CSi Weather…

TONIGHT…Clear. Not as cold. Lows 15 to 20. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.

.FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 30s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows 15 to 20. Southwest winds 5 to

10 mph.

.SATURDAY…Sunny. Highs in the mid 30s. West winds around

10 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 20s.

.SUNDAY…Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Lows 15 to 20.

.MONDAY…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of snow in the

afternoon. Highs around 30.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow.

Lows 15 to 20.

.TUESDAY…Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow. Highs

in the lower 20s.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of snow in

the evening. Lows zero to 5 above.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs 10 to 15.

 

Quiet weather through the remainder of the week with no precipitation

through the day Sunday.

Mild conditions are expected Friday through Sunday with Saturday being the warmest day of the long term period with temperatures in the mid to upper 40s south and west of the Missouri River.

Colder temperatures and precipitation chances to western and

central North Dakota Monday through Wednesday.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown Tourism Grant Board Meeting was held Thursday at the CSi Technology Center at Historic Franklin School.

Those in attendance were board members:  President, Matthew Woods, Tena Lawrence, and Frank Balak.

Tourism Director, Searle Swedlund

Ex-Officio Members, Jamestown City Council Member, Pam Phillips, and Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce, Executive, Emily Bivens.

Grant requests were made on behalf of:

Frontier Village Horse Rides  for  Advertising

Women’s Business Conference for  Advertising

The Jamestown Arts Center for Capital Improvements

 

With the Frontier Village $6,350 was requested for stagecoach rides using billboard advertising

near Valley City including  $2,000 for digital advertising from May to August this year.

The Board approved granting the full request with one billboard for three months, and the $2,000 request for digital advertising.

 

With the Women’s Business Conference, Katherine Roth said $900 was requested for advertising, and marketing in Stutsman County, as the Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center, will host the conference, at the UJ Reiland Fine Arts Center, for the business community, on Thursday March 12, 2020, with attendees from the nine county South Central Region.  Others invited are from Bismarck Minot, and Grand Forks.  High School students are also invited with their fees waived.

Other funding sources include:  $500 from JRMC, $325 from the Valley City Eagles Club, $1,000 from First Community Credit Union, and $1,000 from Sanford.

The economic impact is estimated at $7,500, with 75 visitors anticipated.

A motion to approve the funding, died for a lack of a second.

 

With Arts Center, the request was for $7,000.  Arts Center Director, Mindi Schmitz said the requested dollars would be used for, painting and repairing the gallery walls, and replacing the flooring at the Hansen Studio.  $500 will come from the Arts Center’s General Operating Fund.

The project is slated for April, 2020, with the total cost estimates at $6,963.

The Board recommends, reassessing the request, after receiving from the Arts Center, two bids for each project and be brought back to the board, for consideration.

 

At the EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

 

Declaration of Conflict of Interest:   Tena Lawrence from the University of Jamestown stated a possible conflict with Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center located on campus and the request for funding for the Women’s Business Conference.  The board allowed her to participate in the discussion and vote.

 

The Financial Report was given by Searle Swedlund, who reviewed the P&L statement, and the receipt of JSDC Matching Grants.

 

With the Tourism Report – Searle Swedlund said, The National Buffalo Museum,  along with Fort Seward received Grant dollars from the State Historical Society for projects.    Jamestown Tourism received a grant to catalog Frontier Village artifacts. He added that tourism is looking to partner with The Arts Center, and The Downtown Association for funds, and is seeking matching funds for a mural proposed to painted on a wall at The Full Monte on First Avenue, at the alley.  Matching funds will be applied for through the North Council on the Arts.

 

Ex-Officio Reports:  Pam Phillips said she is running for re-election this year to her City Council seat.

She said a prototype of a fire department ladder truck the city is interested in buying will be on display at the City Fire Hall on Wednesday February 26, from about 9-a.m. to 11:30-a.m., for public viewing.

She encouraged participation in the 2020 census count.

