CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…Clear. Lows around 60. West winds around 5 mph with gusts to around 20 mph shifting to the south around 5 mph after midnight.

.FRIDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 90s. South winds 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Heat index 90 to 95.

.FRIDAY NIGHT…Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms in the

evening. Some thunderstorms may be severe. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.Lows in the mid 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph shifting to the southwest after midnight.

.SATURDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. North winds

5 to 10 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers

and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows around 60.

.SUNDAY…Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.

.SUNDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s.

.MONDAY…Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s.

.MONDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain

showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s.

.TUESDAY…Mostly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers and

thunderstorms. Highs around 80.

.TUESDAY NIGHT…Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of

showers and thunderstorms. Lows around 60.

.WEDNESDAY…Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 80s.

A severe storm risk Friday afternoon and evening, with the greatest potential in central and southeastern ND.  The main risks are high wind, and significant rain.

Saturday, scattered showers and storms are possible.

Late this weekend into the early to middle part of next week, occasional chances of showers and storms along with cooler, but seasonable temperatures.

 

NDDoH  North Dakota health officials say active cases of COVID-19 hit a new high in the state Thursday. According to the North Dakota Department of Health, the state has 783 confirmed active cases of the disease in the state. That’s up 66 from the previous day.

NDDoH

COVID-19 Stats

Posted Jul 16, 2020

11-a.m.

COVID-19 Test Results
Results listed are from the previous day.

INDIVIDUALS WHO DIED WITH COVID-19

  • A woman in her 60s from Mountrail County with underlying health conditions.

 

COUNTIES WITH NEW POSITIVE CASES REPORTED TODAY

  • Benson County – 2
  • Burleigh County – 22
  • Cass County – 26
  • Cavalier County – 3
  • Emmons County – 2
  • Grand Forks County – 8
  • McHenry County – 1
  • McKenzie County – 2
  • Morton County – 4
  • Mountrail County – 5
  • Ramsey County – 1
  • Richland County – 1
  • Sheridan County – 1
  • Sioux County – 2
  • Stark County – 5
  • Stutsman County – 2
  • Stutsman Total 71
  • Recovered 62
  • Walsh County – 1
  • Ward County – 5
  • Williams County – 11


BY THE NUMBERS

242,778 – Total Number of Tests Completed* (+4,195 total tests from yesterday)

128,056 – Total Unique Individuals Tested* (+1,492 unique individuals from yesterday)

123,388 – Total Negative (+1,389 unique individuals from yesterday)

4,668 – Total Positive (+104 unique individuals from yesterday)

After investigation it was found that a previously reported case from Williams County was from out of state.
2.5% – Daily Positivity Rate**

 

285 – Total Hospitalized (+1 individual from yesterday)

38 – Currently Hospitalized (-4 individuals from yesterday)

3,796 – Total Recovered (+36 individuals from yesterday)

89 – Total Deaths*** (+1 individual from yesterday)

 

* Note that this does not include individuals from out of state and has been updated to reflect the most recent information discovered after cases were investigated.

**Because the serial tests completed and added to the total number of tests completed can result in new individuals who test positive, the daily positivity rate will be calculated using the total positives for the day by the daily number of tests completed instead of the daily number of unique individuals tested.

*** Number of individuals who tested positive and died from any cause while infected with COVID-19.

For descriptions of these categories, visit the NDDoH dashboard.

 

For the most updated and timely information and updates related to COVID-19, visit the NDDoH website at www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown Tourism Grant/ Executive Board meeting was held Thursday at 11:30-a.m., via Zoom to observe social distancing.

Those in attendance: Board members, Paulette Ritter, Frank Balak,   Tena Lawrence, and Taylor Barnes.

Tena Lawrence chaired the meeting in the absence of President Matthew Woods.

Tourism Director, Searle Swedlund.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING BUSINESS:

Under New Business:

Discussed was a Contract for Apogee Attractions, and a feasibility study for the planned Buffalo City Park.  The tourist attraction is based on a buffalo theme potentially expanding Frontier Village.

Brian Lunde has led the way for the development of preliminary plans for the project with private funding to be included.   Searle Swedlund said an I-94 traffic count was used to determine the cost to build and projected revenue.  He said a full analysis will be conducted as the next step in the development process.

Tourism Director, Searle Swedlund, says the attraction would be a tourism gateway for eastern North Dakota.

