Wayne Byers Show – Evening – Jan 12

CSi Weather…

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS NEAR ZERO. SOUTH WINDS AROUND
5 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. NOT AS COLD. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S.
WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE JAMSTOWN AREA 30 PERCENT IN THE VALLEY CITY AREA. LOWS
AROUND 15. SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 5 MPH.
.THURSDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE JAMESTOWN AREA, 60 PERCENT IN THE VALLEY CITY AREA. HIGHS IN THE
MID 20S. NORTH WINDS 5 TO 15 MPH.
.THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW IN THE EVENING IN THE VALLEY CITY AREA LOWS 5 TO 10 ABOVE. NORTHWEST
WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE
MORNING IN THE JAMESTOWN AREA.  HIGHS 10 TO 15.
.FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS AROUND 10 BELOW.
HIGHS 5 TO 10 ABOVE.
.SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS AROUND 15 BELOW.
.SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS AROUND 5 BELOW.
LOWS AROUND 20 BELOW.
.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS ZERO TO 5 ABOVE.
.MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOWS AROUND 10 BELOW.
HIGHS 5 TO 10 ABOVE.

..DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

 

Update…

Jamestown (CSi) The Jamestown Rural Fire Department was called just after 4-p.m. Monday to a barn fire, about 2.5 miles east of Ypsilanti.

The person calling in the fire said the barn was engulfed in flames.

The barn was declared a total loss and was destroyed before 12 firefighters and five units arrived, on the scene..

JRFD Chief Ben Maulding says heat lamps was the likely cause of the fire .

The farm’s owner, Dustin Lein, was not home when the fire started.

 

Valley City (CSi) North Dakota State Senator Larry Robinson, of Valley City will seek re-election in the November 2016 General Election.

In a news release Robinson, said he has served in the Senate since 1988 and is the senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. During the interim, Robinson serves on the Water Topics Committee, Budget Section, Higher Education Committee and the Information Technology Committee. He spent 22 years as a member of the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council manages the affairs of the legislative branch between sessions.

Robinson serves on the administrative staff of Valley City State University as Executive Director of University Advancement. He has held an administrative position at the university since 1975. Prior to that he served as principal at Warwick, N. D. Public Schools.

Robinson stated, “It has been a privilege and an honor serving the good citizens of District 24. We have accomplished much but there is certainly more to do. The challenges facing the next session of the legislature are many. Some of those challenges include declining state revenue and overall state finance, on-going property tax relief, permanent flood protection, education finance, care for our seniors and veterans, mental health programs, addiction services, support for our DD Providers and Nursing facilities, and our infrastructure. Aid to our political sub divisions will also be a high priority. We must also deal with a growing population in our prison system.”

He is a graduate of Valley City State University and received his Master’s Degree from North Dakota State University. Robinson is married to Mary Lee, they have two grown sons and three grandsons. He is a member of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, the Valley City Eagles, Elks, Knights of Columbus, Barnes County Wildlife Federation, Barnes County Museum, Wellness Center Advisory Committee, Governor’s Prevention Advisory Council, Mental Health America Board of Directors, and the Drug Court Advisory Committee.

Robinson is also a member of the Valley City Area Chamber of Commerce and is a two term past president of that organization.

Robinson has been recognized by a number of organizations over the years as the Legislator of the Year. Those organizations include the North Dakota Township Officers Association, the North Dakota Association of Counties, North Dakota Wildlife Federation, the North Dakota Conference on Social Welfare, and the Information Technology Council of North Dakota.

District 24 Republicans have not announced who will run against Robinson in the November 2016 election. District 24 includes all of Barnes County and parts of Ransom and Cass Counties.

 

Jamestown (CSi) Meeting this month, the Jamestown City Park Board approved nearly $100,000 in improvements to the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Department’s website and computer registration system.

The improvements will increase the department’s website capacity by adding more pages, and contracting with Vermont Systems Inc. will provide online registration for all the department’s activities and programs.

