Dakota Beacon

Political contributions tend to be reported close to election time -- that leaves less time for opponents to analyze or react.  Nevertheless, donation patterns are emerging in ND races.  Incumbent US Rep. Earl Pomeroy is in a close race with State Rep. Rick Berg.  Through June 30, Pomeroy had raised $1.6 million out of state donations and $500,000 in state.  Berg had only $141,000 out of state, but matched Pomeroy within the state.  Gov. John Hoeven maintains a strong lead (69% to 22%) over State Sen. Tracy Potter in the US Senate race.  Hoeven has raised $750,000 out of state and $450,000 within.  Potter had raised only $60,000 from all sources.  This indicates out of state donors think the Senate race is already settled and neither party is making the race a priority.

The national Democratic party plans to spend $28 million buying TV time for representatives facing tough re-elections.  Pomeroy is one of 40 congress members selected for special help.

When the ND town of Heimdal was founded in 1910, there were high hopes, hence the Norse meaning of its name: “Watchman of Asgard, the city of the gods.”  Heimdal’s founding coincided with the building of the Great Northern Railroad.  The Wells County town did well and eventually had three elevators, a bank, a hotel and full range of retail services.  Today, as Heimdal celebrates its 100th birthday, the town has 28 residents, a part-time church, and a co-op elevator branch.  Is this Heimdal’s last hurrah -- another victim of the “too much” era?

Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. needs no introduction in the Red River Valley.  He was sentenced to death for the 2003 kidnapping and killing of UND student Dru Sjodin.  Appeals of his sentence have been underway for years with accumulated costs probably in the millions.  At present, two attorneys continue to work on the original appeal.  Four more attorneys have been appointed to work on a “habeas corpus” appeal.  At the earliest, the appeals end in 2012.  The case illustrates the near futility of death sentences -- it’s the taxpayers who are sentenced.

What does it take to be a notable Nodak?  Apparently a month’s work, $400 and a late model car.  Curt Eriksmoen’s historical anecdotes appear in several ND papers -- he recently wrote a column titled “Quotes from Notable North Dakotans.”  You would recognize many: Angie Dickinson, Maxwell Anderson, Warren Christopher and Satchel Paige.  Wait a moment, Satchel Paige? That’s news!  It seems Paige played briefly in 1933 for a semi-pro baseball team called the “Bismarcks” thereby becoming, by Eriksmoen’s definition, a notable Nodak.

Are Minot police too nonchalant?  In separate incidents during the ND State Fair Parade, two overly enthusiastic little children toppled off floats and were hospitalized after being run over by the float trailers.  The police response: “There have been similar accidents in past years.”  Yawn.

“When life hands you lemons” was the title of a Devils Lake Journal article about Minnewaukan, a town which is being flooded so severely its future is uncertain.  The town normally recognizes summer’s midpoint with a SummerFest celebration and parade, but this year it will be called Floodfest and will feature a parade of boats.

The current norm for daily newspapers is to reduce staff and ask survivors to do double duty.  So it’s noteworthy that western ND newspapers are hiring.  The Dickinson Press has hired Lisa Miller, a recent U. of Mary (Bismarck) graduate, as a staff writer.  She shouldn’t have trouble accepting unusual hours -- Miller grew up on a dairy farm near Flasher where wakeup time was 4 a.m.

A NDSU study highlights the dilemma faced by a nation which unilaterally attempts to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  The study indicates that if carbon emissions are taxed as projected the domestic beet sugar industry would be badly damaged or demolished, but worldwide GHG would decline only slightly because sugar would be imported from Mexico and other foreign countries without GHG regulation.  A tax on imported sugar would shift the cost to consumers.  The report concludes efforts to reduce GHG “must be global.”

Coal and oil producing counties lead the list of ND counties with the highest average annual wages.  Oliver County (coal) is Number 1 with a $60,000 average annual wage, Mercer (coal) is Number 2 followed by oil counties Slope and Williams.  The state average last year was $36,000.

The main detention center for women in ND is in New England, officially the Dakota Women’s Correctional Rehabilitation Center.  New England is in the southwest part of ND just 50 miles from South Dakota.  How did the center get there?  A few years ago in slower economic times, New England needed the jobs and a former Catholic girls school was available, so the town of 500 was thrown a political bone by the Legislature.  It didn’t seem to matter that most inmates came from the eastern part of the state.  The Dickinson Press reports a rumor is circulating that the center is closing -- officials say ignore that rumor.

The “Big Guy” is doing his job -- the World’s Largest Buffalo, now named Dakota Thunder, has Jamestown tourism figures “way up.”  By the end of July, Buffalo City Tourism said visitor counts increased 19 percent from 2009.  A tourism executive said we must not forget the live buffalo, especially the three white ones, who are also part of the draw.   

What could be more appropriate?  Twins Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux will throw out the first pitch at a Minnesota Twins game against the Seattle Mariners.  Jo and Mo are Grand Forks natives, Oympic silver medal winners and members of the UND Women’s Hockey Team.  It will be UND night at the the July 30th Twins game.  The GF Herald reports more than 12,500 UND alums in the Twin Cities area.

As the two-term chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes, Tex Hall ran the tribes into a financial hole before he was defeated in 2006.  Subsequently, the TAT has recovered its fiscal balance.  But now Hall is back saying “he’s running to restore financial integrity to the office.”

DAKTOIDS:  This could be getting monotonous -- ND May oil production was a record 9.2 million barrels, up from 8.5 million barrels in April . . . Builders in western ND held back wanting to be sure housing demand had legs, but no more, building permits in both Dickinson and Williston are setting records.