CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows around 40. Northeast winds around 5 mph with gusts to around 20 mph shifting to the south after midnight.

.THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of rain showers in the afternoon in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area. . Highs in the lower 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with chance of rain showers and

slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows around 40. North winds 5 to

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

.FRIDAY…Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain showers in the morning,

then chance of rain and slight chance of thunderstorms in the

afternoon. Highs in the upper 50s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

Chance of precipitation 30 percent.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s.

.SATURDAY…Partly sunny. Chance of rain showers and slight

chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 60. Chance

of precipitation 40 percent.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of rain showers in

the afternoon. Highs in the mid 60s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of rain

showers in the evening. Lows in the mid 40s.

.MONDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s.

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

showers. Lows in the mid 40s.

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny with a 30 percent chance of rain showers.

 

Near critical fire weather conditions are possible across much of

the west and central Wednesday afternoon with minimum relative humidity

values bottoming out in the 15 to 20 percent range across the

western half of the state. However, unlike previous days, not as

much wind will be available to mix down to the surface, even with

dry forecast soundings in place.

The fire danger rating is in the high category today.

 

A Burn Ban is in effect in Stutsman County

A full version of the burn ordinance can also be found at the website under Departments, choose Zoning, and click on “Burn Ban Ordinance” on the left-hand side of the page.Because of the dry conditions, expect a series of days where burning will be restricted until the countryside greens-up. For more information contact the Stutsman County Emergency Manager’s Office at 701-252-9093

Burn Ban Map

Thursday through Friday  rain amounts  ranging from 0.25 to 0.50 inches across portions of the central and James River Valley. However, with the convective nature of the showers and thunderstorms, locally higher amounts will certainly be possible under heavier cores.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The City of Valley City hosted a COVID-19 Response briefing Wednesday evening, at City Hall, closed to the public in observance of Social Distancing, providing accurate information.

Each organization provided updates and information pertaining to recent developments in the COVID-19 community response.

Speakers:

City-County Health District, Administrator, Theresa Will, said all clients are still be served, and contact tracing continues with home health.  Face masks are available through donations, and to call City/County Health, to donate or obtain face masks.

In Barnes County 87 COVID-19 tests have been administered, with three positives, and two have recovered.

She said if individuals exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 to contact healthcare providers.

Continue to observe social distancing, not gathering in groups of more than 10, and good hygiene practices.

State Senator, District 24, Larry Robinson said the community is in some of the most trying times we’ve experienced, however, it is bring the community together.

He recognized   Valley City Community members, including city/county health providing leadership, the city and county commissioner, the development and chamber of commerce offices in Valley City.  He commended public and private schools in the area, and daycare programs, in adjusting to the new norm in school and daycare life.

He also recognized first responders, and other frontline workers.

He said the U.S. Congress’ stimulus package, has helped businesses and individuals in the tough economic times.  Another stimulus package is before congress.  He pointed out state government and the state commerce department and their support.   He talked about access to the state government agencies on line.

He said the community needs to continue to pull together and observe health department recommendations to help slow the spread of COVID-19, in the face of losing some of our freedoms.   He added that the Valley City community is staying strong, in the fight.  He said, when the pandemic ends, a new norm will still be the rule.

Valley City Mayor, Dave Carlsrud spoke on behalf of Police Chief Phil Hatcher, saying theft reports are on the increase, and being investigated, and urges residents to lock up cars homes sheds, and noted that winter storage shed are being broken into.

Mayor Carlsrud pointed out that street sweepers are out, and asks residents to remove vehicles, and reminded the 72 hour parking ordinance in Valley City.

He added that clean up week is postponed, and reminded residents to clean up after their pets.

He urges residents to stay vigilant, and continue social distancing while recreating outdoors and other safe health practices.  And…take time to pray.

The meeting airs live with replays on CSi TV 10 -The Replay Channel & CSi 68.   To view the briefing online, view it here at CSiNewsNOW.com or go to the CSi LiveStream at Facebook.

Dave Carlsrud

Valley City  (CSi)  Valley City, City Attorney/ H.R. Director, Carl Martineck , Wednesday evening issued a statement, saying that on April 20, 2020, Valley City Mayor Dave Carlsrud extended to April 30, 2020  Emergency Orders related to transient businesses and alcoholic beverage licenses.  The orders were set to expired April 25, 2020.

The first order… All transient/temporary merchant activity must cease for a period of 30 days. …portable food stands.

