wbPM3CSi Weather…  .SATURDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S. SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.

.SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, a 40 PERCENT CHANCE IN THE VALLEY CITY AREA. LOWS IN THE MID 60S. SOUTH WINDS 5 TO
10 MPH.
.SUNDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY.  A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING IN THE VALLEY CITY AREA. HIGHS IN THE MID 80S. SOUTH WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.MONDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S.

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MAINLY IN THE SOUTHERN RED RIVER VALLEY.  MORE  ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY NEXT WEEK…WITH STRONG  TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY FOR EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA INTO WESTERN MINNESOTA.

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Bismarck (CSi) Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s Chief of Staff, Friday congratulated Midwest AgEnergy Group as it marks the beginning of operations for the company’s new 65 million-gallon-per-year biorefinery located next to Great River Energy’s Spiritwood Station near Jamestown. More Story and pictures from the Press Conference.

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Jamestown  (CSi)  On Monday, July 27, 2015, 7 Ave SE, between 2 St & 3 St SE, will be closed to traffic, due to utility work.  Use alternate route.

The work is expected to be completed and the street is expected to be re-opened to traffic within one to two weeks. The work and anticipated street closure schedule are contingent upon weather conditions.

Motorists and other traffic should use extreme caution when entering road construction areas. The public should consider alternate routes if possible.

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UNDERWOOD, N.D. (AP) – Residents in the central North Dakota town of Underwood are beginning to clean up debris following a storm Thursday night that knocked out power, destroyed vehicles and sparked fires.

The  storm brought winds of 70 mph, knocking down trees that smashed cars and damaged homes. Elsewhere, wind peeled back to the roofs of houses.

Volunteer firefighter Steve Hammes says crews were called around 11:30 p.m. to extinguish a fire that erupted at a power line pole

Crews started cleaning fallen trees in town again around 6:30 a.m. on Friday after having worked until 10:30 p.m. on Thursday.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota health officials are warning residents and ranchers to watch out for blue-green scum in livestock water supplies, lakes and other recreational waterways.

Officials say the algae blooms can have an offensive odor and appearance, but they also can harmful to livestock, pets and people. Not all algae blooms are toxic, and it’s impossible to identify poisonous species without laboratory analysis.

State veterinarian Susan Keller says algae blooms are most common in North Dakota in late summer, but it only takes a few hot days to cause the organisms to become active and bloom.

Blue-green algae blooms can produce poisonous cyanotoxins. The toxins have no known antidotes.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – University of North Dakota President Robert Kelley says he will consider adding another option to the list of potential nicknames – no nickname at all.

A committee earlier this week submitted a list of five potential nicknames, but it did not include moving forward as “just North Dakota.” That prompted angry postings on social media, a petition drive and at least one planned protest.

Kelley said in an email sent Friday to the campus community that he still believes it is the best interest of UND to have a nickname, but he wants to review the opinions.

UND spokesman Peter Johnson says the move is appropriate because the committee was split on whether no nickname should be included.

The five finalists are Roughriders, North Stars, Fighting Hawks, Nodaks and Sundogs.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Two American Indian tribes in North Dakota are getting a total of $97,000 in federal money to develop comprehensive economic development plans.

North Dakota’s congressional delegation says the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe and the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa each are getting $48,500.

The money is from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

In world and national news…

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) – Police say the man who opened fire in a Louisiana movie theater Thursday  night still had another magazine of bullets for his handgun as he tried to escape. But when he spotted police officers outside, he turned around and pushed his way through the fleeing crowd to get back into the theater. As officers followed him, John Houser took his own life. He had killed two people and wounded nine others when he started shooting, about 20 minutes into a showing of the comedy “Trainwreck.”

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) – Eight character witnesses say Colorado theater shooter James Holmes was a happy, friendly child when he was growing up in California. Their testimony was videotaped in court Friday and will be replayed for the jury next week. Jurors were sent home earlier because one of them had a sinus infection, but the eight witnesses won’t be available to testify later. Defense lawyers are calling witnesses to describe Holmes’ more humane side as they try to persuade jurors to sentence him to life in prison without parole instead of death.

DESERT CENTER, Calif. (AP) – A California interstate linking Los Angeles and Phoenix has partially reopened. It was shut down after flash flooding damaged several bridges. Traffic began moving again Friday on a desert stretch of Interstate 10 where a surge of storm water barreling down a gully Sunday carved away the soil under concrete bridge supports. The reopening is welcome news for travelers and truckers, but traffic bottlenecks will remain.

DALLAS (AP) – Texas officials have released the autopsy report for a black woman who was found dead in a county jail three days after a confrontation with a white officer during a traffic stop. The 11-page report backs up the findings that were spelled out Thursday by Waller County officials who said 28-year-old Sandra Bland committed suicide by hanging on July 13. The report by the Harris County medical examiner’s office says Bland used a slipknot to fashion a noose out of a plastic liner that was taken from a trash can. Funeral services for Bland are scheduled for tomorrow in suburban Chicago.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece is inviting the International Monetary Fund to take part in its negotiations with European creditors over a third bailout. Those talks are now expected to start next week, after a delay of a few days. They have to conclude before Greece faces another big repayment in less than four weeks. Greek officials say negotiators are now expected to arrive in Athens over the weekend.