Road closes

on Monday

Third Avenue SE, from 4th Street SE to Front Street will be permanently closed as a thoroughfare to traffic effective Monday, March 28.

BLM taking nominations

for advisory councils

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public nominations for open positions on its Resource Advisory Councils, which advise the BLM on public land issues. Nominations will be taken until May 2.

The BLM’s Resource Advisory Councils, composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the Bureau carry out its stewardship of 245 million acres of public lands.

Individuals can nominate themselves or others to serve on an advisory council. Nominees, who must be residents of the state or states where the RAC has jurisdiction, will be judged on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographical area. A term on a RAC is for three years. More information is available at blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/resource-advisory. The site includes a link to the background nomination form.

Stanley pizza bandit sentenced

A 20-year-old Stanley man will spend a week in jail for stealing from Jimmie’s Pizza in Stanley last October.

Nickolas Robert Bauer pleaded guilty to theft of property, a Class B misdemeanor, in North Central District Court in Stanley on Thursday.

According to a listing on the North Dakota Courts site, Bauer was sentenced to a total of 30 days in jail, with 20 days suspended, and will receive credit for three days already served in the county jail. He must also obtain a chemical dependency evaluation and pay $1,050 in court costs. He will be on unsupervised probation for a year.

Andrea Johnson

Probation for Minot man’s criminal attempt

Sky Alan Boser, 26, Minot, was sentenced Thursday to time served and supervised probation for an attempted theft of a change machine at a Minot laundromat on Jan. 10.

According to court records, Boser will be on supervised probation for two years. He was sentenced to a year in jail, with all time suspended except for the 74 days he’s already served.

He was originally charged with a Class C felony, but pleaded guilty to Class A misdemeanor criminal attempt.

Eric Mize, 30,was charged with burglary and possession of methamphetamine in that case.

The next hearing for Mize is set for June 1 in North Central District Court in Minot.

The two men were charged in connection with an attempt to rob a change machine at All Washed Up Laundromat at 514 3rd Street NE in Minot on Jan. 10.

Andrea Johnson

Pipeline shut down in eastern N.D. after

gas leak

HARWOOD (AP) – Magellan Midstream Partners has shut down a segment of pipeline between Fargo and Grand Forks because of a gasoline leak that prompted the precautionary evacuation of one home.

Spokesman Tom Byers says the “pinhole” leak in the Harwood area this week spilled about 4,200 gallons of gasoline. The homeowner who was evacuated was the one who reported a gas smell to Magellan.

No injuries were reported.

Byers says contaminated soil is being removed and air quality is being monitored. It’s not known how long repairs will take.

West Fargo officer injured during arrest of drug suspects

WEST FARGO (AP) – A West Fargo police officer was treated for undisclosed injuries and released from a hospital after authorities say the officer was assaulted by a drug suspect.

Officers responded to a report of a person wearing a ski mask sitting in a vehicle outside of a hotel on Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities say officers made contact with two men, one of whom fled on foot but was caught a short time later. The second suspect allegedly assaulted an officer during a struggle.

The two men were arrested on drug charges. The injured officer wasn’t named.

VCSU places on leave instructor accused of credit card fraud

VALLEY CITY (AP) – Valley City State University has placed on administrative leave an assistant professor who’s accused of credit card fraud.

President Tisa Mason also is recommending that people monitor their financial accounts for any suspicious activity.

Thirty-three-year-old Long Man Ram Lau is accused of unauthorized use of personal information and possession of stolen property.

Authorities say searches of his apartment and campus office this week turned up hundreds of credit cards and gift cards under various names, as well as multiple computers, electronic storage devices and suspected counterfeit merchandise.

It’s not clear if Lau has an attorney. A home telephone listing for him couldn’t be found.

The investigation began with an anonymous tip. Authorities say it will take months to complete.

Standing Rock Sioux getting nearly $3.3M Head Start grant

BISMARCK (AP) – North Dakota’s congressional delegation says the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is getting federal money for early childhood education.

The delegation says the tribe is getting nearly $3.3 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The money goes toward supporting Head Start programs that aim to provide affordable early childhood education.

The Standing Rock Reservation straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border. It has roughly 18,000 members, and about half of them live on the reservation.

Fargo man sentenced to 30 years in child porn case

FARGO (AP) – A Fargo man accused of producing child pornography that included a 3-year-old engaged in sexually explicit conduct has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Dewayne Barth II pleaded guilty last summer to three counts of child pornography. Authorities say a search of his residence yielded more than 11,000 files of child pornography on multiple electronic devices.

U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson says the sentence reflects the fact that Barth has a “prurient interest in children” and is a risk to the community. The judge ordered Barth to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay $16,000 to victims.

U.S. Attorney Chris Myers says the case shows the commitment by law enforcement to “identify, target and arrest” people who abuse children.

Barth’s lawyer, Jeff Bredahl, could not be reached for comment.

Briefly

City offices will be closed in observance of Good Friday

In observance of Good Friday, all City of Minot offices will be today.

However, city busses will run their normal mid-day routes. The landfill will be open from 8 a.m. to noon, but there will be no residential garbage collection. Residents who normally have garbage collected on Friday will have collection on their next scheduled day.

The Minot Public Library is closed and will re-open Saturday. The library will close again on Easter Sunday.

The Minot Fire Department, the Minot Police Department and the Water Treatment Plant will remain fully staffed through the weekend.

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Work begins on ND Highway 40 near Tioga

TIOGA Construction work begins the week of March 28 on N.D. Highway 40 near Tioga. Work consists of concrete grinding and pavement markings.

During construction two lanes of traffic will be maintained throughout the duration of the project. Flaggers will be present and speeds will be reduced

The work is expected to be complete in May.