Ann Haut, maintains the Parks and Recreation Department’s website and manages the office, said the new web site will include having individuals register online for everything, including TRAC (Two Rivers Activity Center) when it’s completed,” said

The cost for the Vermont Systems software, including training and annual maintenance, is $88,691. The commission authorized Haut and Parks and Recreation Business Manager Sheila Harr, determine if the purchase will be financed over a two- or three-year period.

In other business, the Parks and Recreation Commission will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Parks and Recreation office on 2nd Avenue Southeast, to review the revised schematic design for TRAC and take action to either approve or reject the revised design.

Representatives from ZerrBerg Architect and McGough Construction will be at the meeting to explain any changes.

　

Jamestown (CSi) Changes approved by Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corporation (JSDC)Executive Committee, means that businesses seeking incentives from JSDC will meet just once with its board in the future.

The executive committee, made up of five members of the 15-member board of directors, will still exist but only meet in special meetings called by the board chairman.

In the past, businesses requesting incentives met first with the executive committee and then with the board of directors.

Then, if the project was approved by the JSDC, the Jamestown City Council and Stutsman County Commission would also have had to approve the project before the incentives were granted.

JSDC, CEO Connie Ova said eliminating the executive committee step in the review process would streamline the applications for incentives and engage more board members in the decision-making process.

The executive committee, made up of five members of the 15-member board of directors, will still exist but only meet in special meetings called by the board chairman.

In other business, the JSDC deobligated $4.7 million in Stutsman County job incentive funds and $470,000 in Jamestown economic incentive funds that had been pledged for future tax breaks for the planned $3 billion CHS nitrogen fertilizer plant.

Deobligating the funds returns the money to the incentive funds where it could be utilized in future projects.

CHS announced in August it would not proceed with the construction of the planned plant.

　

Valley City (VCSU, CSi) Valley City State University’s online degree programs—both its Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Bachelor’s Degree programs—have been nationally ranked in the 2016 U.S. News Best Online Programs.

VCSU’s online M.Ed. is ranked 83rd among 263 programs listed in the Graduate Education rankings, and in the Best Online Bachelor’s Program category, VCSU is ranked 143rd of 297 listed programs.

No other North Dakota schools were listed in the Graduate Education rankings; in the Best Online Bachelor’s Program lists, Minot State University (191st), Mayville State University (205th) and the University of North Dakota (208th) were ranked along with VCSU.

President Tisa Mason, says, “We’re proud of the recognition our online programs have received from U.S. News. We emphasize best practices in teaching, learning and technology at VCSU, so that regardless of how the instruction is delivered, students enjoy a rich and rigorous educational experience. That shows in the honors our programs receive.”

She adds, “Online instruction affords students additional flexibility in choosing their courses and where they take them. So when they choose us, we’re able to increase the reach of the university beyond Valley City and North Dakota, providing online accessibility in key areas.”

U.S. News surveyed colleges and universities with online programs to obtain data for the rankings. Graduation rates, class sizes, retention rates, student indebtedness, technological infrastructure, support services, and percentage of faculty with terminal degrees and with tenure were among the many factors that were considered in ranking online programs.

More information on the rankings is available at www.usnews.com/education/online-education.

VCSU’s fully accredited M.Ed. program is offered completely online to meet the needs of practicing teachers. Concentrations in the M.Ed. program at VCSU include elementary education, English education, library and information technologies, teaching and technology, teaching English language learners, and technology education. More information about the program is available at www.vcsu.edu/graduate.

VCSU offers online Bachelor’s Degree programs in business education, business process integration management, career and technical education, English education, history education, professional communication, and technology education. More information can be found online at online.vcsu.edu.

In the 2016 U.S. News and World Report Best College Rankings, Valley City State University was ranked as the No. 1 public regional college in the Midwest; VCSU has been named a U.S. News “Best College” for 18 consecutive years.

