Dakota Beacon

Near the conclusion of the ND Legislature’s 78-day session, Sen. Dave Nething of Jamestown, the state's longest serving senator, gave a stirring speech to lawmakers.  He said he tries to serve by “being rational, logical, deliberate, steady, measured, consensual, results-oriented, tolerant, and to be a problem solver, not a problem maker.”  True ND values, if only they could be packaged for Washington and places such as Sacramento.

Republicans were jubilant; Democrats were niggling; and the governor thought they made “good choices.”  The Legislature ended its session with a two-year, $10 billion (12 percent increase) budget.  Majority leader Rep. Al Carlson acknowledged it was a steep spending increase, but said “we put it in the right place.”  The Legislature put the big money into roads ($1 billion), tax reduction ($500 million), and flood control projects ($235 million) in Fargo and Devils Lake.  Democrats regretted the lack of spending on social services, but the Bismarck Tribune said “the final product of the 62nd legislative assembly was respectable and generous.”

Some didn’t think the Legislature was “respectable and generous” -- Sen. Minority Leader  Ryan Taylor was one.  The Towner rancher is probably the leading light in the ND Democratic-NPL Party.  He espouses an antibusiness, populist theme.  In reviewing the work of the recent Legislature, he asked “So who suffers?”  His response: “Working families, the disenfranchised, children -- they don’t have lobbyists.  They have Democratic legislators.  And quite frankly, they need more of them just to get an even shake.”

Tom Dennis of the Herald, considering the same topic, asked “What has happened to the Democratic-NPL Party in North Dakota?”  Dennis wondered how the party could reverse its decline.  His suggestion, “Maybe, just maybe, by focusing on economic growth.”  He sees the Nonpartisan League portion of the party and its distant affiliation with socialism as an element “that now rubs a majority the wrong way.”

AP writer Dale Wetzel made a many-paged, alphabetical list of new ND laws -- they range from serious to silly.  Don’t steal a single prescription pill -- it’s a felony that will get you five years; better to sell noxious weed seeds -- the new fine is only $100.  This will make you feel better -- 12-year-olds can now hunt antelope; but hunters stalking beavers with a flashlight can’t use a large gun.  There are two crowd pleasers: a law making the lady bug the official state insect and another requiring UND to remain the “Fighting Sioux.”  Finally, and we are all grateful, there is a latin motto for the state which translates to: “One sows for the benefit of another age.”

If you plugged the word “Somali” into an Internet search of ND newspapers in early May, you would get many hits.  In Jamestown, a 18-year-old Somali was murdered.  Leron “Ra Ra” Howard, another black Jamestown resident, is one of two charged with the murder.  Ra Ra has an extensive criminal record in Minnesota.  Omar Kalmio, a Somalian national also with a violent criminal history in Minnesota, had his immigration detention extended -- he is a “person of interest” in the murder of four American Indians in Minot.

Moe Gibbs is one of ND’s all time “Top Ten” criminals: a murder in Valley City, a rape in Fargo and abuse of female inmates.  After being sent to prison, Moe decided to become a plaintiff -- he sued Cass County for $24 million for being indifferent to his medical needs when he injured his wrist while in custody.  A federal court dismissed his case.  Moe’s sister has gone to jail for attempting to murder her children -- she was also convicted for illegally selling prescription drugs to raise money for Moe’s murder defense.  There’s Moe to come.

Green for green cards.  The UND Center for Innovation was approved as a federal Regional Center to receive money from foreign investors.  CEO Bruce Gjovig says if the investments lead to business growth and new jobs in the region, the investors will get a provisional green card and, eventually, be given permanent residency status.”

Amtrak is planning an alternate route through ND.  If bridges in the Devils Lake area can no longer be used, Amtrak will go from Fargo to Minot through New Rockford.  Chartered buses will come out of Minot to Rugby, Devils Lake, Grand Forks and then down to Fargo -- also the other way.  Amtrak said it would be unable to afford the chartered bus service for a long period.

The Tribune’s May 1 top headline read “Blizzard stops Bakken.”  A blizzard driven by 60 mph winds took out all five major transmission systems in the Williston region.  The manager of an electric cooperative said not one meter of 10,000 was turning -- something he had never seen before.  The oil industry ground to a halt.  Transmission lines from Sask. and Montana were also down.  Too bad this wasn’t a rare, isolated ND headline -- it was one of many this winter about cold, snow, ice, wind and flooding.  It’s not measurable, but the economic cost must be huge.  One also wonders about the effect of relentless weather headlines on business investments in the state.

New technology comes with unusual new problems.  The blizzard mentioned above twisted the blades of two windmills located between Bismarck and Minot.  The blades are 120 feet long, weigh seven tons, and replacements cost $150,000 each.  If you want them installed -- that’s extra.

I’ve neglected to keep you abreast of important “bravo” awards bestowed by the Jamestown Sun.  As recompense, I report that the Sun gave bravos to an estimated 4,000 people who went to see “Hairball” at the Civic Center.

Let’s face it, the “curse” is horrible.  It started in 2001 with the Ralph Engelstad Arena, it gathered speed and has denied championships to the Fighting Sioux ever since.  It spread to Indian Country, putting tribes at each others throats, and moved on to Bismarck mowing down Gov. Dalrymple and certain members of the Legislature.  What is the curse?  According to Erich Longie of Ft. Totten, it’s the “Fighting Sioux Curse” stemming from huge falsehoods surrounding the name.

DAKTOIDS: It’s not just buffalo that roam --  DNA testing of a mountain lion killed on the road in Bemidji indicated the 114-pound beast came from the ND Badlands.