CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Partly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of rain after midnight in the Jamestown area, 50 percent in the Valley City area. Lows in the upper 30s. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY…Rain likely in the morning, then rain possibly mixed

with snow in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s. Northeast winds

15 to 25 mph.  Chance of rain 80 percent. Snow accumulation up one inch.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with chance of rain possibly

mixed with snow in the evening, then partly cloudy with slight

chance of snow after midnight. Lows in the upper 20s. North winds

10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph in the evening. Chance of

precipitation 40 percent.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s. North winds 10 to

15 mph.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s.

.MONDAY…Sunny. Highs in the upper 40s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s.

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs around 50.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny. Slight chance of rain showers and snow

showers in the morning, then chance of rain showers in the

afternoon. Highs in the mid 50s. Chance of precipitation

40 percent.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain

showers. Lows in the upper 30s.

.THURSDAY…Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain

showers. Highs in the upper 50s.

 

The northern James River Valley may see some impacts of rain and snow.

A weather advisory is expected from late Friday night into early Saturday

afternoon.

Later in the day, and possibly early Saturday evening, the Clipper

will bring a mix of rain and snow to south central ND, but little

if any accumulations are expected. Another clipper following

quickly on the heels of the first, will bring a chance of light

rain and snow to western ND late Saturday night.

Beyond the Saturday night clipper, that tracks through western

North Dakota, the extended period looks to be mainly dry and cold

through mid week. Highs will be mainly in the 40s and 50s with

overnight lows below freezing.

By Wednesday and Thursday temperatures are expected to moderate.

A chance of showers late Tuesday through Wednesday.

Jamestown (CSi)   Central Valley Health District, Jamestown Public Schools, and South Central Human Service Center were presenters at the Friday May 8, 2020 Stutsman COVID-19 Response News Briefing.  The presentations are made through a virtual platform, in observance of social distancing.

The meeting airs live with replays on CSi TV 10 -The Replay Channel & CSi 67.   To view the briefing online, view it here at CSiNewsNOW.com or go to the CSi LiveStream at Facebook.

Each representative gave updates on their agency, along with information on staying safe during the pandemic.

Central Valley Health District Administrator Robin Iszler said,  As of Friday 12 COVID-19 positive cases have been recorded, in Stutsman County, with three individuals recovered and the balance are being monitored.

1639 COVID-19 tests have been performed in Stutsman County as of Friday afternoon.  No general public testing events are planned at this time.

She said 169 individuals at Alpha Opportunities have been surveillance tested for the virus, with assistance from Jamestown Police, CVHD staff and adjacent health units.

Jamestown Public Schools, Superintendent, Dr. Robert Lech, said Jamestown High School Graduation will be held on May 24, 2020.at 2:30-p.m., at the Jamestown Civic Center, using 12 percent of the facility, to encourage social distancing.  Ventilation will allow air exchange and the facility will sanitized before and after the ceremony, based on guidance by state officials, with the Department of Public Instruction and ND Smart Restart. Also giving feedback were  healthcare providers, and other public agencies. He said other dates were considered, but would have created conflicts for those attending.

He said those attending in person, should wear face masks, and the ceremony will be live streamed.  A maximum of four tickets per family will be in force.  He asks that after the ceremony will there be no congregating of people

He said the Jamestown Public Schools web site will have more specifics next week.

He said guidance is being awaited on summer program, for in person attendance, 9-12 grades only is being considered.

With the summer food service program the average meals served is about 700 per day, and around 17,000 meals have been served since the program was implemented, Monday – Friday at the middle school, and selected elementary schools,  from 11-a.m, to 1-p.m. free to students, and a $4 charge for adults.

He pointed out that this is teacher appreciation week, and to thank teachers for all they do.

South Central Human Service Center:

Dr. Dan Cramer said, regular hours continue, seeing clients. One change is all Human Service Centers in the state are seeing walk ins with same day assessments.

He talked about Acute Stress Disorder, and its effects, which is similar to PTSD.

