friday, Jan 3, 2020

Thursday Collected Friday, Jan 3, 2020

Regular collection schedule resumes Monday, January 6, 2020.
If your carts are collected curb side, please leave your carts in the driveway to ensure snow removal equipment can clear the street. If your carts are collected in the alley, please allow extra time for collection.

The revised schedule is posted at CSiNewsNow.com

Jamestown  (CSi)   The 5th Annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive starts today, at the Jamestown Civic Center Exchequer Room, with the  Jamestown Fire Department in friendly competition versus the Jamestown Police Department to raise the most blood donations.

The goal for the event is at least 250 volunteers.

Donors need to be in good health and provide a form of identification.

Operation times are Thursday from 11:30- am – 6:00 pm, Friday from 11:00- am – 5:30 pm, and Saturday from 7:00 am – 11:30 am. Call 877-258-4825 to make an appointment.

The blood drive is in cooperation with Vitalant.

Jamestown  (CSi)  –  “Discovery Days” in Jamestown involves families getting into Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM).

STEAM is a way to teach and learn through the arts, and Discovery Days is a hands-on opportunity, with the hope of becoming an ongoing activity, with a permanent location.

The first Discovery Day is Saturday January 4, from 1-5-pm at  Stutsman Harley Davidson, in Jamestown.   All Discovery Day events will be free and open to the public.

Activities will include building and launching rockets, along with testing paper airplane skills, plus racing LEGO vehicles, and more.

For more information on Discovery Days, contact Susan Schauer at 701-252-5271 or email susan_and_nick@yahoo.com.

 

Jamestown  (JRVLS) The James River Valley Library System will be hosting a “Food for Fines” food and toiletry drive January 2nd – 31st.

Bring in a non-perishable food or toiletry item to any branch of the James River Valley Library System during the month of January, and the library will forgive your overdue fines!

*Please note that charges for lost or damaged items will not be forgiven, only overdue fines for materials that have been returned late will be forgiven.

All donations will be given to the local food pantries.

For more information, call the Alfred Dickey Library at (701)-252-2990.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  A special meeting of the Stutsman County Park Board will be held Friday, January 3, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Room at the Stutsman County Courthouse.

Stutsman County Auditor, COO, Nicole Meland says, at the meeting discussion regards a Concessionaire Bid/Contract for the Pelican Point Campground.

 

Bismarck  (CSi)  North Dakota Law enforcement is adding extra patrols to remove impaired drivers from the road as part of their Get Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

The campaign will run through January 31st to deter motorists from driving under the influence.

North Dakota Department of Transportation Safety Information Program Manager, Lauren Bjork, says every crash or death caused by impaired drivers is 100% preventable.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol says they’ll be putting in overtime hours in order to help ensure safe roadways for motorists.

Preliminary data in 2019 shows nearly 43% of North Dakota motor vehicle fatalities involved alcohol, a 10% increase from the same time period in 2018.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Authorities say a crash in Mountrail County involving two semitrailers killed a 28-year-old Williston man. The Highway Patrol says the semi that Jemond Petersen II was driving collided with another semi that was making a U-turn in front of it on state Highway 1804. The crash happened about 6 p.m. Monday, 15 miles north of New Town. Petersen was pronounced dead at the scene.The patrol identified the driver of the other semi as 52-year-old Wesley Soper of Surrey. He wasn’t injured. Authorities are continuing to investigate.

MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — Authorities say an ice jam along the Missouri River near Mandan is causing water to rise, threatening property along the shoreline. Morton County officials say water in the Square Butte Creek area along Willow Road and Rosy Lane has risen approximately 18 inches since Tuesday. Commission Chairman Bruce Strinden toured the area Sunday afternoon. He says residents may want to move items from low areas. Authorities say they are working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold back planned increases to releases at Garrison Dam until the ice jam issue has been resolved.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A survey report suggests the economy is growing slowly in nine Midwest and Plains states as the U.S.-China trade war continues. The Mid-America Business Conditions index rebounded to 50.6 in December from 48.6 in November. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the trade war and the global economic slowdown will be drags on the overall Mid-America economy for the first half of 2020. But he expects overall regional growth to remain soft but positive. Survey organizers say any index score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline.

