CSi Weather…

TONIGHT…Clear. Lows around 40. West winds around 10 mph.

.WEDNESDAY…Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. West winds 10 to  20 mph.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

.THURSDAY…Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s. Southwest winds 10 to

15 mph.

.THURSDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s.

.FRIDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s.

.SATURDAY…Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 50s.

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

Lows in the mid 30s.

.SUNDAY…Partly sunny. Rain likely in the morning, then chance

of rain possibly mixed with snow in the afternoon. Highs in the

lower 40s. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of snow in

the evening, then mostly cloudy after midnight. Lows 15 to 20.

 

November 2020 Stutsman County unofficial election results

State Senator District 12
Republican

*Cole Conley 3251

Democratic-NPL
John Grabinger  2544

State Representative District 12
Republican
*Mitch Ostlie 3314
*Bernie Satrom 3417

Democratic-NPL
Pam Musland 2207
George Barnes 1820

County Commissioner

*Joan Morris 4936

*Mark T Klose 5618

Total Ballots Cast 10,024

Eligible Voters 16,720

 

UPDATE

Nov 3, 2020 Barnes County Election unofficial election results

Technical difficulties in the vote, with a technician coming to Valley City from Minnesota, Tuesday evening.

Totals From The ND Sec. of State’s Website as of 5-a.m. Wed. Nov 4, 2020

Includes voting in Barnes, Cass, and Ransom Counties

District 24 State Representative…

Cole Christensen, GOP 3568

Dwight Kiefert, GOP (i) 3689

Naomi Muscha, Dem 2854

Bradley Edin, Dem 2490

District 24 State Senator

Larry Robinson (Dem.) 3409

Mike Wobbema (GOP) 3533

 

Barnes County Commission…

District 1

Rockne Gerard Earles 494

Cindy Louise Schwehr 657

 

District 5

Scott Alan Cole 486

Peter Thomas Paulson 546

On Tuesday November 3, 2020 at noon, Barnes County and Stutsman County voter turnout numbers showed a large percentage of ballots were returned by absentee, early voting and mail in and drop off ballots. Those are still being tabulated on Tuesday.

Barnes County Auditor Beth Diddier said, 92-percent of the election ballots were received before election day, from mail ins and drop offs. One polling place is being used for election day balloting at the Barnes County Courthouse, open to 7-p.m.,Tuesday.

In Stutsman County at noon, the numbers showed, of the 5,454 absentee ballots sent, 4,394 ballots were returned. Early voting ballots were 2,733. At the Civic Center polling location at noon Tuesday 1,278 ballots were cast.

Mail in ballots with a postmark of no later than November 2, 2020 will be counted. If received after election day with a valid post mark they will be added during canvassing.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — President Donald Trump and Gov. Doug Burgum have earned lopsided victories in North Dakota, a state with a long history of backing Republicans. Trump remains popular in the state where oil is king. Burgum defeated Democrat Shelley Lenz four years after he won his first term as a businessman looking to reinvent government. With the pandemic running unchecked in North Dakota, Lenz had tried to make an issue of Burgum’s management. U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong also won another term, defeating Democrat Zach Raknerud.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  Central Valley Health District held a City of Jamestown COVID-19 Briefing on Tuesday November 3 at 2:30-p.m. via zoom virtual platform.

Speakers included, representatives from Central Valley Health District, the City of Jamestown, and Jamestown Public Schools.

 

 

Central Valley Health District, Unit Administrator, Robin Barnes said, as of Tuesday there have been 1147 positive COVID-19 cases in Stutsman County since the start of the pandemic.  She said the State Health Department on Tuesday reported a record one day positive tests at 86, with 267 active cases, and at total of 10 COVID-19 related deaths.

On October 30  there were 300 test given and from those 53 were positive.  She added that there are still 30 tests results to be reported.

She anticipates that due to fast rising COVID-19 positive cases in Stutsman County it could be moved to the Orange, or High Risk category which will inhibit travel within the county, and curtain business operation hours, and capacities.

Robin added that in schools, the positive cases are stemming from contacts outside the school setting.

