Wayne Byers Show – Evening – Feb 26

CSi Weather…

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Increasing clouds. Isolated snow showers. Colder. Lows around 15. West winds around 5 mph with gusts to around 20 mph shifting to the northeast after midnight. Chance of snow

20 percent, in the Jamestown area, 30 percent in the Valley City area.

.SATURDAY…Mostly cloudy. Isolated snow showers in the morning.

Much colder. Highs in the lower 20s. North winds 10 to 15 mph.

Chance of snow 20 percent, in the Jamestown area, 40 percent in the Valley City area.

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

Lows 5 to 10 above. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 30s. West winds 10 to

20 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph in the afternoon.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Lows

5 to 10 above.

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

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

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s.

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

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

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

.THURSDAY…Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s.

Another weak cold front and associated mid level wave may bring a chance for light precipitation to the region on Sunday, otherwise dry conditions prevail through the work week.

Mild/Pacific air back into the Northern Plains. Widespread highs in the 40s and 50s (with the exception of the Turtle Mountains) are expected by early next week, with highs towards the end of the work week nearing 60F over the southwest.

UPDATE

Valley City (VCPD) Valley City Police Chief Phil Hatcher on Friday afternoon reported that as of that time the Thursday evening shooting incident in Valley City was still under investigation.

He said it appears that both parties involved in this incident knew each other and no known threat exists to the general public.

The victim, a 31 year old Valley City resident is recovering in a Fargo hospital.

The suspect, 26 year old Alex Morridian from Valley City has been arrested and is awaiting a formal appearance in Barnes County District Court, charged with Attempted Murder, a Class A Felony, for which a maximum penalty is 20 years in prison a $20,000 fine, or both may be imposed.

If anyone had information in regard to the case, or any others, please contact Valley City Police at 701-845-311o.

Previously….

Valley City (VCPD) The Valley City Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred Thursday evening around 7-p.m., in the 500 block of 11th Avenue SW.

Police Chief Phil Hatcher says, “Officers quickly responded and assisted in securing the area and providing medical assistance to a male that had suffered a gunshot wound to the torso.”

The wounded person was taken by Barnes County Ambulance to CHI Mercy Hospital and later to a medical facility in Fargo. The suspect was taken into custody. There is no current threat to the public.

No other information will be released at this time until investigations are complete. More details will be reported Friday.

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats

Fri. Feb 26, 2021

11am

Barnes:

New Positives 1

Total Positives 1294

Active 4

Recovered 1253

Stutsman

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.

* 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.

UPDATE

The first and second dose of the COVID Pfizer Vaccination Clinic will be Tues March 2 for those who have pre-registered from 9am to 1:30pm at the Jamestown Civic Center Exchequer Room.

Thurs March 4 from 10-a.m., to 2-p.m. the COVID Vaccination Clinic is for the first and second dose of the vaccine, for those who have pre-registered, also at the Jamestown Civic Center, Exchequer Room, use the north entrance.

Valley City (CCHD 2-27-21)  City-County Health District (CCHD) is prepared to move into the final eligible priority groups within Phase 1B of North Dakota’s COVID-19 vaccination plan: childcare workers, preschool and K-12 school workers.

Due to a substantial allocation of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, CCHD is offering a mass-vaccination clinic on Wednesday, March 3rd from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Valley City Jr/Sr High School Gym. “We are grateful for the support of Valley City Public Schools in hosting these safe and convenient events,” said Theresa Will, Administrator for CCHD.

Those who are currently eligible, who wish to be vaccinated by City-County Health District must register for an appointment by visiting www.citycountyhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine. Those in need of clinic registration support are encouraged to call CCHD at 701-845-8518.

The Health District reports 3,535 vaccines administered in the County to date with 2,122 given by CCHD. Vaccine coverage rates are growing positively—currently at 23.4% for 1st doses in Barnes County and 12.2% coverage for 2nd doses.

For information and updates related to COVID-19 vaccination in North Dakota, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/covid-19-vaccine-information.

Valley City (Chamber)  The Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce has announced, an increase in the amount of the maximum Chamber Bucks able to purchase, in the For Love of Local economic stimulus program.

Chamber Executive, Kay Vinjee says that now, the maximum amount that can be  purchased is $1,000, up from $500, and the Chamber Bucks can now be purchased by each family member.