 

 MINOT, N.D. (AP) – Minot police have taken six people into custody in recent days as they deal with a rash of business, home and storage unit burglaries.
 
     So far this year there have been at least 15 burglaries in the city. They continue a trend, with burglaries in 2015 increasing 60 percent over the previous year.
 
     The problem might be tied to drugs, with some of the suspects also arrested on drug charges.
 
     Police officers have increased patrols aimed at detecting suspicious activity near businesses. The police department also is encouraging businesses to record serial numbers of valuables.
 

 

 BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Superintendent Kirsten Baesler says she will seek a second four-year term as North Dakota’s superintendent of public instruction.
 
     Baesler on Tuesday said she will request a letter of support from delegates to the North Dakota Republican state convention, which is being held April 1-3 in Fargo.
 
     Baesler says she’s running for re-election to continue progress on a number of education initiatives, including strengthening college preparation for high school seniors. Her initiative aims to reduce the number of North Dakota students who require remedial studies while in college and broaden availability for advanced high school coursework for students who are excelling.
 
     She says she’s especially excited by the challenges offered by the new federal education law, which Congress approved in December. It allows state and local officials more control over education.

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – An interim legislative committee was told Tuesday that a partial state takeover of county social services costs is helping to ease the property tax burden for North Dakotans.
 
     Gov. Jack Dalrymple proposed the tax relief last year, with lawmakers transferring $23 million in state money to the state Department of Human Services to run some programs for counties during the current two-year budget cycle. It’s part of a longer-term proposal for the state to take over the funding of all social service programs.
 
     The North Dakota Association of Counties says legislation passed last year has resulted in an estimated savings of about $10 million to counties so far.
 
     Counties began funding social service programs through property taxes in 1989 when the state shifted the costs to local governments.

 

In sports…

Jamestown (CSi, U of J Sports Information) The percentage of NCAA football players who make it to the National Football League is approximately 1.5%. In the case of an NAIA football players, that percentage decreases significantly.

Those odds don’t discourage  Jarelle Miller, who finished his career in 2015 as one of the best defensive players in Jimmie history. The 6′ 2″, 235-pound linebacker from Orlando, Florida received an invite to the 2016 NFL Regional Scouting Combine, scheduled to take place March 5 in Minneapolis.

Miller will be working out in Jamestown to get himself ready for the combine. Former UJ running back Chris Johnson, a manager/personal trainer at Anytime Fitness in Jamestown, and Boya Quichocho, UJ associate head baseball coach and head trainer of the UJ Speed Enhancement Program will be helping prepare Miller for the various skill and strength tests he will undergo in Minneapolis.

Working out in Jamestown was a no-brainer. “My agent wanted me to come to New York and train there, but I told him my ultimate goal is to get my degree, which he totally understands, ” said Miller. “Chris is doing a great job on preparing me for the upcoming events, and training with Boya will help increase my endurance, mobile stability, balance, and my running form.”

Miller has spent time training in the past few offseasons with his longtime friend and current Green Bay Packer, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. The Packer defensive back was willing to share some advice with Jarelle before he heads to Indianapolis.

“He told me running the 40-yard dash is extremely important for the NFL, so really prepare myself for that, and do a lot of stretching and yoga classes. Also, he told me that when I walk into the stadium and see so many coaches and GMs there, it’s definitely intimidating, but the best thing to do is just go out there and have fun.”

Only two Jamestown players have reached the NFL. John Webster, who also played at the University of Chicago, played in two games for the 1924 Racine Legion, and J.J. Syvrud, who played in one game for the New York Jets in 1999, defied the odds and made it to the big stage. Miller knows the long road that awaits him, and is thankful for the opportunity that only a select group of players receives each season.

In December, Miller played in  the FCS Bowl, an annual post-season college football all-star game consisting of the top players from college football FCS schools. He had an excellent showing during the game, leading his team in tackles. Miller also had an interview with the New York Jets, so he is on the radar of some NFL teams. Jarelle’s pro career aspirations will become crystal clear following the conclusion of the NFL Draft, which is April 28-30 in Chicago.

