701 Rundown: June 27, 2022

Here’s your weekly rundown of some of the most interesting headlines from newspapers across North Dakota.

Late start, high hopes; 2022 planting comes to a close in Walsh County

When it comes to agriculture, the word “normal” can rarely be applied. Just when you think you have seen it all, Mother Nature steps in and shows off that extra trick she’s been hiding up her sleeve.

For this 2022 planting season, there has been no shortage of plot twists that local farmers have had to adapt to.

For Derrick Lundquist, the late start to the season is one that will have lasting consequences throughout the entirety of the growing season. Lundquist, who has been farming in the Adams area since the year 2008, says his farm was three whole months behind schedule when it came to the planting start date.

With 2021 having been such a dry year, crops went into the ground earlier than average; some of the first wheat was planted as early as March.

However, 2022 was a different animal altogether, as the first crops went in the ground no earlier than May.

(Story by Steph Cronjoe, The Walsh County Record)

Arthur couple needs help getting family out of Ukraine

A real-life story about a local couple’s family, trapped in Ukraine, will be shared Wednesday, July 6 at St. John Lutheran Church in Arthur, N.D.

Arthur residents Larysa and Mike Sjursen will be sharing Larysa’s family’s experience in Ukraine and how the couple is trying to help Larysa’s sister, Yuliia and her 5-year-old son, Artem, escape the war-torn country.

Mike was raised in Arthur and Larysa moved to Arthur from Chernivtsi, Ukraine seven years ago with her son, Vova, and married Mike.

Since then, the family has been working multiple jobs to help support Larysa’s family in Ukraine. Due to the war, the family would like to bring Larysa to Arthur, but the United States has no refugee/immigration status options available.

Instead, they are trying to get the family safely into Canada.

The process is very slow and expensive. For example, the Sjursen family must put one year of rent into a holding fund with a Canadian landlord, then pay a monthly rent for a year until the landlord is sure the family will be good tenants capable of paying rent.

In addition, Mike and Larysa also need to guarantee one year of living expenses for the family.

Those who would like to help through donations, may do so by making checks payable to St. John Benefit/Yuliia’s Journey.  

Donations may be dropped off at BankNorth in Arthur or Casselton or mailed to St. John Lutheran, PO Box 126 Arthur, N.D. 58006.

(Story by Angela Kolden, Cass County Reporter)

Citing stress, county’s road supervisor resigns after less than two months on the job

After a months-long search to hire a road supervisor, the Rolette County Commission is back to square one following a resignation earlier this month.

Kelly Parisien was hired April 12 as the first road supervisor in the county, at a salary of $60,000. Several commission boards have talked about hiring a supervisor for years but the idea gained real traction in January.

After weeks of advertising and re-advertising, Parisien landed the role. His tenure officially ended June 2 with a resignation letter presented to the county.

Coincidently, Parisien was hired in early April just before a series of storms pummeled the area. The end result was a new supervisor having to hit the ground running, and he described it as quite a hill to climb.

“A lot of my decision had to do with resources,” Parisien said. “The roads have been so neglected the past four or five years and the wet spring we had only made things worse. It seemed we were always just band-aiding the roads.”

(Story by John Rosinski, Turtle Mountain Star)

April storm costs could reach $20 million for co-op

Costs associated with April’s lengthy power outage and storm damage could reach $20 million when all is said and done, Burke-Divide Electric Cooperative (BDEC) General Manager Jerry King told members last week.

BDEC’s annual meeting in Kenmare was as much an opportunity for member-owners to learn about 2021 operations, as it was to get an update on the effects of the storm damage.

David Sigloh, president of BDEC’s board of directors, called the storm “devastating.”

“At one point the entire co-op was in the dark for over 40 hours before the first lights came back on,” said King. “We’ve never had this in our history.”

It’s taken a while, but King said every single meter on BDEC’s system is now back in service. Restoring all residential customers took “until about day 20,” according to King, while the last commercial customer was restored on Friday, June 3.

To get to that last customer, which was a well pad, “We had to run about two miles of new line around a lake that wasn’t there before the storm,” said King.

(Story by Brad Nygaard, The Journal)

Burgum meets with Spirit Lake chairman, DL mayor to discuss health care access, rising lake and more

Gov. Doug Burgum, cabinet leaders and representatives from the Governor’s Office met June 10 with Spirit Lake Nation Chairman Doug Yankton, Devils Lake Mayor Dick Johnson and U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer to discuss health care access, the rising elevation of Devils Lake and other issues important to the tribe and community.

During the meeting at Spirit Lake Casino, Burgum spoke about the need to address food deserts on reservations to expand access to healthy foods, and to pilot new approaches to community-based health care, instead of trying to navigate the federal health care system.

About 250 people registered for the two-day conference, which was first held in January 2018 and was last held in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit N.D.

The governor shared his gratitude for the ongoing partnership and collaboration by the chairs of the five tribal nations that share geography with North Dakota.

Other conference topics included maximizing funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, drug force task force expansion and increasing behavioral health services for tribal communities.

“We’ve got to challenge ourselves to do the things that we’re talking about, including to really listen to each other,” Burgum said. “And part of that can be part of the healing that has to occur, to achieve a greater understanding of our shared history. ... We, right here in this room, working together, can leave a legacy of understanding, empathy and mutual respect.”

(Story from Benson County Farmers Press)