701 Rundown: March 20, 2023

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

Increase in DUIs is major concern for officials

Local law enforcement are expressing concern after the City of Watford City saw five arrests for driving under the Influence (DUI) of a mind-altering substance in a single weekend.

Three of those five arrests were made by a single officer during a single shift, and law enforcement believe such a high number of arrests in such a short time period is very concerning.

Numbers from the last two months of 2023 show that the North Dakota Highway Patrol has reported 157 DUI arrests statewide.

The McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office have reported 22 DUI arrests on county roads, while Watford City Police report 28 on city roads.

By the end of 2022, the McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office had recorded 184 DUI arrests, while the Watford City Police Department recorded 240. All totaled, that equates to 31.0 percent of the statewide DUI numbers for the state in 2022.

“DUI’s are such a prevalent problem in town that at any given time one of our officers could arrest someone for it,” said Officer Mattew Earl of the Watford City Police Department. “I personally have arrested someone at nine in the morning.

“If I can get a person who is driving under the influence off the streets that is a win for me; I prevented someone from possibly causing an accident; I prevented someone from possibly getting killed,” he added. “That will always be a win for me, no matter what.”

(Story by Kristen Jones, McKenzie County Farmer)

A family in need

On February 12, the home of Rudy and Alexis Theis went up in flames, resulting in the loss of precious memories and much of what they owned.

Luckily, Rudy and Alexis, as well as their three children, were not home at the time of the fire.

Carrington Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the home, located approximately four miles east of Carrington at 7130 7th St. N.E., at 12:43 a.m.

“Fire was found in the basement, and had burned through the main level floor and ceiling and through the rafters, and migrated to both the east and west walls,” said FIre Chief Kan Wangen.

The entire house suffered heavy smoke damage, with structural damage to the basement ceiling and living room main floor.

The tragic fire has displaced Rudy, Alexis and their entire family. Together, they’re currently staying with a relative until next steps can be made.

A GoFundMe campaign has been started to raise money for the family, which had already raised $3,471 as of March 1. Far exceeding the initial $1,000 goal.

The GoFundMe page can be found by searching “Theis” at http://www.GoFundMe.com.

(Story by Erik Gjovik, The Foster County Independent)

Cottonwood Golf Course debuts cross country ski trail

The Cottonwood Golf Course in Casselton has created a groomed cross country ski trail, thanks to a local cross country ski enthusiast.

“I have a reputation for being a squeaky wheel,” said Cynthia Schatzke, the local cross country skiing enthusiast whose nudging helped convince Casselton Parks and Rec Director Stephan Bartholomay to create the trail.

“I’ve never made a trail, so we really didn’t know what we were doing,” Bartholomay said with a shrug and a smile. “We started out at the Tee Box, looped around the perimeter of the gof course, up the fairways and past 8 and 9 then we put it out on Facebook.”

After the news broke, a number of locals took to the trail, including Schatzke.

“It’s all good,” she said, crediting Bartholomay for tackling something he’d never done before. “Once it got established there were a number of people over there repeatedly.”

(Story by Angela Kolden, Cass County Reporter)

Winter kill evident in Harvey Reservoir

Winter fish kill has once again struck the shallow-bodied Harvey Reservoir, according to Randy Hiltner of the North Dakota Game and Fish (NDGF) office in Devils Lake.

On Feb. 13, the water in the Harvey Reservoir was tested by the NDGF, and the results showed that the dissolved oxygen level had fallen to less than 1 ppm.

“When oxygen levels fall below 2 parts per million, walleye, perch and northern pike are among the first to go,” said Hiltner. Meanwhile, bullheads and fathead minnows are more tolerant of lower oxygen levels.

“Basically, with oxygen levels this low, the fish suffocate due to the anoxic condition of the water,” Hiltner explained.

“It seems winter kill has become a common occurrence at Harvey Reservoir,” he added. “It;s a shallow reservoir that is prone to low levels of dissolved oxygen.”

Essentially, Hiltner explained that as snow covers the ice, sunlight can no longer penetrate the water and get through to the algae and plants below. Without sunlight, those plants can no longer go through photosynthesis, leading to less oxygen production and, ultimately, lots of dead fish.

(Story by Anne Ehni, The Herald-Press)

Abandoned wells may become a source of future income

Working together, District 26 lawmakers have passed a bill through the N.D. House of Representatives – HB 1272 – that could have a major impact on oil production in western North Dakota.

The bill would pave the way for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) to be an option for wells that were considered abandoned.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, EOR is a process of oil extraction that aims to extract the remaining 30-60 percent of existing crude oil from deposits after the first and second stages of extraction are completed.

District 26 Republican representative, Jeremy Olson, said the bill is key to western North Dakota’s economic future.

“I was the prime sponsor of this bill and carried it onto the House floor. The purpose of HB 1272 is to establish a new well status for Enhanced Oil Recovery potential,” he said.

“This status will ensure well bores and infrastructure remain viable and ready once the technology, policy and economics align for enhanced oil recovery through CO2 (carbon dioxide) and other recovery technologies,” he added.

(Story by Kristen Jones, McKenzie County Farmer)