Wayne Byers Show – Morning – Dec 23

FOSTER-KIDDER-STUTSMAN-SIOUX-EMMONS-LOGAN-LA MOURE-MCINTOSH-
DICKEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…CARRINGTON…STEELE…JAMESTOWN…

FORT YATES…LINTON…NAPOLEON…EDGELEY…ASHLEY…OAKES

WINTER WEATHER IMPACTING WEST AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA…

.SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH THE
REST OF THE EARLY TUESDAYMORNING HOURS. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS 2 TO FOUR
INCHES ARE FORECAST IN PLACES LIKE BOWMAN AND HETTINGER…WITH
LESSER AMOUNTS TOWARDS DICKINSON.

THE RAIN THAT WAS REPORTED EARLIER IN THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY HAS
CHANGED OVER TO SNOW…AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY
AFTERNOON. SNOW IN FAR SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 2 INCHES ARE
FORECAST FROM JAMESTOWN TO ELLENDALE…NAPOLEON AND WISHEK…AND
LINTON AND FORT YATES. SNOW FALLING ON TOP OF THE EARLIER RAIN
WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS IN THE JAMES VALLEY.

PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE…FOG…AND LIGHT SNOW OVER THE REMAINDER
OF NORTH DAKOTA WILL CREATE ICY ROAD CONDITIONS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

THOSE PLANNING TRAVEL THROUGH TUESDAY ACROSS NORTH DAKOTA
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. EXPECT REDUCED
VISIBILITIES IN FOG…OR FALLING SNOW…ALONG WITH SLICK ROADWAYS.

SNOW CONTINUING TUESDAY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. SOME
PORTIONS OF THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY SAW RAIN EARLIER THAT HAS
CHANGED TO SNOW. GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE
WITH TIME TODAY.

UP TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW WITH REDUCED VISIBILITIES
IN FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW ON TOP OF ICY ROADS.

SNOW COVERED AND ICY ROADS RESULTING IN POOR
TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED
FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES. USE EXTRA
CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING. DO NOT USE THE CRUISE CONTROL IN THESE
WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.

 

Valley City (CSi) Valley City Police is reviewing surveillance video in connection with a breakin reported Monday morning at Dietrich & Sons, at 849 14th Street Southwest, in Valley City.

Police Chief Fred Thompson says the building was entered through a window between 2 and 4 a.m. while the business was closed and unoccupied.

Once inside the suspect located and removed a small safe and left in an unknown direction. Valley City police officers failed to locate the suspect after checking the surrounding area.

The VCPD is viewing surveillance tapes for additional information on the suspect. The contents of the safe are not being disclosed, Thompson said.

The Police is continuing its investigation on this case. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the VCPD at (701) 845-3110.

 

Valley City (CSi) Valley City motorists should be aware of the new two-way stop signs, up now, at the intersection of Second Street and Third Avenue Northeast.

Police Chief Fred Thompson says the stop sign should reduce accidents at the intersection and help the fire department.

A few accidents have been reported at that intersection.

At the intersection in 2013, a vehicle rolled and landed on it’s top following in a two vehicle collision.

 

Jamestown (CSi) The Spiritwood Energy Park Association (SEPA) has until March 31, 2015 to raise $1 million to connect its rail loop to the BNSF main line.

Currently the rail loop is a circular track around the SEPA industrial park but does not connect to any other rail lines.

SEPA is a partnership between the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. and Great River Energy.

JSDC CEO Connie Ova will explore opportunities for raising the funds.

Currently, JSDC owns 70 percent of SEPA. If it makes an additional investment of $1 million, its share of ownership would increase to 75 percent

The additional $1 million will raise the final cost of the loop to $11 million.

The SEPA industrial park is home to Dakota Spirit AgEnergy and includes about 400 acres of additional property for future industrial development.

SEPA built the rail loop last summer to provide rail access to Dakota Spirit AgEnergy and the SEPA industrial park.

The Dakota Spirit AgEnergy plant which is in the final stages of construction.

Plant operations are expected to begin in April. The plant will utilize rail cars to bring in corn and ship ethanol.

Jamestown (CSi) A new plan being developed by the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation (JSDC) could streamline the process of granting Flex Pace interest buydowns through the JSDC.

Under the new proposal, the JSDC would have a set of criteria to use for reviewing the project. If the project meets the criteria and is within available funding limits, it would not require approval from the City Council or the County Commission.

Currently, the business applies for the Flex Pace interest buy down to the JSDC, which reviews the application. If the JSDC Board of Directors approves the Flex Pace interest buydown, the application is forwarded to the Jamestown City Council and Stutsman County Commission for both to approve.

The Flex Pace program utilizes a grant from the Bank of North Dakota and a loan from the JSDC to reduce the interest rate on a business loan by as much as 5 percent. The JSDC is repaid its loan after the original business loan is retired.

