Wayne Byers Show – Evening – Dec 8

CSi Weather…

.TONIGHT…INCREASING CLOUDS. LOWS AROUND 30. WEST WINDS 5 TO
10 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS AROUND 50. SOUTHWEST WINDS
10 TO 15 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF
RAIN IN THE JAMESTOWN AREA, 40 PERCENT IN THE VALLEY CITY AREA. LOWS IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN AND
SNOW. BREEZY. HIGHS AROUND 40. NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOWER 20S. NORTHWEST
WINDS 5 TO 15 MPH.
.FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGHS
IN THE LOWER 30S.
.FRIDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. LOWS IN
THE LOWER 20S.
.SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGHS
AROUND 30.
.SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 15 TO 20. HIGHS
IN THE UPPER 20S.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS AROUND 15. HIGHS
IN THE UPPER 20S.
.MONDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW.
LOWS 15 TO 20.
.TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGHS
IN THE UPPER 20S.

A WINTERY MIX IS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. AREAS
OF RAIN WILL DEVELOP WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH PATCHY FREEZING RAIN
POSSIBLE TOWARDS MORNING. RAIN WILL BECOME MIXED WITH SNOW LATER
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AS COOLER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION.

STRONG WINDS AND LIGHT MIXED PRECIPITATION ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY
AND ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR FRIDAY

 

 

Valley City  (CSi)  A petition to disband the Valley City police Department has been  submitted to the City of Valley City for approval.

The petition asks the voters to approve setting up an ordinance to disband the Police Department and have all law enforcement responsibility under the Barnes County Sheriff’s office.

One of the sponsoring committee members Bob Drake says the city would save money by eliminating the police department.

City Attorney Russ Myhre says according to the Home Rule Charter,  the City Auditor has ten days after receipt to  approve or disapprove the Petition for circulation to the committee of petitioners.

The City Auditor then  has to submit a response by December 18 to the committee made up of Tony Drake, Lloyd Nelson and Bob Drake.

Prior to the petition submittal,  Valley City Administrator David Schlelkoph said the city stopped the search process for a new police chief due to the unknown outcome of the proposed city petition and possible vote by the people.

The current police chief Fred Thompson tendered his resignation earlier this year and will step down in mid-January.

 

Jamestown (CSi) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports, releases from the Jamestown and Pipestem dams have been temporarily stopped.

Pipestem Dam, Manager Bob Martin says, up to December 1, 2015, Jamestown Dam had been releasing 12 cfs.

He estimates that releases of between 5 and 10 cfs could be started from Pipestem Dam in the next two weeks. Those releases will come from the bottom of the lake and are meant to improve water quality in the reservoir.

The end of releases from Pipestem and Jamestown Dams, along with the start of releases from the Ice House Dam in southwest Jamestown, has resulted in reduced river levels.

The reservoir behind Pipestem Dam froze over on November 27, 2015.

Martin points out that the ice is thin with open areas of water.

The water near the island at Jamestown Reservior is still open due to activity of geese swimming there.

Martin adds that “With the warmer temperatures we’ve had, it is definitely not safe on the ice out there.”

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Law enforcement officers issued more than 650 citations for seat belt violations across North Dakota last month.

The state Highway Patrol says extra safety patrols from nearly 40 agencies in November as part of an effort to crack down on seat belt violations resulted in more than 2,000 citations. Of those, 653 were for failure to use a proper safety restraint and 891 were for speeding.

The Highway Patrol says the traffic stops also resulted in one felony violation, 29 drug arrests and seven DUIs.

The agency says seat belt use is crucial in preventing injuries and fatalities during crashes. Sixty-nine percent of those who died in passenger vehicle crashes in North Dakota in 2014 were not using a seat belt.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s employment agency has made an emergency request to spend $240,000 for staffing to handle a huge increase in unemployment insurance claims.

Job Service administers state unemployment benefits.  Executive director Cheri Giesen told the state Emergency Commission Tuesday that the agency is expected to see unemployment insurance claims jump from 700 to 2,500 in January. She says the rise of claims is due to layoffs of seasonal workers and those who are losing jobs in the oil patch because of a drop in activity.

To exceed the spending limits set by the Legislature, agencies must get permission from the Emergency Commission and a separate legislative committee called the Budget Section. The Emergency Commission approved the funding Tuesday. The Budget Section is slated to review the request next week.
Update…

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – No injuries have been reported in a fire at a popular Somali restaurant and coffee house in Grand Forks.

The blaze at Juba Coffee House was called in shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters had the blaze contained in less than half an hour.

The cause of the fire was not immediately determined. Fire officials estimated damage at about $90,000.

