snowmobileactionphotoCSi Weather…

TONIGHT…CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE EVENING. PATCHY
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THROUGH THE NIGHT. BREEZY. LOWS AROUND
15. NORTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 25 MPH.
.THURSDAY…DECREASING CLOUDS. HIGHS 15 TO 20. NORTHWEST WINDS
15 TO 20 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS ZERO TO 5 ABOVE. NORTHWEST
WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
.FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS AROUND 10. NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO
15 MPH.
.FRIDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS NEAR ZERO.
.SATURDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S.
.SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW. LOWS
10 TO 15.
.SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. HIGHS
IN THE LOWER 20S.
.SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 5 TO 10 ABOVE.
HIGHS IN THE LOWER 20S.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS AROUND 15. HIGHS
IN THE MID 20S.

 

Valley City (CSi) The Barnes County Sheriff’s Office reports an accident about 11:30-a.m. Wednesday on County Road 21.

The 19 year-old Fort Ransom man was injured after he lost control of his pickup as it rolled down a riverbank and came to rest on its top on a frozen edge of the Sheyenne River about 10 miles south of Valley City,

Barnes County Chief Deputy Don Fibiger said the driver received cuts and bruises when he broke out a window to get out of the vehicle. The unidentified man was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment of his non-life threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation with the Barnes County Sheriff’s office.

Valley City (CSi) The bachelor’s degree program in communication at Valley City State University has recently been recognized by two independent sources as one of the top online communication degrees in the nation.

The program was recently ranked fourth among the top online communication degrees for 2015–16 by Affordable Colleges Online and ranked seventh by SuperScholar in its 2016 Smart Choice list of best online bachelor’s in communication degree programs.

Available entirely online (in addition to being offered face-to-face), VCSU’s professional communication degree offers three concentrations: corporate communication, digital media management and media communication. A key component of the VCSU program is a professional internship during the junior or senior year which provides real-world, hands-on learning.

Jamestown (CSi)  Jamestown Regional Medical Center held their annual Celebrity Celebration at the Gladstone Inn & Suites. Employees reaching anniversaries of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years were recognized for their service to JRMC and the community.

The individuals who were recognized are as follows:

40 Years: Roberta (Jo) Huebner; 35 Years: Terry Baltrusch, Cheryl Brown, Tracy Dale, Deb Falk, Linda Guthmiller, Tracy Johnk; 30 Years: Sheri Schweitzer, Sally Siefken, Cindy Tag Nygord; 25 Years: Sybil Anderson, Tracy Neva, Brenda Schlecht; 20 years: Shelly Fercho, Betty Kennedy, Arlyce Klein, Lisa Sand, Peggy Schroeder, Becky Wahl; 15 years: Korri Aesoph, Melissa Azure, Jenna Bredahl, Michele Geigle, Nikki Mack, Ricki Ramlo, Emily Woodley; 10 years: Brian Ament, Sarah Haas, Joanne Kleese, Chris Lunde, Sheila Metz, Renate Mohiuddin, Cheryl Schiele, Val Soleim; 5 years: Samantha Beckman, Mallory Bear, Cody Champagne, Janelle Dahl, Annette Hazelton, Tricia Herzig, Penny Holland, Brittany Johnston, Nicole Kappes, Catherine Kautz, Nicole Lemieux, Michelle Locke, Liz Mehus, Jeremy Olson, Roberta Schmidt, Tanya Schroeder, Vicki Wegner.

Physicians were also recognized for their dedication to JRMC. The following physicians were recognized: Dr. Many Sorlie (5 years), Dr. Brad Skari (5 years) and Pat Walter, PA-C (5 Years).

Washington (CSi) – Senator John Hoeven has announced that the year-end funding bill for Fiscal Year 2016 includes authorization and funding for new starts and construction of flood protection projects. The senator said the measure includes nearly $690 million more than the Army Corps of Engineer’s proposed budget for construction and authorizes new studies and construction activity that will help to advance flood protection projects in the Fargo-Moorhead and Minot regions.

