wbPM3CSi Weather…

.SATURDAY NIGHT…INCREASING CLOUDS.  SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS
AFTER MIDNIGHT IN THE JAMESTOWN AREA.  LOWS IN THE LOWER 40S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.SUNDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS AROUND 60. SOUTHEAST WINDS 10 TO
15 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 40S.
HIGHS IN THE LOWER 60S.
.MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN
THE MID 40S. HIGHS IN THE MID 60S.
.THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 60S.

 

Kindred (CSi) The school bus driver injured in the school bus, semis crash near Kindred has died.

Cathy Jostad, died early Friday morning according to a CaringBridge site maintained by her family.

Her daughter Lisa wrote, “Sadly after a courageous fight Mom passed away today shortly after midnight. Words cannot express how much everyone’s support has meant to us.”

The initial crash happened about 8:55 a.m. on September 25, 2015. Jostad was driving 34 children, two teachers and a paraprofessional east on North Dakota Highway 46 for a field trip in heavy fog when she hit a semi that was attempting a turn west onto the highway from Richland County Road 1. Two other semis were also involved in the crash.

It took almost an hour for first responders to pull Jostad from the wreckage. She was the only one in the crash to sustain serious injuries.

Jostad had both of her legs amputated after the crash Sept. 25.

None of the 32 students aboard the bus was seriously injured in the crash, but Jostad was pinned in the wreckage and it took rescue crews more than half an hour to free her and take her to a Fargo hospital.

State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler issued a statement saying she was “deeply saddened” by Jostad’s death.

Fargo’s Boulger Funeral Home confirmed to The Associated Press that Cathy Jostad died early Friday and said funeral arrangements were pending.

 

Jamestown (CSi) The Fraternal Order of Police, James Valley Region, Lodge Number 4, Liason will appear at the Jamestown City Council meeting Monday, October 5th, and meet further with the Stutsman County Commission to push for the city and county to implement the state’s Public Employees Retirement System, for local law enforcement employees.

On Friday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, Nellie Degen said, that

PERS allows officers to make their own contributions so they may retire at an earlier date, as early as age 55, and has been available in North Dakota since 2003.

She pointed out that PERS for law enforcement, is separate from the PERS mainstream program of public employees.

She will appear at the Jamestown City Council meeting on October 5th, to ask council members to consider adding the program to the 2016 city budget and approve the program for the Jamestown Police Department.

She added that political subdivisions that have PERS available for local law enforcement is a good recruitment tool, noting that with officers under emotional and physical stress and limitation as they get older officers will benefit from being able to retire at age 55.

The program also allows law enforcement employees to make contributions to there retirement package at an earlier age.

She urges community members in favor of implementing the program in Jamestown and Stutsman County to contact Jamestown City Council, and Stutsman County Commission members.

 

MINOT, N.D. (AP) – A judge sentenced a Kenmare woman to 25 years in prison Friday after defense attorneys and prosecutors reached a plea agreement in the starvation death of her 13-year-old son.

Thirty-six-year-old Jessica Jensen last year pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in the January 2014 death of Aidan Bossingham. She reached an earlier plea deal that called for her to spend 16 years in prison, but District Judge Gary Lee rejected those terms.

Jensen acknowledged not getting proper medical treatment that would have saved her son’s life and broke down in tears as she apologized for her inaction.

Judge Lee said he was relieved that no jury would have to see the photos he saw of the boy’s 21-pound body after his death.

 

MINOT, N.D. (AP) – Two suspects in a shooting at a Minot restaurant have pleaded not guilty to charges.

Both 29-year-old Justin Walker and 20-old Juaquin Salazar III face reckless endangerment and weapons counts.   They entered their pleas Thursday. Trial dates weren’t immediately set.

No one was hurt in the Aug. 23 shooting inside and outside an Applebee’s restaurant. Police say it began when Walker went to the restaurant to confront his estranged wife and sparked a scuffle involving several people at the table.

Salazar faces up to six years in prison if convicted, and Walker up to 10 years.

