CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Increasing clouds. Lows around 30. South winds 15 to 20 mph.

.FRIDAY…Partly sunny in the morning then clearing. Highs in the lower 40s. West winds 10 to 20 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Colder. Lows 10 to 15. West

winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the north after midnight.

.SATURDAY…Mostly cloudy. Colder. Highs in the lower 20s. North

winds 10 to 15 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy in the evening then clearing.

Lows zero to 5 above.

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

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows around 10.

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

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

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

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 20s.

.WEDNESDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.

 

Friday will be another mild, dry, and breezy day ahead of a cold

frontal passage Friday night into Saturday. This frontal passage

currently looks like the best, albeit still quite low, chance for

snow through the next week.

A drop in temperatures for Saturday.

 

Jamestown  (CVHD)  Central Valley Health District reports they will hold COVID 19 testing from 11 am to 12 noon

  • Fri. Feb 26

at the Jamestown Civic Center,  using the Rapid Testing, BinaxNow.

By screening with rapid antigen tests, event attendees will be able to receive their test results within 15 minutes via text notification. The test also is less invasive than a PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) test in that it uses a nasal swab to collect a sample from the lower part of the nostril.

If a person tests positive, they should isolate at home immediately and a case investigator will be in touch with them within 24 hours. If the screening yields a negative result, individuals should continue to monitor for symptoms.

Interested individuals should fill out an online survey at testreg.nd.gov for faster registration.

For more information about rapid antigen tests and North Dakota’s screening strategies, visit https://www.health.nd.gov/rapid-antigen-screening

Valley City  (CCHD) City/County Health in Valley City reminds residents that the COVID-19 Testing this week will be again  Friday Feb. 26 from 1-p.m., to 2-p.m., inside the VCSU Fieldhouse. Each day, Rapid Testing  will be held, and request if you would like the Rapid Test, or PCR Test.  Valley City Testing will now only be held each Monday and Friday.

These are walk-in testing events.  Please park your vehicle and enter through the west entrance. Handicapped parking space and access available at the east entrance.

Preregistration is required, on line at testreg.nd.gov.  A one time registration only is required.

 

Valley City (CCHD 2-25-21)  City County Health District Office in Valley City issued a news release on vaccinations.

“COVID-19 vaccinations are gearing up in Barnes County. Over 200 COVID-19 vaccinations were given on February 25 in Valley City at the Hi-Liner Activity Center. Another 400 vaccinations will be given on March 3rd, again at the HAC. In addition Sanford Health and Essentia Health are providing vaccine to their patients and each of the participating pharmacies will be receiving 100 doses this week.

City County Health District (CCHD) , the Incident Command Center for COVID-19 for Barnes County is the lead agency for managing COVID-19 in Barnes County and is in charge of these mass clinics which can reach out to all Barnes County adults. The North Dakota National Guard has been called in to assist with these mass vaccinations.

At the recent CCHD board meeting a variety of positive comments were shared with the board. Theresa Will, CCHD director and Incident Command Coordinator stated, “I am pleased with how the vaccinations are going, everything is going very smoothly. We have a terrific staff and they are working overtime to help our community get vaccinated.”

To date 3186 doses have been given in Barnes County (two doses per person) with 11.2% of county adults having received both shots. Both Moderna and Pfizer vaccine are being used. There are presently 6 active covid cases in the county.

The vaccine campaign is now moving into the second phase with persons age 65 and older with or without high risk medical conditions and person with two or more high risk medical conditions regardless of age. Child care workers and workers employed by preschools or Kindergarten through grade 12 can receive vaccinations at this time.

The Senior Citizen Center is offering free bus rides to any individuals needing transportation to the vaccine site. Everyone coming to a vaccination site must wear a mask. For now, people who have been vaccinated should wear a mask.

Anyone receiving a COVID-19 vaccination must register. Go to the City County Health District website (www.citycountyhealth.org) and click on “COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics”. All registration and criteria information will be found there. If you do not have a computer or need assistance registering, call CCHD at 845-8518.

Jamestown: The Fargo VA is also offering first-dose COVID-19 vaccines to all Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare, regardless of age, in Jamestown at the Gladstone Inn & Suites on March 10. Interested Veterans should call the Fargo VA Medical Center at (701) 239-3700, select option 2, to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine in Jamestown.

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats

Thurs. Feb. 25, 2021

11am

Barnes:

New Positives 0

Total Positives 1293

Active 4

Recovered 1251

 

Stutsman

NEW DEATH 1

Man in his 90s

TOTAL DEATHS 79

 

New Positives  0

Total Positives 3288

Active 7

Recovered 3190

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

Please note that from now on the daily news release will be sent Monday – Friday. The NDDoH dashboard will continue to be updated daily.

