CSi Weather…

TONIGHT…Cloudy. Chance of snow possibly mixed with freezing rain and in the evening. Lows in the upper 20s. South winds 5 to 15 mph shifting to the northwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight.

Chance of precipitation 60 percent in the Jamestown area, 70 percent in the Valley City area. Total snow accumulation around 1 inch.

.FRIDAY…Decreasing clouds. Highs in the upper 30s. Northeast

winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the south 10 to 15 mph in the

afternoon.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s. South winds

15 to 20 mph.

.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. Windy. Highs in the lower 40s. West

winds 15 to 25 mph shifting to the northwest 25 to 30 mph in the

afternoon. Gusts up to 45 mph.

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

.SUNDAY…Sunny. Highs in the upper 30s.

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

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

.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 30s.

.TUESDAY…Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s.

.WEDNESDAY…Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.

 

Thursday, precipitation amounts increase generally from southwest to northeast, with only a few hundreths in the northwest to around 0.10 – 0.15″ in the northern James River Valley. Snow accumulations will

generally be under an inch, except for in the eastern portion of

the forecast area (Turtle Mountains through the James River

Valley) with a bit more than an inch.

Precipitation chances taper off in the east this evening, with mostly cloudy skies keeping overnight lows in the 20s.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  Stutsman County Emergency Manager, Jerry Bergquist explains, that the siren system for the City of Jamestown experienced a malfunction Thursday afternoon. Siren technicians were working on the siren located at Lifestyle Appliance, 918 17th St SW, when a malfunction occurred causing the siren to activate on its own and remain active. The siren is a rotating siren and could be heard in many areas of the community, minutes before technicians were able to silence it. Including the siren located at the Jamestown Reservoir Marina, there are seven sirens that make up the Jamestown siren system. The siren located at Lifestyle Appliance was the only siren affected by the malfunction.

The Stutsman County Communications Center was aware that technicians were working on the system. Dispatch made every effort to shut down the activated siren via radio controls, but the only way to shut it down was for technicians to be on-site and silence it.

There was no community emergency during the time of the siren malfunction.

 

Bismarck  (CSi)  Governor Doug Burgum held his weekly COVID-19 News Briefing Thursday afternoon at the State Capital in Bismarck.

North Dakota’s death toll from COVID-19 neared 500 on Thursday, with health officials reporting an additional 11 deaths. The North Dakota Department of Health also reported six hospitalizations in the last day due to the coronavirus, increasing the total number of patients in medical facilities to a record 184. October has been the deadliest month to date from the coronavirus, accounting for 228 of the 499 deaths recorded since the pandemic began. Health officials reported a record 1,222 new infections from the virus on Thursday, and a daily positivity rate of 15.6%.

Burgum said North Dakota is in the mist of a COVID storm, as positive case increases continue to climb.  He added that northern tear states are having residents move indoors, with greater chances of spreading the virus in a confined space, and not masking a perfect environment to spread the virus.  He noted that environment lingering over the upcoming holidays, plus travel to and from North Dakota.  Plus indoor sporting events.

He said local leadership is supporting personal responsibility to being safe and limiting transmissible moments.

He said continuing education in school depends on making responsible choices, along with saving lives of high risk individuals, and longterm care residents and healthcare workers.  Maintaining hospital bed capacity also depends on mitigating the spread of the virus, leading to hospitalizations.

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats

Thurs. Oct. 29, 2020

11- am

Barnes

New Positives   24

Total Positives 386

Active Cases 72

Recovered 306

 

Stutsman

One New Death, Stutsman, Man in his 50’s

Total Deaths to date 7

 

New Positives  48

Total Positives 946

Active Cases  151

Recovered  738

COVID-19 Test Results
The results listed are from the previous day. Additional data can be found on the NDDoH website.

