2024 Rewind: Jan. 13, 2025

In addition to setting new resolutions and looking forward to the next 365 days, the new year is also a great time to look back on the previous year and the and the events and happenings that defined it.

There’s plenty to look back on in Eddy County from 2024.

This week, the Transcript will review a number of the most interesting articles published last year between the months of May and August.

Becker hired as interim superintendent – published May 6

New Rockford-Sheyenne’s longtime elementary principal, Natalie Becker, accepted an interim superintendent position with the district.

Becker was offered the position at a special school board meeting on Thursday, May 2, and she accepted a 1-year contract for the 2024-25 school year.

NR-S then had a short-term answer to the question of who will be their new superintendent, after Dr. Jill Louters resigned in March, and after their subsequent superintendent search didn’t yield candidates the board was willing to advance to the interview stage.

Joint law enforcement operation yields results – published May 20

On Friday and Saturday, May 10-11, the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office participated in Operation Spring into Action.

The operation was designed to locate and seize illegal drugs in several area counties by saturating them with an increased police presence.

Several searches were conducted and one individual, Gary Cook, was charged with possession of a Schedule 1 hallucinogenic substance, a Class A misdemeanor. There were also a number of traffic stops conducted due to the increased patrols.

Poitra sentenced to life behind bars – published June 3

Appearing in person at the Eddy County Courthouse in New Rockford on Wednesday, May 29, Poitra was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder of Troyal Thumb, a Sheyenne resident and a father of four children.

The hefty sentence comes after Poitra originally pleaded not guilty to each charge filed against him – which included Class AA felony murder – and also rejected a plea agreement offered by the state last July.

Just weeks before his murder trial was scheduled to begin, he amended his pleas to guilty on all counts, leaving his fate in the hands of District Court Judge James Hovey.

Fleming, Dauenhauer, Ystaas win city races – published June 17

Nearly 700 Eddy County voters took to the polls on Tuesday, June 11 for North Dakota’s primary elections, and several locally-contested races were decided by just a handful of votes.

The packed race for the two-year unexpired term on the New Rockford City Commission was of particular interest, as there wasn’t a single candidate appearing on the ballot. However, there were three individuals running write-in campaigns for the seat.

Carter Richter, Justin Ystaas and George Ritzke were each asking New Rockford residents to write their name in for the position, and it was Ystaas who came out on top by just seven votes. Fleming and Dauenhauer also won seats on the commission.

NR-S found to be ‘over-milling’ taxpayers – published July 22

In July last year, it was found that the New Rockford-Sheyenne School District had been inadvertently collecting too much tax revenue from district residents.

At their regular meeting on Monday, July 15, school board members heard from Business Manager Dave Skogen about the issue, who said the district has been slightly “over-milling” for their Debt Service Fund.

Every year the district collects a certain amount of taxes to go toward their Debt Service Fund, which pays for the school’s annual bond payment from a successful 2017 bond referendum.

Tax revenue for the Debt Service Fund is for the express purpose of paying that bond and nothing else, meaning the district shouldn’t be collecting more tax revenue than is necessary to make their annual bond payment.

New farmstand opens on Main Street in Sheyenne – published July 29

It’s a rare occasion when small communities like Sheyenne get a new local business, and even more uncommon is a new addition to Main Street.

Yet that’s exactly what the community of Sheyenne got last year with Prairie Gates Farmstand, a new local option for fresh produce and local artisanal wares.

Anyone driving through Sheyenne on Hwy. 281 will notice the farmstand adjacent to the local senior center. On offer there are seasonal fresh produce options such as lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers and several herbs, just to name a few.

Who let the dogs out? – published August 12

During the summer months last year, canine complaints were on the rise in New Rockford.

Loose dogs accused of harassing pets and biting residents were seen roaming the streets of New Rockford and city officials discussed the problem at their August meeting.

They ultimately amended city ordinance to have tougher punishments for residents with dangerous animals.

Jacobson resigns from NR-S board – published August 26

Mike Jacobson, a five-year member and former NR-S school board president, has tendered his resignation with the district.

In a letter dated Wednesday, Aug. 7, Jacobson tells his fellow board members he’s resigning, and thanks them for their service.

“Serving on a school board is one of the most important things we can do in our community,” writes Jacobson. “Being on this board is one of the only boards I have served on where I truly felt I was making a direct impact on our community.”