 

BY THE NUMBERS
120,562 Residents who received at least one dose of vaccine
201,181 Total COVID-19 vaccine doses administered
7,010 Total Tests from yesterday*
1,644,672 Total tests completed since the pandemic began
91 Positive Individuals from yesterday*****
43 PCR Tests
48 Antigen Tests
99,621 Total positive individuals since the pandemic began
1.74% Daily Positivity Rate**
706 Total Active Cases
+4 Change in active cases from yesterday
83 Individuals with a recovery date of yesterday****
97,474 Total recovered since the pandemic began
25 Currently hospitalized
-3 Change in hospitalizations from yesterday
1 New death(s) 
1,441 Total deaths since the pandemic began

 
INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19
Man in his 90s from Stutsman County 
 

NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED TODAY BY COUNTY
Adams 0 Grant 0 Ransom 1
Barnes 0 Griggs 0 Renville 0
Benson 1 Hettinger 2 Richland 5
Billings 0 Kidder 0 Rolette 0
Bottineau 3 LaMoure 0 Sargent 0
Bowman 4 Logan 0 Sheridan 0
Burke 0 McHenry 0 Sioux 0
Burleigh 21 McIntosh 0 Slope 0
Cass 21 McKenzie 0 Stark 3
Cavalier 0 McLean 0 Steele 0
Dickey 0 Mercer 0 Stutsman 0
Divide 0 Morton 2 Towner 0
Dunn 1 Mountrail 0 Traill 0
Eddy 0 Nelson 0 Walsh 1
Emmons 0 Oliver 0 Ward 7
Foster 2 Pembina 1 Wells 0
Golden Valley 1 Pierce 2 Williams 2
Grand Forks 9 Ramsey 2

 

* Note that this includes PCR and antigen; it does not include individuals from out of state. 

**Individuals (PCR or antigen) 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 with a PCR or antigen test and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19. Please remember that deaths are reported as they’re reported to us by the facility or through the official death record (up to 10-day delay). 

**** The actual date individuals are officially out of isolation and no longer contagious.

*****Daily positive numbers include people who tested with a PCR or antigen test. 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.

 

Valley City  (VCBC Library) –  The Valley City/Barnes County Library has issued a news release, updating changes in library operations.

“During their regular monthly meeting February 18, 2021, the library governing board made the following changes regarding library operations effective Monday March 1st:

  1. The library will open M-F at 10am, which was the original time pre-Covid. Saturdays will continue with the 1pm opening. Closing times will continue MWFS at 5pm and TR at 7pm. The two hours from 10am to noon will be appointment only, to accommodate patrons who may have health issues.
  2. Starting at noon M-F and 1pm Saturday, appointments will no longer be required. The library will continue with a five-patron limit at any one time. Because of this, patrons will still have the option to reserve an appointment time from noon to close. Patrons with an appointment will count toward the capacity limit, whether they have arrived yet or not.
    Walk-ins without an appointment will be admitted to the building unless we have reached the five-patron limit, at which time they will have to wait outside until a current patron departs. Library doors will remain locked to help control access. Please ring the door bell. Patron entrance and exit will remain only at the SE entrance.
  3. To better meet the needs of our younger patrons, school age children, 5 and up, be allowed in-person access to library materials starting at 3pm and going until close every day, including Saturday.

Face masks will continue to be required while in the library. Additionally, social distancing, and good hand hygiene practices will continue to be required to enter and remain the building. Patron visits will continue to be limited to a ½ hour.

Curbside service for all patrons will continue following the current protocols.

All returning library materials will continue with our current 48-hour quarantine protocol. As you have the previous several months, please continue to utilize the red drive-up drop box between the library and city county health. Desk returns will not be accepted unless otherwise instructed by a member of staff.

Any patron who chooses not to abide by the above rules will not be permitted entrance or will be asked to leave if they disregard the rules after entering. Any complaints or comments can be addressed to the director or a board member. Harassment of library staff, including the director, will not be tolerated.”

Bismarck (DHS)   The North Dakota State Hospital, which is part of the North Dakota Department of Human Services, received a two-year accreditation from The Joint Commission for its laboratory services area following an on-site survey review on Feb. 23. The accreditation represents the hospital’s commitment to providing safe and high-quality care to North Dakotans with mental health and substance use disorders.

“Our laboratory professionals are indispensable partners in providing patient-centered care and in improving health outcomes,” said Dr. Rosalie Etherington, the hospital’s superintendent. “Our successful survey is no surprise and is a testimony to the dedicated and excellent work of our lab director, Jodi Ronnigen and her valued staff.”

The state hospital’s laboratory services underwent a thorough inspection and evaluation for compliance with performance standards in a variety of areas including emergency management, infection prevention and control; documentation and process control; and staff qualifications and competency. The only identified need for improvement was the replacement of hard structures like counters and flooring for better infection prevention.