Hoeven worked on the Appropriations Committee to include language in the FY 2016 Energy and Water funding bill, which has now been included in the year-end legislation. Congress is expected to pass the measure later this week. Specifically, the legislation will:

· Help communities in North Dakota build permanent flood protection projects with an emphasis on public private partnerships like the permanent flood protection project for Fargo and the Red River Valley.

· Provide permission for the Corps to begin studies of new permanent flood protection projects, which is vital for communities like Minot and the Souris River.

· Increase the Corps funding for water development infrastructure over FY 2015. This increase will help communities like LaMoure with funding to replace sanitary sewer systems.

· Increase the Corps’ funding for FEMA flood-mapping activities to better coordinate with flood insurance and keep premiums more affordable.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – Law enforcement authorities say the body of a man has been found in the bathroom of a mall in Grand Forks.

The Grand Forks Police Department says the body of the 26-year-old Grand Forks man was found Wednesday at the Columbia Mall.

Police say a representative from the mall contacted authorities around 10 a.m., and first responders found the body on the bathroom floor. Police say it is unknown when the man died and his cause of death has not been determined.

Police say there does not appear to be any threat to the general public.

Authorities are withholding the man’s name until his family is notified.
 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – The cases of two men arrested and charged in state court for their roles in a Fargo restaurant robbery and shooting have shifted to federal court.

Calvin Brown and Rico Brown are each charged with three counts, including discharging a firearm in a violent crime. That charge carries a mandatory 10-year prison term that would be tacked on to any sentence for the other counts.

Rico Brown faces an additional charge for possession of a stolen firearm.

Investigators say Rico Brown was the lookout and Calvin Brown drove the getaway car in the September robbery, which left a Taco John’s employee injured from a gunshot wound.

Defense attorneys for the defendants, who are cousins, declined to comment.

Three other men accused in the robbery are charged in Cass County court.

 

Update…

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota lawmakers have denied emergency funding to the state’s unemployment agency.

The state Budget Section voted 23-13 to kill the request on Wednesday.

Job Service North Dakota administers state unemployment benefits and gets 97 percent of its funding from the federal government.

Agency officials appealed to lawmakers to spend $240,000 in state money for staffing to handle a huge increase in unemployment insurance claims.

The agency says it is expecting to see the number of unemployment insurance claims jump from 700 to 2,500 in January. The agency blames 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.
Bismarck  (CSi) As the days and nights get colder, some low-income North Dakotans may find the increase in home heating costs beyond what their budget can handle. The North Dakota Department of Human Services is reminding low-income individuals, families, and seniors that help is available through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Applications are now being accepted at county social service offices in North Dakota.

The federally-funded program helps qualifying households in need of assistance pay a portion of their home heating costs, which includes natural gas, electricity, propane, coal, fuel oil, wood, or kerosene.

Assistance is based on household income and size, asset limits, type of fuel, and other factors to ensure help goes to those most in need. To qualify, a household can earn up to 60 percent of the state median income. The state medium income for a family of three equals about $44,717 (adjusted gross income) per year.

The program also covers furnace repair and weatherization services, which helps improve home heating efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

Individuals can apply at their local county social service office now through May 31, 2016. An application is available online at www.nd.gov/eforms/Doc/sfn00529.pdf and should be completed and returned to county social services along with documentation that verifies household income and assets.

Last year, the program paid an average of $950 in heating energy costs for just over 12,400 North Dakota households. The program directly pays fuel vendors, such as utility and fuel oil companies, on behalf of qualifying households. Nearly two-thirds of the participating households include people who are elderly, have disabilities, or include children age five and younger.

Because saving money on heating also involves conservation, the North Dakota Department of Human Services contracts with the North Dakota Department of Commerce for weatherization services including home insulation, furnace repair, and other energy-saving improvements to help lower heating costs. The direct work is often carried out by community action agencies.

Visit www.nd.gov/dhs/services/financialhelp/energyassist.html for more information on LIHEAP.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – The health of the more than 100 inmates at a North Dakota county jail who became ill this week is improving.

A total of 110 Inmates at the Cass County Jail showed symptoms including nausea, stomach cramps and diarrhea Tuesday.

Capt. Andrew Frobig with the sheriff’s office says no new cases associated with the outbreak have been reported. He says the jail is open for business and the inmates are going about their routines.

