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Regional Briefs

Expanded State Museum now open

BISMARCK- The newly expanded State Museum of the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck is open as of Monday.

The N.D. Heritage Center expansion will not be fully completed until Nov. 2, but the first two museum galleries of four are open to the public. These two galleries span the state’s history from 600 million years ago to the 1860s. The Adaptation Gallery: Geologic Time covers the story of the evolving geology and the earliest life in North Dakota from 600 million years ago to 13,000 years ago. The Innovation Gallery: Early Peoples covers the first arrival of people 13,000 years ago through the 1860s. This gallery features more than 1,000 artifacts that help tell the story of early life on the Northern Plains.

In addition to the two museum galleries, additional spaces are open to the public including the newly renovated Russell Reid Auditorium, a new Great Plains Theater, the new Museum Store, select hallway exhibits, visitor kiosks, and more.

The N.D. Heritage Center is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Due to construction, the new entrance and new parking lot are not completed. Visitors will use the existing west entrance to the N.D. Heritage Center. Parking is limited in the existing lot.

2 dead in head-on crash

MANDAREE Two Mandaree residents are dead following a head-on collision with a semi-truck on N.D. Highway 22 Saturday just before 11:45 p.m., according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

A 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Corrina Larocque, 39, failed to negotiate a right hand curve and drove head-on into a 2010 Kenworth flat bed tow truck driven by Mark Estavanik, 45, Jupiter, Fla., while both were traveling “at highway speeds,” according to a crash report.

Both Larocque and a passenger, Ricky Finley, 41, were killed and the vehicle was totaled. The Kenworth was also totaled and Estavanik suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Stanely.

Man sentenced for helping escape

Christopher Rattery was sentenced Thursday to 12 months in prison with a year of supervised release to follow as well as a $100 special assessment to the crime victim’s fund for his role in facilitating an escape from a Rugby jail, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota.

Rattery pleaded guilty in January to the charge of helping Wesley Brown III escape from Heart of America Correctional and Treatment Center in Rugby.

Programs awarded $2.6M

More than $2.6 million in federal funding will go to two North Dakota Indian reservations for Head Start programs.

The Cankdeska Cikana Community College at the Spirit Lake Reservation will receive more than $1 million and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on the Standing Rock Reservation will receive $1.5 million.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp announced the awards Monday. The funds will support early childhood learning and development.

Utah man injured in crash

ALEXANDER A Utah man was injured in a crash on U.S. Highway 85 about three miles south of Alexander Saturday at 11:30 p.m., according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Chris George Anderson, 42, Lehi, Utah, was driving a 2012 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck east on a gravel road when he failed to stop at a stop sign before entering the westbound lane of the highway. His vehicle was struck by a 2003 Peterbilt semi-truck driven by David Lavel Brown, 52, West Richland, Wash., which was hauling a 2014 Dragon tanker trailer loaded with 140 barrels of crude oil. The Peterbilt was already westbound in the lane Anderson entered.

Anderson was transported by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Williston with non-life-threatening injuries. He was also cited for driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license and for care required in operating a motor vehicle.

1 injured in 3-car collision

WILLISTON One person was injured in a three-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 2 about 15 miles west of Williston around 8:15 a.m. Monday.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, both a 2008 Dodge Avenger driven by Lindsey McLinden, 30, Culbertson, Mont., and a 2007 Dodge Silverado driven by Casey Ubben, 34, were traveling east on the highway when McLinden lost control of her vehicle in the snow causing her vehicle to enter the westbound lane and strike head-on a 2012 Volvo semi-truck driven by Liudmila Kandratovich, 47, Tacoma, Wash.

The Volvo then lost control and entered the eastbound lane and struck Ubben’s vehicle, pushing and then following it into the south ditch.

McLinden, Kandratovich and the Volvo’s passenger Henrykh Kodzis, 49, Tacoma, Wash., were all wearing seatbelts and were uninjured in the crash. Ubben was injured and was transported by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Williston before being air lifted to Trinity Hospital in Minot to be treated for injuries suffered in the accident.

McLinden was cited for care required.

Man dies in crash near New Town

NEW TOWN A New Town man died after he crashed his vehicle into two parked vehicles on N.D. Highway 22 on Thursday at 4:20 p.m., according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The patrol said alcohol may have been a factor when Frederick Hale, 53, struck the trailer attached to a 1998 International semi-truck while traveling northbound on the highway. Hale’s 1997 Ford F250 then spun around and struck the left side of a Ford F450 parked in front of the semi before he was ejected from his vehicle and died.

The unidentified operators of the parked vehicles were repairing the International truck while parked about three feet of the highway with hazard triangles displayed.

Sakakawea declared ice free

Lake Sakakawea was officially declared ice free Monday at 8:59 a.m. The determination is made by staff at the Garrison Dam Power Plant.

A year ago Lake Sakakawea was declared ice free on May 13, which was the third latest ice free date in the history of the reservoir. Lake Sakakawea was declared frozen over Dec. 14, 2013.

Woman run over twice, possibly intentionally

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – Sioux Falls police are investigating whether a driver intentionally ran over a woman with a vehicle twice.

Authorities say the woman was taken to a hospital with a broken leg after the mid-day incident Sunday. They say the woman had been arguing with the driver of the car before the car backed over the woman and then drove forward, running over her a second time.