The accreditation was awarded at the conclusion of the one-day visit. The North Dakota State Hospital and its behavioral health care programs go through a separate accreditation process every three years. The hospital first received accreditation from The Joint Commission in 1956.

The North Dakota State Hospital provides specialized inpatient and residential care to individuals with severe, complex, and persistent mental illnesses and substance use disorders and remains the safety net for people whose behavioral challenges exceed community resources. It serves as the only psychiatric hospital for the Jamestown and Devils Lake regions.

The state hospital also provides substance use disorder treatment services through its Tompkins program for adults referred from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and locked residential evaluation and treatment services for sexually dangerous individuals. It works with the department’s eight regional human service centers and other providers to help patients transition to community-based outpatient treatment and recovery support services.

The Joint Commission is the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the country. It evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the country.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Bismarck police officer has been cited for driving through a crosswalk while on-duty and striking a pedestrian, who suffered minor injuries. Police say Officer Collin Schlect was responding to call that had been broadcast over the radio at 9:06 p.m. Friday when he drove into a parking lot to turn around. On the way out of the lot, his police SUV struck 44-year-old Marlo Hunt-Beaubrun while she was in a lighted, marked crosswalk. The 24-year-old Schlect was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The incident remains under investigation.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Lawyers for the North Dakota Legislature have documented alleged sexual harassment and threats by a Republican lawmaker and have forwarded a file to legislative leaders for potential action. Documents outlining a pattern of alleged sexually aggressive, lewd, and threatening behavior by Rep. Luke Simons were released Thursday. Legislative Council Director John Bjornson said he decided to release the documents following an incident Tuesday at the Capitol cafeteria where Simons accosted a pair of Democratic lawmakers over a disagreement about wearing a mask. The outburst has prompted scrutiny of other instances of alleged abuse toward colleagues and others.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Eight students are facing charges following a fight at a Fargo middle school that left a resource officer injured. Police say the students have been referred to juvenile court on a range of charges, including assault on a peace officer, simple assault and disorderly conduct. Authorities were notified of a fight in progress at Carl Ben Eielson Middle School on Tuesday. Police say the students disregarded commands to stop and when the officer tried to intervene he was injured by two of the students. Fargo Public Schools officials wouldn’t comment on how the fight started or the nature of injuries sustained by students or the officer.

In world and national news…

SAN DIEGO (AP) — President Joe Biden has lifted a Trump-era ban issued during the pandemic that lawyers said was blocking most legal immigration. Last spring, former President Donald Trump halted the issuance of green cards until the end of 2020 in the name of protecting the coronavirus-wracked economy. On Dec. 31, Trump extended those orders until the end of March. Biden said keeping out immigrant labor was hurting the U.S. economy, not protecting it. The order was blocking tens of thousands of people, including the relatives of U.S. permanent residents, immigrant employees and visa lottery winners.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some of the nation’s leading conservatives are gathering at a conference in Florida that will endorse former President Donald Trump’s continued dominance in Republican politics and promote his false claim that he lost the election only because of widespread voter fraud. The chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference is Trump ally Matt Schlapp. He says discussion panels will highlight what he calls “huge” evidence of illegal voting in Georgia, Nevada and elsewhere that ultimately swung the election for Democrat Joe Biden. Such baseless claims fueled the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and have been repeatedly dismissed by the courts and the Trump administration’s leading security officials.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are closing ranks against Democrats’ proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. And even as they do, the White House is seeming to rule out a procedural power play in the Senate to protect one of the measure’s provisions most treasured by progressives: a minimum wage hike. Democrats plan to push the sweeping package through the House on Friday. They were hoping the Senate would follow quickly enough to have legislation on President Joe Biden’s desk by mid-March. But the big suspense is over whether the nonpartisan parliamentarian will decide if the minimum wage plan can stay in the bill and enjoy its protection against a GOP filibuster.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has won Senate confirmation to be energy secretary. She’ll be a key Cabinet member trying to fulfill President Joe Biden’s commitment for a green economy as the United States fights to slow climate change. The vote was 64-35, with 14 Republicans, including GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, voting yes. Granholm served two terms as governor in a state dominated by the auto industry and devastated by the 2008 recession. Separately, Senate committees also heard from Biden’s nominees for surgeon general and trade representative.

 

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The head of a major Texas energy corporation says forced blackouts that left 4 million customers without electricity also unplugged plants that could have generated more power as the state’s grid was at the breaking point. Texas lawmakers on Thursday began public hearings on the crisis that led to one of the worst power outages in U.S. history. Curtis Morgan, the CEO of one of the state’s biggest energy companies, Vistra Corp., says the entire Texas grid was within minutes of total collapse under the strain of unprecedented demand last week.