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Twitchell faces child porn possession charges

A 25-year-old Minot man is charged with five counts of possessing child pornography.

A hearing for Isaac Christopher Twitchell was set for Thursday in North Central District Court in MInot.

According to an affidavit filed with the court, Twitchell allegedly uploaded three sexually explicit videos to the website flickr that depicted girls between the ages of 7 to 13.

Police later searched Twitchell’s cell phone. The phone reportedly contained 14 pornographic images of girls between the ages of 3 and 13. Twitchell’s Internet search history also reportedly contained evidence he had visited sites that advertised images of young girls.

Twitchell was arrested in January at his apartment at 601 28th Avenue SW .

If convicted on all five Class C felony charges, he could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison and receive a $50,000 fine.

Andrea Johnson

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Compost sites open this weekend

Compost sites in Minot will open Saturday.

Residents should take all yard waste to one of the compost sites or the city landfill. Trees are not allowed to be disposed of at the compost sites. Locations of compost sites can be found on the city website at minotnd.org.

Landfill hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Summer hours, which begin April 18, are 7 a.m. to 5:30p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Briefly

Trial set for superintendent

In a very brief hearing at the Ward County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon, Judge Douglas Mattson set a jury trial date for Charles Soper.

Soper, former superintendent at Sawyer Public Schools, is scheduled to go to trial June 25, 2016, on charges of luring minors by computer, a Class C felony; corruption or solicitation of minors, a Class C felony and human trafficking, a Class AA felony.

Jury selection was set for July 21-22. Mattson also requested a list of witnesses from Ward County deputy state’s attorney Kelly Dillon. A status conference was set for July 7 at 1 p.m. The charges to be considered in the July trial center around Soper’s alleged sexual involvement with teenage boys and other men.

The maximum penalty for a Class AA felony is life imprisonment. A Class C felony is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Soper also faces a variety of other charges. No date has been set to resolve those.

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Minot man pleads out drug charge

A 20-year-old Minot man will serve 90 days in jail for possession of a controlled substance.

Adam Lee Chays was granted a deferred imposition of sentence for delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. Chays will also be on supervised probation for three years and 94 days, must obtain a chemical dependency evaluation and pay $1,100 in fines and restitution.

According to the North Dakota Courts site, Chays will be granted release for work or school purposes.

If he successfully completes probation, the possession charge will appear as a misdemeanor on his record. He was sentenced to a year on the possession charge, with all but 90 days suspended.

Chays could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for both charges.

A listing on the courts site shows he changed his plea to guilty on Wednesday before North Central District Court Judge Todd Cresap. The offenses took place in July 2015.

Andrea Johnson

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Teacher faces additional charges

GRAND FORKS (AP) – A Grand Forks Central High School teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with an underage student is facing additional charges.

Police allege that 41-year-old James Whalen, of Grand Forks, engaged in sex acts with the teenager at the school and in his home between November and February.

He initially faced two felony counts of corruption or solicitation of a minor. He now faces a third count, along with a sexual assault charge.

All of the charges are felonies. Whalen could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. His attorney was out of the office Wednesday and not immediately available for comment.

Briefly

Missileers, B-52 aircrews honor women

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE In honor of Women’s History Month, 90 female missileers, including those with the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, made Air Force history Tuesday as the first all-female missile alert crews at the three intercontinental ballistic missile wings to serve simultaneously.

Based out of Minot AFB, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont., missileers served on alert during one 24-hour period. The missile alert crews consisted of 90 women at 45 missile alert facilities at the three missile bases, with two women per facility.

From underneath the missile alert facility, or MAF, the main control facility for the ICBMs in the missile fields, missileers monitor the missile complex, and, if authorized, launch the missile. The Minot missile complex has 15 missile alert facilities and each controls 10 Minuteman III ICBMs.

B-52 aircrews from Minot and Barksdale AFB, La., also participated with all-female flight crews.

“The goal of this day is to highlight all the women who worked hard to make a difference in public service and government jobs in the past,” said Col. Stacy Huser, commander of the 91st Missile Wing’s Operations Group. “This day is our tribute to them, as well as to inspire future generations of women to work in public service.”

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N.D. debates updates to reflect gay marriage rule

BISMARCK (AP) – A North Dakota legislative committee is still deciding whether to change the state constitution and update state law to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court’s declaration that same-sex couples have the right to marry.

The Legislature’s interim Judiciary Committee on Tuesday failed to reach a decision on whether changes should be adopted or the law left alone as a statement.

There are some 70 references in North Dakota law at present that define marriage as between a man and a woman. The laws cover everything from divorces to frog licenses.

The Supreme Court last June declared same-sex couples have the right to marry nationwide.

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Gas prices in N.D. up a quarter in past 3 weeks

BISMARCK (AP) – Gasoline prices in North Dakota have risen by about a quarter over the past three weeks and are approaching $2 per gallon.

GasBuddy.com reports the average retail price of a gallon of gas in the state rose about 3 cents in the past week, to $1.97 per gallon. The increase follows 11-cent rises in each of the previous two weeks.

The national average increased 5 cents per gallon in the past week, to $1.98.

Briefly

Man arrested in stabbing of woman

Ray Morris Frazier Jr., 26, Minot, was arrested by Minot police Tuesday on a charge that he stabbed a woman several times.

Police responded to a residence in the 900 block of Third Street Northwest at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, police found a 43-year-old female victim suffering from multiple stab wounds. The woman was treated at the scene by Community Ambulance and transported to Trinity Hospital. According to police, the injuries did not appear to be life threatening and the victim was expected to survive her wounds.

Frazier Jr. was booked into the Ward County Jail. He is charged with aggravated assault, a Class C felony.

