Around the State: March 4, 2024

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.

Splash Pad coming to life

The Garrison Park Board held its monthly meeting on February 7 and a lot is going on.

A photo was shared from Ackerman Estvold of a mockup of what the new splash pad will look like, which had been eagerly anticipated for quite a while.

There has been talk around town for at least 10 years of installing a splash pad, but it was always what group was going to take on the project, how was it going to be funded, and where was it going to go.

When the park board took on this huge pool project, it was the perfect time to include a splash pad where the baby pool was currently.

"The baby pool's plumbing structure has collapsed somewhere for the water exchange, so without extensive work it is unusable," Garrison Park Board member Danielle Rensh said.

(Story by Tyson Matthews, the McLean County Independent)

Heartland Bison Ranch gets art installation

The Region 2 Selection Committee for Arts Across the Prairie: Placemaking in Rural N.D. has announced that Alan and Nicole Milligan of the Milligan Studio, large-scale sculptors and design team, have been selected to create an art installation to represent the Region 2 project titled "Living Waters, Painted Skies."

After receiving more than 38 initial applications from artists and creative teams, the committee, consisting of stakeholders, community members and artists, conducted two rounds of interviews and online interviews. Finalists submitted proposals complete with concept renderings/drawings and estimated budgets. The installation will be located at Heartland Bison Ranch south of Rugby in Pierce County.

Alan and Nicole Milligan presented several renderings to the selection committee. While a design has not been finalized, the committee was drawn to imagery inspired by water, natural lines and other earthly elements.

(Story taken from the Benson County Farmers Press)

'This isn't about the pipeline anymore'

After a decision from the North Dakota Public Service council to overrule local government ordinances put in place by counties, a local leader stating the argument is no longer about the proposed pipeline, but about the authority and voices of local communities.

Emmons County Commission Chairman Erin Magrum told the Emmons County Record he is "disappointed" in the decision made by PSC.

"Not only with PSC, but with the state legislature," Magrum stated, adding he feels the decision sided with corporations over "their own people."

The decision came earlier this month when the PSC decided state rules pre-empt local ordinances on pipeline zoning issues.

With this ruling, it opened the gates for a hearing on Summit Carbon Solutions revised application for its proposed CO2 pipeline.

"It's a theft of our property rights," Magrum said. "The whole point of local government is to have local voices - they robbed the rights of the local landowners."

(Story by Kelli Ameling, the Emmons County Record)

Unable to stop recurring credit card charges

The Kenmare City Council approved cancelling all of the city's authorized credit cards and switching to a new credit card provider.

City auditor Tammy Knutson said this seemed to be the only way to stop the recurring monthly charges for services the city does not want, and they are not using.

The city has been unable to rid the current credit cards of recurring monthly charges, such as Zoom and iTunes, as example.

Knutson said even when cards have been cancelled and replaced with new cards and numbers from the same provider, Apple has transferred the recurring charges to the new card numbers.

She said they are unable to access the accounts making the recurring charges, as they are tied to inactive city cell phone numbers, or inactive emails, with passwords created by former employees, some from several years ago.

"We have no way of knowing what those passwords are," Knutson said.

(Story by Terry Froseth, the Kenmare News)

Mayville Library to open in early March

The Mayville Public Library could reopen to visitors and students at nearby Peter Boe Jr. Elementary School on a limited basis starting in March.

City officials announced January 8 that the historic library at 52 Center Ave. N. would be closed for the foreseeable future, four days prior to the passing of longtime library director Margaret Rice.

The library's board of directors met recently and tackled topics ranging from how to digitize the library's book collection to raising money for a full-time director.

But a large chunk of the board's talks revolved around how to round up and train a small army of volunteers who could step in and reopen the library on a part-time basis as soon as March 1.

City Auditor Gail Olstad said library-goers should understand the limited availability of the library following the passing of Rice, who served as the library's part-time director for 43 years.

"We can only be open as long as we have the staff available," Olstad said. "The main thing is letting people know when it's open. We don't want people showing up and not being able to get in."

Olstad estimated a mill levy increase of five mills by voters in Mayville would generate an additional $25,000 a year for a full-time library director.

(Story by Cole Short, the Hillsboro Banner)

ND's Lt. Governor enters race for highest post

North Dakota Lt. Governor Tammy Miller has had a front row seat to four years of the governor's arena. Now, she's looking for a chance to play the game herself.

Miller, former CEO of Fargo-based Border States Electric, announced February 15, that she hopes to succeed her current boss, Doug Burgum, who is not running for re-election.

Miller retired from BSE in 2020 to join the Burgum administration in Bismarck. She served as chief operating officer from April 2020 through December 2022 working with cabinet agencies to foster innovation and improve the efficiency of government services. Burgum appointed Miller to the role of Lt. Governor in late 2022, after Brent Sanford left the administration to enter the private sector.

(Story by Steve Hallstrom, the McKenzie County Farmer)