 

 

 

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — A Minot woman locked up at the Ward County Jail is accused of providing heroin to her cellmate who overdosed. The cellmate of 23-year-old Madison Lynn Endresen was revived by a correctional officer Sunday with an opioid overdose-reversing drug. Court records show Endersen was arrested last month for violating probation on drug charges. Endresen faces charges that include possession of heroin with intent to deliver inside a correctional facility. She is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

 

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota will again enlist the help of Hollywood actor Josh Duhamel to help promote tourism in his home state. The state’s tourism department confirmed Tuesday to The Associated Press that the star of several “Transformers” movies will be paid $175,000 to be the face of the state’s tourism campaign for the next two years. Duhamel is from Minot, in the northern part of the state. The state has had a contract with him since 2013 to help lure visitors to North Dakota. The agency says the advertising campaign has resulted in more than $100 for every dollar in state funding spent.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau shows North Dakota’s population has reached a record level. About 762,000 people live in North Dakota, an increase of approximately 4,000 compared to 2018. Gov. Doug Burgum authorized a task force earlier this year to prioritize counting everyone in North Dakota, from the Bakken oilfield to its American Indian reservations to the state’s universities. North Dakota Census Office manager Kevin Iverson says having an accurate count is vital to calculating new statistical data which helps determine federal funding and legislative representation. North Dakota remains the fourth least populated state, ranking behind Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming.

 

In sports…

Class A  High School Basketball Polls

Boys

  1. Fargo Davies (15), 6-0 75 [2]
  2. West Fargo Sheyenne 5-0, 56, [3]
  3. Minot 5-1, 47, [4]
  4. Jamestown 5-1, 32, [1]
  5. Dickinson 3-1, 11, [5]

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Bismarck Century (4-2), Mandan (3-2)

Girls

  1. Bismarck Century (13), 6-0, 73 [1]
  2. Devils Lake (2), 4-0, 61, [2]
  3. Bismarck Legacy 6-0, 42, [3]
  4. Fargo Davies 5-1, 34, [5]
  5. Fargo Shanley 4-2, 12, [4]

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Grand Forks Red River (4-2)

Class B High School Basketball…

Boys

  1. Four Winds-Minnewaukan (13), 2-0, 165 [1]
  2. Hillsboro-Central Valley (4), 3-0, 153 [2]
  3. Rugby 4-0, 140 [3]
  4. Shiloh Christian 4-0, 119, [4]
  5. Enderlin 4-0, 75 [10]
  6. Langdon-Edmore-Munich 4-1, 55, [9]
  7. Richland 2-1, 49, [5]
  8. New Rockford-Sheyenne 3-1, 39 [NR]
  9. St. John 4-1, 38, [NR]
  10. Linton-HMB 5-1, 33 [6]

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Dickinson Trinity (4-2), New Salem-Almont (5-0), Powers Lake (3-0), Hatton-Northwood (2-1), Thompson (2-3), Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier (3-0), Benson County (4-0), Oak Grove (2-2)

Girls

  1. Kindred (14), 5-0, 165 [1]
  2. Langon-Edmore-Munich (2), 4-1, 151, [2]
  3. Kidder County (1), 9-0, 136, [3]
  4. Linton-HMB 6-0, 112, [4]
  5. Trenton 6-0, 91 [5]
  6. Four Winds-Minnewaukan 6-1, 76, [6]
  7. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood 6-0, 61, [7]
  8. Grafton 4-1, 48, [8]
  9. Thompson 6-1, 39, [9]
  10. Rugby 6-0, 30, [10]

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Carrington (6-0), Central Cass (4-1), Beach (6-1), Midway-Minto (7-1)

Bismarck  (NDGF)  Individuals interested in taking a hunter education class in 2020 are reminded to register early, as most classes are held the first few months of the calendar year.

Interested students must click on the education link at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd.gov. Classes are listed by city and can also be sorted by start date. Classes will be added throughout the year as they become finalized.

To register for a class, click on “enroll” next to the specific class, and follow the simple instructions. Personal information is required.

Individuals interested in receiving a notice by email when each hunter education class is added, can click on the “subscribe to news and alerts” link found below the news section on the Game and Fish home page. Check the box labeled “hunter education” under the education program updates.