Emily Bivens noted that the recent Chamber Banquet was sold out for the first time, and pointed out the upcoming YPJ indoor Volleyball Tournament will be held, March  7, and 8, with about half the allotted number of teams already signing up.  She added that the first Cash Mob event was held to promote shopping locally, at Plantation Coffee.  The next Cash Mob will be held at The Dakota Store on February 26.

Discussed under OLD BUSINESS was:

The JRFD Fishing Tourney grant that was previously approved.  The Board voted to approve the $4,000 for allocation.  Searle Swedlund said that in conversations with the fire department that the dollars have been spent on advertising.    The Fishing Tournament was cancelled, due to unsafe ice conditions, but the raffle and other events are going on as planned, to raise funds.

The City Promotion Capital Construction grant process, with applications due March 1, was reviewed.

Searle led the board in a review of Grant Guidelines.  Discussed was possible grant request decision  making process changes that would affect the application process requirements regarding categories to fund.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown City Council’s  Public Works Committee met Thursday evening at City Hall.

All members were present.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

Considered was a public policy for temporary levees. City Administrator Sarah Hellekson said city and emergency management officials have met and made recommendations, regarding the purpose of permanent, and temporary levees.

The first priority in the placement of the flood mitigation is to protect lives, followed by protecting public infrastructure and buildings.  The policy approved would become part of a city Ordinance.

Mayor Heinrich said any plans to protect private property must be studied so as not to establish a precedence.

It was noted the areas of private property previously at risk, were sandbagged and levied by the city in 2011.

The committee recommends drafting an emergency operations policy regarding flooding and mitigation efforts in the city.

 

The committee recommends  approving the 2020 Jamestown Standard Specifications as prepared by the City Engineer. Revisions were note in the paving district, and water pressure testing, due to the addition of fire service lines.

  • The committee recommends approval of the following for 2020 Sidewalk, Curb & Gutter District #20-11:
  1. a) To set up and establish the district;
  2. b) To direct the City Engineer to prepare plans & specifications for the construction of the district;
  3. c) To accept and approve the plans and specifications, as prepared by the City Engineer, for the construction of the district; and
  4. d) To direct the City Administrator to advertise for bids for the construction of the district.

The committee recommends approval of plans and specifications and authorize the advertisement for bids for the 2020 City of Jamestown Watermain Improvement Project 20-61. Interstate Engineering’s Darrell Hournbuckle said the area is scattered around town, with areas most in need to be improved first.  Half of the projects are upland, those within the flood zone may be in question if flooding occurs this spring.

The committee recommends approval of plans and specifications and authorize the advertisement for bids for the North Dakota State Hospital (NDSH) Watermain Improvement Project 20-22. The costs will be Special Assessed to the state.

Considered approval of plans and specifications and authorize the advertisement for bids for the Generator Project for the Master Lift Station. The committee recommends approval.

The committee recommends approval of plans and specifications and authorize the advertisement for bids for Lift Station No. 20 Replacement Project.

 

INFORMATIONAL: Citywide Residential Curbside Clean Up, will not be held, this year.  If the city has flooding issues, the items will not be picked up, and residents will have to bring those items to the city landfill.  Sanitation workers and equipment will be needed in any flood fight.

INFORMATIONAL: A public hearing is scheduled at the March 2, 2020, City Council meeting concerning Seal Coat, Patching, Construction & Reconstruction District 20-41.

INFORMATIONAL: City Engineer project updates were given.

INFORMATIONAL: Recycling collection update. Items are being picked up at curbside until further notice, along with garbage collections due to alley conditions.

Considered was the request from Rodney Pettys for an extension on the February 29, 2020, removal date for a floodway encroaching structure, and to remove the encroaching structure (deck)  by October 31, 2019. Property owner Rodney Pettys at 916 2nd Avenue Northwest, asked for an extension to be able to take down the deck and transport it over the ice covered river.

The City Council previously voted to approve an extension to February 29, 2020.

At Thursday’s committee meeting, the committee moved to extend the removal date to February 28, 2021.  Council Member Phillips voted in opposition.

