701 Rundown: January 30, 2023

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

Threatening behavior leads to shelter order

The arrest of 44-year-old Eric Standing on Saturday, Jan. 14 in Crosby, following a shelter in place order, has led to questions about why the man hadn’t received help sooner.

Standing was arrested after allegedly discharging a firearm within city limits, but community members have since painted a picture of a man that had already been in crisis days before the incident occurred.

Standing had worked as a reporter for Journal Publishing since August.

The Divide County Sheriff, Zach Schroeder said his office received contacts as early as Thursday, Jan. 12, from a number of people who were concerned about Standings’ behavior.

“Our hands are kind of tied,” Schroeder said. “We really couldn’t do anything unless he presented a danger to himself or others.”

Following Standing’s arrest, multiple people reported to Journal staffers having seen Standing outside jogging inadequately dressed for the weather.

Others told of interactions in which Standing made inappropriate comments in local businesses. In one case, he claimed he was being followed and needed a place to hide.

(Story by Brad Nygaard, The Journal)

Weather conditions overwhelm Hannaford water tower equipment

Winter in North Dakota is known to be quite unpredictable at times, with temperatures and wind speeds varying from one extreme to the next

Mother nature may have gotten the upper hand, temporarily, in December. With temperatures plummeting into double digits on the negative side, it was more than that water tower in Hannaford could take.

Ice was forming inside the tower, and for the second time that month water inside the tower was freezing up, forcing emergency action.

The water tower, which was purchased from Valley City in the late 50 and has a 60,000 gallon capacity, was beginning to freeze.

At that point, Hannaford Water Works Superintendent Roger Rondestvedt had to manually cycle the pumps to maintain pressure levels.

“The pump wasn’t operating properly because it was surging too much due to the ice,” said Rondestvedt. “There was a pipe broken inside, and that was causing problems with the circulation of the water. There is a recreation pump that normally keeps the water moving to help keep it from freezing.”

(Story by Lisa Saxberg, Griggs County Courier)

Sen. Klobuchar comes through for BTAG

Border Township Association Group (BTAG) welcomed Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar to Oslo, Minnesota last Wednesday, Jan. 11 to thank the senator for her support and to further explain the group’s overall plan.

Klobuchar’s office was instrumental in getting the group $2.3 million through the federal infrastructure grant.

The grant money is a first for BTAG’s newly formed Oslo Region Joint Power Board.

Beginning early in 2022, BTAG has been working to reduce flood damage in the Lower Red River Valley (LRRV), an area from north of Manvel up to Highway 17 on the North Dakota side and from Highway 317 on the Minnesota side to south of Oslo. Since that time, they have learned that the best way to receive public dollars, whether they be state or federal, and even grant money was to form a joint powers board with local government entities.

Replacing aging bridges and reducing river flow obstructions from abandoned farmstead roads are some of the infrastructure improvements BTAG has in mind.

(Story by Todd Morgan, The Walsh County Record)

Local parents outraged by alleged inappropriate lesson matter

The McKenzie County Farmer was informed that Watford City Middle School officials have fielded multiple complaints from parents of students in a fourth period health class, related to sex education lessons in early January.

In addition to the three parents that have been confirmed to have contacted the school, the McKenzie County Farmer has been contacted by multiple other members of the community concerned about this alleged incident.

School officials confirm, via a prepared statement, that during this particular classroom session, students were allowed to ask questions of the teacher and that those questions, some of which included sensitive content, were read aloud to the class.

Parents allege some of the questions and answers were inappropriate.

The McKenzie County Farmer has spoken to two of the three parents who have contacted the school and those parents shared what they were told by their students, as well as the response given to them by administration and the school.

The parents have discussed the incident and firmly believe their children are truthful in what they have said.

“I am extremely upset that these things were even mentioned to my 11-year-old,” said Cathrine Esparza, a parent of one of the affected students. “I don’t understand how the school had to send home permission slip for my child to participate in a puberty discussion last year, where they were going to only talk about puberty and the boys and would be separated, but there was no permission slip for this kind of talk in a classroom full of 11-year-old boys and girls.”

(Story by Kristen Jones, McKenzie County Farmer)

Long awaited radio tower will improve emergency service communication

A new tower is scheduled to be constructed in Steele County, west of Finley this summer. Statewide Interoperable Radio Network (SIRN) is a statewide project that is bringing a compatible communication system for first responders to serve and protect citizens.

With limited communication between jurisdictions, dozens of fragmented systems, and outdated equipment being unsupported, it is considered to be a very positive step in the right direction to provide the best services possible.

“SIRN replaces the non-interoperable VHF systems around the state with a new interoperable system which the state is paying for the contraction and infrastructure,” said Public Safety Programs Manager/N.D. Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) Darin Anderson.

“Local cost will be the consoles and radios. This new SIRN system is by far the most robust system for emergency communications the state will see. It allows for interoperability across all departments state and local.”

“This is a new system that was appropriated by State Legislature back in 2015,” said Director of Emergency Management and 911 Services Ben Gates. “For the last several years, the state and the rest of us have been working on preparing for this system upgrade.”

(Story by Lisa Saxberg, Steele County Press)