The change was reviewed at Monday’s JSDC Executive Committee meeting.

The executive committee also moved to JSDC Board of Directors without recommendation an $81,000 Flex Pace Affordable Housing interest buydown for MetroPlains, which is planning construction next summer for row homes at the previous Essentia Clinic location.

 

(CSi) The North Dakota Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing in Ashley on Thursday, January 22, 2015, concerning a proposal for revisions to the Merricourt Wind Power Project. The hearing was postponed on Monday,December 22, 2014 due to heavy fog and slippery roads.

The public hearing will be held inside the Ashley City Hall on January 22 at 1oam. The city hall is located at 113 1st Street N.W. in Ashley, North Dakota.

EDF Renewable Development, Inc. (formerly enXco Development Corporation) received approval from the PSC for the site permit in June 2011, which is valid for four years. The original permit authorized construction of the 150 megawatt wind project consisting of up to 100 GE 1.5-megawatt turbines. The company is now requesting a revision to that permit and is instead planning on using 75 Vestas 2-megawatt turbines. The proposed revisions will also reduce the project area from 22,457 acres to 10,960 acres.

The project would straddle McIntosh and Dickey counties in southeastern North Dakota. The project would also include approximately 29 miles of access roads and approximately 37 miles of underground electrical collector cables.

 

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) – A man accused in state court of forcing women into prostitution in the North Dakota oil patch is facing similar charges in federal court.

Federal prosecutors have charged Keith Graves with six counts, including five counts of sex trafficking by force or coercion. He’s scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

Graves is accused in state court of running a prostitution ring out of Williston-area hotels, and raping a woman he was recruiting and forcing her to take drugs. He has pleaded not guilty to numerous human trafficking charges.

Graves was one of the main subjects of “The Overnighters,” a documentary that follows a Lutheran pastor who opened up his Williston church and parking lot to oil workers with nowhere to stay.

Federal court documents do not list an attorney for Graves.

 

MANDAN, N.D. (AP) – A Mandan man has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of promoting obscenity to minors.

23-year-old Jeremiah Wilson Johnson entered his plea in South Central District Court on Monday.

Johnson is accused of sending a photograph of his genitals to a 12-year-old Colorado girl in October.

Judge Sonna Anderson set a jury trial for Johnson to begin on March 25.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – A North Dakota man accused of stabbing his cousin to death has pleaded not guilty.
 
     Twenty-six-year-old Ryan Ironroad, of Cannon Ball, is charged in federal court with felony murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in the death of 29-year-old Clay Hagel, of Fort Yates.
 
     Authorities say Ironroad stabbed Hagel during a Nov. 23 robbery attempt on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Hagel died from his injuries the next day.
 
     Ironroad entered his plea through a federal public defender and did not attend Monday’s hearing.
 
     Ironroad faces life in prison.

 

 MINOT, N.D. (AP) – A man convicted in the 2011 beating death of a Minot toddler wants to change his plea.
 
     Anthony Robinson was sentenced to 27 years in prison for the death of 19-month-old Conrad Ayala. The toddler’s mother, Cassondra Ayala, was also convicted in the case and sentenced to 22 years in prison.
 
     The state medical examiner determined that Conrad Ayala died from “blunt head injury in battered child syndrome.” Authorities say the boy was covered “head to foot” with bruises.
 
  Robinson says he was not read his rights and was intimidated into pleading guilty. A hearing on his change of plea request is set for January.
 
     Both Robinson and Cassondra Ayala lost appeals to the North Dakota Supreme Court.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – A West Fargo man arrested for dealing marijuana says police violated his right to privacy by bringing a drug-sniffing dog past a fence and into the hallway of an owned condominium without a warrant.

Defense attorney Scott Brand said Monday he was filing an appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court for Andrew Williams. Williams was arrested in May after the dog detected the smell of pot coming from his residence.

East Central District Judge Norman Anderson denied Brand’s motion to exclude evidence in the case, after Brand complained it was an unreasonable search and seizure.

The state Supreme Court decided last year that it’s OK for police to bring drug-sniffing dogs into secure apartments. Prosecutors say condos are more like apartments and that ruling should apply in this case.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Authorities say a fire has destroyed a $300,000 paving machine in Bismarck.

Firefighters responded to the blaze Sunday afternoon at a parking lot and found the paving machine engulfed in flames.

Firefighters brought the flames under control within minutes. The machine was a total loss due to heavy damage to the engine compartment.

Officials say the blaze began as an electrical fire.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s Heritage Center has seen a record number of visitors this year thanks to a $52 million upgrade of the facility on the state Capitol grounds in Bismarck.

State Historical Society Director Claudia Berg about 150,000 people have toured the museum since the end of April, when the expanded museum’s first two galleries opened to the public.

