701 Rundown: Sept. 30, 2024

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

Man’s body found north of Carrington

A dead body was discovered in rural Foster County last week.

According to Foster County Sheriff Justin Johnson, the body was discovered approximately five miles northeast of Carrington, N.D. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, when a neighbor happened to come across it while mowing the individual's yard.

The body was soon identified as Richard Montonye, a man in his 60s who Johnson said had been living in Foster County for around 12-15 years. He was discovered outside his house between two vehicles in his driveway.

Johnson said Montonye – who lived by himself – had been deceased for at least two or three weeks by the time he was discovered, as his body was already decomposed when law enforcement arrived.

But despite having been deceased for some time, there were no missing person reports filed for Montonye, said Johnson. However, law enforcement does not suspect foul play and there are no ongoing investigations regarding his death.

“There’s nothing suspicious about it,” said Johnson.

“He was an older guy who lived alone and about the only time anyone ever saw him was when he went into town to pay his rent. Nobody thought it was weird that they hadn’t heard from him because nobody usually hears from him.”

Johnson said the Foster County coroner, Dr. Michael Page, was notified, but that an autopsy usually isn’t conducted when there aren’t suspicious circumstances or concerns about foul play.

The body was transported to the local funeral home shortly after its discovery and Montonye’s family has been contacted.

(Story by Nathan Price, The Foster County Independent)

Fireman sent to hospital after fire at Dakota College at Bottineau

The Bottineau Fire Department was called to Dakota College at Bottineau for a fire in its coal hopper on Thursday, Sept. 12.

The fire was brought under control, but not before one fireman was sent to the local hospital.

“When they started the boiler, the conveyor burned back into the hopper and the bottom of the hopper started on fire,” said David Vlad, fire chief for the Bottineau Fire Department.

“So, we basically put water inside the hopper, soaked it down and we were able to get the fire out.”

Vlad added that when the firemen arrived at the college, there was no smoke in the coal tower, so they climbed a ladder inside the structure to the top of the tower where they were able to place water directly into the hopper and onto the coal to suppress the fire, which they were able to contain.

While some firemen attended to the water hose, another kept an eye on the air quality in the coal tower. As the fire was burning, the carbon dioxide increased quickly and the firemen were called out of the structure.

One of the firemen who came out last complained of not feeling well, and it was discovered that his oxygen levels were lower than his carbon-dioxide levels.

He was later taken to the local hospital for oxygen treatment and was discharged soon after.

This incident was the third time in one year that the fire department has been called in for a hopper fire.

“We just don’t know what is causing it,” Vlad said. “... But I am working on it to solve this problem.”

(Story by Scott Wagar, the Bottineau Courant)

Remains of Hurdsfield sailor identified by U.S. Navy

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced on Sept. 16 that Navy Fireman 1st Class Edward D. Johnson, age 24 of Hurdsfield, N.D. – who was killed during World War II – has now been accounted for.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Johnson was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Fort Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese Aircraft.

The attack on the ship killed 429 crewmen, including Johnson.

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.

Between June and November 2015, DPAA personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknowns from the Punchbowl for analysis.

To identify Johnson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis.

Having now been identified, Johnson will be buried on Oct. 25, 2024, in the Punchbowl. His name on the Walls of the Missing from WWII, will have a rosette placed next to it name to indicate he’s been accounted for.

(Story taken from The Herald-Press)

Zebra mussels discovered in South Golden Lake

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of invasive zebra mussels in South Golden Lake, Steele County, after detecting zebra mussel veligers in routine net samples.

Department aquatic nuisance species coordinator Ben Holen said subsequent follow-up sampling found additional adult mussels in the lake.

The 331-acre lake is a popular recreation destination located 13 miles southwest of Hatton.

Due to its immediate downstream connection, North Golden will be listed with South Golden Lake as Class I ANS infested waters. These lakes join Lake Elsie, Twin Lakes, Lake LaMoure, Lake Ashtabula, the lower portion of the Sheyenne River and the Red River in this designation.

Zebra mussels are just one of the non-native aquatic species that threaten local waters and native wildlife. Emergency rules will now go into effect at the lake, such as not using water for transferring fish bait.

(Story taken from the Towner County Record Herald)