She pointed out that the program continues to be very successful, with the intent of bolstering the local economy to keep the Valley City community strong.  The Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce website has more details about terms, conditions, and special offers regarding the use of Chamber Bucks.

Valley City  (CSi)  A meeting to begin an update to the Barnes County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Monday, March 1, 2021, in the Skoal Room in the Student Center at Valley City State University.

The plan update will review mitigation strategies for Barnes County and the incorporated cities.  Townships and unincorporated cities are included under the county jurisdiction.  Representatives from each jurisdiction in the county are invited to attend.  The meeting is open to the public.

The meeting’s agenda will include and overview and intent of mitigation planning, how the current plan is used, a review of stakeholders, scheduling of meetings, identification of hazards impacting the county’s people and property, and overview of the mitigation survey for the planning process.

A mitigation plan helps local jurisdictions prioritize what they need to do to keep people safe and limit losses.  The plan works as a tool to identify vulnerabilities, risks, and develop mitigation actions to limit loss of life and property.  It is also required for the jurisdictions to access grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other sources.

Nexus Planning & Consulting, Inc., Bismarck, ND, was hired to facilitate the planning process and write the plan.

For more information, please contact Barnes County Emergency Manager Sue Lloyd at 701-845-8510; email: slloyd@barnescounty.us or Planner Daniel Schwartz at Nexus at 701-989-7970; email: dschwartz@nexusplanco.com

Bismarck (CSi)  –  The North Dakota Department of Commerce today announced that $20 million in grant funds are available for round two of the Hospitality Economic Resiliency Grant PLUS which will be open for applications on March 9 at 10 a.m. CST.

“North Dakota’s lodging sector lost more than $178 million in visitor spending in 2020 with demand continuing at depressed levels to start off 2021,” Interim Commerce Commissioner Shawn Kessel said. “These businesses are vital to our communities for visitors and the local workforce and supporting business.”

The Hospitality Economic Resiliency Grant PLUS expands the Hospitality Economic Resiliency Grant (HERG) to provide funding for the accommodation sector which includes hotels, motels, lodges, and resort establishments. The Hospitality Economic Resiliently Grant PLUS is intended to assist the state’s hotels, motels and lodging businesses who have been impacted by loss of revenue due to low occupancy rates as a result of the pandemic.

The grant is not intended for private vacation rentals or bed-and-breakfasts who rent rooms, apartments, condos or homes to the traveling public through online marketplaces. Extended stay hotels that offer rooms for an ongoing nightly basis are eligible but, those who only serve long-term stays defined as 30 days or more are not eligible.

Eligible facilities may apply for up to $40,000. Applicants with more than one facility may apply for up to $80,000 with maximum of $40,000 to be used per location. Grant recipients are required to comply with ND Smart Restart protocols.

Funds must be used to reimburse eligible entities for costs in operations, like payroll, rent and utilities. Eligible expenses must have been incurred on or after March 27, 2020, and no later than Dec. 29, 2020.

Recipients of the first round of the Hospitality Economic Resiliency Grant PLUS may be eligible for round two funds if the recipient received less than the full eligible amount. In this case, the recipient may be eligible for the difference between the two rounds, up to the maximum distribution allowed per grant. Different expenses from round one reimbursements must be submitted to receive round two funds.

Applications will be processed as they are received. Funding will be approved if the application meets all criteria and funding is available. Additional information is available at belegendary.link/PHERG.

Bismarck  (CSi)  – The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality awarded loans for water projects to two communities and a water district through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program in January and February.

• Cooperstown received an $800,000 DWSRF loan to replace eight blocks of asbestos cement water main that reached the end of its service life and resulted in numerous water main breaks. This project will ensure reliable water service to residents.
• Lakota received a $313,000 DWSRF loan to replace a 10” transmission line from the water treatment plant to the distribution system after a sudden failure in 2020. This project will restore an adequate quantity of water to the system.
• North Prairie Regional Water District received a $3,825,000 DWSRF loan to construct 18 miles of transmission line, a new booster station, rehabilitate an existing booster station, and construct approximately 160 miles of water main line serving approximately 140 new users. The project will provide a more reliable source of quality water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides part of the DWSRF Program’s funding, which offers below-market interest rate loans to political subdivisions for financing projects authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act. DWSRF programs operate nationwide to provide funding to maintain and improve the infrastructure that protects our vital water resources.

