wbPM2CSi Weather…

 TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 30S. NORTHWEST WINDS
10 TO 15 MPH DECREASING TO AROUND 5 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.TUESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 60S. WEST WINDS 5 TO
10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
.TUESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. SOUTHEAST
WINDS AROUND 15 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. WINDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 60S. WEST
WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 25 TO 30 MPH IN THE
AFTERNOON.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. BREEZY. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S.
WEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH.
.THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. HIGHS IN THE MID 40S.
.THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE MID 20S.
HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S.
.FRIDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE
EVENING…THEN SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW POSSIBLY MIXED WITH RAIN
AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION
20 PERCENT.
.SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S.
LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S.
.SUNDAY NIGHT…INCREASING CLOUDS. LOWS IN THE LOWER 30S.
.MONDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE MORNING…
THEN CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS IN THE MID 40S.
CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 30 PERCENT.

TUESDAY WILL SEE HIGHS WELL INTO THE 60S ACROSS WESTERN
 AND CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA. EVEN ACROSS THE FAR NORTH HIGHS SHOULD  REACH CLOSE TO 60, FOLLOWED BY A STRONG COLD FRONT LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.

BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY.

MORE MODERATION OF TEMPERATURES FRIDAY THROUGH
 SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S.

 

Jamestown (CSi) A couple of changes this year when the Shrine Circus comes to Jamestown today.

El Zagel Mystics member Craig Mehlhaff says, in addition to the circus being on a Monday, there will be only ONE PERFORMANCE, that will be at 5:30p.m., today, at the Jamestown Civic Center.

The circus is performed for the Jamestown and Valley City communities.

With tigers, dogs and death-defying high-wire and acrobatic acts, the El Zagal Shrine Circus will have one performance at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Jamestown Civic Center.

Richard Klose, circus co-chairman, said the circus is coordinated by El Zagal Shrine units the Jamestown Clowns, the Flag Corp., Valley City and the Mystics, also based out of Jamestown. Klose said Brent Chris of Flag Corp is the other co-chair.

Klose said there will only be one performance of the circus this year in response to requests from parents.

Klose said parents found it hard to go to either the late afternoon performance, which started at 4 p.m., or the 7:45 p.m. performance in recent years.

The parents said they had to get out of work early to make the 4 p.m. show,” he said. “And the 7:45 (p.m.) show started too late for children who had to go to school the next day.”

He adds that having one show, more people will attend the circus.

The circus that will perform in Jamestown is Circus Spectacular, with Cindy Migley as the producer. Circus Spectacular is based out of Sarasota, Fla., and includes animal acts, acrobatic teams, a high-wire act and the Globe of death, a motorcycle stunt act.

Klose says at the show’s intermission, two boys’ bicycles and two girls’ bicycles will be given away. The show will run a little over two hours.

Gates open one hour before the show starts. Tickets are available at Hugo’s Family Marketplace, Cash Wise, M&H and the Jamestown Civic Center. Tickets are $5.50 for children 12 and younger, $9.50 for adults if purchased before the show, and tickets are 50 cents more if bought at the door. Klose said the circus is sponsored by the El Zagal Shrine of Fargo. Proceeds from the circus will benefit Shrine Temple operations.

 

Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown Rural Fire Department responded to a grass fire, about 12:30-p.m., Monday, about two miles west of Montpelier.

It was estimated that at least 100 or more acres were involved.

Fire fighter units included the pumper trucks and an ATV.

The fire was fanned by winds.

No official damage estimate was immediately available.

 

Jamestown (CSI)  University of Jamestown President, Robert Badal has announced a search for the inaugural chair of a new Department of Engineering and Mathematics. A mechanical engineering program is included in the University’s strategic plan, and preparations are now underway. From a state and national perspective the timing is right to pursue development of the program due to high demand and interest from students. The University is initiating a national search for a director of the engineering program to prepare for students entering into the program in the fall of 2016.

The University of Jamestown’s size and mission make it a unique setting in the upper Midwest for this type of program. At the University of Jamestown, students can be part of a liberal arts campus where they can get to know faculty and staff on a personal level and at the same time gain a world-class education in engineering. The University of Jamestown will produce engineers who are products of a whole person educational approach which UJ is known for.

