Around the State: November 6, 2023

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.

Tigirlily takes national stage on Today Show

It has been a year of mile-stone achievements for two young women from Hazen, but on October 16, they found themselves in a moment of profound emotion and personal accomplishment, even for such a successful year.

“They are sisters who have been performing together since they were little kids, but now Kendra Olson and Krista Slaubaugh are Tigirlily Gold,” Host Hoda Kotb said as introduction to the Tigirlily Gold Duo on the October 16 episode of “Today with Hoda & Jenna” on NBC.

“They are out with their second album, ‘Blonde’ and their new single ‘Shoot Tequila’ has more than 60 million views,” Kotb’s co-host Jenna Bush Hager said. “And this is their national television debut.”

The sisters were brought on stage for a brief interview with the two hosts of the acclaimed morning television broadcast, before performing “Shoot Tequila” live before the nationwide television audience.

“I definitely got butterflies as we walked in and saw the studio,” Kendra said. “I was thinking to myself, this is where everyone walks in to go on the Today Show.”

In addition to their show on Today with Hoda and Jenna, Tigirlily Gold also got to play live once again at the Grand Old Opre upon their return to Nashville.

(Story by Daniel Arens, the Hazen Star)

Food for the Farmer

Tuesday was warm and windy, not unlike most days Harvest 23’ has brought to the dinner table this year.

Dust and trucks clouded and crowded the entrance over the noon hour to the Arthur Companies Prairie Towers grain elevator two miles east of Harvey on Highway 52.

Debbie Richards, a Vancouver, Washington transplant, has grown accustomed to the conditions. If it’s too much dust, she closes the window to her food cart; the sign on the window says she’s inside; she’ll be with you in a second.

The Fork 2 Field food cart, large enough inside its cramped quarters for two people, has been producing food enough to feed the area’s harvest crews, the workforce at Prairie Towers, and the truckers hauling grain in and out of the Highway 2 elevator since Richards and Co. opened for business on August 8.

Richards’ regular clientele includes several Canadian truckers who call in their orders ahead to pick up on the fly.

Richards, bored and retired, saw a need to feed the harvesting farmers and their crews about the same time her son said there was a need for a food cart somewhere on the west Wells County landscape.

(Story by Neil O. Nelson, the Herald-Press, Harvey)

Drive-by shooting on Walsh County road

A drive-by shooting took place on Walsh County Highway No. 15 east of Lankin.

Walsh County Sheriff’s Department conducted an investigation. Deptuies arrested George Joseph Tibert, 75, of rural Pisek at 3:30 a.m. at his residence.

Mark “Sonny” Novak of rural Lankin had contracted the excavation of some trees on a quarter of land he recently purchased in Walsh Centre Township. A corner of that quarter section, included the said trees that ran along a coulee north of Tibert’s residence, which is located in the corner of that section.

According to the arrest affidavit the witnesses would not turn on the lights in the house and would duck into a hallway when observing any type of vehicle riving by on the highway.

Walsh County Deputy Sheriff Matthew Wark learned that a silver car that was similar to Tibert’s had driven west on 15 by the Novak’s residence at a slow rate of speed. This vehicle started shooting toward the house while driving by and then left the scene.

Wark observed there were four bullet holes that struck the exterior of the residence and two of the bullets penetrated inside the residence. In one instance, Wark noted a bullet went through the living room window, where one of the victims was standing within a foot of where the bullet went through. The third victim was upstairs, where another bullet had gone through the upper portion of the house.

Deputies arrived at Tibert’s residence where he consented to a search of his vehicle. Deputies found empty shell casings that were similar to the shell casings located on County Road No. 15, near the house in question.

(Story by Todd Morgan, the Walsh County Record)

Nursing homes see worker shortage

North Dakota Long Term Care Association (NDLTCA) released an analysis by professional services firm CLA (Clifton, Larsen, Allen, LLP) on the impact that the Biden administration’s recently announced federal staffing mandate would have on nursing homes in North Dakota.

The proposed rule would require specific nursing home staff to spend a minimum number of hours with each resident as well as have a 24-hour registered nurse (RN) on site.

“The last RN application that we received was June 28 and the last CNA was August 15 and was not a hirable candidate,” said Jill Foertsch, administrator at St. Gerard’s Community of Care in Hankinson, N.D., stated.

“A rule of this nature will unfortunately crush rural nursing homes,” said Shelly Peterson, president of NDLTCA. “We are dealing with a significant staffing crisis. Putting a rule like this in place does not create more caregivers, it will close nursing homes that will not be able to meet this impossible standard.”

Six nursing homes have closed in the last three years, which is unusual for North Dakota. All but one were in rural communities. The nursing home is often the largest employer in the county in these rural areas.

If nursing homes are unable to increase their workforce to meet these new requirements, more than 421 nursing home residents could be impacted by census reductions.

(Story taken from the Bottineau Courant)

BHS grad Penner earns promotion at crime lab

ON September 1, Jennifer Johnson Penner was appointed as the director of the North Dakota State Crime Laboratory by Attorney General Drew Wrigley.

Penner joined the lab in 2001 and was later named as the technical leader for the DNA unit. She accepted the interim director appointment in January 2023.

She is a 1996 graduate of Bottineau High School and a 2000 graduate from Weber State University with double BS degree in chemistry and criminal justice with an emphasis in criminalistics.

She obtained a Master of Science in pharmacy with a concentration in forensic DNA and serology.

(Story taken form the Bottineau Courant)