In addition, SMS text notifications of new classes can be sent directly to a cell phone. Simply text “NDGF HunterClass” to 468311 to subscribe to this feature.

State law requires anyone born after Dec. 31, 1961 to pass a certified hunter education course to hunt in the state. Hunter education is mandatory for youth who are turning 12 years old. Children who turn age 11 during the calendar year can take the class.

Sibley  (CSi)  The 37th annual Lake Ashtabula Fishing Derby is Saturday, January 11th from noon to 3pm in Sibley, North Dakota.

Co-event coordinator Jay Holm says, 24-hundred dollars in cash and prizes will be awarded after the fishing derby.

Tickets available at the L&H Shoe Shop, Brother’s III, Northwest Industries and at the Crossing on Lake Ashtabula. The annual event is sponsored by the Barnes County Wildlife Federation.

 

NBA..

NEW YORK (AP) — David Stern was a giant in a game of giants.

The former NBA commissioner has died at age 77, less than three weeks after undergoing emergency surgery for a brain hemorrhage. Stern had been involved with the NBA for nearly two decades before he became its fourth commissioner on Feb. 1, 1984. By the time he left his position exactly 30 years later, the league had grown to a more than $5 billion a year industry and made NBA basketball perhaps the world’s most popular sport after soccer.

Before Stern, there was labor strife that threatened to mar the NBA. Some weeknight NBA Finals games were often broadcast after the 11pm news rather than live in prime time.

Stern was in charge while the league turned countless ballplayers into celebrities who were known around the globe by one name: Magic, Michael, Kobe, LeBron, just to name a few. Stern oversaw the birth of seven new franchises and the creation of the WNBA and NBA Development League.

Under Stern, the NBA would play nearly 150 international games and be televised in more than 200 countries and territories, and in more than 40 languages.

MLB-LARSEN OBIT

Perfect game hurler Larsen dies

NEW YORK (AP) — The only man to throw a perfect game in the World Series has died.

Don Larsen was in hospice care in Idaho when he died of esophageal cancer Wednesday at age 90, according to his agent. He was 81-91 with a 3.78 ERA during a pitching career that spanned seven major league clubs from 1953-67. His major league record made him an unlikely choice to throw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 97-pitch gem came after he was pulled by manager Casey Stengel in the second inning of Game 2 days earlier.

NBA..

UNDATED (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH’-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON’-poh) picked up his 30th double-double in 33 games this season by delivering 32 points and 17 rebounds in the Bucks’ 106-104 victory over the Timberwolves. Khris Middleton added 13 points despite shooting 5 for 18 as Milwaukee hit just 42.6% of its shots overall and only 9 of 36 from 3-point range. The Bucks opened the second half on a 15-6 run and improved to a league-best 31-5 with the 25th victory in their last 27 games.

 

Carmelo Anthony received a warm reception in his return to Madison Square Garden, but the New York Knicks spoiled his homecoming.

Anthony scored a season-high 26 points and was cheered before and during the game at the arena where he played 6 1/2 seasons. However, he was on the bench as the Knicks began a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter of a 117-93 rout of the Trail Blazers.

Mitchell Robinson made all 11 of his shots and had 22 points in New York’s season-high third straight win. Julius Randle added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks, who held Damian Lillard to 11 points on 5 of 20 shooting.

Checking out Wednesday’s other NBA action:

— LeBron James and Anthony Davis carried the Lakers to their third straight win, 117-107 against the Suns. James had his eighth triple-double of the season by providing 31 points, 13 boards and 12 assists. Davis had 26 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles, which led by as many as 36 before moving to 26-7.

— Orlando ended a four-game road losing streak as D.J. Augustin scored a season-high 25 points and Nicola Vucevic (VOO’-she-vihch) added 20 with 12 rebounds in the Magic’s 122-101 trouncing of the Wizards. Evan Fournier had 18 points and Markelle Fultz provided 16 for a team that entered the game with the league’s worst offense. Wizards guard Bradley Beal had 27 points in his first game since missing two straight with a sore right leg.

 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL…BOWL GAMES

Tide, Ducks, Gophers get bowl wins

UNDATED (AP) — — No. 16 Minnesota earned a 31-24 victory over ninth-ranked Auburn in the Outback Bowl as Tyler Johnson had 12 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson became the Golden Gophers’ career leader in receiving yards while Tanner Morgan completed 19 of 29 passes for 278 yards, two scores and one interception. Receiver Seth Green tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Witham on fourth-and-inches midway through the second quarter.

