701 Rundown: Sept. 25, 2023

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

Bow hunting within Watford City begins

September 1 marked the beginning of hunting season, and following the success of last year’s hunt, Watford City is once again hosting a bow hunt within city limits to curb an ever-growing deer population that calls Watford City home.

Watford City is one of five North Dakota cities that have a regulated bow hunt within city limits.

The other cities are Fargo, Minot, Bismarck/Mandan and Portland. The cities work closely with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF) in an effort to keep local deer populations healthy.

Over the past few years, many Watford City residents have expressed frustration about the deer, with many citing damage to their yards and gardens. Others are also concerned about the deers’ impact on traffic.

Along a three-mile stretch of road from Main Street to Highway 23, there have been over a dozen deer hit and killed by vehicles over the past year.

City officials have said their goal with the bow hunt is not to eliminate the deer, but to simply curb their overall numbers within the range NDGF says is healthy.

The guidelines for participation eligibility include going through a proficiency test administered by the Watford City Police Department (WCPD), attending a class on the rules and requirements of the program, and holding a valid bow hunting license from the NDGF.

(Story by Kristen Jones, McKenzie County Farmer)

Rolette city, county agree to revive policing contract

What’s old is new again, at least when it comes to policing contracts between the county and city of Rolette.

For years the city of Rolette was involved in a policing contract with Rolette County, until about five years ago when Rolette city officials opted to create their own police department.

The move was spurred by public unrest regarding the quality of coverage they were getting relative to what they were paying.

The change appeared to be working as the city first employed a single officer, then added a second, and enjoyed faster response times and more overall coverage.

The arrangement was upended, however, following the announcement of police chief Joe Kaufman’s resignation effective Friday, Sept. 8, which came on the heels of a second officer leaving the department earlier this summer.

Both sides agreed to try and work out a deal. A few semantics, such as how two police vehicles currently owned by the city of Rolette, would be used need to be ironed out.

Ultimately, the county and city agreed to enter into a four-month contract with the county being able to use a vehicle from Rolette at a cost share of 80/20.

Both sides agreed to try and work out a longer working relationship in the coming weeks.

(Story by Jason Nordmark, Turtle Mountain Star)

Felony drug charges dropped

On Tuesday, September 12, Lawrence Sansone and Kellie Barton were once again on the docket at the Foster County Courthouse in Carrington.

Sansone and Barton were charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors after a multi-agency operation to execute a search warrant discovered $21,000 worth of drugs on a Carrington residence.

"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 home were Lawrence Sansone and Kellie Barton, and both were subsequently arrested and charged.

Barton pleaded not guilty to the four misdemeanor drug charges against her, and was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing/arraignment on Tuesday, Sept. 12 to address two additional felony charges.

However, a day before the hearing was set to begin, both felony charges Barton faced were dismissed, leaving no reason to hold the hearing.

Sansone, meanwhile, also pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charges against him, but unlike Barton his felony charges were not dismissed, and he was due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing and arraignment on Tuesday.

But when the time came, Sansone was not in court for his hearing.

A bench warrant was subsequently ordered for his arrest, and District Court Judge James Hovey signed an order to forfeit his bond.

Sansone had previously posted bail in the amount of $5,000 cash on July 24.

(Story by Nathan Price, The Foster County Independent)

Jail at capacity

The Cass County jail is beyond full and will remain that way until the new 182 bed jail expansion currently under construction is completed.

Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner visited with the Casselton City Council recently as part of his commitment to annually meet with each of the 27 cities within Cass County.

The Sheriff said Cass County is a growing county and with that growth it is, "unfortunately busy."

In 2018, the Sheriff’s Office had 18,355 calls for service. That number leapt to 27,071 just seven months into 2023.

“At the same rate, we are on pace to receive 40,000 calls for service by the end of the year. Cass County is growing and with it comes more problems.”

Right now, the Cass County jail has reached its 348 bed capacity and there are 20 inmates being housed at different jails.

“Cass County is paying for them at $85 per person,” the Sheriff explained. Furthermore, there have been 432 arrests made this year that couldn’t be jailed.

“They aren’t charges of violence but non-violent crimes like driving under suspension,” he said. “If the crime is violent, that means they are going to a different facility.”

He said currently the North Dakota State Penitentiary is also at capacity.

“We will be in good shape once our jail is built but for now, we are not.”

(Story by Angela Kolden, Cass County Reporter)