Around the State: December 18, 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.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife to purchase 80 acres

The Traill County Board of Commisisoners recently gave preliminary approval to a request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to move forward with plans to buy 80 acres of privately owned land in Norman Township.

Kurt Tompkins, a district manager for the fish and wildlife service, told county officials that his office had been asked to make an offer on an 80-acre parcel of land adjacent to a waterfowl production area owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Owned by William and Michelle Thompson and Duane Lura, the property sits about three miles northwest of Clifford and has been enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program.

Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service owns 719 acres of public land in Traill County, although no new land purchases have been made since 1970, Thompkins said.

However, adding the 80 acres available northwest of Clifford could expand the amount of public land available to duck hunters in the area, he said.

(Story by Cole Short, the Hillsboro Banner)

Business adds electric vehicle charger

A first of its kind in Rolette County can currently be found at Munro Motor Company in Rolla.

The dealership is in the finishing stages of installing an electric vehicle (EV) charging station. According to owner Josh Munro, General Motors is making a push for installing charging stations at all dealerships across the United States. This comes even though sales of electric vehicles in some parts of the country are low.

Munro estimated in Rolette County the ratio of EV vehicles to those with a combustible engine are in the neighborhood of 1000-to-1.

Despite the sluggish sales, Munro said a majority of dealerships are looking to install charging stations in the upcoming months.

Once installed, the station will join similar units that are currently found at Lake Metigoshe and Rugby.

Munro said customers will pay for a charge in a similar fashion to how they pay for gasoline. The biggest difference will be how long it takes to get the boost. Munro said a charge could take a couple of hours and allow a driver to go between 300 and 400 miles before needing another charge.

(Story by John Rosinski, the Turtle Mountain Star)

Fessenden City Council assumes police duties

By taking no action, the Fessenden City Council will end its contract with the Wells County Sheriff's Department, leaving the city without an established law enforcement agreement. The city's contract automatically terminates on December 31.

"If you change your mind, you can call me," said Sheriff Christopher Kluth.

At the council's Dec. 6 meeting, Kluth acknowledged his department's staffing challenges, which leaves him as the sole officer. "If I can get some guys, it would be nice to have the contract," he said. "But until I get someone here, it's up in the air."

Members of the council deliberated options, knowing that without a designated law enforcement officer in the city, non-emergency calls would become the responsibility of the city's acting mayor, council president Jeff Johnson, who assumed the role after the resignation of elected Mayor Cheryl Overbeck in September. The sheriff's department would still handle emergency 9-1-1 calls.

Alderman Robert Kruger proposed an alternative approach, suggesting a new contract that would allow the city to call for assistance on an as-needed basis, paying per hour for services rendered.

Johnson said, "I get the feeling that maybe we should terminate the deal or come up with a rate contract based on the issue at hand. The contract would be drawn up by the sheriff's office."

Alderman David Locken said he would like to look at that contract before terminating the current one. The council members considered tabling the contract renewal until January.

Kluth reminded the council of the current contract's Dec. 31 end date.

"Or you don't sign the contract. Those are your options," he said. "You're either in or you're out."

The meeting ended without the council renewing its contract with the sheriff's department.

(Story by Anne Ehni, the Harvey Herald-Press)

Roadhouse debris to be hauled away

What's left of Harvey's B-52 Roadhouse and Lanes will be hauled away, hopefully soon, according to owner Chris Kara.

The Harvey businessman was hoping work on the clean up was going to start soon, but it depends on the company contracted and when it will arrive in town, Kara indicated.

The expansive business operation that included a bar, restaurant and bowling alley was destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of Sept. 4, 2023.

Damages were estimated at $1.5 million, said Kara.

Meanwhile, Kara is waiting for the clean-up bill before he decides on what, if anything, will be rebuilt on the east Harvey location.

One thing is certain. Harvey will not see a return of its bowling alley, a decades long fixture in the community.

The cost to build a new bowling alley could be in the neighborhood of $3 million, according to Kara, who said he can't absorb or afford that cost.

He is considering building a smaller restaurant, possibly, depending on what the cost will be to clear and clean the property at 904 Bypass Road.

The fire left 10 employees out of work.

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

Cornerstone Bank Donates Building

Cornerstone Bank has proudly served the Makoti community for well over half a century. While the bank remains committed to their customers in the area, they reluctantly closed their Makoti location this past summer due to continued staffing challenges along with a limited number of transactions.

"The bank building has been a fixture of Makoti's Main Street for many decades," stated Cornerstone Bank Chairman Gary Peterson. "It was important to us that it continued to be an asset to the Community.

After discussions with community leaders, the decision was made to donate the building to the City of Makoti. Peterson along with Cornerstone Bank Market President Grant Wentz recently met with Makoti Mayor Chase Karna to hand over the keys to the building.

(Story taken from the Mountrail County Promoter)