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Terrorizing two men lands perp probation

A 27-year-old Minot man will be on supervised probation for two years for terrorizing two other men last October in Minot.

According to a listing on the North Dakota Courts site, David Lee Garaas was sentenced on Tuesday in North Central District Court in Minot to a year in jail, with all but the 27 days he has already served in jail suspended. If he successfully completes probation, the charge will appear as a misdemeanor on his record.

Garaas also must obtain a chemical dependency evaluation and stay away from his victims.

Terrorizing, a Class C felony, carries a maximum five year prison sentence.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the court, the two men called police from a Cenex gas station in Minot on Oct. 3, 2015, to report that Garaas had broken into their apartment and stabbed one of them.

One of the victims later told police that Garaas had knocked on their apartment door with a plunger and a knife. They said Garaas began talking sexually to one of the victims and, when the other man said he wasn’t interested, Garaas became angry and attempted to strangle him. The victim was able to break free of Garaas. The two victims said Garaas then pulled a knife and held it over his shoulder. The second male victim grabbed the knife and Garaas pulled it down, cutting the other man’s thumb. The two men were able to push Garaas out of the apartment and lock the door. They then crawled out a window of the apartment and went to the gas station to summon help.

Andrea Johnson

Briefly

TGU receives Head Start grant

The TGU School District in Towner has been awarded more than $1 million for its Head Start program by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration, North Dakota’s congressional delegation announced Thursday.

The funds will be used to support the school district’s Head Start and Early Head Start Programs.

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City, county review 911 costs

Minot and other Ward County taxpayers likely will have to put money into the 911 emergency system to augment fee collections next year.

A $1.50 charge to landlines and cell phones is used to fund the 911 program. The program has reached the point of no longer breaking even and is expected to be in the red by as much as $600,000 next year. The $1.50 charge is the maximum allowed by state law.

The city/county liaison committee agreed Thursday to split the additional cost to keep the program solvent, with the city picking up 65 percent and the county 35 percent when they budget for 2017.

Subsidizing the 911 program with funds other than phone fees has precedent. The county and city had shared the funding of the program before 2008 when fees didn’t cover the full cost.

In other business, the liaison committee will look into determining jurisdictional responsibility along the Souris River in the two-mile extraterritorial area around Minot. There has been a question of which agency should respond when residents engage in actions that disrupt the integrity of the dikes in that area.

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District 6 Legion Auxiliary to meet in Minot

Units in District 6 of the American Legion Auxiliary will meet Monday in the Minot Knights of Columbus.

Registration starts at 5 p.m., dinner served at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.

Marlene Boyer, Department president from Carrington, is the main speaker.

Marilyn Bott, Donnybrook, is district president and Deanna Olson, Mohall, district vice president.

Units in District 6 are: Benedict, Bowbells, Butte, Columbus, Donnybrook, Lignite, Makoti, Minot, Mohall, Plaza, Portal, Sherwood, Upham, Velva, Willow City and White Shield.

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Williams County sheriff forming special ops team

WILLISTON (AP) – The Williams County Sheriff’s Office is forming a special operations and response team, designed to respond to dangerous law enforcement situations, assist during natural disasters and act as extra security if needed in the heart of the western North Dakota oil patch.

Briefly

Masonry class starting next week

Dakota College at Bottineau will offer a principles of masonry class at the North Dakota Northwest Career and Technical Center at Minot High School-Magic City Campus. The classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., starting March 22 and ending May 12.

Joel Lundy, a stone mason for 38 years, will teach the course. Students will learn general masonry techniques and procedures and will learn about the materials used in masonry and how to create various masonry projects.

Tuition and fees for this course are $620.00. In addition, students will be required to purchase tools which cost an additional $60.00. Seating is limited to 10 students and student will have the option to enroll in the course for college credit or non-credit. Prospective students may contact Dakota College at Bottineau at (701) 228-5487 or toll free at 1-800-542-6866 to register.For more information, contact the college.

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Devils Lake Guard unit receives mobilization alert

DEVILS LAKE A North Dakota Army National Guard unit has received an alert notification for possible mobilization.

About 60 members of the 136th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion based in Devils Lake were placed in an alert status. The decision to mobilize the unit has not yet occurred, but upon a final decision, an official Department of the Army mobilization order will be published.

If mobilized, the unit will provide area logistical support to U.S. and Coalition forces assigned to the combined joint operational area-Afghanistan early next year.

The unit is led by Lt. Col. Brock Larson, of Bismarck, and Command Sgt. Maj. Darcy Schwind, of Mandan. Soldiers in the unit hail from more than 25 communities across North Dakota, Minnesota, Kentucky and Nevada.

About 10 North Dakota Guardsmen are currently serving overseas, and no other unit is on alert for possible mobilization at this time.

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Jury acquits man accused of assaulting special needs teen

WEST FARGO, N.D. (AP) – A jury has acquitted a West Fargo man accused of assaulting a special needs teenager while working as a caregiver in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Ishmael Sesay was charged in Clay County, Minnesota with misdemeanor assault. Prosecutors say he punched the girl in the face after she ran away from her south Moorhead apartment last September.

The 15-year-old girl suffers from autism and requires 24-hour supervision.

Briefly

Teen weedmobile driver faces charges

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 21 for an 18-year-old Minot man accused of conspiring to deliver marijuana.

According to a criminal affidavit filed with the court, Zachary Greyson Parmer was the driver of a car parked at Moose Park in the early morning hours of March 12. A police officer patrolling the closed park pulled in behind Parmer’s car. The officer said he smelled marijuana, which gave him probable cause to search the car. Parmer allegedly acknowledged that police would find illegal items in the car. The officer detained Parmer and his male passenger and read them their rights. According to the affidavit, the officer found marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the car. They also found a sealed 5 gallon paint bucket. Inside the bucket, they found a large baggie containing marijuana, a large baggie containing several smaller baggies, two black scales with marijuana residue in them, a package of cigarillos, and $1,254 in cash.

