2021: Year in Review II

The pages of the Independent from July to December 2021 left residents wondering if the coronavirus would ever go dormant.

The drought raged on with two months showing little rain during the summer and sparse snow fall as well as above normal temps in November and December.

Here are a few of the stories that dawned the pages of the Independent the second half of last year:

July

• A grass fire southwest of Carrington burned 10 acres. It was a fire-pit burn that got out of control on property owned by Dennis and Betty Montgomery.

• The Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was spreading through the state. In July of 2021, the North Dakota Department of Health said a total of 20 people in the state were confirmed to have contracted the variant.

August

• "The sloughs have never been this dry, not even in 1988," That's what one Foster County producer said about drought conditions in the area. A lot of people mentioned 1988. It's the worst drought they can remember. Since April 1, the NDAWN station at the NDSU Carrington REC reported 3.81 inches of rainfall. That is 6.76 inches less than normal.

• One of the most iconic businesses in Carrington, North Dakota, and the upper Midwest, was sold. The Chieftain Conference Center was sold to Arun and Anna Subbiah of S&S V Ltd Partnership of Chanhassen, Minnesota. After 27 years, Frank and Lorie Klein decided to call it quits.

September

• Early indications see enrollment up 6.5 percent at Carrington School, with a 14 percent increase at the elementary school.

• After nearly two months without measurable rainfall, the NDAWN station at the NDSU Carrington REC received 3.4 inches between August 10 and September 3. Pastures were showing color again after being completely brown throughout the summer.

• The Delta variant of COVID-19 temporarily closed down CHI and Golden Acres Manor and Estates from visitors.

October

• Carrington Public School announced its intention to add a prekindergarten program to Carrington Elementary School. The Carrington school board voted to offer pre-Kindergarten to area children who will turn four years old by August 1.

• The fifth and sixth grade Carrington Cardinals football team completed a very successful season. They placed second in their conference to Harvey/Wells County, went 4-2 during the regular season, and finished with an overall 5-2 record. The team, along with the third and fourth graders, played in the Fargodome to end their season, and took a 20-14 win over Oakes.

• The Foster County Independent was under new ownership as Allen and Pattie Stock sold the newspaper to New Rockford Transcript owner Amy Wobbema.

November

• The Carrington Cardinal girls volleyball team celebrated the District 5 Championship after taking a five-set victory over the LaMoure/Litchville-Marion Loboes.

• The City of Carrington hired a new police chief. Brandon Sola accepted the position and started protecting the city in October.

• Area residents learned that the Community Thanksgiving Dinner had been feeding the masses for over twenty-one years.

December

• Foster County Commissioner Pat Copenhaver took his seat as chairman for the second time as his turn came around again.

• The Cardinal wrestlers won the Velva Invitational, with four wrestlers taking titles.

• Stadium '76 will be replaced at a cost of $244,305 for the metal bleachers and press box platform, as well as $121,716 for the 9'x42' prefabricated press box. Built in 1976, the structure has out-lived its purpose, and officials are concerned about safety at this point.

• The Carrington Chamber of Commerce, Carrington Economic Development and Community Development Corporation merged into the newly-organized Carrington Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, or CCEDC. The purpose of the merger was aimed at efficiency.

In a nutshell, that is what happened around the area during the second half of 2021.