— Justin Herbert scored his third rushing touchdown of the day on a thrilling 30-yard run with 7:41 to play, pushing seventh-ranked Oregon to a 28-27 victory over No. 11 Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. Brady Breeze returned the first of his two fumble recoveries 31 yards for an early touchdown and used the second to set up Herbert’s go-ahead TD and help the Ducks finish 12-2. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 94 yards and Quintez Cephus caught seven passes for 59 yards and a score. But the Badgers lost despite controlling the ball for over 38 minutes and outgaining the Ducks, 322-204.

 

Alabama was among the favorites to reach the CFP semifinals when the college football season began, but a pair of late-season losses and an injury to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (TOO’-ah tuhng-ah-vy-LOH’-ah) dropped them out of contention. The disappointment didn’t cause the Crimson Tide from suffering a letdown before their bowl game on Wednesday.

Mac Jones threw for three touchdowns and ninth-ranked Alabama capped an 11-2 season by blasting No. 17 Michigan, 35-16 in the Citrus Bowl. Jerry Jeudy (JOO’-dee) became the first Alabama player to top 200 receiving yards in a bowl game as he accounted for six receptions for 204 yards and a TD.

DeVonta Smith and Miller Forristall added touchdown grabs while the Crimson Tide outscored the Wolverines, 21-0 in the second half.

In other New Year’s Day bowl finals:

— The aerial duo of Jake Fromm and George Pickens led fifth-ranked Georgia’s offense in a Sugar Bowl victory over No. 7 Baylor, 26-14. Fromm completed 20 of his 30 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Pickens was busy while catching 12 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown as the Bulldogs finished the season 12-2. Matt Landers also had a scoring grab and Zamir White ran for 92 yards and a score.

 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWS

Jones to forego final years at Notre Dame for NFL draft

UNDATED (AP) — Running back Tony Jones Jr. has become the second player for No. 14 Notre Dame to forego his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

Jones ran for 135 yards on 11 carries as the Irish cruised to victory in the Camping World Bowl on Saturday. He finished with a team-leading 857 yards with six touchdowns in 12 games despite missing the Virginia Tech game with a rib injury.

In other college football news:

— Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (TOO’-ah tuhng-ah-vy-LOH’-ah) said on Twitter that he will announce Monday whether he will enter the NFL draft or return to college for another season. Tagovailoa is recovering from season-ending hip surgery and has not played since being injured at Mississippi State on Nov. 16. He seemed a likely top-five NFL draft pick before the injury made his value more uncertain, though doctors who have treated him have said a full recovery is expected.

 

NHL-SCHEDULE

Stars rally to beat Preds 4-2 in Winter Classic at Cotton

DALLAS (AP) — The gametime temperature was a balmy 55 degrees for the NHL’s annual New Year’s outdoor scrum, but it took the Dallas Stars almost two full periods to warm up.

The Stars scored four times in a 7:43 span bridging the second and third periods to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators in the Winter Classic at the Cotton Bowl. Blake Comeau (KOH’-moh) began the rally late in the second before Mattias Janmark and Alexander Radulov (RAD’-yoo-lahv) provided power-play goals during the first 5:06 of the third. Janmark also assisted on Andrej Sekera’s (AHN’-dray seh-KEHR’-uhz) insurance goal and Ben Bishop finished with 31 saves, blanking the Predators over the final 52 minutes.

Roman Josi (YOH’-see) assisted on power-play goals by Matt Duchene (doo-SHAYN’) and Dante Fabbro early in the contest. Those goals followed a five-minute elbowing major on Corey Perry, who was ejected.

The Stars earned their third straight win and sent the Predators to their third consecutive loss.

The game drew the second-largest crowd for an NHL game at 85,630 fans in the historic college football stadium.

NFL-NEWS

Redskins hire Rivera as coach

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Redskins have hired Ron Rivera as their coach in owner Dan Snyder’s latest step to try to turn around the wayward franchise.