Police Sgt. Jerry Mundt said that the driver might face aggravated assault charges.

Regional Briefs

City to collect household

hazardous waste

The City of Minot has updated its city landfill schedule and has set dates for the annual household hazardous waste collection.

The landfill will be open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Oct. 18. More details about landfill rules can be found on the city website at (www.minotnd.org) in the Public Works Department section under the sanitation/landfill category.

Household hazardous waste collection will take place May 16 and 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the northwest lot of the Public Works Building at 1025-31st Street SE. This service is available only to city garbage patrons, who may bring in household quantities of waste at no charge. Residents must bring proof of residency, such as a water bill or identification card.

Household hazardous waste includes paint, items labeled “danger,” “flammable,” “corrosive,” “toxic” or “poisonous.”

E-recycling also will be offered for both residents and non-residents. E-recycling includes computers, printers, fax machines, TVs and similar electronics. A nominal fee will apply to businesses, schools or non-residents who choose to use the program.

One arrested for bonfire explosion

One 19-year-old Minot man was arrested for allegedly throwing a vehicle shock absorber into a bonfire in southeast Minot late Saturday evening.

The resulting explosion injured five people, the Ward County Sheriff’s Department said, and four of them are still in the hospital recovering from unspecified but serious injuries.

Weston C. Mattison was arrested following an investigation and charged with one count of endangering by fire explosion. He is being held in the county jail awaiting his initial appearance in court.

Sheriff’s Department and Minot Police Department officials responded just after 11:30 p.m. to what was described as a “loud party” at a coulee located near the 1800 block of 35th Avenue Southeast but when they arrived most participants were gone and the fire was nearly out.

Flint McColgan

Regional Briefs

Stolen vehicle

recovered

The Minot Police Department located a stolen vehicle in the parking lot of a north Minot hotel Tuesday evening and arrested a suspect for the theft.

The police had received a call reporting the theft of the 2011 Lincoln Navigator at around 1 p.m. that same day. Another caller reported a possibly intoxicated driver at 6:30 p.m. and provided the plate numbers, which matched the stolen vehicle description.

After the police located the vehicle they arrested Dennis Trower, 63, Salt Lake City, and charged him with two counts of possession of stolen property. One charge was for the vehicle and the other was for allegedly possessing the vehicle owner’s credit cards at the time of arrest.

Trower was convicted of two Class C felonies in Ward County earlier this month. One is for dealing in stolen property and the other is for unlawful entry into a vehicle, according to court records.

Flint McColgan

Tank overflow in McKenzie County

ALEXANDER An unexpected increase in well pressure caused a tank to overflow and release about 650 barrels of oil and 450 barrels of brine at an oil and gas well about 4 miles southwest of Alexander.

Oasis Petroleum North America reported Tuesday that all fluids were contained and recovered at the State Wolf 16-21H, according to the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources in Bismarck.

A state inspector has been to the site.

Oklahoma man

injured in crash

WILLISTON Robert A. Stout, 49, Yukon, Okla., was injured in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 2 about four miles west of Williston Wednesday around 5:30 a.m.

According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Stout was traveling south on 141st Avenue Northwest when he failed to stop the 2001 Nissan Exterra he was driving at the stop sign at the intersection with the highway and began to cross the westbound lanes. Frank Yanez Jr., 41, was driving a 2013 Kenworth T800 semi truck westbound on the highway and attempted to stop and swerve to avoid hitting Stout’s vehicle but was unable to and struck the front driver’s side of the vehicle, spinning the Nissan.

Stout, who was flown to Trinity Hospital in Minot, was cited for failure to yield.

Regional Briefs

“MSU?at the Mall” on Saturday

The eighth annual “MSU at the Mall” will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday in Sears Court at Dakota Square Mall.

More than 30 campus groups will participate. Featured events include science and ceramics and pottery demonstrations, air-brush tattoos, face painting, wheel of fortune contests, a drawing for College for Kids camps, screen printing, and blood-pressure, fasting blood sugar and cholesterol screenings, to name a few. There will also be interactive activities to increase public awareness related to communication disorders, autism and deafness, including language.

“We’re having a 100th birthday party with free cupcakes, so bring the kids and grandkids to interact with students from academic programs and student clubs,” said Teresa Loftesnes, marketing director, in a press release. “Bring a ball or shirt to get your autograph from MSU’s NSIC Player of the Year Carly Boag.”

NSSLHA conference on Friday

Minot State University’s chapter of the National Students Speech Language Hearing Association is holding its 2014 spring conference Friday in the Conference Center located in the Student Center, third floor, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The keynote speaker is Anne Whitney, a speech-language pathologist and educator at University of Colorado, Boulder.

“For more than 20 years, the MSU chapter of NSSLHA has held conferences. The students plan, organize and execute a nationally renowned conference, which is attended not only by MSU students, faculty and staff, but also by practicing speech-language pathologists from Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba,” said Lesley Magnus, associate professor of communication disorders, in a press release.

This year, the emphasis is on language learning disabilities. Whitney will present “Last Minute, Right on Time! Addressing Adolescent Literacy Needs.”

On-site registration is $100. The conference is free to all MSU students, faculty and staff.

Starting at $2.99/week.

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