701 Rundown: December 9, 2024

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

Area's first winter storm claims life

North Dakota received its first taste of winter and it was a bitter one.

Evening rain started in the eastern half of the state Monday, Nov. 18 and continued throughout the overnight hours and into the following day, causing icy road conditions.

Strong winds combined with rain turning to snow, with accumulations of 1 to 3 inches, created reduced visibility and poor driving conditions.

Consequently, multiple accidents occurred throughout the area.

According to Casselton Fire Chief John Hejl, his department responded to several accidents, including one that resulted in a fatality.

“At the onset of the storm we responded to two accidents and the day before, a house fire unrelated to the storm, and one accident that same day,” he said.

Having already responded to several incidents, the fire department was again called out on Nov. 20. It was among several Cass County emergency responders that were on scene of a two-vehicle fatal crash 12 miles west of Casselton on I-94.

Upon arriving on scene, Hejl said they performed triage to determine the most viable victim.

“If someone is already deceased, the focus is on those living,” the fire chief said, in this case a 72-year-old female passenger.

Also involved was a 37-year-old male who was uninjured.

The crash occurred on the eastbound lane of I-94 when a 2013 Freightliner towing a van trailer approached two other semis that were jackknifed in the median due to icy road conditions.

The third semi, driven by the 37-year-old male, braked and lost control of his vehicle, also jackknifing.

The semi’s trailer came to rest blocking both eastbound lanes of traffic, and a Volkswagen Tiguan driven by the 72-year-old struck the van trailer. She was pronounced deceased at the scene.

(Story by Angela Kolden, Cass County Reporter)

Downtown Darling

In downtown Carrington there's a shop that instills confidence in females of all ages and offers them clothing and accessories to help them look and feel good.

Lioness is the Central City's downtown boutique, and it has become a destination shop for many women at a time when online platforms proliferated the retail industry.

Hope Carr, small business proprietor and downtown building owner, is the kind of person who does things her own way and at her own pace, listening closely to customer needs along the way.

She's owned her building located at 912 Main Street since 2004, which previously housed a floral shop and provided retail space for Gayle Kuss and Creative Treasures.

At Lioness, customers will find clothing in women's sizes small to 3X, and even up to 5X in some styles. She also has an expanded kids selection, with mostly girls' apparel that changes with the seasons. From holiday dresses to warm puffy vests and jeans, her selection is both on-trend and customer-focused.

The store is also sprinkled with accessories, including a variety of jewelry, as well as cold weather accessories, such as hats, gloves and scarves.

The price points are as varied as the selection, with affordable seasonal pieces as well as high-quality staple pieces that customers can wear for years to come.

She is one of only a few boutiques in North Dakota that offer luxury clothing from fashion pioneer Joseph Ribkoff, which is made in Canada.

Ribkoff's brand features high-quality pieces in contemporary styles worn by professional women around the globe. Lioness customers will find apparel made in the United States and Denmark as well.

(Story by Amy Wobbema, The Foster County Independent)

Train cars derail near Colgan, spilling grain

A train derailment near Colgan, N.D., located between Ambrose and Fortuna, on Sunday, Nov. 17 resulted in grain spills from three train cars.

Shari Bublitz, the Divide County emergency manager, told the Journal that the Dakota Missouri Valley and Western Railroad train was coming from the grain elevator in Westby, Mont.

“They’re assuming there was a break or malfunction in the track,” she said, adding that no injuries were reported.

Each train car was capable of holding 3,000 bushels of grain; however, Bublitz said not all the grain was lost in the derailment.

“Not all of them that were tipped were completely emptied,” she said. “I don’t know if they were able to salvage because it was right after the start of the snow started.”

Bublitz said DMVW was able to repair the broken track on Friday.

(Story by Jordan Rusche, the Crosby Journal)

North Dakota oil production sees steady increase, gas capture remains strong

North Dakota’s oil and gas industry continues to show positive momentum, according to the latest production figures released by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).

In September 2024, the state produced nearly 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, a 1.2 percent increase over the previous month. This marks a 9 percent increase above the revenue forecast and is primarily driven by increased production from Three Forks Pool.

While oil prices have been slightly below forecast, gas production and capture rates remain strong.

The state produced 3.56 billion cubic feet of gas per day in September, with a 95 percent capture rate.

“We’re seeing some really positive trends in gas capture, particularly in the Beaufort and Charleston areas,” said Mark Bohr, Assistant Director of the Oil and Gas Division.

“These are areas that have historically been challenging so this improvement is significant.”

(Story by M.K. French, McKenzie County Farmer)