CSi Weather…

REST OF TODAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S. SOUTH
WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE
EVENING…THEN PARTLY CLOUDY AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS IN THE MID 20S.
WEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH.
.THURSDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 30S. NORTHWEST WINDS
10 TO 20 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 15 TO 20. NORTHWEST WINDS
AROUND 10 MPH.
.FRIDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTH WINDS
AROUND 5 MPH.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT
CHANCE OF SNOW. LOWS 15 TO 20. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S.
.SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW.
LOWS AROUND 10.
.SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGHS
AROUND 15.
.SUNDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS ZERO TO 5 ABOVE.
.MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS 15 TO 20. LOWS
AROUND 10.
.TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S.

 

Information from Americans For Non-Smokers Rights

http://www.no-smoke.org/goingsmokefree.php?id=157

(KCSi-T.V. News) — On December 6, 2012 North Dakota’s law expanding smoke free legislation takes effect.

On November 6, 2012, in a landslide decision (66% – 33%),

North Dakota voters chose to put a stronger smokefree state law in place.

Voters from each of North Dakota’s 53 counties and all legislative districts voiced support for making North Dakota the 24th state, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to require all non-hospitality workplaces, restaurants, and bars to be 100% smokefree.

In addition, North Dakota’s smokefree law adds provisions to require all gaming/gambling facilities to be 100% smokefree.

North Dakota’s initiative makes all public places 100% smokefree, including: bars, all worksites, truck stops, hotels/motels, retail tobacco stores, gambling and gaming facilities, child and adult day care facilities, within 20 feet of entrances and even a few outdoor places. Because research has not shown that electronic cigarettes are safe for bystanders, e-cigarettes are also prohibited where smoking is not allowed.

In addition, 14 local communities in North Dakota now have 100% smokefree laws.

North Dakota law does not preempt the passage of local smokefree laws.

Read more about current tobacco-related legislation in North Dakota.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) –  North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple is recommending a $12.8 billion, two-year budget to the Legislature.
 
     His blueprint includes big spending increases for public works, local schools and North Dakota’s university system.
 
     It provides slight reductions for North Dakota’s income taxes on corporations and individuals.
 
     It gives western North Dakota’s oil-producing counties a greater share of state tax revenues. It sets aside chunks of oil tax money for renewable energy and conservation projects.
 
     Dalrymple wants the Legislature to double the current state subsidy for local property taxes to $714 million.
 
     If the idea is approved, Dalrymple says local school property taxes will be about one-third of what they were more than five years ago.
 
     The governor’s budget raises state general fund spending by 18 percent over two years.

 Western North Dakota’s oil-producing counties would get a greater share of oil tax revenue under Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s budget proposal.
 
     The plan also includes almost $1 billion for road work in the region, including money for truck bypass routes and interchanges.
 
     Oil counties now get a share of state oil taxes, but their percentage is gradually reduced as the amounts get bigger.
 
     Dalrymple’s spending plan says the amount of oil money local governments get should double, to $521 million over two years.
 
     They’ll get the first $5 million in tax collections, and then get a constant 25 percent of the oil taxes after that.
 
     The budget includes $300 million for four-lane highway projects. One proposal is to make U.S. Highway 85 a four-lane road between Williston and Watford City.

 

North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s proposed two-year budget includes property and income tax reductions.
 
     Dalrymple laid out his plan for the North Dakota Legislature on Wednesday as lawmakers finished their organizational session.
 
     The Legislature already sets aside $342 million every two years to pay for local school property tax cuts. Dalrymple wants lawmakers to raise it to $714 million.
 
     If the plan is adopted, a school district’s property tax levy will be about a third of what it was more than five years ago. It would cut a homeowner’s existing property tax bill by about 20 percent.
 
     The governor’s income tax cuts would reduce the top individual income tax rate from 3.99 percent to 3.74 percent.
 
     The top corporate tax rate would go from 5.15 percent to 4.84 percent.

 

North Dakota law enforcement and regulatory agencies may be getting dozens of new employees.
 
     Gov. Jack Dalrymple unveiled his proposed two-year budget to the North Dakota Legislature on Wednesday.
 
     It asks lawmakers to approve 15 new Highway Patrol troopers, and spend almost $7 million to improve the patrol’s Bismarck training academy.
 
     North Dakota’s Department of Mineral Resources would get 23 new jobs, including petroleum engineers and field inspectors. The Health department would get more staffers to check for environmental violations.
 
     Dalrymple says his budget includes 171 new state workers, mostly in law enforcement, public safety and public health. He says most of the jobs are needed because of the expansion of North Dakota’s oil production.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s colleges have a number of building projects in Gov. Jack Dalrymple’s proposed budget.
 
     The University of North Dakota’s medical school would get a new $68 million building as part of an expansion of its ability to train new doctors.
 
     The governor also wants $12 million to renovate the UND law school.
 
     North Dakota State University would get $29 million for a new science and engineering building. Bismarck State College is in line for $13 million to replace its library.
 
     Dalrymple’s budget includes money to renovate a gym at Mayville State University and administrative buildings at the state College of Science in Wahpeton and Williston State College.
 
     Lake Region State College at Devils Lake would get $6 million to expand a technical center that is used for nurse training.

DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Democratic leaders in the North Dakota
Legislature say Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple left some pressing
needs out of his budget proposals.
     Dalrymple presented a $12.8 billion budget plan to legislators
Wednesday shortly before they ended their three-day organizational
session.
     House assistant Democratic leader Corey Mock says Dalrymple’s
plan doesn’t mention bringing more people into the Medicaid health
insurance program.
     The federal health care reform law offers state incentives to
cover low-income adults who don’t have children. Mock says the
state should grab the opportunity to expand coverage.
     Senate Democratic leader Mac Schneider says Dalrymple’s plans
for cutting school property tax bills should benefit renters as
well as property owners.
     Dalrymple wants to cut corporate tax rates, and Schneider says
the money would be better used to cut property taxes.

 

 BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota legislators have taken a few moments to honor two National Guard soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan and a third who was wounded.
 
     The Legislature is meeting at the state Capitol in Bismarck this week to get organized for the 2013 session that starts in January.

Gov. Jack Dalrymple on Wednesday presented his budget recommendations to the lawmakers. At the start of his speech he asked for a moment of silence for Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde, of Devils Lake, Spc. Tyler Orgaard, of Bismarck, and Spc. Ian Placek, of Bismarck.
 
     Linde and Orgaard died Monday when an improvised explosive device struck their vehicle, and Placek was wounded.
 
     Linde’s and Orgaard’s remains were being flown back to the United States on Wednesday. Funeral arrangements were pending.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP Dec 5, 2012) – Police in Bismarck have arrested an Idaho kidnapping suspect after the man allegedly pulled a gun on a truck driver and then fled to a nearby trailer park.
 
     Bismarck Police Sgt. Mark Buschena says 57-year-old Mitchell Lee Walck was arrested shortly after noon Wednesday.

 Buschena says a truck driver reported that a man entered his vehicle at a Bismarck truck stop. The trucker told police the man pulled out a gun and then ran to a nearby trailer park.
 
     Buschena says officers found Walck hiding behind a tree. A gun was recovered at the scene.
 
     Regional law enforcement officers had been searching for Walck after a 62-year-old Rathdrum, Idaho, woman reported she was kidnapped from her home at gunpoint and driven to Glendive, Mont., where she was released unharmed Sunday.

 

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – Bus ridership in the Grand Forks area
is on track to set a record, and officials aren’t really sure why.
There have been more than 300,000 riders on buses in Grand Forks
and neighboring East Grand Forks, Minn., so far this year.
Ridership is expected to reach 375,000 by the end of the year,
eclipsing last year’s mark of just under 329,000.

     Dale Bergman with the Cities Area Transit system speculates that
there might be several reasons for the jump, including an increase
in immigrants and a poor economy.

 

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says Republicans want to “sit down with the president” and “talk specifics.” But he says the White House isn’t offering any. House Republicans have put forward a 10-year blueprint to save $2.2 trillion, partly by increasing the eligibility age for Medicare and lowering cost-of-living hikes for Social Security. It was a response to President Barack Obama’s offer to boost taxes by $1.6 trillion over the coming decade. But under Obama’s plan, Medicare and Social Security would largely be spared from budget cuts.

 

NEW YORK (AP) – New York City police have arrested a man in the
death of a subway rider who was shoved onto the tracks.
     Police say Naeem Davis was arrested on a charge of murder
Wednesday.
     The 30-year-old Davis had been taken into custody for
questioning Tuesday. Police say security video showed a man fitting
the suspect’s description working with street vendors near
Rockefeller Center.
     Police said Davis made statements implicating himself in the
crime.
     Ki-Suck Han of Queens died after being hit by a train Monday at
the Times Square subway station.
     Police say he tried to climb a few feet to safety but got
trapped between the train and the platform’s edge.
     Davis is in custody and it’s not clear if he has a lawyer.
 
     UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The Palestinians are demanding urgent action by the U.N. Security Council and the international community to halt what they say is Israel’s “illegal settlement campaign.” In letters to U.N. officials, a Palestinian diplomat says the intensified Israeli push toward settlements is part of that country’s response to last week’s overwhelming vote by the General Assembly to recognize the state of Palestine.
 
     CAIRO (AP) – Three advisers to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi have announced their resignations to protest his handling of a crisis over the country’s new constitution. That brings to five the number of people from Morsi’s panel of 17 advisers who have quit since the crisis began last month. That’s when Morsi issued decrees giving himself sweeping powers and putting him above any oversight. He later called a December referendum on a disputed draft constitution adopted by his Islamist allies.
 
     HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – A jazz musician who became known for his exotic, challenging rhythms in pieces such as “Take Five” has died. Dave Brubeck would have turned 92 tomorrow. Brubeck formed his own quartet in 1951, and would become the first modern jazz musician to appear on the cover of Time Magazine. The composer and pianist helped define the swinging, smoky rhythms of 1950s and 1960s club jazz.
 
     PHOENIX (AP) – The father of a girl with leukemia who was taken out of an Arizona hospital says his daughter is doing well and being treated in Mexico. Police have been looking for the11-year-old since Wednesday, when surveillance video shows the girl’s mother walking her out of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Authorities say the girl underwent a month of chemotherapy and had been treated for an infection that forced doctors to amputate her arm. They say the girl is at risk of infection if she isn’t brought back. But the girl’s father tells NBC News she is safe.