As of Tuesday the Stutsman County positivity rate per 100,000 residents was 13.78 percent, with state rate at 15.76 percent.  The Stutsman County Rolling positivity rate was at 8.85 percent with the goal of 5 percent or less.

There are a variety of ages testing positive from 20 to 60 years old in the highest positive age range.

Next COVID-19 screening is planned for  Friday November 6 from 10-a.m., to noon at the Jamestown Civic Center, with 400 test kits to be available.  She pointed out that test results take about five days, to return, and those having tested need to isolate until those results come in.

Robin added that on Tuesday, November 3, there were 198 tests given at the University of Jamestown, and on October 30 there were 300 tests given at the Civic Center, until the test kits ran out.

She urges residents to receive flu immunizations with the next flu clinic on Thursday November 5 from 10-a.m., to 3-p.m., at the Jamestown Civic Center.

From the City of Jamestown, Mayor Dwaine Heinrich asked the community to adopt a “Say yes to staying safe,” attitude.  He said Jamestown has a sense of community, pointed out past instances when citizens stepped up to support the community, which needs to apply to mitigating the spread of the virus, which has become rampant in Jamestown and Stutsman County.

He also pointed out that if or when Stutsman County is moved to the county high risk level, it will mean more stringent restrictions, including limiting group outings, and shortening the hours of business operation, and restrictions on capacities.  He urges employers to have employee mask-up, and encourage customers to do the same, to limit community spread of the virus.

Mitigation will lessen the stress on medical facilities.

From Jamestown Public Schools, Superintendent, Dr. Robert Lech said, the school board has reviewed the results of the public input survey regarding the school districts plans and guidelines, with a special school board meeting on Monday November 9 at 5:15- p.m. to address any further action or changes, in the face to face learning, slated to begin later this month at Jamestown High School.

He pointed out that COVID-19 transmission in schools is  not  the same as in the public setting regarding community spread.  He said the highest rate of cases results from close contacts in with in-school, and co-curricular activities.  He urges staff and students to stay home if they are sick.

He added that at this time less that three percent of the staff was tested positive.

He added that at this time Jamestown Public Schools, plan to stay open within the school buildings, however that is predicated on community mitigation of the coronavirus spread.

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 10 The Replay Channel, followed by replays.

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats

Mon. Nov. 2, 2020

11- am

Barnes

New Positives   11

Total Positives 425

Active Cases 67

Recovered  357

 

Stutsman

New Positives 86

Total Positives 1147

Active Cases  267

Recovered  870

More information as it becomes available.

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


BY THE NUMBERS

7,997 – Total Tests from Yesterday*

892,557 – Total tests completed since the pandemic began

1,198 – Positive Individuals from Yesterday*****

47,187 – Total positive individuals since the pandemic began

15.72% – Daily Positivity Rate**

 

8,396 Total Active Cases

-44 Individuals from yesterday

1,201 – Individuals Recovered from Yesterday (755 with a recovery date of yesterday****)

38,236 – Total recovered since the pandemic began

215 – Currently Hospitalized

+0 – Individuals from yesterday

15 – New Deaths*** (555 total deaths since the pandemic began) 

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

  • Man in his 50s from Benson County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Burleigh County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Burleigh County.
  • Woman in her 90s from Burleigh County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Cass County.
  • Man in his 70s from Dickey County
  • Man in his 80s from LaMoure County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Pierce County.
  • Man in his 80s from Rolette County.
  • Man in his 90s from Stark County.
  • Man in his 90s from Towner County.
  • Woman in her 80s from Towner County.
  • Man in his 80s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 80s from Ward County.
  • Man in his 90s from Wells County.