According to the affidavit, Parmer appeared to be under the influence of marijuana when he was arrested. The passenger denied any knowledge of the drugs in the car.

Parmer is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class B felony that could send him to prison for up to 10 years if he is convicted. He is also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and ingestion of a controlled substance, both Class A misdemeanors that carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail.

Andrea Johnson

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Trial scheduled for alleged abuser

A 60-year-old Minot man is set to go to trial later this month on a charge that he sexually abused a 6-year-old girl.

According to a criminal affidavit filed with the court, Carl Joseph Short was charged after the girl’s mother went to the police to report the alleged crime in July 2014. The girl, then 7, told her mother that Short had fondled her over her underwear on different occasions. Short often took care of the little girl while her mother was at work. He is the uncle of the girl’s mother’s boyfriend.

A jury trial is scheduled for March 29 in North Central District Court in Minot before Judge Richard L. Hagar.

Short is charged with Class A felony gross sexual imposition. He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine if he is convicted.

Andrea Johnson

Briefly

Velva man inducted in Ag Hall of Fame

VALLEY CITY Jerry Effertz of Velva and Ambrose Hoff of Richardton were inducted in the North Dakota Agriculture Hall of Fame during the 79th annual North Dakota Winter Show in Valley City Saturday.

“Both Jerry and Ambrose are deserving of this recognition for the significant contributions they have made to our state’s agriculture industry. The Hall of Fame is a wonderful way to honor leaders in agriculture for all they do to advance the industry and strengthen our state, and to highlight the success and progress of North Dakota’s leading industry,” said Gov. Jack Dalrymple. Dalrymple presented plaques to the honorees.

Each year, inductees are selected by the North Dakota Agriculture Hall of Fame Committee, which is comprised of a number of agricultural groups and organizations, and a representative from the state’s farm broadcasters and ag journalists.

The N.D. Agriculture Hall of Fame was established in 1997 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the state’s agriculture industry. The Hall of Fame’s home is the N.D. Winter Show, the longest-running agriculture show in the region. Forty-five North Dakotans, including Effertz and Hoff, have received the Hall of Fame honor.

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Newburg duo charged with neglect

A Newburg man and woman have both been charged with Class C felony child neglect.

Jamey Rhea Byington, 27, and Tori Marie Edwards, 25, both had bond hearings Monday in Northeast District Court.

The offense was on March 3 and charges against both were filed on March 14.

Byington was released on $2,500 bond Monday and, as part of his bond conditions, was required to participate in the county’s 24/7 drug testing program and required to cooperate with Bottineau County Social Services regarding children. Information about Edwards’ bond conditions or the nature of the charges against either Byington or Edwards was not immediately available.

Both are scheduled to make an initial appearance in court in Bottineau on March 30.

A Class C felony carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Andrea Johnson

Briefly

2 die in crash in west-central North Dakota

MAX (AP) – Authorities say two men are dead after a car crash in west-central North Dakota.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol says the crash happened at 7 p.m. Saturday on U.S. 83 about five miles north of Max.

Witnesses say an Acura sedan passed them at a high rate of speed in the left lane. The car began to drift toward the median, then overcorrected, struck a crossover and flipped.

Both occupants were thrown from the car and died at the scene. The victims are identified as 25-year-old Kenneth Norton of Three Forks, Montana, and 29-year-old Clinton Rux of Gillette, Wyoming.

The Highway Patrol says the crash is still under investigation, and authorities do not know which man was driving.

Minot Police arrest man on drug charges

A Minot man was arrested in a local park Saturday on drug charges, according to the Minot Police Department.

Zachary Parmer, 18, was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, a Class B felony and possession of marijuana paraphernalia and ingestion of a controlled substance, both Class A misdemeanors. Parmer was taken to the Ward County Jail.

The arrest came after an officer observed a vehicle parked and running in Moose Park at 1:14 a.m. Officers made contact with two occupants of the vehicle and detected the odor of marijuana inside the vehicle. They detained the occupants and searched the vehicle, leading to the discovery of drug paraphernalia and a small amount of marijuana. A five-gallon bucket in the back of the vehicle contained more marijuana and items consist with dealing narcotics. More than $1,200 in cash also was located in a container inside the vehicle.

Parking ramp fees begins today

Beginning today, parking control measures and fees are in place at the downtown Renaissance parking structure.

The fees took effect at 1 a.m.

Those wishing to lease a space monthly can fill out a contract available on the City of Minot website at minotnd.org/DocumentCenter/View/1540.

Monthly fees are listed on the linked document.

The parking fee is $1.50 per hour for the first three hours. A parking stay of between three and eight hours is another $1.50, for a total of $6. Another $1.50 will be charged for the first hour beyond eight hours for a total cost of $7.50. After nine hours, the daily fee of $9 applies.

The ticketing equipment takes credit cards only.

Fire department responds to deck fire

A fire damaged an apartment deck and exterior siding in south Minot Sunday afternoon, according to the Minot Fire Department.

Firefighters were called about 2 p.m. to 3404 11th St. SE for a fire on a deck. The fire had been extinguished when they arrived. Damage was primarily to the deck rug and some siding. A cigarette is the suspected cause.

Briefly

Domestic violence case costs man classes

Austin Janz, 20, Ryder, was sentenced to unsupervised probation and a domestic violence class for assaulting his girlfriend last October in Minot.

The charge was originally Class C felony-aggravated assault, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. However, Janz pleaded guilty this week to a reduced charge of Class B misdemeanor simple assault-domestic violence.