The former Carolina Panthers coach quickly emerged as the Redskins’ top candidate and inherits a team that went 3-13 this season and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015. Rivera’s hiring comes just three days after Washington completed its schedule and two days after Snyder fired team president Bruce Allen following a decade of futility.

Rivera spent eight-plus seasons with the Panthers and was fired with the team sitting 5-7 this season. He went 76-63-1 with Carolina, making the playoffs four times and reaching the Super Bowl after the 2015 season.

In other NFL news:

— The Eagles have placed three-time Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Brooks and defensive end Daeshon Hall on injured reserve and signed wide receiver Shelton Gibson and running back Elijah Holyfield. The moves come as the NFC East champions prepare to host the Seahawks in Sunday’s NFC wild-card round.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Aztecs, Shockers win

UNDATED (AP) — San Diego State and Wichita State were the only top-25 teams in action on New Year’s Day, and both came away victorious.

The 13th-ranked Aztecs got past Fresno State, 61-52 as Malachi Flynn scored 16 points and Matt Mitchell had 15. Mitchell had three big baskets in the second half of his first start of the season. Flynn scored his 1,000th career point as SDSU improved to 14-0 overall and 3-0 in the Mountain West.

Erik Stevenson scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half to help the 24th-ranked Shockers pull out a 75-69 victory against East Carolina. Jamarius Burton had 15 points for Wichita State while Tyson Etienne and Trey Wade added 11 each.

The Shockers improved to 12-1 despite Jayden Gardner, who torched them for 20 of his 29 points after halftime for the Pirates.

 

In world and national news…

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish media say authorities have detained seven people as part of an investigation into how former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn fled to Lebanon from Japan via Istanbul. NTV television said the probe was launched Thursday by Turkey’s Interior Ministry. The private DHA news agency reports those detained are 4 pilots, a cargo company manager and two airport workers. Ghosn fled to Lebanon this week before his trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges. Turkish media reports said he flew to Lebanon on a private jet via Istanbul. Lebanon has said Ghosn entered the country legally.

 

DENVER (AP) — Presidential hopeful Michael Bennet is releasing a $6 trillion plan he calls “the Real Deal.” It’s an attempt to contrast Bennet’s pragmatic visions with those of rivals for the Democratic nomination like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who have vastly out-raised and out-polled Bennet with ambitious promises that may never get enacted. Bennet argues that his ideas are still big but also realistic. Those ideas include universal prekindergarten, a government payment to all parents of children under age 18 and a $1 trillion housing plan. So far, realism has not helped the Colorado senator, who has polled so low he hasn’t been on the debate stage since July.

 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Pete Buttigieg’s campaign says he raised more than $24.7 million in the last three months and now has a campaign staff of 500 people nationwide. It’s a show of financial and organizational strength heading into the presidential primaries. Buttigieg’s campaign says he has raised $76 million since he launched his bid for president, including more than 2 million contributions from over 733,000 people. It’s a notable feat for the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who gave up the position Wednesday when his successor was sworn in. Buttigieg’s average contribution was around $38.

 

VICTOR, N.Y. (AP) — The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year’s Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle. The arrest came just a week after he wrote a newspaper column warning citizens against getting behind the wheel drunk. Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb is a Republican from Canandaigua and represents a district just outside Rochester. He was arrested near his home after what he is calling a “lapse in judgement.” News of Kolb’s arrest led fellow Republican Assemblyman Kieran Michael Lalor to call for him to step down.

 

PERTH, Australia (AP) — Thousands of tourists are fleeing Australia’s wildfire-ravaged eastern coast ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. Cooler weather has aided firefighting and allowed people to replenish supplies. But fire conditions are expected to deteriorate as high temperatures and strong winds return this weekend. The early start to Australia’s summer wildfires has led authorities to rate this season the worst on record. About 5 million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land have burned, and at least 17 people have been killed and more than 1,400 homes have been destroyed.

 

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s top military officer and seven other people have been killed in an air force helicopter crash in a mountainous area outside Taipei. Five others survived. Gen. Shen Yi-ming was responsible for overseeing the self-governing island’s defense against China, which threatens to use military force to annex what it considers part of its territory. The victims also included other senior military officials and the two pilots. The cause of the crash of the Blackhawk helicopter was not immediately clear. Shen had taken over as chief of the general staff in July after serving as commander of Taiwan’s air force.