2018 Year in Review: January thru June

by Allison Lindgren

As we move forward into a new year, we reflect back on the some of the headlines of 2018. This is the first of a two-part series, with stories from January through June.

January

District 23 Senator Joan Heckaman of New Rockford was one of 14 statewide leaders appointed by N.D. Governor Burgum to serve on his Task Force for Higher Education Governance. The 15-member Task Force for Higher Education Governance was created by executive order in November of 2017 and consisted of the governor as chair and 14 members appointed by the governor. Burgum appointed the members from a pool of more than 230 applicants.

Southeast Judicial District Judge Daniel Narum bound charges against Alex Lail, formerly of New Rockford and Fessenden, over to trial after determining the state had met the burden of probable cause. Concerned that media coverage could potentially influence jurors locally, the judge granted a request by Lail's attorney that the trial be held elsewhere.

Just three votes separated the yeas from the nays when members of CenDak Farmers Union Cooperative reconsidered a merger with BTR Farmers Co-op on Friday, Jan. 5. About half of the 386 qualified members cast ballots, 99 of them absentee and another 90 in person on the date of the vote. The final tally was 96-93 in favor of the merger.

The new Casey's General Store in New Rockford opened Thursday, Jan. 11 and hosted a grand opening on January 12 and 13.

The New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation welcomed Amanda Hegland as its new Executive Director. Hegland brought extensive experience in public relations, event organization, group leadership, marketing and project management to the position.

State Senator Joan Heckaman announced she would seek re-election to the North Dakota Senate from District 23, which includes the counties of Eddy, Nelson, Griggs, Steele and the eastern half of Benson County, including the Spirit Lake Nation.

February

The year 2018 marked Todd and Renae Duchschererer’s 25th year in business in the New Rockford community. The couple opened Big A Auto Parts in 1993, later switching suppliers from Big A to NAPA.

Thomas Sauby of Carrington became the sole owner of Evans Funeral Home four years to the day when he purchased Kent Braunberger’s share of the business on January 1, four years to the day after he moved back to his hometown to take over for his dad, Fred.

Eddy, Foster and Wells county leaders considered restructuring social services as a district. Auditors, commissioners and social service board members from all three counties gathered with the Tri-County board along with District 23 Senator Joan Heckaman and District 29 Representative Chet Pollert. Steve Reiser, the director of Dakota Central Social Services, was invited to present information and answer questions about the process that McLean, Mercer, Sheridan and Oliver Counties followed when they formed their own district.

New Rockford attorney Ashley Lies announced that she would run for Eddy County State's Attorney, challenging current Eddy County State's Attorney Travis Peterson of New Rockford. Lies graduated from UND School of Law in December 2013 with distinction and a Certificate in Indian Law. Lies served as Interim-Foster County State's Attorney in 2016 following the resignation of Paul Murphy and she held the Assistant State's Attorney post for Wells County.

More than a dozen residents and business owners, most of them who have property along Hwy. 281, attended a public meeting to discuss the NDDOT’s proposal to remove frontage roads along the highway going through the City of New Rockford.

March

The Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford requested the permission of the Eddy County commissioners to place on the ballot a request for a funding increase for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) during the 2018 election. According to North Dakota Century Code, county voters can approve up to 10 mills for EMS. Sandy O’Connor, representing the ambulance service, informed the commissioners that, although they are currently receiving 3.5 mills, they are requesting 10 mills because the state grants they have depended on for EMS in the past are drying up.

In her third year on the board for Prairie Public Broadcasting, Sarah Smith Warren of New Rockford, represented the board's Executive Committee at the America's Public Television Stations Summit in Washington, D.C., Feb. 26-28. While there, she met with members of North Dakota's congressional delegation and Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson to tell the story of public media and the difference its’ programming makes in the lives of the American people, on a local, statewide and national scale.

