Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Here’s your weekly rundown of some of the most interesting headlines from newspapers across North Dakota.
Bottineau County’s cattlemen struggle with severe drought
Cattle producers in Bottineau County have taken drastic measures this summer to keep the drought from stalling their operations. Cutting herd numbers, feeding alternatives, and early weaning of calves are just a few of the ways cattlemen are adapting.
When the drought was at its peak this fall, one Bottineau County cattle producer woke up to find that 30 of his hay bales had been stolen overnight.
According to the North Dakota Stockmen's Association, more than 90 percent of the western United States is experiencing drought, while North Dakota has a 99.8 percent drought designation. However, after late rains helped the cattlemen’s predicament, Sarah Clemens of the Bottineau County Extension Office is hoping for a wet cycle to begin soon.
(Story by Scott Wager, Bottineau Courant)
City questions engineering firm’s billing practices
At their meeting on Oct. 21, the Rolla City Council had tough questions for their engineering firm’s billing practices.
Mayor John Hardy accused AE2S Engineering of “over-billing” the city, as he brought up a receipt requesting $784 for sitting in during a regular council meeting. The invoice covered the cost of a four-hour-long meeting and travel expenses, but Hardy didn’t recall any meeting lasting four hours.
A number of other expenses were also questioned at the meeting, including a charge of $10,000 for consultant fees, but the main focus was about AE2S Engineering’s continued appearance at regular council meetings.
“From an engineering standpoint you’re not required to be at the meeting,” said Mayor Hardy.
After the city auditor expressed a seperate grievance, Jim Olson of AE2S Engineering said, “I apologize for this and I’ll take care of it. Thank you for the opportunity to dig into this.”
(Story by Jason Nordmark, Turtle Mountain Star)
Quilts of Valor Organization Honors Area Veterans
On Tuesday, Oct. 19, the Butte American Legion Post 270 hosted the Quilts of Valor Honoring Ceremony, where nine eligible veterans were awarded quilts in honor of their military service.
The veterans who were recognized included: Harlan Kittelson, Roger Weigel, Ron Skorick, Robert Carpenter, Timothy Schatz, James Haugen, Fred Tomlinson, Waide Kritsky and Curtis Kohler.
The Quilts of Valor program, which began in 2003, strives to “cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting Quilts of Valor,” as stated on their official website. At the ceremony, veterans shared words about their military experience, and enjoyed a cake and sandwich luncheon.
Anyone who would like to nominate a veteran for a quilt of valor can go to their website at qovf.org, where you can also find their mission statement, eligibility requirements and online nomination form.
(Story by Melanie Willoughby, Mouse River Journal)
Livestock trailer tips near Pekin
On Thursday, Oct. 21, a truck and livestock trailer were involved in a single-vehicle rollover crash approximately 1.5 miles southeast of Pekin, on N.D. Highway 1.
According to the N.D. Highway Patrol’s report, Chad Wood, 51, of Dow City, Iowa, was traveling south in his 2011 Peterbilt truck with roughly 2,500 pigs loaded on his livestock trailer. When a deer appeared on the highway in front of him, Wood made an evasive maneuver, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and drive into the east ditch.
The vehicle continued to travel south as it bled off speed, and eventually tipped onto its side. Wood was not injured during the accident, but the number of deceased pigs was unknown when the report was filed.
(Story from the Lakota American)