Tourism requested funds from Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation (JSDC) for $25,000 to conduct a feasibility study for the possible major cultural attraction in Jamestown.  JSDC will bring the request to the city and county for approval.  Searle said the development entities will meet with state officials concerning the financial support of the state.

The Tourism Grant Board, approved Tourism acting as fiscal agent for the next step in the Apogee project.

 

With Grant Requests, Frontier Village large projects were updated, including, materials for volunteer labor.

Also discussed was painting the large building.

Frontier Village  requested  $10,700 for repairs needed related to a survey of the property deficiencies by the North Dakota Insurance Reserve Fund and help from the City of Jamestown, with the work to be done this summer.  Searle Swedlund pointed out specific projects that are planned. Those include replacing a section of deck, and repairing other sections.  The cost is estimated at $5,000.  He added electrical issues will be reviewed by an electrician.  The slide in the play area was removed, and the toy horse area will need attention.  Gravel will be added in front of the Depot, replacement of railings will be done.  The plan will be presented to the NDIRF for review.  General painting will be performed with some of the work being performed by city staff as they become available.  Other funding is $12,090 from Stutsman County.

He pointed out that the General Store is in major disrepair, along with the church, and the depot.

The Grant/Executive Board agreed with Searle to table for a month.  He added that tourism needs to look at the value of buildings relative the visitors experience at the Village.

With the Grant Request Allocation the board voted to fund the full amount of the request at $10,700.

Then, the Board voted appropriating up to $5,000 to locate resources to put the plan together.

Searle noted that The Frontier Village’s 501c3 non-profit organization application is pending, with the board agreeing to a non-profit status within the reorganization of a Frontier Village Association Board of Directors.  He said The City of Jamestown is working with Tourism  for direction and support.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING BUSINESS ALSO INCLUDED:

No Declaration of Conflict of Interest was made.

The Financial Report was given by Treasurer Taylor Barnes and was approved by the Board.

During the Tourism Report Searle Swedlund addressed the deficit, and the water trail project is be worked on with Jamestown Parks and Recreation.

Ex-Officio Reports: None was given.

OLD BUSINESS

Draft of the  New Event Grant Guidelines was discussed, in the areas of:  Annual Event Guidelines, New event and Event Enhancement, and Tournament and Races.  The Board voted to forward the draft to the full board for approval.

Jamestown   (JSDC Newsletter)  The JSDC Board of Directors approved $25,000 to Jamestown Tourism for a market and feasibility assessment for Buffalo City Park. The Park will be a cultural attraction in Jamestown that will highlight the story of the North American Bison and the heritage of North Dakota Industry creating new tax revenue for Jamestown. Searle Swedlund, Executive Director of Jamestown Tourism, reported that to date, independent funds (approximately $100,000) have been raised by private individuals and businesses to produce concepts for Buffalo City Park.

Jamestown  (CSi)   The Jamestown Arts Center, invites the community to participate in the 2020 Mini Art Hunt, starting July 25.

Arts Center Director Mindi Schmitz says, the Mini Art Hunt brings art to the people, and people to the parks.

Ten unique mini-artworks by artist Linda Roesch will be hiding throughout the Jamestown parks and Historic Sites.

Linda’s miniature paintings are 1.5″ x 1.5″ acrylics. Linda created these pieces inspired by our precious pollinators who have been in decline due to climate issues. This is Linda’s last year with The Arts Center, so grab one of these unique pieces while you can.

The hunt begins: Saturday, July 25, 2020  and ends when all 10 art works are found!  You can find clues at during the Buffalo Days on The Arts Center’s Facebook page.

CLUES: Three Sets of Visual Clues (photos) to each artwork’s hiding place will be made public on Saturday, July 25th at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm. The first clues will be the most challenging with the final clues being the most revealing.

HUNTING: All artwork will be hidden in PLAIN SIGHT—You will not have to move, dig, or otherwise damage anything. Visual clues to the artwork hiding places will be posted on our Facebook page and available at The Arts Center’s booth in McElroy park during White Cloud Days.

FOUND: Finders keepers! This original piece of miniature artwork is yours to keep. Be sure to REPORT YOUR FIND. No one wants to be hunting for a piece that has already been found. Post a photo of yourself and your found treasure to our Facebook or Instagram page. Or contact the Arts Center office (701-251-2496 / info@jamestownarts.com) to report your find.

LIMIT: Please only one artwork per family (you are welcome to locate them all, but claim only one).

