701 Rundown: March 11, 2024

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

GCC student to appear on ‘MasterChef junior’ March 4

From his home kitchen, Alfred Eggermont has developed a special talent for culinary excellence that is uncommon for a boy of eleven years old.

And the world will get the chance to see the Griggs County Central Elementary student's abilities under the pressure of time constraints, teamwork, and the withering criticism and commentary of four judges.

Oh, and there's that $100,000 top prize, too.

Eggermont is one of a dozen finalists competing for the nation's top young chef on "MasterChef Junior", the first episode of which airs on FOX tonight (March 4) at 7 p.m. CT.

He is the son of Leroy Eggermont Jr. and Sue Eggermont.

The season has finished filming, and due to nondisclosure agreements, the final results are prohibited from being released.

Eggermont is one of three 11-year-olds competing on this season of the show. Four others are age 10, three age nine and two age eight.

Gordon Ramsay's popular, pint-sized cooking competition series MasterChef Junior returned to FOX on Monday, March 4 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) for its ninth season.

This season, the judging panel welcomes Tilly Ramsay, who will join her father, award-winning chef, host and executive producer Gordon Ramsay. Acclaimed chef Aarón Sánchez and Emmy winning TV host Daphne Oz also return as judges.

MasterChef Junior follows young home cooks between the ages of 8 and 13 who compete in a series of challenges to win the title of America's next MasterChef Junior, taking home a trophy and $100,000 in prize money.

(Story by Erik Gjovik, The Foster County Independent)

Live hand grenade found in scrap pile

There is an old saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but the workers at Russ’s Auto and Scrap couldn’t have been expecting someone’s explosive grenade while sifting through a pile of scrap.

On Wednesday, Feb. 28, police were called to the scrapyard at about 1 p.m. after live hand grenade was discovered.

According to Grafton Police Chief Tony Dumas, the folks over at Russ’s were going through a pile of scrap and lo and behold came across a pineapple-shaped metal object.

Grafton Police soon confirmed that the object was exactly what it appeared to be, and the bomb squad out of Grand Forks was dispatched to their location.

“I texted them a bunch of pictures to them and they sent a couple of bomb techs up,” said Dumas. “They X-rayed it and found it more than likely to be a live grenade.”

Dumas added that the grenade hadn’t been “hollowed” out, and that a grenade such as the one discovered probably has a kill radius of 30 feet.

The grenade was disposed of by taking it out of town, strapping C4 to it, and exploding it.

“If it was live it was detonated and if it wasn’t live it is no longer in existence,” said Dumas.

(Story by Todd Morgan, The Walsh County Record)

Statistics show suicide rates among young Native Americans remain high

For decades, suicide rates among Native Americans have remained persistently high, especially among those between 10 and 24 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Claudette McLeod works at Turtle Mountain Outreach (TMO), an agency focused on families at risk for mental health, suicide or other challenges.

McLeod said the agency is “family-driven, community-based and culturally competent.”

That last factor is one in which most agencies dealing with suicide prevention find most important.

Experts say that’s because the national strategy for suicide prevention isn’t culturally relevant or sensitive to Native America communities’ unique values.

Systemic issues and structural inequities, including underfunded and under-resourced services from the federal Indian Health Service, also hamper suicide prevention in Indigenous communities.

McLeod said the TMO continues to build partnerships with families and young people to address their cultural needs so they can function better at home, in school and throughout life.

“People reach out in a variety of ways,” McLeod said, adding that those individuals often ask for information, resources and personal help through social media, phone calls and walk-ins.

(Story by Jason Nordmark, the Turtle Mountain Star)

Harvey bus fleet going electric

A fleet of electric buses may soon be lining up outside the doors of Harvey’s elementary school.

Harvey Superintendent Robbie Lukens is expecting a new electric bus this spring, with the possibility of receiving two more, thanks to a federal grant written by Dr. Lukens.

The school needs only keep the bus or buses for five years, another attractive feature of the electric vehicles, said Lukens.

The new electric buses, if available, will be 2025 models, while the electric bus expected to arrive this spring is a 2024 model.

Meanwhile, depending on the availability of the electric buses, the Harvey School is on a waiting list next year to purchase a new diesel bus costing $128,000.

Federal money through grants for diesel buses has evaporated, according to Lukens.

The only “free money” available to schools today are for electric buses.

Lukens and the board were “aggressive” in applying for the federal grant because the electric buses are becoming more and more attractive to schools across the state.

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