The facility was built in 1967 and had averaged about 100,000 visitors annually until the expansion.

The grand opening for the revamped center was held Nov. 2 and coincided with the state’s 125th statehood anniversary.

The expanded center includes a new theater, cafe and outdoor space.

State lawmakers approved about $40 million for the 97,000-square-foot expansion in 2009. The historical society raised an additional $12 million.

 

In sports…

DENVER (AP) – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking Indian tribes, government agencies and others to submit information about conservation efforts for the greater sage grouse.

The service said Monday it needs the best data possible to make a decision on whether the bird warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Congress has barred the federal government from spending money on rules to protect the bird, but the Fish and Wildlife Service says it is still bound by a court order to reach a decision by September on whether a listing is warranted.

If wildlife managers determine the bird is heading toward possible extinction, they would be unable to intervene because of the spending restriction.

Greater sage grouse range across 11 Western states and two Canadian provinces.

 

BOYS BASKETBALL
Carrington 61, Dakota Prairie 32
Cavalier 69, Midway-Minto 30
Four Winds/Minnewaukan 75, Dunseith 54
Grafton/St. Thomas 75, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo, Minn. 44
Griggs County Central 79, Midkota 27
Kindred 83, Lisbon 79
Linton-HMB 68, Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier 38
Max 61, Turtle Lake-Mercer 60
New Rockford-Sheyenne 71, Barnes County North 48
North Border 53, Langdon-Munich 37
Northern Cass 67, Finley-Sharon/Hope-Page 56
Park River/Fordville Lankin 70, Drayton/Valley-Edinburg 51
Sheyenne 61, Fargo South 59
Thompson 55, Larimore 43
Wahpeton 67, Grand Forks Red River 46
Washburn 71, Underwood 32
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Des Lacs-Burlington vs. Beulah, ccd.
Center-Stanton vs. Richardton-Taylor, ppd.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Barnes County North 38, New Rockford-Sheyenne 27
Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier 57, Linton-HMB 39
Fordville Lankin-Park River 60, Drayton/Valley-Edinburg 29
Grafton/St. Thomas 47, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo, Minn. 33
Grand Forks Red River 64, Wahpeton 38
Harvey-Wells County 62, Velva 40
Kindred 53, Lisbon 33
Midkota 66, Griggs County Central 30
Minot Bishop Ryan 74, Watford City 53
North Star 63, Bottineau 50
Rugby 48, Rolla 43
Turtle Lake-Mercer 59, Max 56, OT
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Flasher vs. Center-Stanton, ppd.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL…

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Joey King made 8 of 11 shots and scored 19 points as Minnesota got past Furman 86-76 yesterday. DeAndre Mathieu scored 16 points for Minnesota. Croone hit three straight shots during Furman’s 17-8 run heading into halftime to pull within 40-33.
 

NATIONAL  BASKETBALL  ASSOCIATION

Final    Charlotte          110    Denver                  82
Final    Houston              110    Portland              95
Final    Chicago              129    Toronto              120
Final    Utah                      97    Memphis                91
Final    Atlanta              105    Dallas                102
Final    San  Antonio      125    L-A  Clippers    118
Final    Golden  State    128    Sacramento        108

NATIONAL  HOCKEY  LEAGUE

Final            Nashville        5    Columbus            1
Final            Washington      2    Ottawa                1
Final  2OT    Florida            4    Pittsburgh        3  (SO  Florida  1-0)
Final            Vancouver        7    Arizona              1
Final  OT      Anaheim            3    San  Jose            2
Final  OT      Calgary            4    Los  Angeles      3

TOP-25  COLLEGE  BASKETBALL

Final    (  6)  Wisconsin              68              California                        56
Final              Temple                    77    (10)  Kansas                                52
Final    (11)  Wichita  St.          80              Loyola  Marymount            53
Final    (13)  Washington            66              Tulane                                57
Final    (16)  Notre  Dame            91              N.  Illinois                      66
Final    (17)  St.  John’s            66              Long  Beach  St.                49
Final    (18)  West  Virginia      77              Wofford                              44
Final    (19)  Oklahoma                85              Weber  St.                          51
Final    (21)  Ohio  St.                93              Miami  (Ohio)                    55
Final    (22)  Baylor                    70              Southern  U.                      66
Final    (24)  Colorado  St.        75              Charleston  Southern      54
Final    (25)  TCU                          80              Grambling  St.                  36
COLLEGE  BASKETBALL  TOURNAMENTS

Don  Haskins  Sun  Bowl  Invitational

Championship
at  Don  Haskins  Center
Final    UTEP                                78    Kent  St.                      75

Third  Place
at  Don  Haskins  Center
Final    N.  Dakota  St.              61    Alcorn  St.