BY THE NUMBERS

8,402 – Total Tests from Yesterday*

845,567 – Total tests completed since the pandemic began

1,222 – Positive Individuals from Yesterday*****

41,130 – Total positive individuals since the pandemic began

15.62% – Daily Positivity Rate**

 

6,771 Total Active Cases

+524 Individuals from yesterday

688 – Individuals Recovered from Yesterday (550 with a recovery date of yesterday****)

33,860 – Total recovered since the pandemic began

184 – Curren­tly Hospitalized

+6 – Individuals from yesterday

11 – New Deaths*** (499 total deaths since the pandemic began)


INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

  • Man in his 80s from Cass County.
  • Man in his 80s from Dickey County.
  • Man in his 90s from Emmons County.
  • Man in his 80s from Logan County.
  • Man in his 50s from Stutsman County.
  • Man in his 60s from McLean County.
  • Man in his 70s from Oliver County.
  • Man in his 60s from Ramson County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 90s from Ward County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Ward County.


COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED THURSDAY

 

  • Adams County – 5
  • Barnes County – 24
  • Benson County – 6
  • Bottineau County – 6
  • Bowman County – 3
  • Burke County – 8
  • Burleigh County – 169
  • Cass County – 278
  • Cavalier County – 1
  • Dickey County – 9
  • Dunn County – 5
  • Eddy County – 1
  • Emmons County – 4
  • Foster County – 9
  • Golden Valley County – 1
  • Grand Forks County – 97
  • Grant County – 5
  • Griggs County – 4
  • Hettinger County – 2
  • Kidder County – 2
  • LaMoure County – 3
  • McHenry County – 9
  • McIntosh County – 1
  • McKenzie County – 10
  • McLean County – 24
  • Mercer County – 20
  • Morton County – 60
  • Mountrail County – 6
  • Nelson County – 2
  • Oliver County – 3
  • Pembina County – 9
  • Pierce County – 2
  • Ramsey County – 20
  • Ransom County – 20
  • Renville County – 4
  • Richland County – 23
  • Rolette County – 23
  • Sargent County – 5
  • Sheridan County – 3
  • Sioux County – 8
  • Stark County – 9
  • Steele County – 9
  • Stutsman County – 48
  • Towner County – 7
  • Traill County – 11
  • Walsh County – 44
  • Ward County – 165
  • Wells County – 17
  • Williams County – 18

 

* Note that this does not include individuals from out of state and has been updated to reflect the most recent information discovered after cases were investigated.

**Individuals who tested positive divided by the total number of people tested who have not previously tested positive (susceptible encounters).

*** Number of individuals who tested positive and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19. There is a lag in the time deaths are reported to the NDDoH.
**** The actual date individuals are officially out of isolation and no longer contagious.

*****Totals may be adjusted as individuals are found to live out of state, in another county, or as other information is found during investigation.

 

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 advises those who are active cases, and close contacts to active positive cases  to be responsible and isolate for the prescribed time frame.

Other Topics Covered:

With County Risk Levels, Burgum outlined 21 new risk level changes.

Stutsman County was moved from green low risk to yellow moderate risk level.

Barnes County remains in yellow, moderate risk level.

LaMoure County moves from yellow moderate to orange high risk.

Kidder County from green low risk, to yellow moderate.

Logan County remains in the green low risk.

Ransom County moves from blue new normal, to green low risk.

Griggs County goes from blue new normal to green low risk.

That brings to 24 the number of North Dakota’s 53 counties now deemed high risk. The guidelines are only recommendations and not enforced.

Click here for more information

 

He pointed to Dr. Birx meeting with North Dakota officials this week as she emphases identifying those asymptomatic positive cases, and taking them out of the public, not spreading the virus.

Burgum pointed cities including Jamestown and Valley City with mask measures in place.

Pace Recovery  II

The Legislative Budget Committee approved the application deadline for the COVID-19 PACE Recovery II  (CPR II) program to November 30, 2020. They also added $20 million to assist businesses with interest payments accrued between April 1, 2020 and September 30, 2020. The program is funded by CARES Act dollars assigned to Bank of North Dakota.

North Dakota business owners may work with their local lender to apply for funding of up to $50,000 that covers the accrued interest payments. The funds do not need to be repaid.

