Wayne Byers Show – Evening – Nov 24

CSi Weather…

TONIGHT…CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE AFTER
MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE MID 20S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH
SHIFTING TO THE NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.WEDNESDAY…CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE AND
SNOW IN THE MORNING. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 30S. NORTH WINDS 15 TO
20 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS AROUND 15. NORTH WINDS
10 TO 20 MPH.
.THANKSGIVING DAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 20S.
NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS 10 TO
15. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 20S.
.SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE MID 30S.
LOWS 15 TO 20.
.SUNDAY NIGHT…DECREASING CLOUDS. LOWS 15 TO 20.
.MONDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 30S.

FREEZING DRIZZLE IS POSSIBLE LATE TUESDAY NIGHT IN THE
JAMES VALLEY…BUT ONLY TRACE AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED.

LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS
CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST TO RANGE UP
TO A HALF INCH SOUTH CENTRAL WITH LESSER AMOUNTS AS YOU GO EAST TO
THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY. THE SNOW…COMBINED WITH GUSTY NORTH
WINDS…COULD REDUCE VISIBILITIES AT TIMES.

 The Jamestown Community Christmas  Tree Lighting Ceremony has been delayed due to the unavailability of the fire department’s ladder truck for decorating.  The ceremony will be rescheduled.

Jamestown (CSi)  The North Dakota Highway Patrol, reports one person died in a one vehicle rollover Tuesday morning about six mile north of Jamestown about 7:30, on Highway 20 North, at five mile curve. The Jamestown Rescue Squad was  called to the scene along with Jamestown Ambulance Service.

The accident occurred at the second curve on the north side, when the female SUV operator lost control of the vehicle, on a frost covered road surface.

The 1998 Dodge Durango went down an embankment hit an approach a landed in a field.

The female driver of the vehicle was not wearing a seatbelt, the female  passenger of the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt.

More information as it becomes available.

Also called to the scene were  the Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office and North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown City Council’s Building, Planning & Zoning Civic Center & Promotion Fire & Police and Public Works Committee met Tuesday at City Hall. Council Members Kourajian and Gumke were not present.

FINANCE & LEGAL COMMITTEE:

The committee recommends approval of a request from JSDC for $13,336.00 from Economic Development Funds to reimburse legal and capital expenses on capital investments with the City Share to be $12,231.00, and paid from the City Sales Tax Fund.

The committee recommends approval of a request from JSDC for $3,500.00 of previously obligated Economic Development Funds to be used to update the JSDC Strategic Plan with the City Share to be $2,800.00, and paid from the City Sales Tax Fund.

The committee recommends approval of Change Order No. 1, to Schumacher Construction, Inc., on the EOC Storage Bay Heating and Insulation Retrofit Project, for an increase in the contract price of $2,600.00.

The committee recommends approval of rate adjustments for the Water, Wastewater, Sanitation and Solid Waste Disposal fees, to be effective January 1, 2016…a five percent increase in rates, in the 2016 City Budget.

The committee recommends recognizing the Jennaca Salberg Benefit as an other public spirited organization and to authorize the issuance of a raffle permit.

The committee reviewed the cost estimate and proposed assessment district to construct Paving and needed utilities on 5th Street NE from 12th Avenue NE to 27th Avenue NE. The area that will go past the new TRAC facility, behind Gussner School. Based on the progress of the TRAC construction, as soon as 2017.  The committee recommends approval of the concept.

The committee reviewed the draft Special Assessment Policy and to publish notice of a public hearing, to be held at the January 4, 2016, at the City Council meeting., to receive public comment, as required by the State of North Dakota. The committee recommends setting the public hearing.

The committee considered changing the retirement program for sworn police officers from the NDPERS plan to the NDPERS Law Enforcement plan. Council Member Brubakken said if approved, the city needs to look at the PERS plan for other city employees. Fraternal Order of Police James Valley Liason, Nellie Degen provided a packet of testimony on the issue at the state level. The committee recommends moving the issue to the next committee meeting, pending additional information, and a possible survey of officers.  Mayor Andersen said the program may be costly to the city.

Informational: Departmental and financial reports were presented.

Informational : Board of Adjustment Appointment.

BUILDING, PLANNING & ZONING COMMITTEE

Informational:  Planning Commission minutes from November 9, 2015. Discussion concerning consideration of amending Section 32–4.4 relative to providing notice to adjoining property owners when a variance is requested.  The committee recommends drafting an amendment to the Ordinance.

CIVIC CENTER AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE:

Considered the request from SkyWest Airlines to list the Jamestown Civic Center as a potential Company Operational Headquarters Facility. Civic center Manager Pam Fosse said the airline is requesting a memorandum of understanding to allow the Civic Center to be used in the event of an emergency. She said it entails the use of space. The committee recommends entering into a memorandum with the airline.

