701 Rundown: Jan. 31, 2022

Here’s your weekly rundown of some of the most interesting headlines from newspapers across North Dakota.

Cass County Deputies arrest three in Horace

At roughly 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11, Cass County deputies arrested three individuals in Horace, N.D. after a resident called the police to report suspicious activity at a rural Horace address.

The caller was able to give police a vehicle description and last known direction of travel. After conducting a traffic stop on the vehicle and doing a search, authorities placed 28-year-old Cody Foster, 24-year-old Alex Garry, and 24-year-old Timothy Maesse under arrest for burglary.

All three were booked into the Cass County Jail. The incident is still under investigation.

(Story by Angela Kolden, Cass County Reporter)

Schimetz named the Conservation Educator of the Year

Thanks to her contributions to the Wild Outdoor Women (WOW) program that is hosted at Lake Metigoshe State Park, Amy Schimetz has been named the North Dakota Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Educator of the Year for 2021.

Schimetz, who’s an interpreter and coordinator for the Outdoor Learning Center at Lake Metigoshe State Park, is proud to have received the award.

“I am honored to receive such an award,” Schimetz said. “It is my pleasure to not only provide education surrounding our state’s extensive natural resources, but the recreational activities it provides as well.

“It’s an absolute honor to be recognized as North Dakota Wildlife Federation’s 2021 Conservation Educator of the Year.”

(Story by Scott Wagar, Bottineau Courant)

Bullying pushes teen to the brink

“I hope by telling my story, it can help somebody else,” says Mollee Francis, of becoming suicidal during her junior year at Watford City High School in 2019.

When someone is young and pretty and has the world at their fingertips, it’s hard to imagine them being in so much pain that they’d want to take their own life. But for Francis, after a year of being bullied and battling depression, the combination of the two pushed her to the edge.

“I have two moms and they found out,” says Francis of her peers. “They would make fun of me, scream stuff out at me and run away from me in the hallways. ... I started to feel sad a lot and didn’t really know how to cope with my sadness.”

Eventually, Francis transitioned to online learning as a way to escape the bullies. However, the isolation got the best of her, and on Sept. 19, 2019, she hit rock bottom.

“I remember I was home by myself and I had the things to basically be gone,” recalls Francis. “I kind of sat there and thought, is this really what I want?”

After placing a call to her parents, at which point they both rushed home from work, Francis was taken to a mental hospital for 48 hours. Now, Francis says she’s doing much better, and is looking to move on from that experience.

“It’s behind me now and I want to move on with my life,” says Francis. “Looking back, I feel like bullies are nothing but insecure people. ... Hopefully those girls find the self-confidence they were looking for. Happy people don’t treat others like that.”

(Story by Ashleigh Plemper, McKenzie County Farmer)

Emergency responder shares story of survival

A retired Minnesota firefighter is finding that his story and message are resonating coast-to-coast, with first responders, firefighters, their friends and families, in communities large and small.

After two failed rescue attempts that had fatal consequences, Scott Geiselhart blamed himself. What followed were years of anger issues, depression and drug and alcohol abuse; his family left him within two years.

“It turned me into something I wasn’t,” said Geiselhart.

On the brink of suicide, Geiselhart finally reached out and made a call that saved his life. Now, he’s encouraging firefighters across the country to do the same.

Despair and anger can eat you up, Geiselhart cautioned the firemen and emergency responders in the crowd. “Don’t cheat yourself out of the life you deserve.”

(Story by Neil O. Nelson, The Herald-Press)