701 Rundown: August 12, 2024

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

Train derailment may have involved flawed rail cars, report says

The July 5 train derailment in central North Dakota that caused hazardous materials to spill and catch fire may have involved tank cars that regulators have long identified as flawed.

A preliminary report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board said some of the 17 tank cars that derailed were reported to include DOT-111 cars.

That is the same type of car that Congress has ordered to be phased out for hauling flammable liquids by 2029, according to The Associated Press, which reported on the NTSB report on Thursday.

NTSB investigators will confirm the tank car types when they perform a detailed damage assessment, the preliminary report said. The derailed tank cars also are reported to include DOT-112 and DOT-117 cars, which are newer models.

The agency's early findings did not include any information about what caused 29 cars to derail southeast of Carrington near the tiny town of Bordulac. Railway company CPKC estimates damages to be about $3.6 million.

Of the 29 cars that derailed, six tank cars carried methanol, 11 tank cars carried anhydrous ammonia and 12 covered hoppers carried plastic pellets.

No initial injuries were reported, though a footnote to the report says some workers were potentially exposed to hazardous materials during cleanup and sought medical attention. Residents of two homes voluntarily evacuated for two days.

The train was traveling from Minot to Enderlin at 45 mph, below the maximum speed of 50 mph. Conditions were clear with no precipitation when the train derailed after 3:30 a.m., but the track and surrounding area were wet from earlier rainfall, the report notes.

The NTSB's investigation is ongoing. Future investigation will include detailed tank car damage assessments, review of maintenance and inspection records and more.

(Story by Amy Dalrymple, North Dakota Monitor)

Midtown Apartments site of drug arrest

Noe Guerra, 62, of Grafton, was arraigned and charged with two felony drug counts and two Class A misdemeanors as a result of a search warrant that was executed at his residence on April 11.

Grand Forks Narcotics Task Force executed the search warrant on Marvel Avenue in Grafton. Guerra was residing at the Midtown Apartments, where they found approximately 2.94 grams of cocaine that was packaged in six individual baggies weighing between 0.40 - 0.50 grams.

This resulted in him being charged with a Class B felony, punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.

At the same location on the same date, the task force also located 10.47 grams of marijuana packaged in 10 individual baggies weighing between 0.94 and 1.19 grams.

This is a Class C felony, punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

He also got a Class A misdemeanor for the 0.41 grams of methamphetamine during the search, along with drug paraphernalia.

Guerra is facing a maximum possible sentence of 17 years in prison. He is considered innocent unless proven guilty.

(Story by Todd Morgan, The Walsh County Record)

Sanford Health Foundation Hillsboro golf tournament pulls $30,000 in donations

Sanford Health Foundation Hillsboro aced its annual golf tournament fundraiser.

The local nonprofit raised $30,000 for Sanford Hillsboro Medical Center during its 18-hole, four-person scramble hosted on July 19 at Goose River Golf Course in Hillsboro.

A total of 33 teams participated in the golf tournament, with the team from Sorum Oil in Hillsboro winning the event.

This year marked the 26th anniversary of the golf tournament, which is Sanford Health Foundation Hillsboro’s biggest fundraiser every year.

The charity event has raised more than $400,000 for Hillboro’s medical center during that span, with the $72,000 raised between 2017-19 set aside to update the facility’s hospital beds.

(Story by Cory Erickson, Hillsboro Banner)

Two deputies round out sheriff’s department

While out and about in Griggs County, you might recognize a couple of faces from the sheriff’s office.

Two new deputies have joined the Griggs County Sheriff’s Office, but neither of them are a stranger to the uniform, nor Griggs County.

Chief Deputy Danie Bjorlie and Deputy Dalton Hassel have both accepted positions with the department and are excited for the next chapter of their careers.

Bjorlie, who grew up in McVille, was with the department for a year in 2015, and Hassel originally joined in 2022 before leaving the following year.

Bjorlie has a total of 17 years of law enforcement experience, including as a deputy in Foster County from 2007 through 2014.

Meanwhile, Deputy Hassel is a native of Thief River Falls, Minn., but spent most of his youth on a farmstead not far from Cooperstown.

Both deputies are very excited about what the future holds for the communities they serve.

There are some things in the planning stages, and they can’t wait to share them when the time is right.