North Central District Court Judge Doug Mattson sentenced Janz to 30 days in jail, with 26 days suspended. He gave Janz credit for four days served in the jail. He also ordered Janz to be on unsupervised probation for 360 days and to pay $750 in court costs. Janz will also have to complete the domestic violence offenders treatment program.

Andrea Johnson

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N.D. pilots complete state passport program

Devon Cole of Minot and Jerry Miller of Garrison were among pilots honored March 6 for participating in the “Fly North Dakota Airports” Passport Program.

The program awards pilots for flying to multiple airports within the state as well as attending Federal Aviation Administration safety seminars and visiting the two North Dakota air museums. Fifteen pilots received awards.

Cole received the bronze award for visiting at least 30 airports and attending one safety seminar. He received a polo shirt embroidered with the North Dakota Flying Legacy logo.

Miller was one of 11 pilots recognized with the gold award for visiting all 89 public use airports in the state, visiting both air museums and attending at least three FAA safety seminars. These 11 pilots joined 14 others who have completed the passport program in previous years. They each received a leather flight jacket embroidered with the North Dakota Flying Legacy logo.

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Three finalists named for UND presidency

GRAND FORKS, (AP) – Minot State University President Steven Shirley is among three candidates still in the running to be the next president of the University of North Dakota.

A committee searching for the successor to retired President Robert Kelley has narrowed the list of candidates from six to three finalists after campus visits.

The other two remaining candidates are former U.S. congressman Mark Kennedy, director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; and Nagi Naganathan, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Toledo.

The State Board of Higher Education will interview the three finalists Tuesday and decide who gets the job.

Kelley retired in January. Former North Dakota Gov. and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer is serving as UND’s interim president.

Briefly

Think you have what it takes to compete with the Minot Daily News sports staff in a national tournament bracket challenge?

Prove it.

MDN sports editor, Joe Mellenbruch, and staff writers, John Denega and Mark Jones, challenge all aspiring bracketologists to join us in our pursuit of the perfect NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament bracket. Participation costs nothing, and the winning bracket will be printed in the Minot Daily News sports section upon completion of the tournament.

Signing up is simple.

First, you’ll need to log onto ESPN.com. If you have trouble finding the “Tournament Challenge” option on main page of the website – which is located within the “Fantasy” tab, located in the top-right corner of the page – the specific URL is: games.espn.go.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2016/en/game.

After finding the tournament challenge page, simply pick a bracket and join the group “MDNsports”.

It’s really that easy!

With the tournament play-in games scheduled for March 15, brackets must be completed no later than March 17.

For more information, contact Joe Mellenbruch by phone at 857-1936, or by email: jmellenbruch@minotdailynews.com.

Bring it on.

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Beavers split Day 1 games

CLERMONT, Fla. – One bad inning cost Minot State’s softball team a Day 1 sweep at the National Training Center tournament on Thursday.

The Beavers held a three-run lead on Northwood (Mich.) in the fifth, but gave up six in the bottom of the same inning en route to a 9-6 loss. MSU then took out its Game 1 frustrations on Wilmington (Del.) in the nightcap, blasting 11 hits in a 10-1, five-inning victory.

Against Wilmington, MSU (7-4) scored five runs in the first inning and led 9-1 after three. Seven different Beavers finished with at least one hit – including three from junior Alyssa Cornejo, who was also effective in the circle to the tune of a five-hit win.

“Our bats came alive in the second game, and Cornejo cruised,” MSU coach Bill Triplett said in a press release. “(Freshman Lauren) Cowden continues to hit the ball hard, and (junior Rachel) Burdette had some good at-bats today.”

Cowden and Burdette both drove in two runs and went 1-for-2 at the plate against Wilmington. Cowden’s hit was a triple, Cornejo finished with two doubles, while both Burdette and sophomore Ashley Hill drilled one double apiece, giving MSU five extra-base hits from 10 total.

In the first game, MSU took a quick 4-0 lead on four runs in the top of the first inning. After Northwood cut it to 5-2 in the third, MSU stretched a 6-3 lead as Cowden doubled and scored on a Burdette single heading into the bottom of the fifth.

In the fifth for NU, the Beavers gave up six hits and allowed a walk as Northwood plated six of the 10 batters it brought to the plate.

The Beavers continue their Florida trip with games against Lock Haven and Philadelphia on Friday, which are slated to begin at 9 and 11 a.m., respectively.

-Daily News Staff

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Fighting Hawks cruise in Big Sky quarterfinals

RENO, Nev. (AP) – Drick Bernstine scored 14 points with a career-high 21 rebounds and fifth-seeded North Dakota crushed No. 4 seed Idaho State 83-49 in a Big Sky tournament quarterfinal game Thursday.

The Fighting Hawks (17-14) will face Weber State (24-8), which beat Portland State, in the semifinals Friday.

North Dakota led 10-7, then went on a 22-3 run over 9:15 and took a 46-17 advantage to the half. Idaho State, which shot 24 percent (6 of 25) in the first half, including 2 of 12 from beyond the arc, was more competitive in the second half but could never close the gap.

Adam McDermott had 16 points to lead North Dakota.

Ethan Telfair led Idaho State (16-15) with 17 points and eight steals, matching a school record. Telfair is 15th in the nation in steals per game (2.2). Geno Luzcando added 10 points for Idaho State.

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North Dakota still No. 2 in national polls

GRAND FORKS (AP) – The University of North Dakota men’s hockey team remains No. 2 in both national polls heading into postseason play.

Quinnipiac continues to top both the USCHO.com poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. UND retained its No. 2 ranking after a weekend sweep of Western Michigan to close out the regular season.