He said, when people are approached in a certain way, the stress is less or alleviated in those people in dealing with coping with changes in their lives due to the pandemic.

Those needing support with coping skills should reach out of help. The phone number is 701-253-6300.

Robin pointed out that starting next week, the presentations will be cut back to once a week, on Tuesdays at 2:30-p.m.

Bismarck  (CSi)  Governor Doug Burgum held his COVID-19 News Briefing, Friday afternoon at the state capital in Bismarck, including a new development in ensuring an adequate supply of personal protective equipment.

With the COVID-19 testing results….

NDDoH

Reported Friday, May 8, 2020 – 11:19am

Numbers from Thursday May 7, 2020

Categories: Coronavirus

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED OF COVID-19

  • Woman in her 80s from Cass County with underlying health conditions.
  • Man in his 80s from Grand Forks County with underlying health conditions.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED FRIDAY

  • Burleigh County – 1
  • Cass County – 43
  • Grand Forks County – 7
  • Mountrail County – 2
  • Pembina County – 1

BY THE NUMBERS

42,501 – Total Tested (+1,634 individuals from yesterday)

41,076 – Total Negative (+1,580 individuals from yesterday)

1,425 – Total Positive (+54 individuals from yesterday)

3.3% – Daily Positive Rate of Completed Tests

104 – Total Hospitalized (+2 individuals from yesterday)

33 – Currently Hospitalized (-2 individuals from yesterday)

714 – Total Recovered (+113 individuals from yesterday)

33 – Total Deaths (+2 individual from yesterday)

Burgum updated increased testing in Fargo, with the assistance of the Mayo Clinic and an increase of contact tracing.

He said a new capability  will help North Dakota meet demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic, as the state’s number of recovered COVID-19 cases surpassed the number of active cases.

 

On Monday, May 11, 2020 the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) will begin operation of a Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System for PPE. The mobile decontamination system is self-contained and uses vapor-phase hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate N95 respirator masks.

The system allows North Dakota to provide shipping and N95 decontamination at no charge to health care organizations, EMS agencies, public health, public safety agencies including law enforcement and fire departments, funeral homes, dental offices, and optometry and chiropractic clinics, among others.
Health care systems will collect worn respirators each day in accordance with an approved procedure, and the PPE will be labeled with a bar-coded serial number that will be used for tracking the PPE chain-of-custody throughout the decontamination process. This procedure ensures that the hospital system gets its own respirators back.
Burgum amendment of  Executive Orders, includes new guidelines for isolation for those testing COVID-19, which includes active cases must isolate for 10 days, and increase from 7-days.

Another Executive Order involves a travel amendment, now releasing people from self isolation when returning from out of state and travel freely with in the U.S.

The NDDOT has started the phased in restart accessibility to DMV offices starting Monday May 11, 2020.

Check with local DMV offices for specific information about making arrangements for in person visit appointments.  On line registration renewals are possible.

Driver licenses and motor vehicle tabs due March 1, 2020 until disaster declaration has ended, remain valid and do not need to be renewed at this time, per the Governor’s Emergency Declaration, that waived expiration dates.

 

Driver License services offered at this time by appointment only include:

  • Commercial Driver License (CDL) Knowledge and Road tests
  • H2-A (temporary Ag workers)
  • CDL renewal with HazMat
  • Regular Driver License (Class D) Knowledge and Road tests
  • Work permits (Temporary Restricted License)
  • License expired before March 1 (65+, regular renewals)
  • Out of state transfers
  • Motorcycle knowledge tests
  • ID cards for voting

 

Motor Vehicle services offered at this time by appointment only include:

  • Vehicle Title work – all types of titles
  • Truck weight changes
  • Large trucks 2290 required

Motor vehicle services such as license plates and titling can also be done by mailing-in paperwork. Vehicle renewals can be done online, at a self-service kiosk or by mail. Motor Vehicle kiosk fees for renewing your vehicle are waived until the emergency declaration has ended. Call local Motor Vehicle offices for service information at that location or check NDDOT’s website.

Access to all state run agencies is by appointment only.