Business owners will be asked to submit comparable revenue between April 1-Sept. 30, 2019, and the same time period in 2020. Upon closure of the application period, BND will apply a formula to award the funds that ensures businesses with the largest percentage decrease in revenue will benefit. The awards will be given based on that percentage until they have been expended.

Hospitality ERG

The North Dakota Department of Commerce announced the second round of the Economic Resiliency Grant (ERG) also known as the Hospitality ERG.

Due to the continuing need of assistance, the second round of the ERG will focus on reimbursing hospitality businesses that were directly impacted by Executive Order 2020-06. This includes all restaurants, bars, breweries, cafes and similar on-site dining establishments.

Additionally, the Hospitality ERG will also focus on businesses affected by the closures such as theaters, music and entertainment venues, and professional production companies that support major venue meetings and events.

School Aid

State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler announced $33.8 million in new aid for North Dakota’s schools, which may be spent on mental health support, technology, building ventilation improvements, and other needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The “resiliency grants” are the latest installment of a school pandemic aid package that has totaled almost $94 million to date. The sum includes $30.1 million that was distributed to schools in April; another $30 million endorsed by North Dakota lawmakers in September; and Wednesday’s approval of another $33.8 million in school assistance.

“The $94 million provided to schools by the state provides much-needed money for our teachers, and into the classrooms, where it can do the most good,” Baesler said.

Schools also may use the last two aid packages on a much broader range of needs, Baesler said. Originally, the $30 million September aid infusion could be spent only on school staffing expenses, such as salaries for increased custodial and public health needs.

Jamestown (CVHD) Due to the change of the weather, Central Valley Health District will be offering it’s free COVID-19 testing this week indoors at the Jamestown Civic Center:

  • Friday Oct 30,  10am to noon
  • Indoors – use North ground-level door
  • Face coverings are required.
  • PRE-REGISTER if not done in past

Those seeking to be tested should enter the building through the north entrance.   Testing will occur every Friday until further notice.

Those who wish to receive a test are required to complete the online screening questionnaire in advance, which can be found here: https://testreg.nd.gov/.   If you have completely pre-registration in the past, you do not have to do it again.

Follow Central Valley Health District on Facebook for current and up-to-date information on local response information.

The 300 block of 3rd St NE will be closed for Covid-19 Testing.   Testing will take place inside the Civic Center.  Parking available in the east Business Center lot.

Questions regarding testing; please contact Central Valley Health at 252-8130.

 

Jamestown  (JSDC)  On Thursday, the Jamestown Stutsman County Development Corporation (JSDC) reported on the results of the formal market study for the Buffalo City Park project.

Next, The Market and Financial Assessment Final Report will  be sent to the North Dakota Department of Commerce and its Tourism Division for review. The market study finalizes the “Concept and Master Plan” completed this year, by Apogee Attractions LLC and provided to the state at that time.

JSDC CEO  Connie Ova, says, the study projects annual gross revenues averaging over $14 million with annual net earnings of $3 million.

Highlights of the detailed, 70-page study was conducted by Apogee Attractions LLC, Chief Economist  Peter Kaanaput, Jr.

Study Highlights Include:

Site location — The state-owned land at Exit 258 is a “highly desirable” location for a new tourism attraction due to its easy access and excellent I-94 visibility. The fact that there would be no land acquisition cost to the state is a significant plus. The site also enables the state to generate revenue from currently non-revenue producing land.

Competition — There is virtually no competition for a regional themed destination in this part of North Dakota. Buffalo City Park would be the “premier attraction” that would also be able to compliment and promote other tourist attractions in the western part of the state. It would serve as a “tourism gateway.”

Market Size — There is a sizeable market of over 1.6 million people that includes current residents and annual visitors to the region. Additional growth in the market could be expected if hotel facilities and additional infrastructure were developed near the facility.

Attendance Projections — The study uses conservative, seasonally adjusted attendance projections due to the climate/weather conditions of the area. Annual paid attendance during the first five years of operation ranges from 227,000 to 256,000 people.