The Fighting Hawks host Colorado College in the NCHC quarterfinals this weekend. The series beginning Friday is best-of-three. The winner advances to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff at the Target Center in Minneapolis the following weekend.

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2 Dakotas teams eliminated, 1 advances at NAIA tourneys

BISMARCK (AP) – Two of the seven college basketball teams from the Dakotas who made the fields for the NAIA Division II men’s and women’s national championship tournaments have been knocked out, while a third remains in the running for a national title.

The Dakota Wesleyan women’s team defeated Haskell Indian Nations University 75-64 on Wednesday to advance, while the Jamestown women’s team was upset by Oregon Tech 71-64.

The Dakota State men’s team also lost, 96-81 to Saint Francis.

Men’s teams from Valley City State and Dakota Wesleyan play their first games Thursday, along with the women’s teams from Mount Marty and Dickinson State.

The men’s tournament is in Point Lookout, Missouri, and the women’s tournament is in Sioux City, Iowa. They run through March 15.

Briefly

Church and health business burglarized

Minot police are investigating two burglaries occurring Wednesday morning in southwest Minot.

About 7:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to Our Savior Lutheran Church at 3705 11th Street SW for a burglary alarm. Suspects made a forced entry into the church and went into a safe and several cabinets. At the time of the report it appeared nothing was missing from inside the church.

About 9:30 a.m., officers reponsed to another burglary, this one at Alternative Health Solutions at 7101 31st Avenue SW. Upon arrival officers discovered that a forced entry had been made to the business and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken.

The investigation of the incidents continues.

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Xcel Energy makes switch to LED street lighting

Xcel Energy utility crews began installing energy-efficient streetlights in Minot Thursday as part of a program to bring the economic, environmental and aesthetic benefits of LED lighting to communities across North Dakota. Nearly 3,500 streetlights will be upgraded statewide.

“We’re excited to roll out a program that will save our customers energy and money,” said Mark Nisbet, Xcel Energy principal manager in North Dakota. “We are investing in new technology to support the energy priorities of the communities we serve.”

Xcel Energy is replacing its company-owned standard cobra head-shaped streetlights with light-emitting diode or LED lights. The cost of replacement is built into the proposed rate, so there are no up-front costs for communities. Since LED technology is more energy efficient, lower energy consumption will more than offset the replacement cost, resulting in lower overall energy bills. The new streetlights will also produce more light per watt than conventional lights and have a longer life.

Work crews expect to be in the Minot area for about two weeks, installing LED lights in Berthold, Burlington and Des Lacs. Weather permitting, utility crews expect to convert streetlights in Grand Forks by the end of the month, and in Fargo in early April.

Xcel Energy serves more than 92,000 electric customers and nearly 52,000 natural gas customers in North Dakota.

Briefly

Felon flees, gets busted, sentenced

A 30-year-old Minot man will serve 18 months in prison for escape and possession of a controlled substance, both Class C felonies.

Christopher Danielle Sullivan will receive 65 days credit for time already served in jail. He will also be on supervised probation for three years. North Central District Court Judge Stacy Louser sentenced Sullivan on Wednesday to a total of three years in prison, with all but 18 months suspended.

Sullivan must also undergo a chemical dependency evaluation.

He was charged with escape on Dec. 23, 2015 and with possession of a controlled substance in January.

Andrea Johnson

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Minot man pleads guilty to child neglect

A jury found a 30-year-old Minot man guilty of felony child neglect on Wednesday for leaving his 9-year-old son alone overnight in a trailer on June 7, 2015 while he and the child’s mother were out drinking.

According to a listing on the North Dakota Courts site, Tony Gilbert Slavens Jr. was sentenced to two years in prison, with all that time suspended. He will be on supervised probation for two years and will have to obtain a chemical dependency evaluation and a parenting evaluation. North Central District Court Judge Doug Mattson also ordered that Slavens pay $3,050 in court costs. Slavens could have been sentenced to up to five years in prison for the Class C felony

His co-defendant, Nicole Danks, 29, pleaded guilty to the same charge in October 2015 and was sentenced to two years of supervised probation. If she successfully completes probation, the charge will be listed as a misdemeanor on her record.

According to an affidavit filed with the court, Danks’ mother had custody of her other children and was supposed to also have custody of the 9-year-old. The boy’s parents had been in an off-and-on again relationship and had been back together since July of 2014. The boy had been staying with them since December 2014. The boy told investigators that he watched movies when his parents left him alone in the trailer. According to the affidavit, it wasn’t clear whether or not the trailer was locked or left open overnight. Police said they were called to the scene at around 7 a.m. on June 7 after receiving a report of a domestic incident between the two parents, both of whom were intoxicated when police arrived.

Andrea Johnson

Briefly

New Town man allegedly flees cop, then court

A judge has issued a bench warrant for Rodney Davis, 26, New Town, who was scheduled to go to trial in Minot this week on felony charges of fleeing a police officer and reckless endangerment.

Davis was charged with the Class C felonies on March 22, 2014. He is also charged with Class A misdemeanor criminal mischief.

A listing on the North Dakota Courts website shows the jury trial was supposed to begin Tuesday and North Central District Court Judge Doug Mattson issued the warrant on Tuesday.

If convicted on both charges, Davis could face more than 10 years in prison and more than $20,000 in fines.

Andrea Johnson

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Initial appearance for alleged jewelry thief

A 33-year-old Minot man was scheduled to make his initial appearance Tuesday for allegedly burglarizing a home in Minot last July.

According to a criminal affidavit filed with the court, Wade Laurence Duchaine is accused of breaking into the home of Jay Wold and Roza Larson at 1st Ave. SE on July 14, 2015, and stealing jewelry valued at more than $5,000, $20 in cash and possibly some checkbooks. Wold’s son called police to report an intruder in the home and then called his father. Wold returned home quickly and confronted the suspect, whom he said was about four feet away from him. The suspect fled when police arrived.

