701 Rundown: March 21, 2022

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

Staffing issues continue to challenge police department

Staffing was a big challenge for the Grafton Police Department in 2021. Retiring the past year were a pair of veteran officers- assistant police chief Brian Erovick and sergeant Stephan Stark.

Grafton Police Chief Tony Dumas said the whole staffing dilemma was brought about by a range of issues, not the least of which is the national narrative, where the onus is on protecting the rights of the criminal.

“When I got hired I was hired out of a pool of 14 applicants,” he said. “Nowadays there are 44 job openings for police officers in North Dakota. Those officers graduating from the academy can pick their location and almost name their salary.

As a result of staff shortages the number of miles patrolled are down. According to 2021 crime statistics released by the Grafton P.D., officers traveled a total of 94,667 miles in 2021, down from 97,415 in 2020.

Currently the Grafton police force is staffed by seven officers, down from nine, which is normally considered full strength.

Dumas said that crime rates have been impacted by staffing shortages. For example, regarding juvenile statistics, one stat that jumps out is runaway/unruly children, which went from 23 in 2020 to 41 in 2021.

Dumas said that comes down to staffing shortages leaving state and social services less able to house children.

(Story by Todd Morgan, The Walsh County Record)

Ukrainian family with ties to Crosby and Tioga are safe

Weddings, graduations, a new baby, a vacation by the sea: all photos that are proof of an abundant and happy life -- gatherings with loved ones, celebrating the achievements of children, the ability to travel and to enjoy the fruits of a greenhouse built by a loving husband for his wife.

After escaping Russia’s invasion of her native Ukraine last week, it already feels to Maryna Pustovit as if these snapshots are from “another life” -- almost as if she were watching a movie from the outside.

Sitting in her adult daughter’s apartment in Atlanta, Thursday, she recounts how she was able to cross the Polish border, take a free train to Krakow, get a flight from there to Amsterdam and then direct to Atlanta.

So much has happened she can’t even recount what day she arrived, just that it’s been two overnights now.

“It’s like you feel you will just wake up and, no, it’s just a dream,” Pustovit said, but added that “This is reality.”

(Story by Cecile Wehrman, The Journal)

Drought Monitor shows small area of extreme drought remains

The latest Drought Briefing from the National Weather Service on Thursday, March 3, shows that a small area of extreme drought persists in northwest North Dakota, with little expectation for improvement in the next few months.

Meanwhile, improvement continued east of the Missouri River and Highway 83 corridor with respect to drought conditions. In general, enough water in the snowpack is there to create near normal to above normal runoff. This should help boost water levels in the rivers, wetlands, and water supply features.

However, west of the Missouri River and up through Williams and Divide Counties, snow cover is generally scarce and overall water content of the snowpack is below normal.

At this point, an above-normal precipitation pattern would be needed to boost water levels in the streams and water supply features of western North Dakota. However, current weather forecasts do not show a shift towards such an increase in precipitation anytime soon.

Once the spring melt begins in earnest and the drying and curing of fuels begins, fire danger is expected to rapidly increase in that area.

(Story from Mountrail County Promoter)

Road rage incident results in arrest

A Jamestown man was arrested on multiple charges following a road rage incident on I-94.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP) and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident on eastbound I-94 west of Casselton.

At approximately 4:17 p.m. on Sunday, March 6, a motorist reported that another driver, in a Ford Focus traveling east on I-94, was repeatedly ramming a Ford Expedition that was directly in front of it.

The driver of the Ford Focus was found to be Joshua Buchanan after an NDHP trooper conducted a traffic stop on the suspect.

The incident was investigated by the NDHP, and Buchanan was charged with felony reckless endangerment, misdemeanor driving under the influence of drugs, misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon, and received an infraction for possession of drug paraphernalia.

(Story from Cass County Reporter)

Hwy 52 construction to begin this summer

Harvey city council members this week decided on a preference for the reconstruction of Highway 52.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is planning to start work on the project this summer. The state highway department originally had the project scheduled for next year.

The N.D. Department of Transportation presented three options to the council members, who chose the plan endorsed by the NDDOT.

The plan is to add two new roadways which will be constructed from the intersection of 10 St. (Hwy. 52B) and Hwy. 3 west, and south to Hwy. 52, just north of the Cobblestone Inn.

A 4-way stop will be established at the intersection of Hwy 3 and 10th St., near Warehouse Grocery.

If Hwy. 52 is ever expanded to a four-lane highway, this is the best option for Harvey to take, according to NDDOT officials.

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