Dakota Beacon

A tired, haggard SEN. BYRON DORGAN was pictured on the front page of the Minot Daily News.  It said it all -- after 40 years in public life and facing declining poll numbers, Dorgan pulled the plug on his re-election.  This could be the biggest ND political story of the year and carries national ramifications as well.  Herald Editor Mike Jacobs wrote of Dorgan: “Much of his success has stemmed from his close identification with the historic Nonpartisan League and with the state’s cooperatives (Farmers Union) and labor unions.”  In addition to his historic coalition, Dorgan has a long line of other supporters, including entities as varied as the state Indian tribes and the UND Aerospace School.

Dorgan’s retirement is a  green light for Republican GOV. JOHN HOEVEN who is expected to shortly toss his hat into the 2010 senate race.  While Dorgan’s decision seems like good news for Republicans, both in ND and nationally, there is some concern that he may become a  “wild card.”  As a lame duck, Dorgan does not have to fear repercussions from ND voters.

An article by Chuck Haga in the Herald traces the close and friendly relationship between Sen. Kent Conrad, Sen. Dorgan and Rep. Earl Pomeroy that goes back to 1974.  Over that time they have been collectively called "the Three Amigos," Team North Dakota and (by their critics) "the Three Stooges." Others prefer the more rhythmic sounding CoDoPo.  If Gov. Hoeven were to succeed Do, the team name could become CoHoPo.

JOE CHAPMAN’S TENURE as president of NDSU was marked by many advancements and it was unfortunate that it ended in controversy.  Some would say, in scandal.  That last point is arguable, but almost anyone following the matter would agree something went wrong.  Chapman was flattered, aggrandized and encouraged to be powerful -- he may have become a legend in his own mind as well.  Chief among his cheerleaders was the Fargo Forum.  A recent Forum editorial included the following statement: “Last year NDSU lost the most visionary and successful president in its history for reasons that will be judged by history as petty and parochial.”  The Forum will not let go.

As recently as 2008, the ND oil industry was flaring one-third of the natural gas it produced, an amount that was estimated to be double the state’s gas consumption.  The amount of gas flared has been decreasing as processing plants and pipelines are built.  Nationwide, less than one percent of natural gas is flared from oil fields.  The gas situation in ND is scheduled for big improvement -- in January, the PRAIRIE ROSE PIPELINE was completed.  It runs 75 miles from near Stanley to Towner, where Prairie Rose hooks up with a larger pipeline running to Chicago.

OIL GOES SOUTH.  A daily 100-car unit train will carry 60,000 barrels of oil from Stanley, ND, to an unloading point in Oklahoma.  The first train arrived at its destination on January 4; the Stanley loading facility employs 45 people.

ND is considered a top state for WIND ENERGY POTENTIAL, but is only average in actual production.  At the beginning of the decade the state had no commercial wind power and is still behind, although capacity doubled in 2009.  In December, new projects began operating in Rugby and south of Minot -- each project has over 70 turbines.

The Jamestown Sun gives BUFFALO CHIPS to those who earn its outrage.  The Sun shook with disgust as it awarded chips to vandals who attacked Jamestown Christmas decorations -- a wise man, three penguins and a 6-foot-tall Minnie Mouse were special targets.

Coal-fired plants in ND produce millions of tons of COAL ASH each year.  Most of the ash is used beneficially as a cement additive or to build roads.  ND is considered to have an unique and effective way of regulating hazards associated with coal ash.  A serious accident, a year ago, involving coal ash at a Tennessee Valley Authority power plant, has the EPA considering national regulations which could be devastating for the ND coal industry.  The conditions causing the TVA accident are not present in ND and the regulations proposed by the EPA are considered by the ND coal industry to be a potentially costly overreaction.

THIS AND THAT  Wind energy offers new careers.  The Lake Region College in Devils Lake estimates that by 2012 the state will need at least 180 wind energy technicians to maintain 2,000 wind turbines . . . The oil boom also has side effects -- ND traffic deaths were up in 2009 and 35 percent occurred on heavily traveled roads in the northwest part of the state . . .  Grand Forks economist Ralph Kingsbury says state revenue collections are excellent: “There is a very good possibility that the Legislature will have an even larger budget surplus at the end of this biennium than at the end of the previous one.”

A Herald article discussed the 80,000 Somali refugees living in Minnesota, by far the largest such population in the U.S.  The article says the influx requires enormous social services and “has not occurred without problems, including resentment, fear and criticism from some in the larger community.”  The same edition of the Herald described how a Somali woman has opened a center in Grand Forks to assist refugees.  Fargo already has a substantial Somali population.

A churchwide assembly in Minneapolis of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to allow homosexual pastors who are in same-sex relationships.  The decision has created controversy and debate at individual churches.  Jill Schramm of the Minot Daily News interviewed pastors from ELCA churches across western ND to measure the impact.  Thus far, among western ND churches, only a church in Harvey has withdrawn from the ELCA, however others may follow.  But most churches have taken what one pastor describes as a PRAGMATIC RESPONSE.  She said, “Most of the discussion at the Minneapolis meeting came from people from major metropolitan areas where the church culture is much different than in North Dakota.  As is often the case, the things that are important in places like N.Y. City aren't necessarily relevant to North Dakota, which accounts for the local pragmatism.”

A Jamestown pastor from another denomination took what seemed like a truly unique response to the ELCA controversy.  The Rev. Susan Lester advised Lutherans to take hands off and “to let go of fear, confusion and shame.”  She said the ELCA decision belonged to God alone, “If God didn’t want it to pass -- it would not have.”  So there!

Ryan Bakken of the Herald has a monthly News Quiz -- his December quiz included a bonus question: “The ST. OLAF OLES men’s basketball team played last month in Grand Forks.  Does that mean St. Olaf’s women’s teams are nicknamed the Lenas?”  The question assumes you are Ole and Lena cognoscente.