Mindi said the Downtown Arts Market continues on Thursday July 23, with The Flickertails, a local trio with over eight decades of shared music talent, with Jon Beyer on bass guitar, Jeremy Gray on drums, and Steve Kuykendall on lead guitar and vocals, playing classic rock and blues favorites.

Also on Thursday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, Mindi said the new exhibit is “A Walk in the Woods.”  The just ended exhibit is being transformed into a virtual tour, available though the Arts Center.

She added that the entry deadline for the Annual Art Show has been extended.

The Art Show runs from September 5 through October 9, at the Jamestown Arts Center.

 

Arts Center has returned to regular hours, Monday through Thursday, and on Saturdays.

Please wear face masks when entering the building and observe social distancing.

The interior is regular sanitized for the safety of visitors, and the staff.

 

Jamestown  (CSi)  The Jamestown City Engineering Department informs motorists that beginning July 20, 2020 there will be road maintenance in the south-east Seal Coat, Patching, Construction and Reconstruction District #20-41. Affected residential roads will be marked for no parking on Friday July 17, 2020.

Also…

10th St SE from 2nd Ave to 12th Ave will also have work done and lanes may be closed.

Motorist’s should use extreme caution in these areas!

For more information, contact the Engineering department at 252-5900 or email engineering@jamestownnd.gov

Bismarck  (CSi)   Visiting with family and friends over a meal in the community is something no one takes for granted anymore during this pandemic. Soon some older North Dakotans may have the option to dine in at senior centers and other senior nutrition program sites that decide to reopen and comply with North Dakota Smart Restart guidelines and recommendations from the North Dakota Department of Health’s Food and Lodging Division.

The North Dakota Department of Human Services shared reopening guidance late yesterday with senior nutrition providers who receive Older Americans Act (OAA) nutrition program funding through the department for on-site group dining, home-delivered meals and other meal options. There are 170 senior meal sites across North Dakota.

Senior nutrition programs can decide when they will reopen congregate meal sites for on-site dining. Before reopening, providers must submit a reopening plan outlining how they will modify their operations to meet guidelines. The department’s Aging Services Division will review plans.

“Decisions to reopen will vary based on local needs and capacity. We are available to work with any providers interested in reopening on-site dining in accordance with the current guidance,” said the department’s Aging Services Division Director Nancy Nikolas Maier.

“We recommended that nutrition service providers continue to provide other meal options for individuals, including home-delivered meals, pre-packed grab-and-go or curbside pick-up or frozen meal options until this state of emergency ends,” she said. “Our goal is to prevent hunger and to support good nutrition and the health and well-being of older adults. Individuals should continue to have alternatives to on-site dining.”

Under the guidelines, meal sites can only have 50 percent capacity in the dining area and must be able to maintain the proper social distancing requirement of six feet. Food must be served by employees; self-serve is not allowed.

Individuals who choose to dine at a meal site during the pandemic have a responsibility to maintain the proper distance from others and to follow other guidelines.

During the pandemic, participation in the senior nutrition program in North Dakota has grown with many new first-time users. Drive-up, pre-packaged meals have been popular.

“After on-site dining closed in April and providers began offering more choices in how qualifying individuals could receive a nutritious meal, we saw significant growth in participation,” Maier said.

The number of meals provided has grown from 99,211 meals in March to 114,445 meals in April statewide, and about 900 new customers have used the service since April.

The federal government provided North Dakota with an additional $4.47 million to sustain this important nutrition program and to adjust for increased participation and added costs associated with the prep and delivery of pre-packaged meals during the pandemic.

Aging Services continues to consult with health department officials on any changes to the state’s risk level assessment and any needed adjustments to guidelines.

OAA-funded nutritional meals are available to individuals age 60 and older. Individuals have an opportunity to contribute to the cost of the meal; however, that is not required.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota prisons have implemented new safety measures after seven inmates and seven staffers were diagnosed with the coronavirus since the pandemic started. Only three staff have not yet recovered. There have been no related deaths. According to The Bismarck Tribune, the state’s top corrections officials made changes on Wednesday to include suspension of prison visitation, quarantining and testing before and after jail transports, and separating groups of inmates by wings and floors of housing. Department Director Leann Bertsch said antibody testing will begin this week and the North Dakota’s Department of Health is also looking into wastewater testing to track the virus in prisons.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The Fargo Police Department says its investigation did not find evidence to support a claim by a 19-year-old Black man that he was racially profiled and illegally searched. Larry Pope filed a complaint that said he was coming out of his girlfriend’s apartment building when two officers confronted him and searched his bag on June 22nd. KVRR-TV reports Sgt. Shane Aberle of the police department’s Office of Professional Standards reviewed GPS squad car data, messages between officers and traffic cam footage. Aberle recommended the case be closed. Fargo Police Chief David Todd agreed.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s attorney general has ordered three unlicensed debt collectors to stop doing business in the state. Wayne Stenejem says the out-of-state companies violated North Dakota’s consumer fraud and debt collection laws by making harassing calls and false statements and using deceptive practices and threats. Cease-and-desist orders were issued against California-based IKS & Associates, New York-based Portfolio Recovery Management and Georgia-based Global Management Acquisition Firm and its officer Walter Hargrove. Stenehjem says all three have ignored communications from the state’s Consumer Protection Division.