Vandals late last week spray-painted an offensive symbol on the business and the words “go home,” but authorities say that it’s too early to know if the two incidents are connected.

State and federal authorities are helping in the investigation.

 

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. (AP) – Authorities say smoking materials caused a house fire that killed a Devils Lake man late last month.

The victim of the Nov. 29, 2015  fire was identified as 78-year-old Harry Abercrombie.

He was the lone occupant of the home.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – The North Dakota Supreme Court has rejected another appeal by a Manvel man accused of beating his brother to death in 2010.

Rodney Chisholm was seeking a new trial, claiming in part that his attorney in his initial trial was ineffective. Supreme Court justices disagreed and upheld a district court decision to deny Chisholm post-conviction relief.

Chisholm in 2011 was convicted of murder in the death of his brother, Donald Chisholm, who authorities say was hit with an iron pipe and had a hose clamp put around his neck.

Rodney Chisholm at his trial said his brother had been threatening to shoot him over a property dispute.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota House Speaker Wes Belter won’t seek re-election when his term is up next year.

He says  the timing is right and he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren and friends. The Republican lawmaker from Fargo was first elected to the Legislature in 1984.

The 70-year-old Belter says his wife is doing well after undergoing a double lung transplant in June and both want to enjoy retirement.

Belter’s district covers southwest Fargo, West Fargo, Horace and parts of rural Cass County, which is much of the same area his grandfather and father represented dating back to the 1930s.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota officials believe changes need to be made to U.S. meat labeling rules that the World Trade Organization says put Canadian and Mexican livestock at a disadvantage.

The WTO on Monday said Canada and Mexico can impose more than $1 billion in tariffs on American goods in retaliation for U.S. “country of origin” meat labeling rules.

Members of North Dakota’s congressional delegation say Congress needs to amend the rules so that U.S. producers don’t face retaliation.

National Farmers Union President and former North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson says Congress needs to make country-of-origin labeling voluntary.

Congress is considering working a repeal of the labeling law into a massive year-end spending bill.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Two groups that represent North Dakota ranchers have different thoughts about what Congress should do with U.S. meat labeling rules.

The World Trade Organization on Monday said Canada and Mexico can impose more than $1 billion in tariffs on American goods in retaliation for U.S. “country of origin” meat labeling rules.

North Dakota Stockmen’s Association President Steve Brooks says that’s exactly what the group feared when it called earlier for COOL to be repealed. He says the Stockmen’s hopes Congress will now heed that call.

The Independent Beef Association of North Dakota supports country of origin labeling. President Larry Kinev says the group hopes Congress passes a bill to keep COOL but make it voluntary, and that pressure from consumers and the retail industry leads to meat labeling.
In sports…

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team remains No. 4 in both national polls after a weekend sweep of rival Denver.

Defending national champion Providence remains atop both the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls this week, followed by Quinnipiac and Boston College. Omaha rounds out the top five in both polls.

The Fighting Hawks travel to No. 17 Minnesota Duluth this weekend.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – Two University of North Dakota forwards have been named to the preliminary roster of the U.S. team for the World Junior hockey tournament.

Sophomore Nick Schmaltz and freshman Brock Boeser will attend training camp that begins Dec. 14 in Boston. The final roster will be named by Dec. 24.

The tournament is Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Helsinki, Finland.

Schmaltz has three goals and a nation-leading 21 assists in 18 games this season. He also leads all players with a plus-minus rating of plus-28.

Boeser leads all freshmen in the country with 11 goals.

 

In world and national news…

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House is entering the fray over Donald Trump’s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the U.S. Spokesman Josh Earnest says any Republican presidential candidate too scared of the GOP political base to condemn Trump shouldn’t be president. Trump’s proposal has been criticized by many Republican candidates, but cheered by many of his supporters.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House is expected to overwhelmingly approve a bill that would require visas for anyone who’s been in Iraq or Syria in the previous five years. The measure, which is backed by the White House, takes aim at the “visa waiver” program. It allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the U.S. without first obtaining a visa.

DALLAS (AP) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz have announced a bill that would give any state the right to reject a refugee for security concerns. Word of the bill comes a day after a family of six Syrian refugees arrived in Texas. Abbott says he wants to ensure Syrian refugees “who could pose a danger” to his state will not be allowed in.

WASHINGTON (AP) – A government watchdog says 13 of the nation’s busiest air traffic control facilities are suffering from a shortage of air traffic controllers. A Department of Transportation official says the problem demands “urgent attention.” He cited specific examples of short-staffing in New York, Dallas, Denver and Chicago.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says the government plans to update its safety rating system for new cars to include whether the car has technology to avoid crashes. The 5-star rating system is currently based on how well a vehicle can protect occupants from death or injury in accidents.