The second order… Any holder of a Valley City alcoholic beverage license will be permitted to serve beer and wine only by curbside or home delivery, subject to certain restrictions depending on the class of license. No hard liquor will be served curbside or to homes.

Customers are able to walk into liquor stores or other establishments to make hard liquor purchases.
Alcoholic Beverage Licensees are encouraged to contact City Hall for clarification of their rights and responsibilities under the Emergency Order.

 

Bismarck  (CSi)  Governor Doug Burgum held his weekly news briefing on Wednesday afternoon, at the state capital.

NDDoH

Issued Wed. Apr 22, 2020

Positive COVID-19 Test Results
Results listed are from the previous day.

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID

  • Man in his 40s from Cass County with underlying health conditions.

 

COUNTIES WITH POSITIVE CASES

  • Burleigh County – 2
  • Cass County – 18
  • Grand Forks County – 11
  • Richland County – 1
  • Stark County – 1
  • Ward County – 1
  • Wells County – 1

**Please note: After investigation, the case reported yesterday from Sioux County was determined to be from Cass County.

 

BY THE NUMBERS

15,589 – Total Tested (+602 individuals from yesterday)

14,910 – Negative (+567 individuals from yesterday)

679 – Positive (+35 individuals from yesterday)

62 – Hospitalized (+8 individuals from yesterday)

23 – Currently Hospitalized (+6 individuals from yesterday)

436-  Active Cases

229 – Recovered (+15 individuals from yesterday)

14 – Death (+1 individual from yesterday)

For descriptions of these categories, visit the NDDoH dashboard.

For the most updated and timely information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Burgum said North Dakota has plenty of hospital beds available as of Wednesday.

 

He thanked business for complying with the personal care business closures, concerning social distancing, and gatherings of not more than 10 in one location.

 

With North Dakota Smart Restart, Burgum said eight items are in the step by step plan, including managing lives and livelihoods, will determine the reopening.

 

North Dakota Army National Guard General Alan Dohrman spoke about testing and contact tracing, that go hand and hand, in the best possible method.

He indicated an increased testing capacity, in the state and testing at large businesses, and their contacts.

Long term care facilities are being targeted, and their most vulnerable residents.

He said the state lab has added two techs, and six lab testing units.  A mobile lab has also been added.  A rapid test that shows results in 15 minutes are now available.

Contact tracing is ramping up in the state.

Dohrman added that addition, the state is focusing on long-term care facilities to protect the most vulnerable citizens.  Representatives from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also are working with the NDDoH Division of Disease Control to prioritize and outline surveillance test collection strategies.

Burgum said the android phone has been added to the CARE-19 contact tracing service.

With jobless claims 1150 claims were filed, Tuesday, 401 pandemic claims of both types,

Bring the total claims since March 16, 2020 to 59,263.

Burgum Wednesday appointed Andrea Travnicek to lead the North Dakota Department of Parks and Recreation, citing her extensive leadership experience and long history of resource management at the local, state and federal levels.

 

Employee Portrait of Andrea Travnicek – Governor’s Office

Travnicek returns to North Dakota after nearly three years of service in top leadership positions at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she most recently served as deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management. Travnicek also served as Interior’s principal deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, overseeing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. National Park Service. Prior to that, she served as a senior policy advisor for natural resources in the North Dakota Governor’s Office from 2010 to 2016 under then-Gov. John Hoeven and then-Gov. Jack Dalrymple.

With behaviorhealth, law enforcement continues to see an increase in opioid overdoses.

He said in Minot there have been six overdose deaths related to fentanyl.

Those struggling with opioid addictions can access the state behavioral health website, including obtaining Narcan kits.

Burgum pointed out that the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering an online hunter education course for students who will turn at least age 12 on or before Dec. 31,

Most in-person hunter education classes were canceled this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, Game and Fish needed to find a way to get students certified for hunter education this year.

The online course is available to students who were already enrolled in classes that were canceled, and also to qualifying students who were not previously enrolled in a class. A 25% discount is being offered for taking the online course.

Students who were already enrolled in a 2020 class that was canceled do not have to register with Game and Fish again. They will automatically receive an email with instructions to start the online course.

Prospective students who had not previously registered, can sign up through the Game and Fish website, gf.nd.gov

In other state news….

