701 Rundown: July 31, 2023

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

Petition underway to end property taxes in North Dakota

North Dakota property owners could get a chance to vote on the future of property taxes if a new initiative gets to the ballot in 2024.

Rick Becker, a Bismarck doctor and one-time state representative, is leading a 25-person committee that has gotten approval from Secretary of State Michael Howe to collect signatures from North Dakota residents.

If they get enough signatures, a measure to eliminate property taxes would be placed on the ballot in either the primary or general elections next year, where it would need a simple majority to pass.

It would be an amendment to the state’s constitution, which currently prevents the state government from levying property taxes.

If enacted, the amended law would go a step further, preventing any North Dakota political subdivision from doing the same.

The petition will require 31,164 verified signatures, and if those signatures are verified by the Secretary of State by Feb. 12, 2024, the measure could appear on the ballot in the June primary.

The deadline for the measure to appear on the general election ballot is June 29, 2024.

The committee is aiming to amass 45,000 signatures, to account for some being ruled invalid.

(Story by Steve Hallstrom, McKenzie County Farmer)

Mapleton woman arrested following golf cart accident

Mapleton resident Erin Brousseau, 43, has been arrested for Criminal Vehicular injury.

The arrest occurred on Saturday, July 15, as a result of a golf cart crash that caused her passenger, 37-year-old Ashley Tangedal of Fargo, to sustain serious injuries.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Brosseau was driving a golf cart east on Sunset Drive in Mapleton, but made a left turn onto Sunrise Drive that ejected Tangedal from her passenger seat.

Tangedal was seriously injured and was transported to a local hospital via Sanford AirMed.

(Story by Angela Kolden, Cass County Reporter)

Meth, fentanyl bust nets $21K in drugs

Two individuals are facing serious jail time after a drug bust in Carrington resulted in the seizure of notable amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

On Monday, July 17, the Stutsman County Narcotics Task Force, in concert with the Carrington Police Department, Foster County Sheriff’s Office, N.D. Bureau of Criminal Investigation and James Valley Special Operations Team, executed a search warrant at 175 1st Avenue North in Carrington.

According to court documents, they were going after various items, including narcotics and drug paraphernalia – and that’s exactly what law enforcement say they found.

“During the search of the residence, officers located methamphetamine, several ‘M30’ fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia for repackaging illicit narcotics, and drug paraphernalia to ingest illicit narcotics,” allege court documents.

Also inside the residence were Lawrence Sansone and Kellie Barton, and both have been charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor drug offenses.

Approximately 35 grams of methamphetamine was allegedly found on Sansone’s person, and a further 155 grams was allegedly found inside a mail package, which was stuffed into a vent inside the home and was addressed to Sansone.

In addition to methamphetamine, law enforcement also allegedly discovered 50 “round blue pills” in a small bag on a coffee table, which were identified as counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.

In a Facebook post by the Foster County Sheriff’s Office, they said the combined street value for the methamphetamine and 50 fentanyl pills is approximately $21,000.

Both Sansone and Barton are considered innocent unless proven guilty.

(Story by Nathan Price, Foster County Independent)

Fire destroys building in Cooperstown

Just before 5 a.m. on Saturday, July 14, the Cooperstown Fire Department responded to a major situation developing in town.

The call to the fire department notified them that a building on Burrel Avenue in Cooperstown had caught fire.

The building, owned by Sheyenne Tooling & Manufacturing, was totally engulfed in flames when the Cooperstown fire department arrived.

The fire remains under investigation by the North Dakota Fire Marshall.

(Story from the Griggs County Courier)

City of Linton to transfer judicial services to SCDC

The cities of Linton and Strasburg were left with a void in the position of municipal judge when Jay Schmaltz, who served in that capacity for both communities, resigned after being charged with a felony.

Schmaltz – a former teacher at Linton Public School – allegedly stole over $2,000 in cash from a fundraiser at Linton Public School, and has been charged with one count of theft of property, a Class C felony.

Schmaltz was first elected in 2016 and then reelected in 2020.

Emmons County State’s Attorney Joe Hanson, who serves as the attorney for the cities of Linton and Strasburg, said both cities have a couple options to fill the position.

The most likely would be for the mayor to appoint a person, and upon approval from the governing body, the person would hold the position until the next municipal election.

Other options were discussed as well, such as transferring municipal cases to district court or calling for a special election to fill the vacancy.

After being informed of all their options, the Linton City Council came to a consensus that they will contract with Emmons County to transfer municipal cases to South Central District Court.

Strasburg won’t likely make their decision on how to fill the vacancy until their next regular meeting on Aug. 14.

(Story by Mark Weber, Emmons County Record)