 

Marquette 67, North Dakota 54

TOP-25  WOMEN’S  COLLEGE  BASKETBALL

Final    (14)  Georgia        62              Belmont                  43
Final    (16)  Stanford      71              UC  Davis                59
Final              Ohio  St.      96    (21)  West  Virginia      54

 

NFL…

CINCINNATI (AP) – Peyton Manning threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted four times in Denver’s 37-28 loss to Cincinnati. Dre Kirkpatrick picked off two Manning throws, returning the first 30 yards for a game-clinching touchdown with 2:41 remaining. Jeremy Hill ran for 147 yards and a long TD as the Bengals clinched a playoff berth and prevented the Broncos from wrapping up a first-round bye.
Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (man-ZEHL’) has been ruled out of the team’s season finale against Baltimore after suffering a hamstring injury in Sunday’s loss to Carolina. It was the second start of the season for the well-hyped rookie, who replaced Brian Hoyer a few days before the Browns’ 30-0 loss to Cincinnati on Dec. 14.

Hoyer will start the season finale Sunday if he can recover from a shoulder injury suffered in Sunday’s loss to Carolina.

Chicago quarterback Jimmy Clausen will miss the season finale against Minnesota because of a concussion, moving Jay Cutler back into the starting role. Cutler was benched in favor of Clausen for Sunday’s loss to Detroit.

 

MLB…

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Twins and right-hander Phil Hughes have agreed to a $58 million, five-year contract that adds $42 million in guaranteed money from 2017-19. Hughes went 16-10 with a 3.52 ERA in his first season with Minnesota and led the major leagues among qualifying pitchers with an 11.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He will make $9.2 million in each of the next two years and $13.2 million annually from 2017-19.

San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro (SKOO’-tah-roh) has undergone back surgery that could end his career.

 

VIKES STADIUM…

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Vikings say ticket sales for the new stadium are moving at a brisk pace. The Vikings have sold 30,000 season tickets in the nine months since they went on sale for the new stadium. The sales have already brought in more than $80 million in seat license fees.

 

NEW YORK (AP) – The NFL’s troubles with domestic violence have been selected the sports story of the year in an annual vote conducted by The Associated Press.

Ninety-four ballots were submitted from U.S. editors and news directors. Voters were asked to rank the top 10 sports stories of the year, with the first-place story receiving 10 points, the second-place story nine points and so on.

NFL domestic violence received 659 points and 29 first-place votes in the results announced Tuesday.

The No. 2 sports story was Clippers owner Donald Sterling being forced out by the NBA after his racist statements. It received 518 points.

 

UNDATED (AP) – Make it three weeks in a row that Kentucky has been a unanimous pick as No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. The 12-0 Wildcats got all 65 first-place votes. Kentucky solidified its spot as the top team in the land with a crushing 83-44 win over UCLA Saturday in which the Wildcats rattled off the first 24 points in the game.

Duke, Arizona and Louisville held onto the next three spots.

The Cardinals have a showdown with Kentucky in Louisville on Saturday.

Virginia moves up a spot to No. 5, trading places with Wisconsin.

Villanova, Gonzaga, Texas and Kansas rounded out the top 10 in the same spots they held last week.

 

In world and national news…

NEW YORK (AP) – Investigators trying to determine if Ismaaiyl Brinsley latched onto the deaths of black men at the hands of white police officers for the final act in a violent rampage say he watched but did not participate in a protest earlier this month. Brinsley who had a long history of violence, killed two New York City police officers and himself. The funeral for one officer will be held Saturday while plans for the other are on hold pending the arrival of relatives from China.

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) – Algeria’s Ministry of Defense says a military operation east of the capital has killed three militants, including the man behind the kidnapping and beheading of a French hiker in September. Extremists pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group in Syria kidnapped the hiker and beheaded him on video a few days later when demands for France to end airstrikes were not met.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – It’s still not clear today what caused a more than 9-hour Internet outage in North Korea. Outside experts say it could be anything from a cyberattack to a simple power failure. The White House and the State Department declined to say whether the U.S. government was responsible in retaliation for the recent Sony hack. Service, which is limited to a few elite North Koreans, is back up.

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukraine’s parliament has taken what could be a step toward applying for membership in NATO. Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly today to abandon the country’s nonaligned status. Although Ukraine had pursued NATO membership several years ago, it declared itself a non-bloc country after Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych became president in 2010.

NEW YORK (AP) – A published report says a New York City man imprisoned for nearly 20 years for murder before a judge declared he was innocent is getting $4.75 million from the state. Fernando Bermudez told the New York Post in a statement published today that “the settlement will never erase the injustice.” The judge ruled in 2009 that Bermudez had “demonstrated his actual innocence.” Some witnesses recanted their identification and friends testified he was miles away.