Greg Allmaras, who had flown in to celebrate his mother's 94th birthday, was the guest of his sister, DeVon Allmaras, at the seventh annual Deal or No Deal New Rockford Community Foundation fundraiser. He not only outlasted all other contestants, but he also won a lucky duck cash prize and a free drink for traveling the furthest distance to attend. He took home the entire $2,000 prize.

The results of the New Rockford-Sheyenne (NR-S) Youth Risk Behavioral survey for students grade 7 to 12 were released at an NR-S School Board meeting. Administration and staff took notice of some themes, particularly in the arena of mental health.

The Transcript provided additional coverage and discussed how schools, families and the community working together can integrate these resiliency factors to best support the emotional wellness of our youth.

April

The NR-S youth archery program ended on a high note as 43 archers attended the 2018 North Dakota NASP State Archery Tournament in Minot. Four qualified to compete in the All-State Shoot-off, two archers made the All-State Archery Team and two qualified for national competition. 

The bids for the NR-S improvement project came in higher than expected, and as a result the district used the maximum amount of up to $3.255 million dollars approved by taxpayers to complete the building renovations as proposed.

Two NR-S graduates started-up a seed and chemical operation in a vacant farmstead just 3 miles north of New Rockford along U.S. Hwy. 281. Taylor Koepplin (2010) and Eric Perleberg (2009) established James River Ag in the fall of 2017 The result is a newly-constructed facility equipped with offices, a warehouse and a bulk soybean treatment plant. James River Ag also offers on-the-farm custom ground and aerial spraying services and general crop scouting.

May

Sarah Smith Warren held a grand opening for the space she had newly purchased and renovated. Formerly the American Legion on Central Avenue in New Rockford, the building is now Smith Warren’s photography studio.

Eddy County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Bittmann visited the school this April to talk about bullying. By the time he left, he had inspired a group of third graders to start The Kindness Club.

Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) announced that Lauren Roscoe of New Rockford was named the 2018-19 National SADD Student of the Year. Chosen from a nationwide pool of highly qualified applicants, Roscoe joined five other students who made up the 2018-19 Student Leadership Council and represented more than 500,000 active SADD students from across the country.

June

Johnny Zip Lawson, former Wells County sheriff who faced multiple criminal charges, was sentenced Thursday, May 24, to 25 days of house arrest via electronic home monitoring. He was also ordered to pay a $500 fine. As part of an agreement made March 8, Lawson had previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of providing false information to law enforcement and ingesting a controlled substance.  

The NR-S boys and girls track team brought the season to a close at the North Dakota Class B Track Meet in Bismarck on May 25 -26. The highlight for the Rockets included Bo Belquist's seventh place finish in the triple jump with a distance of 42-2.

On June 5, New Rockford City Commissioner DeVon Allmaras passed away in her home after an ongoing battle with cancer. It was a battle that didn't ever seem to keep her from maintaining her duties to the community where she was born and raised. In fact, the night before she died, she was present at the New Rockford City Commission meeting, fulfilling her civic duty.

Cash & Carry Lumber was recognized for its growth in and commitment to the community. Manager Bruce Gedrose celebrated 25 years with the company.

The New Rockford Community Foundation awarded nine grants to local organizations, including American Legion Post #30, Central North Dakota Steam Threshers, Community Ambulance Service of New Rockford, Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd, Eagles Aerie 2923, the Eddy-New Rockford Library, Lake Region District Health, Rockin' Fitness and the Women's Auxiliary Cemetery Association.

The Lake Washington, County Road 8, Site 4 Project was the topic of continued discussion at the Eddy County Commission meeting on Tues., June 19. The county had yet to receive a decision on its permit application filed with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on July 15, 2017. Site 4 involved a grade raise to alleviate degradation due to flooding. The commission had already completed three other projects on this road in the past three years and already paid the $75,000 mitigation fee for 1.5 acres of wetland as requested by USFWS last summer. Harvey Sand and Gravel was awarded the bid for the project in Nov. 2017 on the premise that work would begin around July 4 of this year.