Task Force Officer Craig Sandusky was listening to radio traffic and said the suspect description sounded like Duchaine, whom police had previously seen in the area. Wold was shown a photo lineup and identified a photo of Duchaine as the man who broke into his home with 90 percent certainty, according to the affidavit. Police then showed Wold additional photos of Duchaine, which solidified Wold’s certainty that Duchaine was the man who committed the burglary.

A Roza Larson is the Ward County State’s Attorney.

Duchaine is charged with Class C felony burglary.

Andrea Johnson

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Load restrictions in effect for all N.D. Highways

Effective today, load restrictions will be in effect for all highways in North Dakota. For details, see the North Dakota Department of Transportation Travel Information Map at dot.nd.gov.

Statewide seasonal load restriction information is available by calling 511 or online at dot.nd.gov/travel-info. Load restriction email updates are also available at dot.nd.gov/roadreport/loadlimit/loadlimitinfo.asp.

Briefly

Man dies in two-vehicle crash in Hazen

HAZEN A man was killed Sunday afternoon on Main Street in Hazen when the motorcycle he was operating collided with another vehicle.

According to a North Dakota Highway Patrol report, 48-year-old Michael Brunner, Hazen, was the driver of a 2004 Kawasaki motorcycle westbound on Main Street when an eastbound 2010 Chevrolet Camaro drivin by Shabazz Williams of Burlington, Iowa, made a left turn in the path of the motorcycle.

The accident happened at 4:33 p.m. Sunday. Responding agencies included the Highway Patrol, Hazen Police, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department and Mercer County Fire and Rescue.

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Produced water spill occurs near Williston

WILLISTON A produced water spill resulting from a faulty valve at a site operated by Zavanna, LLC, four miles northeast of Williston occurred Sunday.

North Dakota Department of Health officials said initial estimates indicate about 114,786 gallons of produced water was released. Of this, an undertermined amount of produced water flowed into a dry drainage. At this time, no surface water has been impacted.

Personnel from the N.D. Oil and Gas Division and the Health Department visited the site. Health Department personnel will monitor the investigation.

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Pickup-backhoe crash near Devils Lake

DEVILS LAKE Two Devils Lake men were injured in the crash of a pickup and a backhoe on N.D. Highway 19, about one and a half miles west of Devils Lake Saturday.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol said Terry Armstrong, 58, was driving a backhoe on the highway at a slow rate of speed with the proper lighting. He was returning the equipment to the Devils Lake City Shop after repairing a water line break in Devils Lake. Bryce Crosby, 47, driving a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado, and traveling west on the highway at about 60 mph did not see the backhoe. His vehicle rear-ended the backhoe.

Crosby suffered minor injuries. Armstrong was taken to Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake where he was treated and then released.

The accident happened about 10:30 p.m.

Briefly

Pretrial set for Wisconsin man

A pretrial conference date has been set for June 23 for a 33-year-old Gile, Wis. man accused of physically assaulting and threatening his girlfriend in a recreational vehicle in Mountrail County on Jan. 12.

According to a criminal affidavit filed with the court, Luke Paul Morzenti is accused of refusing to let his girlfriend leave for work, grabbing her, throwing her on the bed and threatening to cut her throat if she tried to call the police. The woman told police she and Morzenti had been fighting for weeks and he had previously hit her. She texted her brother about the incident. The Mountrail County Sheriff’s Department responded.

Morzenti is charged with felonious restraint, a Class C felony; terrorizing, a Class C felony, and simple assault-domestic violence, a Class B misdemeanor.

Morzenti was arraigned on the charges on Thursday in North Central District Court in Stanley.

Andrea Johnson

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Plaza man gets house arrest for kiddie porn

STANLEY – A 30-year-old Plaza man was sentenced Friday to 30 days of house arrest and two years of supervised probation for downloading child pornography to his computer.

According to a listing on the ND Courts site, Brandon Dean Palm will be allowed to travel between home and work during the house arrest. If he successfully completes probation, the offense will be deemed a Class A misdemeanor instead of a Class C felony.

North Central District Court Judge Judge Richard L. Hagar sentenced Palm to one year in jail, with 335 days suspended. Palm will receive credit for six days time already served.

He was charged with the offense in January 2015.

– Andrea Johnson

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Man arrested for aggravated assault-domestic violence

A 24-year-old Minot man was arrested by Minot police Friday for aggravated assault-domestic violence.

Brandon Blaine Klein also was charged with interference with an emergency call and violation of a judicial order. He was taken to the Ward County Jail.

Police officers responded to a call at 12:15 a.m. at Racer’s gas station for a report of a female who allegedly had been assaulted and fled to that location. Officers met with the woman who had injuries visible to the officers. She was taken by ambulance to Trinity Hospital for treatment. Officers contacted Klein at his southwest Minot residence and the investigation led to his arrest.

Briefly

Woman pleads guilty to child endangerment

A 28-year-old Minot woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge that she exposed her child to drugs.

According to court documents, Ward County Social Services visited the home of Tiffany Lynn Luther on Nov. 7, 2014, to check on two children there and found heroin residue.

Luther allegedly admitted to using methamphetamine and what she called “roxycodone.”

Social Services took a little girl in the home into custody. A hair follicle test done on the girl tested positive for methamphetamine. According to the criminal affidavit, the child’s qualitative results were 3,921 picograms per milligrams. The cut-off score for a positive test is about 500 picograms per milligram.

Luther was charged with Class C felony child endangerment and could receive up to five years in prison on the charge.