“Being drafted would be a big shocker, ” Miller said. “My agent and I talked about the ups and downs on being drafted and the challenges I would face coming from a small school. He told me it’s not going to be easy, which I know, but I told him I don’t want it the easy way because that way doesn’t last long. I am considering being an undrafted free agent, which is fine with me.”

Jimmie fans are familiar with Miller’s playing style and his defensive prowess, which earned him the 2014 North Star Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year award as well as second-team All-American honors. But for those who haven’t seen much of Jarelle, he’s quick to point to two NFL linebacker greats.

“I’d say I mostly resemble Clay Matthews in playing style,” said Miller. “He’s a guy that plays fast and aggressive, and also a good team player. Ray Lewis is my biggest inspiration in becoming the player I am today. He was an animal on the field and inspired me to play linebacker. Before every game I have to listen to his speeches. His words give me wisdom to want to be great.”

 

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – Five-time national football champion North Dakota State University is the unanimous No. 1 team in the final FCS polls of the season.
 
     The Bison on Saturday beat Jacksonville State 37-10 for a fifth straight title. They top both the final coaches poll and the final STATS media poll.
 
     NDSU rival South Dakota State made the top 20 in both polls – finishing 16th in the coaches poll and 15th in the media poll. The Jackrabbits made their fourth consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs this past season.
 
     The University of North Dakota received votes in both polls but did not crack the top 25.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota State junior guard Carlin Dupree has left the basketball team.
 
     Coach David Richman says Dupree was unhappy with his role. Richman says he supports Dupree, but not Dupree’s decision.
 
     Dupree had played in all 17 games for the Bison this season and started 14 of them. The Milwaukee native was averaging seven points, three rebounds and two assists per game.
 
     The 6-foot-3 Dupree’s best moment might have come in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. He came off the bench as a true freshman and scored four straight points in overtime to spark an 80-75 win over Oklahoma.
 
     The head coach at the time, Saul Phillips, called Dupree’s performance the “loudest two minutes in the history of the NCAA basketball tournament.”

 

In world and national news…

 DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – It’s already the world’s biggest lottery jackpot, and now it’s even bigger. Lottery officials say the pot for Wednesday  night’s Powerball drawing is now at $1.5 billion. And if ticket sales continue to outpace expectations, it could grow even more.
 
     LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – It’s still a mystery — and nobody’s providing any clues. Kim Davis and her lawyer will be attending Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, at the invitation of a member of Congress. But they’re not identifying the lawmaker. Davis is the county clerk from Kentucky who spent five days in jail for defying federal court orders and refusing to license same-sex marriages.
 
     CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – Chelsea Clinton is in New Hampshire campaigning on behalf of her mother with less than a month to go until the state votes in the first presidential primary. The only child of President Bill Clinton and the former secretary of state, Chelsea Clinton is making her debut appearance in the 2016 campaign Tuesday with three stops in New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton faces a tough race in the state as rival Bernie Sanders continues to make gains, both in New Hampshire and in first-to-vote Iowa. The younger Clinton is scheduled to swing through Iowa on Jan. 16. Chelsea Clinton spent this morning promoting her mother’s plans to expand early childhood education.
 
     LOS ANGELES (AP) – California air quality regulators are rejecting Volkswagen’s recall plan to fix vehicles including the Beetle and Jetta that were programmed to trick government emissions tests. The California Air Resources Board says the plan did not meet its standards and is “unacceptable.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it agrees with the decision, but it’s working on a different timetable. Volkswagen says it continues to work with regulators.
 
     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – For the first time in the FBI’s efforts to crack down on sex trafficking during the Super Bowl, the agency will try to reach out to women and girls selling sex in the run-up to the game. FBI officials say the goal is to give them a way out and get them to turn against their traffickers. The effort will supplement sting operations that the agency has used against traffickers before previous NFL championships.