701 Rundown: Dec. 5, 2022

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

First responders rescue man from grain entrapment

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, a report released by Steele County officials detailed an incident in Colgate, N.D., where a 21-year-old was rescued after being trapped in a grain bin for over two hours.

Emergency dispatch first received the call at 11:40 a.m., and the Hope Fire and Ambulance responded within 10 minutes. Once on scene, one member of the Hope Fire Department accessed the bin where he found the 21-year-old up to his neck in corn.

The report adds, “Both fire departments and ambulance services, and the farmer and his employees, worked tirelessly to not only get the trapped individual out, but also to keep him from sinking more under the corn.

“Two hours later, at approximately 1:40 p.m., the individual was freed from his entrapment, removed from the grain bin, and placed in the back of Hope Ambulance where he was transported to the Sanford hospital in Fargo.”

Around 15 rescuers worked inside the bin, while another 10 or 15 stayed outside to control the flow of grain out of holes cut in the bin. The report also describes how rescuers used panels to separate the man from the surrounding grain, allowing them to scoop out the grain inside those panels without more flowing in.

“This whole scene worked like a well-oiled machine. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these responders for their continued dedication to their training and education,” said Ben Gates, Steele County Emergency Manager. “We forget sometimes that these folks are volunteers. They put in so much extra time and effort into these different trainings. On Wednesday, Nov. 16, I think it paid off.”

(Story by Jill Larson, Steele County Press)

Policing issues within cities brings back idea of county involvement

At a recent November county commission meeting in Rolette County, a discussion initiated by Rolette County Sheriff, Nathan Gustafson, was held regarding police contracts between the county and the cities of Dunseith or Rolla.

The City of Dunseith and Rolette County have had a policing contract as recently as 2021, before Dunseith’s City Council decided to go with its own police department. Rolla, meanwhile, has had its own department for decades.

Both city’s leaders have asked for more information from the county before making a decision.

“They want to know all their options,” Gustafson said. “I think it’s a mixture of funding and the headache of not having enough workers.”

Gustafson also said that the cities would have to supply the bulk of the funding. The cost for one deputy is around $93,000, while the price of four deputies, the number that the City of Dunseith is hoping for, would cost $374,000.

“I feel it’s up to them to figure it out. They have asked if we’d help cover while they get more officers but I said it’s all or nothing,” Gustofson added.

(Story by John Rosinski, Turtle Mountain Star)

State highways are short of plow drivers

Due to labor shortages, some North Dakota residents may have to cope with highways taking longer to be cleared of snow.

“Motorists in the northwest corner of North Dakota should expect longer wait times for the snow to be cleared,” said Department of Transportation (DOT) Director Ron Henke in a Nov. 8 press release.

According to Williston District engineer, Joel Wilt, the Williston District DOT is short-handed, only staffed at 75 percent for the time being.

Jarret Belstad, DOT maintenance superintendent for the Williston District, said, “We’re in the process of interviewing people. Until then, we’re having people come in from other areas.”

On the difficulty of recruiting and retaining new employees, Wilt added, “Part of the problem is the new CDL (commercial driver license) requirements. We can’t compete with the oilfield as far as wages. Once we have someone, we have to find ways to keep them.”

Currently, benefits DOT employees receive from the state are fully paid family health insurance, access to voluntary dental and vision insurance at reduced rates, participation in PERS (Public Employees Retirement System), paid vacation and sick leave.

“These are good jobs with great benefits,” Wilt said. “But everyone’s having trouble filling CDL positions.”

The Williston district includes all of Burke, Divide and Williams counties, along with portions of McKenzie and Mountrail. Within the district there are seven sections - Bowbells, Crosby, New Town, Stanley, Tioga, Watford City and Williston.

(Story by Brad Nygaard, The Journal)

Despite missed testing deadline, city water is safe for consumption

The Watford City Council recently stated that the city had not filed the necessary paperwork to certify that proper procedures and testing had been completed to ensure that Watford City’s drinking water was safe to consume.

However, Justin Smith, who oversees public works, said, “The water is safe. The testing was done regularly, and all the resting results were within the safety parameters. The only problem was on the paperwork side of things.”

The letter released by the city - which states that it hadn’t filled out the necessary paperwork, reads, in part, “All testing was successfully completed July-September 2022, however, reporting was due by Oct. 10, 2022, and was not submitted until Oct. 26, 2022.

“… the City of Watford City regrets that this error in meeting requirements of the Stage 2 Disinfenctants/Disinfections By-products Rule occurred. It is recognized that a complete monitoring program is of great value in making certain that safe drinking water is provided to all consumers.”

(Story by Kristen Jones, McKenzie County Farmer)

Brady Smith joins dad, Kyle, at Summit Physical Therapy in Carrington

Summit Physical Therapy and Sports Performance had just one provider, owner Kyle Smith, in 1997. Now, they have four full-time physical therapists (PTs) and three other part-time employees.

The latest addition is Kyle’s son Brady, who is following in his father’s footsteps and joining the Summit team as a full-time provider.

Brady is a graduate of Carrington High School and he graduated from Valley City State in 2019 with undergraduate degrees in biology and health science. He went on to attend the physical therapy program at UND, where he earned his DPT (doctor of physical therapy) degree.

Brady took his boards on October 26, and had to wait six days before receiving his grades. If he passed he’d finally be able to start his career at Summit.

“Those were the longest six days of my life,” Brady said. “The whole experience has been awesome. Dad’s a big reason why I wanted to go into physical therapy in the first place.”

(Story by Erik Gjovik, Foster County Independent)