Representatives from the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) this week conducted an informational briefing detailing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) Program. The federal aid was made available after North Dakota was approved April 1 for a major presidential disaster declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the PA Program, FEMA can reimburse local governments, states, tribes and certain private non-profits for up to 75 percent of their eligible costs related to emergency protective measures required for the response and prevention of COVID-19. North Dakota’s disaster declaration request, which was submitted by Gov. Doug Burgum on March 29, also asked for additional FEMA programs to be opened. This included all Individual Assistance Programs and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, however, only the PA Program is currently available at this time.

Some of the eligible COVID-19 emergency protective measures the PA Program can reimburse for include: emergency operation center expenses; trainings; disinfection of eligible public facilities; emergency medical care; medical sheltering; the purchase and distribution of food, water, ice, medicine and other consumable supplies; the movement of supplies; security and law enforcement and communications of general health and safety information to the public.

For eligible applicants to receive reimbursement through the PA Program, they first need to register for access into the FEMA Grants Portal located at https://grantee.fema.gov. Once registered, applicants can submit their COVID-19 related expenses through this online mechanism where they later will be reviewed and potentially approved by FEMA and NDDES.

Wimbledon  (CSi)   Wednesday afternoon a man was rescued by firefighters at a rural home south of Wimbledon.  The man, in his 60’s was buried just above his knees for about an hour, when fire department responders arrived on the scene.

Fire Chief Mark McClean said the collapse of a septic tank happened as a company was attempting to pump it out.  The cause of the collapse is under investigation.

The man  was taken to the hospital in Valley City for treatment.

Assisting the Wimbledon Fire District firefighters were:   The Valley City Rural Fire District  and with Barnes County Sheriff’s deputies.

Jamestown (CSi)  St. John’s Academy announces a fundraiser a Virtual 5K, Run, Walk, Bike.

Make a difference for those who make a difference.

Pick a day, May 1-31-, 2020.

Post a Photo/Video, and or Testimonial on SJA Social Media sites.

$25 Registration – T-shirt and Race Bib Provided.

E-Mail Jeff.trumbauer

Call 701 -252- 3397

 

Bismarck  (Sen. Cramer’s Office) – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) awarded a combined $11,226,221 to eighteen colleges and universities in North Dakota for ED’s second and final wave of Coronavirus (COVID—19) recovery grant funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The following received funds:

 

  • University of Jamestown – $424,479

 

  • Valley City State University – $226,471

 

  • North Dakota State University – $3,864,163
  • University of North Dakota – $2,745,776
  • University of Mary – $768,094
  • Minot State University – $637,891
  • Turtle Mountain Community College – $473,968
  • Bismarck State College – $457,033
  • North Dakota State College of Science – $411,676
  • Dickinson State University – $320,047
  • Sitting Bull College – $187,524
  • United Tribes Technical College – $169,976
  • Williston State College – $169,405
  • Mayville State University – $156,360
  • Dakota College At Bottineau – $117,215
  • Cankdeska Cikana (Little Hoop) Community College – $108,484
  • Trinity Bible College And Graduate School – $102,196
  • Lake Region State College – $55,439

This second wave in ED funding comes as part of an additional $6.2 billion nation-wide federal funding allocation through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the CARES Act to help higher education institutions respond to the impacts of COVID-19. The total available amount for each recipient is based on funding appropriated under the CARES Act, a bill crafted in the Senate which Senator Cramer helped pass. The additional funds made available today can be used to expand remote learning programs, build IT capacity, and train faculty and staff to operate in a remote learning.

 

Jamestown  (JPD)  Jamestown Police is warning the public about a convicted high risk sex offender residing in Jamestown.

Zeferino Carlos Rangel live at 1530 6th Avenue, SW, Rm 22, Buffalo Motel, Jamestown, ND.

He is a 49 year old white male, five feet four inches tall, weighing 197 pound with brown eyes and black hair.

He has been assigned a high risk assessment by the North Dakota  risk level committee of the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office.

Offense:  Gross Sexual Imposition involving a 19 year old female while she was passed out.  He also forced a 14 year old male and an eight year old female to engage in oral sex with him on several occasions.

Conviction Date: July 2012 in Pembina County, ND  District Court.

Disposition:  25 years, 13 years suspended; 748 days credit, 10 years supervised probation, concurrent.

He is currently on probation with North Dakota Parole and Probation.

Rangel is not wanted by police at this time and has served the sentence imposed by the court.

This notification is meant for public safety and not to increase fear in the community, nor should this information be used to threaten, assault, or intimidate the offender.

