COAL PLANT SALE

Sale of largest coal plant in North Dakota reapproved

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. (AP) — Great River Energy’s cooperatives have once again approved the sale of the company’s Coal Creek power plant in North Dakota and an accompanying power line, despite opposition from its largest member. The sale of Coal Creek, near Underwood, North Dakota, was initially approved last June with 27 member co-ops voting in favor and Connexus Energy, of Ramsey, Minnesota, voting against it. The sale had to be reconsidered after some terms of the contract with Rainbow Energy Marketing, of Bismarck, North Dakota, were changed following last year’s vote. Connexus contends the sale won’t generate the savings originally expected, nor would it cut greenhouse gas emissions since the coal plant would remain open.

WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT

BIA officer dismissed from wrongful death lawsuit in ND

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — One of two Bureau of Indian Affairs officers has been dismissed from a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a man who was fatally shot on the Standing Rock Reservation in 2017. A federal judge has signed an order dismissing Gary Sandland Jr. from the lawsuit filed by the family of George “Ryan” Gipp Jr. The family claims Gipp was unarmed and obeyed instructions when officers used a Taser on him and shot him as he stumbled into a road ditch near Fort Yates. Sandland maintained he didn’t use his stun gun or his firearm, according to a document filed jointly by attorneys for Gipp’s family, the BIA and the officers.

POLICE FIGHT-DEATH LAWSUIT

Family of man who died after traffic stop sues city, police

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The family of a Mandan man who died after a traffic stop two years ago has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and several police officers. The federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday on the second anniversary of John “Ernie” Prudente’s death. The suit seeks unspecified money damages. Police stopped Prudente on Feb. 8, 2020 but Prudente drove off. When police caught up with Prudente, he started fighting with the officers and was handcuffed. He became unresponsive and died at a hospital. An autopsy found Prudente died of “excited delirium” as a result of methamphetamine use and underlying conditions.

HYDROGEN PROJECT-TRIBES

North Dakota tribe to supply natural gas to hydrogen plant

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Natural gas that’s being burned off and wasted as a byproduct of oil production on an American Indian reservation in North Dakota will be used as a feedstock for a proposed plant to produce carbon-free hydrogen. Bakken Energy and Mitsubishi Power Americas announced the deal Wednesday with the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation to be the natural gas supplier for its Great Plains Hydrogen Hub in western North Dakota. The $2 billion project was announced in June to produce clean hydrogen. Gov. Doug Burgum has hailed the project a key part of the state’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2030.

NORTH BAKKEN EXPANSION

North Bakken Expansion project online in northwestern ND

TIOGA, N.D. (AP) — A new $250 million natural gas pipeline in northwest North Dakota has gone online. WBI Energy announced construction and testing were completed for its North Bakken Expansion project, transferring natural gas from core production areas near Tioga to the Northern Border Pipeline near Watford City. Officials say it will add an additional 250 million cubic feet per day of natural gas north of Lake Sakakawea, an area with limited ability to transport.  North Dakota Pipeline Authority Director Justin Kringstad says it will also reduce flaring.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

Hospitals begin to limp out of the latest COVID-19 surge

Hospitalizations fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant in the U.S. have begun falling after peaking at record levels in some communities. But doctors are warning that the wave is leaving behind lots of postponed surgeries and an increasingly worn-out health care workforce in its wake. Across the U.S., the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has tumbled more than 28% over the past three weeks to about 105,000 on average.