The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The counties and cities within the state of North Dakota hold many interesting news stories.
Here are just a few of the feature stories that others are reading in communities around the state.
Local line workers save Renville deputy
October 27, 2021 started out just like any other day, but for Ann Millerbernd of Sherwood, the day soon turned into one she’ll never forget.
Millerbernd, a deputy for the Renville County Sheriff’s Department, was loading and securing a queen size bed into the back of her pickup.
“After struggling to load the mattress and box spring myself, I realized I needed an additional strap across the top,” Millerbernd said. As Millerbernd reached in front of the bed, between the mattress and the front of the truck bed, she couldn’t quite secure the ratchet hook in place.
“I opened the back door of the truck and stood on the running board to push my arm with the hook down,” but her arm became stuck.
Then her fingers began tingling.
“I released the strap and attempted to pull my arm out but it was stuck; I didn’t panic at first because I figured I’d just turn my arm the opposite way and slide it out,” she said.
But she was wrong.
In her struggles, Millerbernd had inadvertently placed her arm into a tourniquet and her brachial artery was completely restricted.
“That’s when I started to worry.”
After yelling for help for about 10 minutes, someone finally heard her cries.
Randy McLean and Talon Thompson, line-workers for North Central Electric Co-op had just sat down to have lunch in the cooperative’s service-center on the east edge of Mohall. The building is about 100 feet away from where Millerbernd was loading her truck at a local storage unit.
“We ran over to her and found her basically hanging from her truck. She was stuck between the box and the mattress,” McLean said.
The men quickly undid the ratchet and pulled the mattress back, freeing Millerbernd from her predicament.
“I was really lucky. If they hadn’t been there at that exact moment, my story could of had a different ending,” Millerbernd said.
(Story taken from the Bottineau Courant)
Waxwings come to Bottineau to feed on fruit trees
In recent weeks, Bottineau has seen a number of Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings in the community, which come this time of year to eat berries off the trees, more specifically, off the Mountain Ash trees in the city with their bright orange berries.
According to the National Audubon Society, waxwings are unique birds that come from the group of passerine birds, which have a soft silky plumage or crest on the top of their head and unique red tips on their wing feathers. The red tips look like sealing wax, which grants the birds their name.
Waxwings eat in large groups and perch high in a tree before swooping down to feed off a fruit tree. They eat berries whole and will at times share the fruit with other waxwings. The groups also work in shifts with one group feeding first, then flying off, with the second group coming in to feed.
For decades, Waxwings have visited Bottineau for its fruit trees and matured wintertime berries and have established a distinct history of feeding within the community of Bottineau.
(Story by Scott Wagar, the Bottineau Courant)
Prom Dress exchange in Ray
Finding the perfect dress to wear to prom can be an expensive adventure, but the Ray Prom Dress Exchange is determined to make it fun and affordable for everyone.
The Ray After Prom Committee will be hosting the sixth annual dress exchange at the Ray Lutheran Church.
“We, in essence, are doing this to raise money for the after party after the Ray prom,” said Sarah Knox, one of the organizers.
“But then also to help out the girls to be able to find dresses that are more reasonable than going to the store and buying one brand-new.”
The dress exchange offers young women the opportunity to try on a variety of prom dresses - Knox said they usually have between 100 and 125 available every year - without the pressures and cost of visiting bridal shops.
The event is open to anyone in need of a prom dress, or looking to sell a dress they’ve worn in the past, not just Ray students.
Prom dresses can be extraordinarily expensive when purchased new.
“Dresses typically run from like $500 - $1,000 if you go buy them brand-new,” said Knox.
“Typically we have dresses from around $30 to $350, so we have quite a range in prices,” said Knox.
“Some girls are picky. They don’t want to wear a dress that somebody wore to their school already,” said Knox. “They come because it’s dresses that their school hasn’t seen before.”
The broad reach of the event helps ensure there is a fresh mix of dresses every year.
(Story by Jacob Orledge, the Tioga Tribune)
Man accused of holding woman, baby hostage
A recent welfare check by the Garrison Police Department revealed a young woman and her child who were forcibly detained in an apartment by an alleged abuser.
The suspect was arrested on charges of simple assault, felonious restraint and hindering law enforcement.
When a young mother failed to respond to calls and texts from local family, the victim’s brother informed the responding officer that the woman’s boyfriend and father of the child has a history of physically assaulting his sibling.
After unsuccessful attempts of contacting Ramses Reyna, officer Justine Arrey was granted access to the 4th Street residential unit by the property landlord.
When entering the apartment, the city agent found the missing individual and her child.
The “crying” mother reported that her boyfriend had broken her phone, seized her wallet containing $300 and locked her inside his pad against her will. The police report also indicated that the woman informed police that she was frequently pushed, strangled and dragged around the apartment.
(Story by Ralph Mancini bhgnews.com)