The University of Jamestown has a long-standing tradition of integrating the liberal arts and the professions. Steve Jobs of Apple computer made a statement which resonates with the University’s goal: “Technology married with the liberal arts, married with humanities; that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing.”

The market demand is currently very strong for high school graduates seeking mechanical engineering degrees. A focus group was on campus last summer to gain insight and perspective of area and national firms. 

UJ Vice President of Enrollment, Scott Goplin says, “I fully expect that a four year engineering degree program will have a significant impact on the University of Jamestown’s enrollment. We have the appeal of an exceptional private university offering small classes and personal attention from highly specialized faculty. Add to that an engineering field with exceptionally high starting salaries and employment opportunities and the program will encourage even more students to consider a UJ education.”

Paul Olson, Vice President for Academic Affairs, adds, “The University of Jamestown’s mission statement highlights our commitment to balancing the ideals of a liberal arts education and sound professional preparation, and that is exactly what we will do with our new bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Our students will acquire all of the technical knowledge required to be an outstanding engineer, but just as importantly, they will also benefit from our emphasis on communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving skills, ethics and spirituality, and our shared social and cultural heritage. The graduates from this program will be well-rounded engineers ready to play an important role in the region’s economy.”

The engineering program will be offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. The university plans to seek specialized programmatic accreditation. Currently, there is space in the university’s Sorkness Center for offices, labs and classrooms with plans for new construction being considered.

The University of Jamestown was established in 1883 and is ranked as a top tier regional school in US News and World Report and a top Midwestern school in The Princeton Review. The school features development of the whole person through its distinctive Journey to Success experience.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – A Bismarck man accused of hitting a 5-month-old child and fracturing the infant’s skull has been sentenced to three years in prison.
 
     Authorities say Franklin Crone Jr. punched the infant in the back of the head as he was assaulting the child’s mother. The child was flown to Minneapolis for brain surgery.
 
  Crone told the court he was “horrified” by his actions, but striking the infant was an accident.
 
     Crone pleaded guilty earlier to felony child abuse and misdemeanor assault.
 
     Judge David Reich on Monday ordered Crone to pay more than $1,900 in restitution, seek mental health treatment and register as an offender against children.
 
     The judge told Crone he is prohibited from contacting the woman he assaulted and all children in that family.
     

 DEVILS LAKE, N.D. (AP) – A North Dakota man accused of killing a man in Minnesota has agreed to be returned to that state to be prosecuted.
 
     Twenty-five-year-old Ray Littlewolf Jr. told a judge last week that he wanted to meet with a lawyer before agreeing to waive extradition. KZZY radio reports that Littlewolf didn’t fill out paperwork for a public defender, and he appeared in court in Devils Lake on Monday and waived extradition.
 
     Littlewolf is accused in the death earlier this month of 64-year-old Ronald Foss near Viking, Minnesota.

 

  WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) – An Idaho man is charged with attempted murder after police say he tried run over an officer during a vehicle chase.
 
     Twenty-seven-year-old Ryan Grunig, of Montpelier, Idaho, is facing several charges for the incident, which began early Sunday morning when police tried to pull him over for a traffic violation.
 
     Authorities say at one point Grunig’s pickup truck appeared to be stuck in a drainage ditch, at which time an officer drew his weapon and ordered Grunig out the vehicle. Grunig was able to accelerate out of the ditch and then drove toward the officer, who jumped out of the way.
 
Grunig also faces charges for fleeing, speeding and failing to wear a seat belt.

 

 WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) – Felony arrests in Williston in 2014 more than doubled from the previous year.
 
     Police Chief Jim Lokken says there were 1,328 felony arrests in the oil patch hub last year, up from 591 in 2013. Lt. David Peterson attributes the big jump to more illegal drugs in the area, primarily heroin and other opiates. He says they “drive a theft mentality.”
 
     Peterson tells the Williston Herald that the big jump in 2014 might be an anomaly. But he says if it isn’t, the city might need more police officers.

 

 BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Senate budget writers are reviewing a revamped formula to distribute a portion of the state’s oil and gas production tax revenue.
 
     The Senate Appropriations Committee was slated to discuss the distribution formula measure on Monday.
 
     The fund currently sets aside 75 percent of some oil tax revenues for the state and 25 percent for local governments.
 