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

MINOT, N.D. (AP) — A Minot man has been sentenced to spend six months behind bars for embezzling nearly $100,000 from his employer, a commercial truck dealer. Ryan Koble pleaded guilty to felony theft and was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison with all but six months suspended. The 40-year-old Koble was a branch manager at Wallwork Truck Center. The Minot Daily News reports Koble told investigators he found a loophole in inventory system and fabricated invoices and refunds from September 2018 to September 2019. An internal investigation uncovered the scheme. Koble used the embezzled money to buy a boat, golf clubs and put a down payment on a new truck. Court records show he has paid full restitution.

In sports…

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Vinnie Shahid poured in 27 points to lead North Dakota State to a 77-74 victory over South Dakota, stretching the Bison’s winning streak to seven games. Shahid sank 7 of 16 shots, including just 1 of 5 from 3-point range, but he made 12 of 14 free throws for the Bison (20-7, 11-2 Summit League). Tyler Peterson had 18 points and six rebounds to pace the Coyotes (19-10, 9-5).

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Douglas Wilson tied a career-high 31 points and Noah Freidel scored 21 and South Dakota State beat North Dakota 94-83. The Jackrabbits moved a half-game ahead of idle North Dakota State atop the league standings. South Dakota State has won seven straight wraps up the regular season with a home game against South Dakota and at North Dakota State on Feb. 27. South Dakota State led 44-39 at halftime before the Fighting Hawks used a 7-3 spurt to start the second half. Freidel responded with a 3-pointer, and another 3 with 13:47 left, pushed the lead to 60-50. Filip Rebraca and Kienan Walter each scored 23 points for North Dakota.

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump ally Roger Stone has been sentenced to more than three years in prison and fined $20,000 on his convictions for witness tampering and lying to Congress. His sentence Thursday in federal court in Washington immediately set off speculation that President Donald Trump may pardon his longtime loyalist. Trump has recently issued a number of pardons and commutations. The president denounced as a “miscarriage of justice” the initial Justice Department recommendation that Stone receive at least seven years in prison. Attorney General William Barr backed off that recommendation, prompting four prosecutors to quit Stone’s case. Stone did not speak to reporters as he left the court.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — The jury for Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial is continuing to focus a lot of attention on actress Annabella Sciorra’s linchpin allegations that the once-heralded Hollywood mogul raped and sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s. As the deliberated Thursday, the jurors were looking at emails that Weinstein sent regarding Sciorra, including ones to the private Israeli spy agency he allegedly enlisted to dig up dirt on would-be accusers. Sciorra’s allegations are too old to be charged on their own because of the statute of limitations, but they’re a key component of the most serious charges that jurors are weighing in the closely watched #MeToo case. Weinstein maintains that any sexual contact was consensual.

 

ANN ARBOR, Michigan (AP) — A sixth person is accusing a late University of Michigan physician of sexual abuse. The university says it has received more than 20 calls to a hotline since it announced an investigation into Dr. Robert E. Anderson Wednesday. The former patients allege Anderson sexually abused them during exams. A spokesman says the hotline had received 22 calls as of Thursday morning regarding Anderson, the onetime director of the University Health Service and physician for the football team. One of those callers, 72-year-old Gary Bailey, told The Detroit News that he first complained to the university about Anderson in 1968.

 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An attorney for New Orleans’ Roman Catholic archdiocese is strongly defending the New Orleans Saints’ public-relations help in dealing with the clergy sex abuse crisis. He says the legal effort to unseal emails between them is aimed at trying to shame those “who had the audacity” to back the church. The remarks came in a court hearing Thursday on the Saints’ request to keep those emails confidential. A special master was not expected to rule immediately. The hearing comes amid claims the Saints joined the church in a pattern of concealing sexual abuse — an allegation the team denies.

 

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Survivors of church sex abuse have descended on Rome this week, marking the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ summit of church leaders on preventing abuse. They are demanding more accountability from church leaders who covered up their abuse, and acknowledgment of their pain. On Thursday, three deaf Argentines marched to St. Peter’s Square. They were among the victims of sexual abuse in the Argentine branch of the Provolo Institute, a Catholic-run school for the deaf that also saw dozens of victims at its school in Verona, Italy. Also marching was Mary Dispenza, a survivor of abuse by both a priest and a nun.