Loans are awarded to projects that are listed on the NDDEQ project priority list based on project eligibility and ability to repay.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Legislature has finished work on bills in its respective chambers, and when the session resumes Wednesday after a recess, lawmakers will be faced with hundreds more measures in what’s known as “crossover.” That’s when senators will begin working on House bills, and vice versa. Some of the highlights in the session’s second half are bills that deal with breastfeeding, recreational marijuana, masks, gas taxes and transgender sports. The showpiece of the 2021 session is a landmark $680 million bonding package aimed largely at financing infrastructure projects across the state.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is expected to pass a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package late Friday that includes $1,400 checks for most Americans and billions of dollars for schools, state and local governments and businesses. Republicans say the spending is vastly more than what is needed for the pandemic. But Democrats and President Joe Biden say a robust aid package is necessary to prevent a long and painful economic recovery. Their goal is to have COVID-19 relief approved by mid-March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires.

(AP) The U.N. Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution demanding that all warring parties immediately institute a “sustained humanitarian pause” to enable the unhindered delivery of COVID-19 vaccines and the vaccination of millions of people in conflict areas. The British-drafted resolution was co-sponsored by 112 countries. The measure approved Friday reiterates the council’s demand for “a general and immediate cessation of hostilities” in major conflicts on the Security Council agenda from Syria and Yemen to Central African Republic, Mali and Sudan and Somalia. It also expresses concern that an appeal for cease-fires in all conflicts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t been fully heeded.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s top health officials have revealed the state has requested federal law enforcement to investigate alleged theft of coronavirus vaccine doses in the state’s most populous county. In a Friday news conference, health official also said a volunteer improperly vaccinated two children despite the shot not being cleared for young minors. The details come after the state previously announced that roughly 2,400 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been wasted in Shelby County over the past month due to miscommunication and insufficient record-keeping inside the local health department. The county had also built up nearly 30,000 excessive vaccine doses in its inventory.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s crown prince likely approved the killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. That’s according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence report released Friday. The finding could escalate pressure on the Biden administration to hold the kingdom accountable for a murder that drew widespread outrage in the U.S. and abroad. The central conclusion of the report was widely expected given that intelligence officials were said to have reached it soon after the brutal October 2018 murder of Khashoggi, a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s authoritarian consolidation of power. Still, the public blaming amounted to an extraordinary rebuke of the ambitious 35-year-old crown prince.

ROME (AP) — A U.N. investigation into the attack on a humanitarian convoy in Congo will look into whether security protocols were followed and whether information might have leaked to the unknown gunmen involved in the ambush. The attack killed Italy’s ambassador to Congo, his security escort and their Congolese driver.The deputy communications director of the World Food Program told an online briefing Friday that the Feb. 22 mission to bring the ambassador to a WFP school feeding program in eastern Congo had been in the works since 2020. Advance planning and security meetings as well as security briefings took place up to the moment the seven-member team took off from Goma, in Congo’s east, in a two-car convoy bound for the program in Rutshuru.

(AP)  A faction of local, county and state Republican officials across the country is pushing lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories online that echo those that helped inspire the U.S. Capitol insurrection. These GOP officials’ posts are being amplified by algorithms that boost extreme content, allowing the officials to grow their bases on social media and exert outsize sway on their communities, city councils, county boards and state assemblies. The Associated Press reviewed social media accounts of nearly 1,000 federal, state and local elected and appointed Republican officials. The rhetoric exposes the GOP’s internal struggle over whether it can include traditional conservative politicians, conspiracy theorists and militias.

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced Friday that no charges will be filed in the 2017 death of Tory Sanders, a Black inmate at a rural jail. Sanders died under similar circumstances to George Floyd, after a white law enforcement officer’s knee was pressed on his neck. Schmitt says there is not enough evidence to prove first- or second-degree murder. He says these charges are the only options because the statute of limitations had expired on other potential charges, such as manslaughter. The 28-year-old Tennessee man died at the Mississippi County Jail in Charleston, Missouri, in May 2017.