     North Dakota’s House in February endorsed giving 70 percent to the state and 30 percent to communities affected by rapid growth.
 
     Community leaders in western North Dakota’s oil-producing counties and Gov. Jack Dalrymple earlier had pushed a 60-40 split in favor of local governments. But slumping oil prices have forced lawmakers to reconsider that.

 

PEMBINA, N.D. (AP) – U.S. Sen Heidi Heitkamp is bringing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s No. 2 official to North Dakota for a two-day trip.
 
     Heitkamp and Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas are scheduled to meet with local officials Tuesday and Wednesday. The two are also set to tour the state’s border with Canada on Wednesday, including the new border patrol facility in Pembina that’s being built.
 
     Tuesday’s stops include a discussion in Larimore with volunteer firefighters about recruitment and Heitkamp’s proposal to provide federal training for train derailments to first responders. Heitkamp and Mayorkas also plan to meet with officials Tuesday at the Grand Forks Public Safety Training Center.

 

 WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) – The Williams County planning and zoning committee is recommending that the County Commission approve a proposed $500 million development on the outskirts of Williston.
 
     The  committee motion also requires Swiss-based Stropiq to begin infrastructure work within 1  1/2 years.
 
     The Williston Crossing project proposed by the international real estate company would include 1 million square feet of retail, entertainment, office and hotel space.
 
     The county planning committee last month voted to give the project more study amid concerns over infrastructure and emergency services. But Stropiq officials successfully pushed the County Commission to force the committee to make a recommendation.
 
     The commission is expected to take up the project on April 7. Stropiq plans a public meeting the day before.

 

 In sports…

Jamestown (CSi) The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) will be holding a Co-ed multi-sports camp on the campus of the University of Jamestown on Monday, June 8 through Thursday, June 11,2015. This camp is for those going into grades 7-12. Camp fee includes lodging, meals, T-shirt, bible, plus quality coaching (college and high school coaches), competition, and spiritual workouts. Teams are welcomed!

Featured will be nationally known keynote speaker Steve Fitzhugh for each night’s worship. One night will be open to the public. What makes FCA camp unique is that it brings coaches and athletes of all different areas together with the intention of not just improving the field, but intentionally seeking to grow in relationship with God.

Camps are a time of “inspiration and perspiration” for athletes and coaches who want to reach their potential through comprehensive athletic, spiritual and leadership training. Camp costs are $250 per participant but there are limited scholarships available. Contact Nate at ND FCA for more information – 701-866-569 or natesafe@fca.org

 

In world and national news…

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Republican state lawmakers in Indiana say they plan to make changes to a new state law, to make it clear that it doesn’t allow discrimination against gays. But Democrats say the only way to end the widespread criticism of the law is to repeal it. The measure prohibits state laws that “substantially burden” a person’s ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. Businesses and organizations around the country have canceled plans to do business in Indiana. But state GOP leaders say similar laws exist around the country.
 
     NEW YORK (AP) – Among those criticizing the so-called “religious objection” law in Indiana is Apple CEO Tim Cook. Writing in the Washington Post, he says the legislation — and similar measures being introduced elsewhere — threaten to “undo decades of progress toward greater equality.” Cook came out as gay in October, saying he wanted to make a difference for others.
 
     BOSTON (AP) – A medical examiner in Massachusetts has described removing small nails, metal pellets and other debris from the wounds suffered by eight-year-old Martin Richard, who was killed in the Boston Marathon bombing. The testimony came as prosecutors rested their case against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NEYE’-ehv). Jurors saw gruesome autopsy photos, and the blood-stained and shredded clothing that had been worn by Martin when the bomb exploded.
 
     BETHESDA, Md. (AP) – Officials say an American health care worker who contracted Ebola while volunteering in Sierra Leone has improved to fair condition at a federal hospital. The National Institutes of Health announced today that the patient had been upgraded from serious condition. He was in critical condition earlier. He is being treated at the NIH hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, where he arrived March 13.
 
     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Attorneys for the wife and adult children of Robin Williams have agreed to try to resolve their dispute out of court involving personal items of the late actor. A lawyer representing children from previous marriages said in court today that the dispute has been excruciating for them, and they would like to resolve it as soon as possible. The children say Williams’ trust clearly granted them his clothing, jewelry and personal photos taken prior to his marriage to Susan Williams.