Luther also pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of possession of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school with intent to deliver, a Class AA felony, and to possession of a controlled substance, a Class C felony.

No sentence was immediately listed on the North Dakota courts site.

Brenden Luther, 29, a co-defendant in the child endangerment case, pleaded guilty to the child endangerment felony charge in October 2015, according to a court site listing. He was sentenced to two years of supervised probation and was given a deferred imposition of sentence. He also had to pay court costs.

Andrea Johnson

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Weltikol expected to plead not guilty to gun charge

North Central District Court Judge Richard L. Hagar has denied a motion to continue a hearing scheduled Thursday for a 33-year-old Minot man charged with threatening to shoot his neighbor last fall.

According to court documents, Tyler Weltikol plans to plead not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, North Dakota’s equivalent of an insanity defense.

Tom Slorby said in a letter to the court that he has had difficulty getting his client to appear for a scheduled mental health evaluation at the State Hospital in Jamestown. The Ward County Sheriff wasn’t able to locate Weltikol in time to transport him to the State Hospital for two previous appointments. Another mental health evaluation has been rescheduled for April. Slorby had asked to continue the hearing until after the evaluation is completed, but Hagar said no. Weltikol has not been in custody.

According to a criminal affidavit filed with the court, Weltikol allegedly waved a handgun around the apartment complex on Oct. 16, 2015, banged on a window and told his neighbor that he had “19 rounds for him.” The neighbor told police that he was afraid for his life and grabbed a gun inside his apartment and hid in the apartment bathroom.

Weltikol is charged with Class C felony terrorizing, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Andrea Johnson

Briefly

Gasoline release occurs near Alexander

ALEXANDER Initial estimates indicate about 10,000 gallons of premium gasoline was released at Patriot Fuels LLC near Alexander as the result of a structural failure of a 20,000-gallon (compartmented 12,000/8,000) underground storage tank. The release occurred Feb. 25.

North Dakota Department of Health personnel are monitoring the situation.

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Sentence on Bottineau murder case due

A 19-year-old Bottineau man was scheduled to be sentenced late Wednesday afternoon in North East District Court for the murders of two men at a Souris pig farm last year.

Based on previous media reports, Jeremy Isaac Rodriguez Rios entered Alford pleas in December to the March 24, 2015 shooting deaths of Brian Story, 37, and Christopher Sluder, 50, at Turtle Mountain Pork. An Alford plea means that a defendant maintains his innocence, but acknowledges the state has a strong enough case to obtain a conviction at trial.

According to a criminal affidavit filed with the court, Sluder was the manager and Story entered into an employee development program at Turtle Mountain Pork. Rodriguez Rios was reportedly involved in a verbal altercation that morning with Sluder and Story regarding his job performance. Investigators said Rodriguez Rios admitted to shooting Story and Sluder with a handgun and then disposing of the gun in a sewage pit located below the hog barns.

Rodriguez Rios could be sentenced to up to life in prison without parole on each of the two murder counts.

The terms of the sentence were not immediately available on Wednesday.

– Andrea Johnson

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Drug charges filed after warrant sweep at Turtle Mountain

Jair-de-Jesus Carillo-Guardado, 31, appeared in North Central District Court in Minot on felony drug charges on Wednesday afternoon.

According to media reports, Carillo-Guardado was one of 18 people picked up during a warrant sweep on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation on Tuesday. Reports say that Carillo-Guardado is from Mexico but has resident alien status in the United States. He was charged in January 2014 in Ward County with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, a Class B felony; possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, methamphetamine, a Class A felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor; carrying a concealed firearm or weapon, a Class A misdemeanor; and driving while his license was suspended, a Class A misdemeanor. A listing on the North Dakota Supreme Court site shows that Carillo-Guardado failed to show up for a scheduled hearing in the spring of 2014 and a bench warrant was issued for him on May 12, 2014.

If convicted on all the charges against him, Carillo-Guardado could receive more than 30 years in prison.

Andrea Johnson

Briefly

Monster Truck weekend

Winter Nationals Monster Truck Spectacular is coming to the All Seasons Arena for two shows this Saturday. Monster trucks will fly up to 30 feet in the air March 5 at 2p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s matinee is kid’s day, where the first 500 kids get a free toy monster truck.

Tickets are available at Napa Auto Parts on 20th Ave and Tuff Trucks Off Road on 37th Ave.

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Recycling on meeting agenda today

The benefits of roadside recycling will be discussed at this month’s public works and safety commission meeting today.

Paul Kalibabky, public sector representative at Waste Management, will be on-hand to discuss the benefits of single sort curbside residential collection.

The meeting will take place at City Hall Council Chamber at 4:15 p.m. and is open to the public.

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Cramer sets mobile office hours in Kenmare and Mohall

Congressman Kevin Cramer’s staff will be holding mobile office hours in Kenmare and Mohall on March 16. Mobile office hours allow constituents to receive assistance with casework from the Congressman’s staff without having to visit his district offices.

Staff will be available to assist with issues with the Veterans Administration, Social Security benefits or disabilities, Medicare billing problems, immigration issues, military records or medals, or for assistance with any federal agency.

Hours are 10:30 to 11:30 a.m in the Kenmare Public Library and 1 to 2 p.m. in the Mohall Public Library.

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Debate to go ahead with two candidates

RUGBY A debate between two of the Republicans seeking the party endorsement for governor will be held Saturday in Rugby.

Bismarck legislator and physician Dr. Rick Becker and Fargo businessman Doug Burgum will be participating in the event that begins at 7 p.m. in the Rugby High School Auditorium. Republican candidate Wayne Stenehjem declined, as he will be attending a law enforcement event at Bottineau Winter Park.

All three candidates are expected to participate in a Republican Party hosted debate Thursday in Bismarck.

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