Financial Analysis — The study concludes that Buffalo City Park would be a successful investment for the state of North Dakota. Approximately $70-76 million of taxable revenue
would flow through the park during the five-year period analyzed. The project would also provide net earnings to the state of $14-15 million during the same period. An investment of $60 million to build the attraction would be warranted according to the study. The facility would open in early 2024.

From  Apogee Attractions LLC:

We are pleased to present to you our Market and Financial Assessment on Buffalo City Park (BCP)
for Jamestown, North Dakota. The Apogee team is quite excited about BCP and believes it is the
right project at the right time for Jamestown and, indeed, for North Dakota.
BCP’s central location in the state, easily approached just off the I-94 artery, will greatly enhance
the idea of Jamestown as a significant tourist destination. Visitors will have the opportunity to not
only to view magnificent Bison up close, they will also learn about ancient herds, native peoples,
the innovations and use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and more.
We fully expect BCP to be successful in its early years and to expand and grow its attendance in
the future. The attached study, along with the Concept and Master Plan, will provide a solid
foundation for the creation of Buffalo City Park into a major state tourism attraction
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Jamestown Tourism Authority, the
Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation, the National Buffalo Museum, and Lunde &
Associates for their confidence in Apogee Attractions. We appreciate all the invaluable support
and guidance we have received from Brian Lunde, Connie Ova, Searle Swedlund, Ilana Xinos, and
their staffs.
There is much more work to do prior to opening Buffalo City Park, but we already see its future
success, and we look forward to working with you on its completion.

 

Jamestown (CSi)  The Jamestown City Fire Department responded to a call of a natural gas leak at a residence at 2404  4th Street, Northeast at about 9:16-a.m., Thursday.

Lt. Sheldon Mohr says the gas line was struck during the installation of a fence.

MDU also responded to the scene, to address the gas leak.

No damages were reported to any structures due to the leak.

Two city fire units and six fire fighters were on the scene about 10-minutes.

In total 22 city fire fighters were called to the fire hall, on standby, before the six fire fighters were dispatched to the scene.

IRVING, TX (Atos) – Atos, a global leader in digital transformation announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Eagle Creek Software Services, a U.S. based technology and management consulting company specialized in Salesforce enterprise implementations for its customers across North America. The purchase will embed Eagle Creek’s strengths in enterprise customer relationship management, end-to-end application development, and business intelligence with Atos’ growing foundation in Salesforce and its deep understanding in a seamless multi-channel customer experience.

Bryan Ireton, Chief Executive Officer, Atosin North America, says, “The acquisition of Eagle Creek and their specific expertise in Salesforce will bolster our digital portfolio in North America and worldwide. It will provide us the opportunity to develop a world-class Atos Salesforce franchise and provides us an ability to help clients manage and maximize their customer interactions, and providing them the means to add more value while also improving customer satisfaction.  The transaction also serves to reinforce Atos’ service excellence as Eagle Creek’s culture and values take our customer dedication to new heights.”

Headquartered in Minnesota, Eagle Creek has more than 250 employees. Collectively, their consultants have more than 700 Salesforce and CRM certifications and “Super Badges”. The Company has been delivering global CRM services for Fortune 1,500 customers in the healthcare, financial services and insurance and communication sectors for 20 years.“Insight into customer and consumer data is key for our clients. We are confident that joining Atos will significantly aid our pursuit to help businesses better organize and access customer data, as well as support our employees and consultants continue their careers with new challenges and growth,” said Ken Behrendt, President, Eagle Creek. The closing of the transaction is expected to take place before the end of the year.

There was no immediate information how the acquisition will affect the Valley City location.

In sports…

Jamestown  (CSi) Due to known and likely positive cases of COVID-19 based on symptomatic players and staff, Jamestown High School will be unable to play the varsity playoff football game scheduled with West Fargo Sheyenne High School on Friday, October 30.

Jamestown Public Schools Activities Director, Jim Roaldson says, “The coaching staff and school administration made this difficult decision jointly to ensure the safety for all students and staff and mitigate potential further transmission of COVID-19.” stated Jim Roaldson, Activities Director for Jamestown.

