701 Rundown: November 13, 2023

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

Local man facing charges in dog attack

Shane Stegeman of Carrington has been charged with several crimes, including child neglect, after his dog allegedly attacked his 3-year-old stepdaughter last summer.

The child, referred to as “A.H.” in court documents, reportedly suffered injuries after the household dog suddenly attacked on Friday, August 25, 2023 at their Carrington home.

Stegeman was officially charged on Oct. 24 with reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor; false information to law enforcement, another Class A misdemeanor; and child neglect, a Class C felony.

According to court documents, “That said offense was committed when the Defendant, an adult household member, willfully failed to provide care for a child, A.H., when A.H. was attacked by the household dog which resulted in multiple injuries to A.H.’s face, ear, arm and back.”

An affidavit of probable cause written by Carrington Police Chief Christopher Bittmann goes even further in describing the grim details of the attack and its aftermath.

“The scene was chaotic,” he wrote. “... I looked the child over to see where the blood was coming from; a large portion of the child’s face and ear were missing.”

To make matters worse, court documents further allege that the dog has attacked before, and wasn’t up to date on vaccinations when it attacked most recently in August.

“The defendant knowingly allowed a vicious animal to live in the home after it had previously bitten a child requiring medical treatment,” states court documents.

Stegeman picked up the false information charge for allegedly lying to officers when he told them the dog was up to date on its vaccinations, such as rabies.

The dog was euthanized soon after the attack took place.

Stegeman is considered innocent unless proven guilty.

(Story by Nathan Price, The Foster County Independent)

Chevron to buy Hess in major Bakken shakeup

The head of North Dakota’s largest oil and natural gas advocacy group says news of Chevron buying Hess could bring unprecedented technological advances to the Bakken.

The transaction carries a total value of approximately $60 billion, and it comes on the heels of another massive industry acquisition in early October: ExxonMobil’s purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources which also topped $60 billion.

North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness tells KTGO Radio that both deals underpin the industry’s confidence that the sector’s future is still bright.

“I think from a North Dakota standpoint we’re sad to see that Hess brand go, but at the same time, with a major like Chevron, this is now a technology play,” he said.

“We’ve got decades of potential oil here, but it’s going to take a lot of investment to get another one percent out of the ground,” he added. “We have the best technology in the world, and we still leave 85 percent out of every 100 barrels in the ground, and a company like Chevron can bring more investment and technology here.”

The move does bring a level of uncertainty within the region, however, as Hess has maintained a strong presence in North Dakota with its business activity and support for communities across the Bakken.

(Story by Steve Hallstrom, The McKenzie County Farmer)

Finally, Harvey senior citizens have relocated

Before it was Hornbacher’s Cafe in Harvey, it was a drug store.

And now, after saying goodbye to Hornbacher’s Cafe in June, the Harvey community is welcoming the Harvey Senior Citizens arrival in the old Hornbacher’s location.

The Senior Citizens Club was hoping to open by Friday, Nov. 10 at the latest.

“We’ll be open Friday,” assured Judy Heilman, with a note of trepidation in her normally calm and composed voice.

“... if the movers arrive and everything is moved from the Seniors’ Lincoln Avenue location to the newly-renovated structure at 118 8th St. E., and if everything in the kitchen is up and running and what else?" asked Loretta Buchwitz. “What am I missing?”

Nothing, according to Heilman.

“Everything is good, fine, we’re ready,” she said. “I hope.”

Thanks largely to a $200,000 state grant, ushered through the North Dakota Legislature by local lawmakers, State Sen. Jerry Klein and Representatives Jon Nelson and Robin Weisz, and literally hundreds of volunteer hours, the Senior Citizens Club became a reality, moving slowly but surely to completion.

(Story by Neil O. Nelson, The Herald-Press)

Park board upset at revoked funds

Plans to retrain Crosby park board members and employees on winterizing and reopening the city swimming pool are on hold, the board president says, after the city council last month withdrew the funding for the sessions.

The park board’s monthly meeting Friday was its first since the council rescinded an agreement to pay $45,000 toward the operational training at the pool that the board had requested.

“To me, it was a slap in our face as park board and employees and everything that they rescinded that,” President Pat Wolf said, “after the countless hours that many of us spent there just trying to get it open all summer.”

Wolf expressed disappointment that nobody from the city notified the park board either before or after the decision.

Fellow board members said they only became aware of it by reading a report of the meeting in The Journal.

The park board has also been concerned about a potential leak in the pool and saw the visit from Acapulco, the Canadian company that built the pool, as an opportunity for the company to inspect it.

The costs involved in operating the pool have repeatedly caused friction between the park board and the city council. It does not help that public swimming pools in small North Dakota towns are such a money-losing proposition.

In Crosby’s case, the pool this season generated about $7,700 in revenue, compared with expenses of $50,000 for payroll, $14,600 for chemicals and $17,700 for parts, repairs and maintenance, according to a financial report the park board reviewed.

(Story by Jody Michael, The Journal)