The facility was housing 282 inmates at the time the outbreak began.

Frobig says it has not been determined whether the outbreak was foodborne. He says the jail is asking inmates to identify the specific food items and condiments they consumed before the outbreak began.

The Fargo Cass Public Health is testing stool samples from inmates.
 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Bismarck residents hoping to add a second sheet of ice and other amenities to Schaumberg Ice Arena are asking the School Board for half a million dollars so they can reach their $8 million fundraising goal.

The Bismarck Parks and Recreation District pledged $4.5 million to the project, and the community group has raised $2.7 million through private donations.

Expansion leader Chad Wachter says  the group faces a Dec. 31 deadline for raising the remaining $800,000.

The park district owns the arena, but Bismarck Public Schools hockey teams use it. Wachter says there’s a big demand for ice time.

School board members haven’t yet dedicated any money to the proposed expansion.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – A local teacher is planning a bike trek across the U.S. to benefit a Fargo-based nonprofit dedicated to inspiring teenagers to complete high school.

Paul Shol, who teaches algebra to 9th graders at Fargo North High School, already has begun training for his trip next summer. He’s hoping to raise thousands of dollars for the Legacy Children’s Foundation to help diverse, low-income students in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Shol says the cross-country journey will be a “change of pace” after riding on Fargo’s flat roads.

He normally rides his bike to and from school and has participated in triathlons.

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – A state district judge in Fargo is back on the bench after a sports injury that has severely restricted his vision.

East Central District Judge John Irby was playing basketball in early November when he was hit in one eye with the ball and in the other eye by a hand. One eye was ruptured and permanently blinded. Irby suffered a detached retina in the other eye.

Irby is back hearing court cases, with the help of co-workers and changes to his computer that makes it easier for him to see.

He’s undergone eye surgery and another is planned in February to hopefully restore more vision to his remaining good eye.

Irby says the experience has given him a newfound appreciation for people who live with disabilities.

 

In sports…

Valley City (CSi) The Minnesota Twins, 2016 Winter Caravan will make a stop in Valley City, open to the public.

The visit is highlighted by baseball great, Tony Oliva, who will be joined by Twins pitchers Trevor May, and Tyler Duffy, and radio game announcer, Cory Provus.

The caravan will be at the Valley City Town and Country Club on Monday, January 16, 2016 from noon to 1-p.m.

 

In world and national news…

BALTIMORE (AP) – A judge says there is a hung jury in the case of a Baltimore police officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray. The jury couldn’t reach a decision after three days of deliberations in the manslaughter trial of William Porter. He was the first of six officers to stand trial on charges stemming from Gray’s arrest and death. The judge told the jurors they had “clearly been diligent” before he dismissed them. Gray died after suffering a broken neck in a police van while handcuffed and shackled.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is stressing that Wednesday’s interest rate hike was pre-emptive. The Fed is raising its key lending rate by a quarter point to a range of 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent. It’s the first increase in nine years. Yellen says the Fed went ahead with its rate hike despite low inflation because its policies operate on a lag. Inflation remains well below the central bank’s 2 percent target, but that’s largely because of transitory factors such as falling oil prices.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Homeland Security Department is unveiling an update to the National Terrorism Advisory system and issuing its first “bulletin.” Secretary Jeh (jay) Johnson says adding a bulletin to the alert system is an effort to better inform the public about evolving terrorist threats. Wednesday’s bulletin, reminding people of ongoing concerns over terrorism at home, will be in effect until June 16, 2016. It outlines much of what Johnson and other officials have said since the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.

CHICAGO (AP) – A federal civil rights investigation of the nation’s largest police departments has begun in earnest. Department of Justice agents are expected to sit down with top Chicago police brass.  In coming months, investigators will talk to everyone from beat cops to residents who alleged police misconduct in their neighborhoods. The DOJ announced the investigation earlier this month after the release of video showing a white officer fatally shooting a black teenager.

NEW YORK (AP) – The Republican presidential debates continue to be a big television draw, with 18 million people tuning in to the confrontation from Las Vegas last night. The Nielsen company says it was the third most-watched among the five GOP primary debates that have taken place so far this year.