No further details were released.

 

Thursday

District 5 girls volleyball tournament, opening round.

Carrington def Edgely-Kulm-Montpelier  3-0… (25-6, 25-9, 25-7)

Ellendale def Griggs/Midkota 3-0… (28-26, 25-15, 25-18)

 Friday’s Schedule

At 7-pm

No. 7 Edgeley/Kulm/Montpelier @ No. 6 Barnes County North (elimination match)

No. 5 Ellendale @ No. 1 Oakes (semifinal)

No. 3 Lamoure/Litchville/Marion @ No. 2 Carrington (semifinal)

Thursday
High School Volleyball

Century 3, Jamestown 1

Century def Jamestown  25-11, 25-13, 25-17

 

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The resurgence of coronavirus cases engulfing the United States and Europe is imperiling economic recoveries on both sides of the Atlantic as millions of individuals and businesses face the prospect of having to hunker down once again. Growing fear of an economic reversal coincided with a report Thursday that the U.S. economy grew at a record 33.1% annual rate in the July-September quarter. Even with that surge, the world’s largest economy has yet to fully rebound from its plunge in spring when the virus first erupted. And now the economy is slowing just as new confirmed viral cases accelerate and rescue aid from Washington aid has dried up.

 

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization’s Europe director says the 54-country region has again reached a new weekly record for confirmed cases, with more than 1.5 confirmed last week and more than 10 million since the start of the pandemic. WHO European regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said Thursday that “hospitalizations have risen to levels unseen since the spring” and that deaths have risen by more than 30% in the last week. He said, “At the risk of sounding alarmist, I must express our very real concern.” Along with the usual European countries, WHO includes includes Russia and some central Asian countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in its Europe region.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The major players in Washington’s COVID relief blame game are trading accusations as they mark time before an election that promises to change the landscape for talks that have dragged on for months. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a scolding assessment on Thursday, blaming Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for failing to produce answers to her demands for Democratic priorities as part of the approximately $2 trillion aid package. President Donald Trump again promised “a very big package as soon as the election is over” and faulted Pelosi for the pre-election standoff that has rattled markets and for now shows no signs of easing.

 

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — In the campaign’s final days, President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden are both appealing for voters to turn out in person on Election Day next Tuesday. Both candidates are chasing votes in Florida, a state all but essential to the Republican’s pathway to another term. Trump and Biden are appearing hours apart in Tampa, visiting the western end of the state’s Interstate 4 corridor. The area is known for its rapid residential growth, sprawling suburbs and status as an ever-changing, hard-fought battleground during presidential elections. Nationwide, more than 73 million Americans have already voted, either by absentee or by mail.

 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s election supervisors say lessons have been learned since the state’s infamous presidential recount in 2000 and they expect this year’s election to run smoothly. They say the state’s laws governing recounts are clear and no longer vague and contradictory. The punch-card ballots have long been replaced by paper ballots where voters fill in bubbles, like a school exam. Most voters are casting their ballots early by mail and at early voting sites. Those ballots are counted before Election Day, removing a possible logjam. Still, they worry about possible computer crashes, conflict outside polling places and premature declarations of victory that could cause some to question the results.

 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Power Outage US says power outages from Hurricane Zeta now exceed 2.5 million, stretching from Louisiana to Virginia. Georgia remains the worst overall state for outages, with more than 700,000 customers still without power in the Atlanta area and northern parts of the state. However, larger percentages of customers are without power in Louisiana and Alabama, with more than one-fifth of monitored meters without electricity.

 

MAURICEVILLE, Texas (AP) — Authorities in southeast Texas say a freight train has derailed and are urging nearby residents to evacuate their homes as hazmat crews assess the damage. The Orange County sheriff’s office says train cars left the track Thursday morning near Mauriceville, close to the Louisiana border. It’s unclear what the train was hauling and what caused it to derail. There are no reports of injuries. Authorities urged people to evacuate schools, businesses and homes within a mile of the site. Drone footage from the sheriff’s office shows train cars piled up along a railroad.