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED TUESDAY

  • Adams County – 6
  • Barnes County – 11
  • Benson County – 2
  • Bottineau County – 1
  • Bowman County – 1
  • Burke County – 5
  • Burleigh County – 146
  • Cass County – 176
  • Cavalier County – 19
  • Dickey County – 11
  • Divide County – 3
  • Dunn County – 2
  • Eddy County – 2
  • Foster County – 10
  • Grand Forks County – 218
  • Grant County – 1
  • Griggs County – 2
  • Kidder County – 2
  • LaMoure County – 4
  • McHenry County – 8
  • McIntosh County – 1
  • McKenzie County – 15
  • McLean County – 13
  • Mercer County – 5
  • Morton County – 42
  • Mountrail County – 14
  • Nelson County – 4
  • Pembina County – 11
  • Pierce County – 4
  • Ramsey County – 6
  • Ransom County – 21
  • Richland County – 18
  • Rolette County – 41
  • Sargent County – 2
  • Sioux County – 13
  • Stark County – 13
  • Steele County – 3
  • Stutsman County – 86
  • Towner County – 4
  • Traill County – 13
  • Walsh County – 25
  • Ward County – 182
  • Wells County – 6
  • Williams County – 26

 

* 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.

Jamestown  (CSi)  A number of  Jamestown Public Schools teachers and staff  have presented a signed a letter to the Jamestown Public School Board expressing their concerns of face-to-face learning amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

High School Teacher Shelly Moltzen said in part that due to the current environment and increase in cases, they’re not in agreement with the return to face-to-face learning in the High School on November 16th.

She adds, the teacher, signing the letter,  support continuing the hybrid learning model through the rest of the year and addressing a change for next semester.

Board member Bob Toso said if the public wanted to have their students back in school full-time, it relates to taking personal responsibility.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Lech said when  making a decision, there would always be those who disagree with what’s decided upon.

The Jamestown Public School Board has directed the Instructional Plan Review Team to meet and discuss the plan decision and provide a recommendation at a special board meeting on Monday, November 9 at 5:15 p.m.

 

Valley City  (CSi)  The Valley City Commission met in Regular Session via Zoom virtual platform on Wednesday evening at City Hall. All members were present.

APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS:

Monthly Reports from the Fire Chief, Building Inspector, Auditor, Municipal Judge and Public Works Accountant.

Monthly Bills for the City and Public Works in the Amount of $ 1,566,701.65.

Public Comments:  No One Spoke

ORDINANCE

Approved the first reading of Ordinance No. 1066, an Ordinance Approving Franchise Agreement with Qwest/CenturyLink. City Attorney Martineck said every 10 years the franchise agreement comes due. Martineck said more changes are needed, before the second reading.

RESOLUTION

Approved a Resolution accepting the  bid and awarding contract to Strata Corporation for Project No. UGP-SU-2-999(051), PCN 22280-Streetscape Phase II. KLJ said the Strata Corporation bid was the lowest of three bids, at $2,197,370, with the local share at $254,000, with supplemental funding from the CARES Act. A portion will be special assessed to affected property owners, on Central Avenue.

NEW BUSINESS

Approved was the annual Maintenance Certification for urban federal aid projects.

The City Commission approved the second half installment of liquor and beer licenses.

Discussion was held on the vision of the Future of Valley City.  Items under consideration included promoting business, getting people to move to Valley City, which will reduce property taxes.

Commissioner Magnuson requested the commission to consider and give ideas to the vision, including a thriving downtown.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT:

Gwen Crawford update contracts with the city being discussed.  She added the franchise agreement is under review with Century Link.  She noted city crews cleaning up areas of the city.  She said two hour parking plans not already posted will be implemented in the spring.

CITY UPDATES &COMMISSION REPORTS

City Attorney Martineck said future commission meetings will be decided on either virtual or in the Commission Chambers, wearing face masks and social distancing.

Public Works Manager Gary Jacobson said the public works budget meetings will start this week.

Fire Chief Scott Magnuson said the department helped organize and keep safe Halloween gatherings.

Commission Gulmon urged citizens to support the mitigation of the spread of COVID-19, and Mayor Carlsrud urged citzens to mask-up and observe social distancing.

The meeting was shown on CSi Cable 68 followed by replays.

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum Tuesday announced that $2.5 million in emergency grant relief has been awarded to North Dakota colleges and universities to support modified learning and workforce training enhancements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, created by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), allows the governor to provide support to local educational agencies and institutions of higher education. North Dakota received approximately $5.93 million in GEER funding from the U.S. Department of Education, $2.5 million of which was made available to higher education through a competitive grant process.

