701 Rundown: March 25, 2024

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

Reeling in a big catch

Mike Koenig of Carrington started his taxidermy career as a hobby, and said of the intervening years since, "[It's] grown into much more than that."

Twenty-three years into that first plunge into the art of trophy wildlife presentation, one outstanding entry of Koenig's work has been honored as the best of its kind in the state.

At the North Dakota Taxidermists Association's (NDTA) 39th annual competition held March 7-10 in Bismarck, his reproduction perch took home the state championship plaques and ribbons in the masters division for that category.

He also won the award last year for a different reproduction fish.

"Competing at the master level is for the advanced taxidermist, where the highest level of excellence is expected," Koenig explained. "This category is for those who aim to be the most technically correct, artistically oriented, and at a very high creative level."

He started his taxidermy pursuits back in 2001, and he has been competing in the highest skill classification for at least 11 years now, by his estimation.

Koenig plans to compete in the masters division of the World Taxidermy and Fish Carving Championships, which will be held August 6-10 in Coralville, Iowa.

Koenig's mount, along with his other competition winners, will be on display at his personal business showroom.

He is married to his wife, Shaunette, who owns and operates Central City Concepts. They have two children, Gracie and Tyson.

Koenig has been a member of the NDTA since 2008, and served 10 years on the board of directors. Four of those years were spent as the state association's president.

(Story by Erik Gjovik, The Foster County Independent)

Woman injured in Valley City pedestrian crash

An 83-year-old Valley City woman was sent to the hospital with life-threatening injuries after being struck by a vehicle driven by an 85-year-old man from Page, N.D.

The pedestrian crash happened around 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 10 in Valley City. The names of the involved parties have not been released.

According to a report from the N.D. Highway Patrol, the Page man was driving a 2021 Ford Expedition at the time of the crash.

He was reportedly parked facing south along the roadway and reversed northbound in a counter-clockwise direction, striking two parked and unattended vehicles before continuing onto a sidewalk north of the roadway.

In the wrong place at the wrong time on that sidewalk was the 83-year-old woman.

The Expedition continued its trajectory even after striking the pedestrian, hitting another parked and unattended vehicle before finally coming to rest after striking an office/apartment building.

The pedestrian was transported from the scene to Mercy hospital and later flown to Fargo by Sanford AirMed. No occupants inside the office building were injured.

(Story by Angela Kolden, Cass County Reporter)

Democrats choose familiar faces to run in new District 9

Democrats in the newly-redrawn District 9 gathered via the internet due to hazardous weather to select candidates for the N.D. House of Representatives.

Former Rep. Marvin Nelson, who made the trek to Leeds despite the storm, said 95 delegates attended the convention and several guests also tuned in to the inaugural session.

District 9 is the first in the state to encompass two Native American Reservations, Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake. It was created when a federal judge ruled that District 9A and 9B, which were shaped for the 2022 election, were not acceptable.

The culmination of the convention led to the nomination of five people for two seats in the N.D. House of Representatives.

Incumbents Jayme Davis and Craig Poitra were chosen. Other candidates included Marvin Nelson, Ron Peltier and Collette Brown.

(Story from the Turtle Mountain Star)

Dakota College at Bottineau’s spring enrollment numbers up

Dakota College at Bottineau’s (DCB) enrollment numbers for the spring semester of 2024 show an increase from last year and the largest percentage growth throughout the university system within the state of North Dakota.

According to the N.D. University System, DCB has 1,134 students enrolled with a full-time equivalency of 521 students.

When compared to the spring semester of 2023, there were 1,007 students enrolled with 504 full-time equivalency students.

The N.D. University System added that DCB also has the largest percent growth in headcount at 14 percent for the spring semester of 2024.

“We continue to grow,” said Carmen Simone, Ph.D., CEO and dean of Dakota College at Bottineau. “We are gratified that our spring enrollment at DCB continues to be strong. I’m proud of the work that our faculty and staff do to recruit and serve students.

“The nursing program attracts quite a few students to DCB across our three sites of Bottineau, Minot and Valley City. Many of our student-athletes are working on transfer degrees and we also offer online programs like medical assisting that are sought out by students.”

Simone added that DCB will offer medical assisting on campus starting in the fall.

(Story by Scott Wagar, Bottineau Courant)