CANADA-US-BORDER DEATHS

Human smuggling suspect from Florida released without bond

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A Florida man arrested for human smuggling after the bodies of four people were found near the Canada and U.S. border during a blizzard has been released from jail without having to pay bond. Steve Shand is charged with transport or attempted transport of illegal immigrants, after the four bodies were discovered in Canada and seven Indian nationals were found in the U.S. He is not charged in the deaths. Federal Magistrate Judge Hildy Bowbeer of Minnesota didn’t order bond Monday, but said Shand must obey several release conditions. Shand had to surrender his passport. He is only allowed to travel to Florida and Minnesota, where court proceedings will take place.

RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA-NORTH DAKOTA

Effort to put recreational cannabis question on ballot fails

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — An effort to gather enough signatures to place a question about legalizing recreational marijuana on the ballot in North Dakota has fallen short. Organizers failed to turn in at least 31,164 valid signatures to the secretary of state by Saturday to put the question to voters. Sponsoring committee member Dustin Peyer, of Driscoll, told the Bismarck Tribune the group has gathered 19,500 signatures in its one-year time limit. Peyer said the signature threshold is a lot to accomplish by unpaid volunteers. A similar effort failed in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hampered the group’s signature-gathering.

OIL SPILL-VANDALISM

Report: Vandalism leads to oil well spill near Watford City

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Officials say a produced water spill at an oil well near Watford City was due to vandalism. North Dakota Oil and Gas Division officials say valves were opened Sunday on the location, leading to a spill of more than 18,000 gallons. Most of the wastewater had been recovered by vacuum trucks. Produced water is a mixture of saltwater and oil that can contain drilling chemicals. It’s a byproduct of oil and gas development. A state inspector has been to the Abraxas Petroleum Corp. site and will monitor cleanup required.

AP-US-BODIES-FOUND-MINNESOTA

Minnesota police: Poison gas that killed 7 came from furnace

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say a furnace was the source of carbon monoxide that last month killed seven members of an immigrant family from Honduras living in Minnesota. Police in Moorhead have said blood samples from the victims showed a lethal level of carbon monoxide, but further testing was needed to determine whether the source was the furnace or a van parked in an attached garage. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office has found that the poison gas could not have come from a combustion engine. Investigators found a carbon monoxide detector in the garage had been replaced with a smoke-only detector. Technicians initially found no defect in the furnace that would have sent carbon monoxide into the home.

HOUSE FIRE-FATALITY

1 dead in early-morning house fire in Valley City

VALLEY CITY, N.D. (AP) — Authorities say one person is dead after fire that gutted a home in Valley City over the weekend. Valley City Fire Chief Scott Magnuson said the fire was reported about 3:30 a.m. Sunday in the southeastern part of town. KFGO radio reports that flames and heavy smoke prevented firefighters from entering the home before putting out the blaze. Officers later determined that one person was missing. An occupant of the home was found in the lower level. An autopsy is scheduled at the University of North Dakota forensic pathology department. The state Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause.

TOW TRUCK CRASH-FATALITY

Woman who died in Cass County tow truck crash identified

TOWER CITY, N.D. (AP) — The North Dakota Highway Patrol has identified the woman who died when an SUV crashed into an unoccupied tow truck left on the interstate in Cass County. The crash about 9 p.m. Saturday also critically injured two children, ages 9 and 14, and seriously wounded the SUV driver. The patrol says 43-year-old Kelli Hagerott was killed and the driver, 42-year-old Timothy Hagerott, was taken to a Fargo hospital along with the two children. Authorities say the tow truck had a mechanical issue and was left on Interstate 94 near Tower City. The patrol says the tow truck driver got a ride from the scene and left his truck.