Any attempts to harass, intimidate or threaten these offenders, their families, landlords, or employers will be turned over for prosecution.

Printed handouts of the demographics of Rangel are available at the Jamestown Police Department.

More information on registered sex offenders is available at the North Dakota Attorney General’s web site: www.sexoffender.nd.gov

Jamestown  (CSi)  Jamestown Public Works informs residents, that  beginning Monday, April 27, 2020, City Sanitation crews will resume trash collection in the alleyways. Recycle North Dakota crews will also resume recycling collection in the alleyways.

Place carts so arrows face the alley for automated collection.

All materials must be INSIDE the cart for automated lifting into the truck. Any materials on top or next to the cart WILL NOT be collected.

Carts should be placed out for pick up by 7:00 a.m. Trucks WILL NOT return to the area due to missed garbage placed out after the scheduled garbage route has been completed.

 

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new survey finds Americans remain overwhelmingly in favor of stay-at-home orders and other efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. A majority say it won’t be safe to lift such restrictions anytime soon. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research comes as protests have broken out and some governors have announced plans to ease the public health efforts that have upended daily life. Only 12% of Americans say measures to fight the outbreak where they live go too far. About twice as many believe the limits don’t go far enough. The majority of Americans — 61% — feel the steps taken to prevent infections in their area are about right.

 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Organizers of a pair of auto racing events in South Dakota are planning to open the stands to hundreds of spectators over the weekend despite concerns about the coronavirus. Gov. Kristi Noem has advised against the event. But the South Dakota Republican says she won’t be taking any action to shut down the events planned for Saturday and Sunday nights. Race promoters say they’re selling limited tickets to give race fans a taste of “normalcy” after weeks of social distancing and canceled sporting events. They say they also plan to check people’s temperatures and are making concessions cashless.

 

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he’s enlisted former Mayor Mike Bloomberg to help create a “tracing army” that will find infected people and get them into isolation. The coronavirus has sunk major New York City events from the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to the 50th anniversary LGBT Pride march, but its famous July Fourth fireworks extravaganza will happen — in some form. West Point said President Donald Trump will speak at a graduation ceremony being designed to keep cadets safe from the coronavirus.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Two pet cats in New York state have tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the first confirmed cases in companion animals in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the finding Wednesday. The agencies say the cats had mild respiratory illnesses, are expected to recover and are thought to have contracted the virus from people in their households or neighborhoods. Officials say that while it appears some animals can get the virus from people, there’s no indication the animals are transmitting it to human beings.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has come out with a plan to start paying hospitals and doctors who care for uninsured COVID-19 patients. Expect Democratic lawmakers and health industry groups to press for more help. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says hospitals and doctors would submit their bills directly to the government and they would get paid at Medicare rates. Uninsured people wouldn’t be liable for any of the costs. And health care providers wouldn’t have to ask questions about a patient’s immigration status. That’s an issue cited as a barrier to care in communities with many foreign-born residents.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scuttling a move that would allow members of the House to cast their votes by proxy from afar. Pelosi told Democratic colleagues that she is instead forming a bipartisan group to study the issue. The move comes after some Republicans had strenuously objected to the change. They said Congress should be in Washington and voting in person despite the coronavirus pandemic. The new bipartisan group will also examine “reopening the House,” which has remained shuttered for the past month due to the coronavirus. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy had asked Pelosi to work with Republicans on any changes to the rules.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks around the world are clawing higher on Wednesday, and the S&P 500 climbed toward the first gain of what’s been a dismal week for markets. Even the oil market turned higher. U.S. oil prices jumped 21% after President Donald Trump threatened the destruction of any Iranian gunboats that harass U.S. Navy ships, raising the possibility of a disruption to oil supplies. The S&P 500 was up 2.3% in afternoon trading, following milder gains in Europe and Asia. Energy stocks jumped to the biggest gains. Treasury yields also ticked higher in a sign of a bit less pessimism in the market.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The financial conditions of the government’s two biggest benefits programs remain shaky, with Medicare projected to become insolvent in six years and Social Security on track to no longer be able to pay full benefits starting in 2035. And that’s without accounting for the impact of the coronavirus, which is sure to impose further pressure on the two programs. For Social Security, the projected 2035 date for exhausting the trust fund reserves means that it would be able to pay only 79% of benefits at that time. The projected timetables, which remained unchanged from last year’s estimates, were revealed with the release of the annual trustees’ reports of both programs.