The committee reviewed the Request for Proposals for a Soft Drink Vendor, Pepsi and Coke, for the Civic Center. Mayor Andersen suggested a matrix concerning level of service, and response time on the part of the vendor, along with the cost proposal.

POLICE AND FIRE COMMITTEE

The committee recommends replacement of Police Department tasers using asset forfeiture funds, in the approximate amount of $11,250.00.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

The committee recommends approving the proposed engineering agreement from CPS for the annual Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Groundwater Monitoring Task 1 and 2

Considered the proposal from Recovery Systems Co., Inc., for additional corrosion and wear repairs/parts replacement and for a hydraulic fluid filter system for the Trash Compactor at the Baler Facility for an estimated $22,061.43.  The committee recommends approving, the estimate.

The original proposal for the known repairs was around $20,000.00. This new proposal deals with additional damages that have been uncovered during disassembly of the unit to perform the initial repairs and are based on Recovery Systems concerns for continued degradation of these other parts and the possible shortened life of the current repairs without performing these partsbeing repaired and replaced.

Brent Erickson from HDR Engineering, gave a presentation on the Jamestown Sanitary Utility Operation Analysis, and Recycling Feasibility Study.

Erickson estimated the cost of operating a curbside collection recycling system in Jamestown at between $11 and $13 per residence each month. This would be on top of the current monthly sanitation fee of $13.10 per residence.

Erickson said the study indicates that Jamestown currently incurs a cost of about $51 per ton to dispose of solid waste collected in Jamestown.

The city also pays a subsidy to Renaissance Recycling, which accepts about 2,000 tons of recyclable material per year at an average cost of about $30 per ton.

Adding collection sites in Jamestown could raise costs of processing recyclable materials to between $100 and $150 per ton. Offering curbside pickup of recyclable materials further increases cost to between $170 and $190 per ton.

Andersen said she hoped the completed study would present options for cost savings in the sanitation collection process.

Council Member Buchanan requested discussion concerning the City Forester position.  

Doug Wiles has resigned to accept the Bismarck City Forester’s position.  Buchanan introduced letters from various committees, asking the city to make every effort to hire a qualified City Forester. Buchanan pointed out that the search should include specific requirements in the job description.

The meeting was shown live on CSi Cable 67 followed by replays.

Jamestown (CSi) The North Dakota Development Fund, a loan program with the North Dakota Department of Commerce, awarded $250,99 in funding to Jamestown based Premier Refinery, LLC (Renaissance Recycling.)

The funds will help to fund equipment and working capital needed to scale up a novel chemical extraction process from bench level to production level.

Renaissance Recycling, owner, Ralph Friebel, in Jamestown, is the listed agent for Premier Refinery.

The commerce department says the company has developed a chemical extraction process to efficiently recover platinum, palladium and rhodium from spent catalytic converters.

Jamestown (CSi) United Sportsman of Jamestown will hold a public meeting on Thursday December 3, 2015, to determine if there is enough interst to development and sustain a public educational shooting range.

The facility would serve Jamestown and the surrounding community.

The meeting will be at 7-p.m., at the Knights of Columbus Hall, at 519 First Avenue South in Jamestown.

On Tuesday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSI Cable 2, Curtis Kaseman said the facility will be a community shooting range, and educational location, with plans to construct a clubhouse, within five miles of Jamestown.

He said the organization is looking for land that would need to be zoned recreational, and for safety, away from other structures, and potential new building.

He added that once the land is found, the organization will work with Stutsman County, and any township involved with the zoning.

He added that the idea is to start small with the range and clubhouse and grow to include a facility that will be an educational center.

It would also host state competitions.

The shooting range would be open to the public, along with law enforcement, and correctional staff.

Also on our show, Gene Van Eeckhout is part of a three member committee, along with Kaseman and Frank Redlin, organizing the plans.

At the December 3^rd meeting will be North Dakota Game & Fish Department’s John Mazuk, and Army Corps of Engineer’s, Pipestem Dam Manager, Bob Martin.

United Sportsman of Jamestown is involved in hunter education programs, and the annual bird seed giveaway, the Duck Stamp Program, and more.

Any questions may be directed to Curtis Kaseman at 701-320-9227.

Valley City (CSi) Law Enforcement and emergency personnel will shop for less fortunate children when the annual Santa, Cops & Kids program takes place on December 15, 2015.

Event coordinator Lt. David Swenson says the program is aimed at giving children and their families a nice Christmas.

The Santa Cops & Kids program is funded by donations from individuals and businesses in the Barnes County area.

Swenson says all funding is used for children and spent locally to support the economy in Barnes County.