“These grants will ensure our colleges and universities continue to have the resources and equipment they need to provide critical workforce training and education across the state,” Burgum said.

Over 40 proposals were received totaling more than $7.5 million for the competitive grants. Grants awarded will provide the needed resources to enhance training for students in the health care, manufacturing and energy industries, fund technology improvements needed for modified classrooms and support the creation of curriculum to adapt to education during and after the pandemic. A list of the grant awards is available here.

A competitive grant process also was held for GEER funding for K-12 education. Those applications are still being evaluated.

For more information on North Dakota’s COVID-19 response, visit www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus or www.ndresponse.gov.

 

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s planning an aggressive legal strategy to try prevent Pennsylvania from counting mailed ballots that are received in the three days after the election. The deadline for receiving and counting absentee ballots is in the battleground state is Friday, an extension ordered by Pennsylvania’s top court. But it’s not clear what other legal issues may arise on Election Day. Since the 2000 presidential election, which was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court, both parties have enlisted legal teams to prepare for the possibility that voting wouldn’t settle the contest.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The latest tally of early voting in the U.S. shows that almost 102 million Americans cast their votes before Election Day, an eye-popping total that represents 73% of the total turnout of the 2016 presidential election. The Associated Press tally reveals that the early vote in several states, including hotly-contested Texas and Arizona, has already exceeded the total vote of four years ago. Early voting — whether in-person or by mail-in or absentee ballot — has swelled during the COVID-19 pandemic as voters have sought the safety and convenience it offers.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The third-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House is predicting Democrats will pick up as many as a dozen House seats. Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said outside a polling place in Columbia, South Carolina, on Tuesday he believed it would be a “good night for Democrats” up and down the ticket. Clyburn says, “Holding the House would just be status quo. Winning the Senate would make it good.” Democrats control the House 232-197, with five open seats and one independent. It takes 218 seats to control the chamber. Republicans control the Senate. Clyburn has expressed concerns about voter suppression. Clyburn says the nation’s division didn’t start with President Donald Trump and “won’t stop with Trump.”

 

LONDON (AP) — Britain has raised its terror threat level to severe, its second-highest level, following recent attacks in Austria and France. The threat level of severe means is considered highly likely. The level had previously been at substantial, meaning an attack is thought to be likely. Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted on Tuesday that that the decision is a “precautionary measure and is not based on any specific threat.’’ She asked the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to the police. The move was announced a man who had previously tried to join the Islamic State group killed four people Monday night in Austria’s capital of Vienna.

 

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) — The heart of powerful Hurricane Eta began has moving ashore in Nicaragua with devastating winds and rains that have already destroyed rooftops and caused rivers to overflow. And more days of rain are in the forecast. Eta is a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph and it made landfall after grinding for hours just off the coast. Authorities in Nicaragua and Honduras have moved people from outer islands and low-lying areas to shelters. Residents also scrambled to shore up their homes, but few structures along Nicaragua’s remote Caribbean coast were built to withstand such force.

 

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — A cruise ship industry group says its members are extending the suspension of U.S. sailing operations through the end of the year, just days after the U.S. government effectively lifted its no-sail order despite a global spike in coronavirus infections. Cruise Lines International Association said its members will use the rest of the year to implement measures to address COVID-19 safety. On Friday, federal health officials issued new rules that will enable large cruise ships to start sailing again in U.S. waters, though not immediately. The cruise industry group estimates that the suspension of cruises snuffed out more than $25 billion in economic activity and 164,000 American jobs.

 

 

LONDON (AP) — A half-million people in the English city of Liverpool will be regularly tested for COVID-19 in Britain’s first citywide trial of widespread, rapid testing that the government hopes will be a new weapon in combatting the pandemic. The government said in a statement Tuesday that testing will begin later this week at sites throughout the city using a variety of technologies, including new methods that can provide results in an hour or less. Everyone who lives or works in the city in northwestern England will be offered the test, regardless of whether they have symptoms.