 

Bismarck (CSi)  Gov. Jack Dalrymple has directed all state government agencies and offices to fly the American and North Dakota flags at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, October 4,  2015, in observance of National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day. The observance is held as part of National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend to honor America’s fire and emergency services personnel and to remember those who have died in the line of duty.

“Every day, North Dakota’s fire and emergency services personnel put their lives on the line to protect our citizens and our communities, and some make the ultimate sacrifice so that others might be saved,” Dalrymple said. “By lowering the flags, we honor these heroes for their distinguished service and devotion to duty, and we remember those who gave their lives to save and protect their fellow citizens.”

Dalrymple also proclaimed next week, October 4-10, Fire Prevention Week in the state to promote the importance of fire prevention and safety, and to recognize North Dakota’s firefighters for their service and dedication.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Scientists from the American Museum of Natural History who have spent five decades studying polar bears in far northern Manitoba had help this past summer from an unmanned aircraft team from the University of North Dakota.

Museum research and senior project scientist Robert Rockwell says the team was the first to gain permits to develop drone technology in a Canadian national park. The group conducted nearly 90 test flights for the so-called Hudson Bay Project.

The drones were used to study the overabundant geese in the region, their impact on the tundra landscape and the impacts of their nests being invaded by hungry polar bears.

The 5 1/2-pound Styrofoam flyer was launched via catapult and took phots at one-second intervals that were stitched together to show a picture of the ground.

 

In sports…

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – Former University of North Dakota stars Monique (LAM’-uh-roo) and twin sister Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson are among 23 players named to the USA Hockey roster for the Four Nations Cup.

The U.S will compete against Canada, Finland and host Sweden Nov. 4-8.

The U.S. team will hold a camp in Chicago later this month before heading overseas.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s pronghorn gun hunting season is underway.

The gun season began at noon Friday and runs through Oct. 18. The bow-only season was last month. Bow hunting also is allowed during the gun season.

Pronghorn have been slowly rebounding after being decimated by three straight severe winters starting in 2008. Last year’s limited hunting season was the first in North Dakota since 2009.

The state made 410 licenses available in three hunting units this fall, up from 250 licenses in only one unit last year. About 6,500 people applied for a license this year – about 16 people for every one license available.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota U.S. Sen. John Hoeven and South Dakota U.S. Sen. John Thune have made a friendly wager on the outcome of this weekend’s football game between North Dakota State University and South Dakota State.

If SDSU wins, Hoeven will give bison steaks to Thune. If NDSU wins, Thune will give meats and cheeses to Hoeven.

The Bison and Jackrabbits square off at 6 p.m. Central time in Brookings, South Dakota. The game will be televised on CSi 11 and CSi 78.11 HD.
North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple and South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard also made a friendly wager. The loser will make a donation to the charity of the other’s choice.

 

In world and national news…

ROSEBURG, Ore. (AP) – A federal agency says investigators have recovered six weapons at an Oregon community college and seven at the apartment of the gunman who killed nine people. A special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms says all of the weapons were purchased legally, seven of them by the shooter or his family members in the last three years.

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Fire officials say a penthouse boiler room exploded because of a gas leak at a 33-story high-rise near Miami, injuring at least six people. A public information officer for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue says four people were taken to a hospital, including one who was treated and released. Two firefighters also were hurt. Their conditions are not yet known.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. (AP) – More than a dozen homeowners who evacuated during a devastating California wildfire say their homes were burglarized in their absence.  Lake County authorities have arrested at least six people suspected of looting or planning to loot homes after the fire started Sept. 12 north of San Francisco.

ELEUTHERA, Bahamas (AP) – Destroyed houses, uprooted trees and heavy flooding, but so far no reports of deaths as Hurricane Joaquin (wah-KEEN’) hurled torrents of rain across the eastern and central Bahamas today. The U.S. Coast Guard says it’s searching for a cargo ship with 33 people aboard that went missing during the Category 4 storm.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Arne (AHR’-nee) Duncan, who followed President Barack Obama to Washington to serve as his education secretary, announced Friday he will step down following a seven-year tenure. Obama has asked Education Department official John King Jr. to oversee the department, but declined to nominate him to be secretary, thereby sidestepping a confirmation fight in Congress.