In world and national news…

NEW YORK (AP) — Target is joining the list of the nation’s largest retailers that will require customers to wear masks as cases of COVID-19 spike. The policy will go into effect Aug. 1. More than 80% of Target’s 1,800 stores already require customers to wear masks due to local and state regulations. Target said Thursday that it will hand out masks at entrances to those who need them. The nation’s largest retailer, Walmart, announced this week that masks would be mandatory in all stores starting Monday. Starbucks, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Kroger Co. also have put mandatory face shield rules in place.

ATLANTA (AP) — Mayors in Atlanta and other Georgia cities say they want their requirements for people to wear masks in public to remain in place, even after Gov. Brian Kemp explicitly forbade cities and counties from mandating face coverings. Thursday statements by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and others deepen defiance of the Republican governor. Officials in at least 15 Georgia cities and counties had ordered masks, and many are venting outrage at Kemp swatting down their efforts. Kemp is encouraging people to wear masks, but declines to make it mandatory, unlike governors in 25 other states.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a million Americans sought unemployment benefits for the 17th consecutive week as infections began surging in some of the nation’s most populous states. Layoffs in places like Florida, Georgia and California rose by tens of thousands of people. Hope early this month that the country had made it through the worst of the pandemic has been shaken and the rising number of infected Americans threatens to push what appeared to be a recovering nation into critical condition. The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of workers seeking unemployment benefits remained stuck at 1.3 million last week.

 

(AP)  Florida announced a single-day record of 156 deaths from the coronavirus. The state Department of Health reported 13,965 new coronavirus cases in Florida. That brings the total throughout the pandemic to nearly 316,000. The 156 deaths statewide eclipsed the previous record set Tuesday of 132 deaths. The U.S. Department of Labor also reported a surge in first-time filings for unemployment benefits in Florida. In the week ending July 11, there were 129,408 new filings, an increase of more than 62,000 from the previous week.

 

SAN DIEGO (AP) — After burning for days, the massive USS Bonhomme Richard shifted in the night and listed toward the pier, prompting the Navy to pull off firefighting sailors searching the warship for remaining hot spots. The Navy said Thursday that the roughly 30 sailors were pulled off out of an abundance of caution and were back on the ship within an hour. They say there is no fear of the 840-foot (255-meter) vessel capsizing. The amphibious assault ship started burning Sunday while it was docked in San Diego for maintanence. There’s no word on what sparked the blaze.

 

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Sheriff’s officials say several Spirit Airlines employees were injured when they were attacked by three women who were apparently upset that their flight from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia was delayed. The incident happened Tuesday night at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Deputies say the women threw various items including shoes, bottles of water and metal boarding signs at the employees before going around the counter and attacking at least one person. All three were charged with battery and one of the women was accused of stealing a cellphone. They later posted bond. Arrest reports say the women are from Philadelphia.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says the city will ease the burden on working parents by providing 100,000 child care slots for youngsters who will only be in their physical schoolrooms two or three days a week when school starts in September. De Blasio said Thursday that the child care program will make “all the difference in the world” for parents who need to report to their workplaces. The Democratic mayor announced earlier this month that under coronavirus-safey protocols, most of the city’s 1.1 million public school students will be in their physical classrooms only part of the week when school starts.

 

DETROIT (AP) — Police say they arrested at least 11 protesters who tried to block buses from picking up Detroit students. It’s the fourth day of demonstrations against voluntary summer classes during the coronavirus outbreak. The Detroit school district this week began offering online or in-person instruction to more than 1,500 students. Students and teachers must wear masks, and class sizes are smaller to reduce any virus risk. But a group of people has appeared each day since Monday to protest the program, saying officials are putting people at risk. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says he’s serving familes and “adjusting to the new normal” with COVID-19.