701 Rundown: May 1, 2023

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

Young Crosby couple faces child abuse felonies

A young couple living in Crosby are in custody, accused of abuse and neglect involving a 2-year-old child.

Roxana Perez, 21, and Victor Monterroso Cordoba, 20, were arrested at an apart-ment in Crosby following an investigation that began in late March.

Zachary Schroeder, Di-vide County Sheriff, said the couple – who are recent arrivals to the area – are charged with multiple fel-onies. The most serious of which, a Class A felony, stems from what is termed a “permanent loss or impairment” to a child.

According to charging documents, on March 26, Perez and Monterroso either caused, or allowed to be caused, permanent spinal cord injuries to the 2-year-old female, as well as a fractured wrist.

Both were arrested after a warrant was issued. Perez has a bond of $400,000 cash or surety, while Monterroso is being held on a $500,000 bond.

Monterroso is also being detained for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Story by Brady Nygaard, the Journal, April 19

Authorities: Counterfeit bills used in Hillsboro

Authorities in Traill County have asked area residents and retailers to be on the lookout for counterfeit bills that have been identified in Hillsboro.

Kelli Tvedt, a deputy with the Traill County Sheriff’s Office, said in an email Tuesday that counterfeit currency had been used at a location in Hillsboro.

The report comes on the heels of media reports of similarly counterfeit bills being used in Grand Forks and Fargo on Monday, Tvedt said.

The $100 counterfeit bills appeared to be legitimate currency but had the same serial numbers.

The fake bills didn’t “feel quite right to the touch” but passed a pen test, Tvedt said in an email, which was distributed to more than 100 business owners and civic leaders in Hillsboro late Tuesday.

The Grand Forks Herald reported Monday, April 10, that police in Grand Forks had identified multiple in-stances of counterfeit $20 and $100 bills being used in the city this week.

Story by Cole Short, Hillsboro Banner, April 21

Judge's ruling allows tribes' redistricting lawsuit to move forward

The Turtle Mountain Tribe scored a significant court victory last week in relation to North Dakota redistricting, which split up Rolette County.

Chief Judge Peter D. Welte of the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota denied the North Dakota Secretary of State’s motion for summary judgment in Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, et al. v. Michael Howe.

The case was brought by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Spirit Lake Tribe and individual Native voters to contest the redrawing of legislative districts where tribal members live.

The Tribes have alleged that the new maps divide the Native voters among several new districts, which has the effect of diluting the Native vote in violation of Section 2 of the voting rights act.

Turtle Mountain argued the split House district packs tribal members into a single subdistrict on its reservation (9A), while diluting their vote in the non-reservation sub-district (9B).

“The packing of Native American voters into a single state house subdistrict, and the cracking of nearby Native American voters into two other districts dominated by white voters who bloc vote against Native Americans’ preferred candidates, unlawfully dilutes the voting rights of Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake Nation Americans in violation of 9th Voting Rights ACT),” the federal lawsuit states.

Story by Jason Nordmark, Turtle Mountain Star, April 17

Spring flooding prompts emergency efforts

Flooding began in earnest over the weekend and the beginning of this week in Walsh County as the spring melt made its way through tributaries, channels and ditches while heading east.

Walsh County Emergency Manager Brent Nelson gave an update on the activities in and around the county to the commission at their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening.

“Every flood is different and this year’s flood hasn’t been any exception,” he said. “Everything started to melt in the western part of the county before anything started to melt in the eastern part of the county.

“The fields out west were black and in the east they were still white with snow,” he added.

Needless to say that created significant problems in terms of overland flooding for the communities of Forest River and Minto.

The National Weather Service put the crest at Minto at 9.25 feet. As of Wednesday, April 19, the Forest River at Minto stood at 6 feet and was forecast to continue dropping. The flood stage at Minto is 6 feet.

Story by Todd Morgan, Walsh County Record, April 19

McKenzie County could see an influx of workers in oil and gas industry as soon as July 2023

The North Dakota Petroleum Council (NDPC) launched its Bakken GROW (Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers) Program last week in response to the severe workforce shortage seen across the state in the oil and gas industry.

According to the NDPC President Ron Ness, immigration firms proposed the concept of bringing displaced Ukrainians to North Dakota to join the workforce through the expedited immigration process, “Uniting for Ukraine” (U4U).

Ness explained further that this process is completely different from obtaining a work visa.

U4U is a program designed to build on the humanitarian assistance that the U.S. government is providing, trying to find hosts for Ukrainian citizens and others who have been displaced, with an innovative way to bring new workers to the Bakken region according to the NDPC.

“These folks are recruited through various aspects. They have to go through the process and background checks.

“These are typically two-year programs … a lot of these people are similar to our ancestors; coming here for new opportunity, and newfound hope, starting with themselves,” he says.

Story by Patric Bumstead, McKenzie County Farmer, April 19