Donations can be mailed to:

Santa, Cops & Kids Program.

216 2nd Ave. N.E.

Valley City, N.D. 58072

Checks payable to FOP Lodge #4.

NEW TOWN, N.D. (AP) – The Highway Patrol has identified a New Town man who died in a weekend crash on state Highway 23 in McKenzie County.
 
     Authorities say 26-year-old Jeremy Oberry was following a semitrailer in his pickup truck and failed to yield when the semi slowed to make a turn Sunday night about 3 miles west of the Four Bears Bridge.
 
     Oberry died at the scene. The two people in the semi weren’t hurt.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem (STEHN’-juhm) has kicked off his campaign for governor while former North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Sarah Vogel has established an exploratory committee for a potential bid.
 
     Stenehjem was announcing his gubernatorial bid on Tuesday in Grand Forks, Fargo and Bismarck.
 
     Stenehjem is a Republican. He is running for the seat being vacated by Gov. Jack Dalrymple. GOP Rep. Rick Becker, a plastic surgeon in Bismarck, also has announced a bid for governor.
 
     No Democrats have entered the race. Vogel says she is mulling a run.
 
     Vogel is a former North Dakota assistant attorney general and served two terms as agriculture commissioner, declining in 1996 to run for a third. She was defeated that year in a bid to become a state Supreme Court justice.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota farmers are wrapping up the fall harvest, and ranchers are weaning and marketing calves and preparing for winter feeding.
 
     The Agriculture Department says in its weekly crop report that the only crop left in the field is sunflowers, and the harvest is 95 percent complete.
 
     North Dakota’s winter wheat crop is rated 69 percent in good-to-excellent condition, unchanged over the week.
 
     Pasture and range conditions statewide are rated 44 percent good to excellent. Stock water supplies are 80 percent adequate to surplus.

 BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s Agriculture Department is launching a $15,000 marketing campaign aimed at strengthening animal agriculture in the state.
 
     The  campaign will urge producers to diversify their operations with livestock and will encourage consumers and industry to support farmers and ranchers.
 
     The number of beef cows in North Dakota has remained stable, but the number of dairy cows and hogs has declined dramatically in recent years. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says that with prices for many crops being depressed, now is a good time for farmers to consider adding animal agriculture back into their operations.
 
     The Agriculture Department’s campaign will include website material, social media, educational activities, videos and other forms of advertisement.

In sports…

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team has slipped one spot in the two national polls but still remains in the top five of both.

UND went from No. 4 to No. 5 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls this week, after a weekend split with St. Cloud State. The Huskies remained at No. 7 in both polls.

Defending national champion Providence remains atop both polls, followed by Boston College, Quinnipiac and Massachusetts-Lowell.

The Fighting Hawks travel to Michigan State this weekend to take on the unranked Spartans.

In world and national news…

PARIS (AP) – The man who allowed a suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks to stay in his apartment has been charged with terrorism-related offenses. Jawad Bendaoud (jah-WAHD’ behn-dah-OOD’) is the first person suspected of a direct link to the attackers to be charged in connection with the attacks. Bendaoud acknowledged in a television interview giving shelter to two people from Belgium in his home but said he didn’t know who they were or what they planned.
 
     MOSCOW (AP) -Russia’s military general staff says one of the pilots of a warplane that was shot down by Turkey was killed by ground fire as he parachuted from the plane. The military also says Syrian rebels fired on a Russian helicopter that was searching for pilots of the downed plane, killing a crew member aboard the helicopter. Turkey says the warplane was shot down after it violated the country’s airspace. Russia disputes the claim.
 
     WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama says that while 65 countries are united in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria, Russia is part of a “coalition of two.” The comments came after a White House meeting with French President Francois Hollande (frahn-SWAH’ oh-LAWND’). Obama says the shooting down of a Russian warplane by Turkey points to an “ongoing problem” with Russia’s airstrikes in Syria. Russia backs Syrian President Bashar Assad, while the U.S. and others believe peace in the region can only be reached if he’s removed from power.
 
     CHICAGO (AP) – A white Chicago police officer who shot and killed a black teen is behind bars without bond after being charged with murder. A judge has ruled police must release squad-car video of the 2014 killing by tomorrow. City officials and community leaders are bracing for the video’s release, and fear it will lead to unrest.
 
     MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Police in Minneapolis say they have arrested a second man in the overnight shootings of five Black Lives Matter protesters. Police described him as a 32-year-old Hispanic man. They earlier arrested a 23-year-old white man in the shootings, and say they are still seeking “additional suspects.” None of the protesters suffered life-threatening injuries. Scores of people have demonstrated for more than a week outside a police precinct following the death of Jamar Clark, a black man who was shot by a police officer.