With unemployment claims a total of 1026 were filed on Wednesday and Thursday.  Pandemic related claims were 300, for a total of 77,000 since March 16, 2020 through Thursday, 11,000 pandemic related claims in that time frame.

 

In Other State Announcements:

North Dakota’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and Department of Human Services have teamed up with support from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services (USDA FNS) to provide food assistance during the pandemic emergency for children who participated in or qualified for the free and reduced-priced school lunch program prior to pandemic-related school closures.

USDA approved the state’s plan on May 1 to operate the new Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer program (P-EBT), which was authorized by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act. An estimated 39,670 North Dakota children ages 3-18 will benefit from the program.

“It is beyond difficult for a student to learn when he or she is hungry,” said Kirsten Baesler, North Dakota’s state school superintendent. “We are honored to partner with the Department of Human Services on this program, which is an important step toward preventing child hunger and helping our students to continue learning at home during a time when their schools are closed.”

Families of children who participate in the child nutrition program at their school will receive a benefit amount on a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT card, which is a specialized debit card. The benefit amount is intended to replace the value of the food in free and reduced-priced school meals.

 

The North Dakota Department of Commerce has announced that the Innovate North Dakota program is again accepting new enrollments and resuming the program’s offerings with current participants.

Commerce announced in March that the Innovate ND program was placed on hold in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With our economy shifting to recovery and rebuilding, it is more important than ever to utilize the programs that we already have in place to restart and grow our economy,” Commerce Head of Investments and Innovation Josh Teigen said. “Supporting our entrepreneurial ecosystem will open new opportunities for business growth and job creation throughout the state.”

Innovate ND is a voucher and grant program available to entrepreneurs in North Dakota. The program provides resources to assist with turning an innovative idea into a profitable business.

For more information and to enroll please visit https://belegendary.link/InnovateND .

 

 

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports, Pipestem Dam water levels are high, but not a problem, according to Pipestem Dam Manager James Dixon.

He says water levels will remain elevated through the middle of June.

The release from Pipestem Dam is at 50 cubic feet per second.

The release from Pipestem Dam is planned to increase June 15, 2020  and  planned to be lowered to the normal winter elevation by September.

The level  is at 1480 feet before releases begin.

The highest elevation recorded at Pipestem Dam was 1,492.3 feet in April 2009.

Releases from Jamestown Dam are presently at 800 cfs but planned to end about June 1 when Jamestown reservoir reaches its normal level.

Jamestown  (CSi)  The University of Jamestown’s 34th Annual Dine and Bid, Rock and Roll All Knight, will be held online as a virtual event. Funds raised for this year’s auction will benefit UJ student scholarships, as it has in all previous years. The auction will open for bids on Monday, May 25, and will run throughout the week. Everyone is invited to participate, and there will be no cost for those who would like to view and bid on auction items. To register for mobile bidding, and the online auction and event, go to: https://one.bidpad.net/dineandbid2020/welcome or text dineandbid2020 to 243725.

On Saturday, May 30, there will be a live stream event starting at 6:30 p.m. and running until 8 p.m. This will be produced by Mobile Pro, and hosted by President Polly Peterson and Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Brett Moser. Moser states, “The live portion of Dine and Bid will feature the culmination of auction bidding, as well as messages from special guests, student entertainment, Raise Your Paddle, and a sneak peek at some of the watch parties for Rock and Roll All Knight. We welcome everyone who would like to join the live stream, and we believe that you will be inspired to bid in support of our students.”

Moser adds, Dine and Bid plays a key part in not only raising money for scholarships, but it is a social occasion that the University of Jamestown’s alumni and friends look forward to each year.   He says, “We are excited to try this new way of bidding and interaction.  And, we look forward to seeing everyone back at the Harold Newman Arena next year.”

Director of Alumni Relations Setareh Campion says, “We were hopeful, until very recently, that we would be able to host Rock and Roll All Knight in person. The Dine and Bid Committee has worked so hard to create beautiful decorations and a special evening for our guests. Thankfully, we will still be able to use some of the décor! We are sure that this shift to online is the right move to make at this time. We ask that participants dress up—maybe even create your own social distance dinner parties of 10 or fewer people—and enjoy Dine and Bid from afar.”

