701 Rundown: Jan. 8, 2024

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

Gymnastics club moves to former High Plains parts building

With steady growth in the first four years of its existence and the need for more space to serve the talents of area tumblers, the Carrington Gymnastics Club (CGC) is on the move once again.

The club will now occupy its third different location, as founder/owner Tammy Sorensen has purchased the former parts building of the High Plains Equipment dealership at 6719 Highway 200 for the organization’s new home.

Sorensen said her team has been in action at local meets since beginning practice session in August, but the upward potential trajectory of the club’s membership dictated that a move was in order.

“This year, we have more gymnasts competing than ever before,” said Sorensen. “During practice, we would split into groups, but we just didn’t have enough space to work on drills and skills at the same time.”

Previously, the club was headquartered at Milestones Early Learning Center, which Sorensen and Milestones operator Whitney Carter incorporated as Tots and Tumbling, LLC, in April 2022.

The team’s workout space was in the sanctuary of the former Church of the Nazarene, where the club relocated following its initial stint renting space at the Rusty’s Hardware Hank building (now Central City Wellness Center) on Main Street.

The team moved in officially this past month.

“We’re still working on tearing things out, such as counters, walls and electrical, but we have moved into the far back warehouse as construction will be ongoing for quite some time,” she says.

The High Plains building was purchased entirely through the club’s general funds, without the need for grants or loans.

(Story from The Foster County Independent)

Going away in a manger

Sunday, Dec. 17 marked one last holy night at Dawn and Jeremy Paulsrud's farm southeast of Hillsboro, N.D.

After 12 years hosting United Valley Parish’s annual Christmas in the Barn, the Paulsruds are hoping another family will step up to house the yearly live nativity in 2024.

Dawn said the current barn the family uses to host the live nativity, which draws roughly 150 people each year for a live-action retelling of Jesus’ birth according to the Bible, needs to be torn down this summer due to roof damage and age.

The structure predates World War II and has become a safety hazard, she added.

“We kind of just had to make that decision that this had to be the last one,” Dawn said.

The change is bittersweet for the Hillsboro woman, who grew up attending live nativities in Minnesota.

(Story by Cory Erickson, the Hillsboro Banner)

Turnover in Griggs County sheriff’s office

At the end of 2023, Griggs County Sheriff Bob Hook hung up his badge.

Hook joined the department as sheriff in late Sept. 2022 to help out and ultimately won the election that November as a write-in candidate.

“When I agreed to come back it was always known by the parties involved that I was just the band-aid,” said Hook. “I am not the future. I am pushing 60 years old, and it just becomes time.

“On top of that, I injured my foot in 2018, and that will prevent me from re-completing the Peace Officers Academy. I let my license go last time I retired as I had not planned on coming back to this line of work.”

Hook's leaving comes on the heels of the departure of the county’s three deputies. One left to join the North Dakota Highway Patrol, one went to the Valley City Police Department, and one left law enforcement to enter the private sector.

Where does this leave the citizens of Griggs County?

“Two new deputies have been hired,” said Hook. “Mike Beaver, who is a Binford native, and Tyler Rispa, who came here from Bismarck, started on Dec. 11.

“Mike was already working as a deputy, and Tyler will go to three weeks of official academy training because of his military police experience. From there, the commissioners will have to appoint a new sheriff.”

(Story by Lisa Saxberg, Griggs County Courier)

Linton School Board approves dual sports

By a close vote of 3-2, the Linton School Board on Monday passed a dual sports agreement that now covers all sports.

As previously reported, the district, several years ago, approved a policy that prohibited participation in more than one sport during a single season.

At that time, the spring season sports of golf and track and field were the subject of the policy’s enactment.

However, when the North Dakota High School Activities Association switched the girls’ golf season from spring to fall in 2021, the board revisited the policy, and allowed students to participate in multiple sports exclusively during the fall season.

Since then, students have been allowed to participate in girls’ golf and volleyball; and football and cross county during the same season.

Coach Alex Angula, who was tasked by the board to contact other schools about what policies and procedures they have in place reported that most other districts already allow for dual sports.

“Every school I talked to had dual sports,” he said. “We fall in line with what other schools are doing.”

Board member Sara Jahner said she feels it should not be a school board decision, but a parental decision as to whether or not a child participates in multiple sports at the same time.

“I don’t think it should be the school board making the decision,” Jahner said. “I think it should be up to the parents and teachers.”

With input from the coach staff, a guideline document for students was put together. For students to be able to participate in dual sports, several factors such as parental permission and grade-point average are taken into consideration.

(Story by LeAnda Staebner, Emmons County Record)