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — U.S. Labor Department figures show that the nation’s unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, which is the highest percentage since the Great Depression. One North Dakota worker who was furloughed in April, Joy Rosen, says it has been difficult to be away from the people she cares for at the Vocational Training Center in Fargo. She works as a direct support professional for adults with disabilities. Rosen, a single mom, says she has enjoyed spending more time with her two children but adds that the seven individuals she helps are “almost like family.” While COVID-19 cases in North Dakota continue to rise, initial unemployment applications have seen a steady decline in recent weeks.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Hundreds of wild bison would be transferred from federal lands to a South Dakota American Indian Reservation and a North Dakota national park under the latest initiative to restore the burly animals to Western U.S. lands. Bison once roamed North America in the tens of millions but were driven to near-extinction in the 1880s. Tribal officials say up to 200 bison could be transferred to South Dakota’s Rosebud Sioux Reservation this fall. An unspecified number of bison would be moved from Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Arsenal to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt this week announced a 10-year initiative to advance bison restoration efforts

BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) — A third person has been charged in a Beltrami County homicide and arson case. Thirty-two-year-old Devin Belcourt, of Bagley, was arrested in Naytahwaush Tuesday in connection with an incident Sunday in which a man was found dead in a burning home near Bemidji and another man was found with gunshot wounds. KFGO reports Belcourt is charged with charged with second-degree intentional murder, arson, and burglary with a dangerous weapon and explosive. Two other suspects were arrested earlier this week in Minot. A criminal complaint says the three planned to steal drugs, a safe and money from the victims’ home.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The coronavirus crisis has sent the U.S. unemployment rate surging to 14.7%, a level last seen when the country was in the throes of the Depression and President Franklin D. Roosevelt was assuring Americans that the only thing to fear was fear itself. The Labor Department said Friday that 20.5 million jobs vanished in April in the worst monthly loss on record, triggered by the coast-to-coast shutdowns of factories, stores, offices and other businesses. The breathtakingly swift losses are certain to intensify the push-pull across the U.S. over how and when to ease the stay-at-home restrictions and the social-distancing rules. And they rob President Donald Trump of the ability to point to a strong economy as he runs for reelection.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials have revoked permission for masks made by more than 60 Chinese manufacturers that failed to meet U.S. standards. The Food and Drug Administration warned this week that the faulty masks could endanger health care workers treating patients with COVID-19. Due to shortages of masks the FDA authorized imports based on testing data from the manufacturers. But U.S. officials reported Thursday that new testing in the U.S. showed dozens of the Chinese masks failed to filter particles at the level needed to adequately protect workers. The agency said only 14 masks met U.S. standards.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says a 5-year-old boy died of an illness possibly linked to the coronavirus. He said Friday that there have been 73 reported cases in the state of children becoming severely ill with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome. Also, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says police will start limiting access to three parks that illustrate bad social distancing. The mayor also said that a “test and trace corps” of 2,500 will be in place in the city by early June to identify people who have the virus and determine whom they’ve had contact with.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds that most Americans think in-person religious services should be barred or allowed only with limits during the coronavirus pandemic. And only about a third say that prohibitions on in-person services violate religious freedom. Just 9% think in-person religious services should be permitted without restrictions amid the pandemic, while 42% think they should be allowed with restrictions and 48% think they should not be allowed at all. That’s according to the poll by The University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It shows an increasing number of religious Americans are turning to virtual services during the outbreak.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — An aide to Vice President Mike Pence has the coronavirus, marking the second person in the White House complex known to test positive this week. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is confirming the latest positive testing, and insists the White House continues to operate safely. The positive test for the Pence aide came one day after White House officials confirmed that a member of the military serving as one of President Donald Trump’s valets tested positive for the coronavirus. Trump says some staffers who interact with him closely would now be tested daily.