Dakota Beacon

Last Monday, the headline in the print version of the Bismarck Tribune was “Blizzard brings North Dakota to a standstill.”  Most subscribers didn’t see it -- delivery was suspended.  A late spring snowstorm broke many records.  I-94 was closed across the state and for a time the entire state had a no-travel advisory.

“It was my first time driving in snow.” -- Kazakhstan immigrant Muzaffar Abdu, who rolled a tractor trailer of frozen food on I-94 in Bismarck.  Abdu was taking the cargo from Chicago to Billings and wisely concluded “I should have just stayed at the rest stop.”

“We encourage people to prepare for a flood of record.” -- Greg Gust, a weather service meteorologist, advising Fargo residents they face a 40 percent chance of seeing a new record flood because of an unprecedented late thaw and heavy snowpack. 

Ed Schultz is a nationally syndicated loudmouth.  He called 8th graders, who participated in sandbagging in Fargo, “slaves” working for the rich.  Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker summed up popular reaction, “Consider the source.”  Many letters to ND papers described the hard working 8th graders as the essence of ND -- fine examples of citizenship and personal responsibility.  Herald writer Ryan Bakken wrapped up the discussion: “So, congratulations to Ed, who would rather be mocked than ignored.”

Everyone younger than 55 was asked to leave the meeting room.  Once that was done, the elders of the Spirit Lake Nation adopted a resolution calling for the dismissal of the entire Tribal Council.  One elder said, “The people are fed up.” 

The elders were particularly irate at Chairman Roger Yankton -- one elder told him: “We are being neglected as a tribe. Our children are being neglected. You as a person are responsible for all of these issues, but you are not around. The council is not around. You don’t listen to us.”   Yankton didn’t respond -- he and other council members were reported to be at a meeting in South Dakota.  A tribal assembly voted 114-3 to oust Yankton.

“We expect boys to join gangs, girls to get pregnant.  Our kids are doing what they’re expected to do.”  -- A spokesman at a Minneapolis public housing project which gives preference to American Indians.  The quote is from a New York Times article which indicates 7 of 10 American Indians now live in metro areas where they share unemployment and poverty rates with reservation Indians.  In Minneapolis, 45 percent of Indians live in poverty.  The NYT says the migration to the cities raises the question of whether U.S. reservations are an imperative or a hindrance to Indians.

U.S. Highway 85 in McKenzie County is a demolition derby.  An article by Amy Dalrymple in the Forum papers and another by Lauren Donovan in the Tribune address the extraordinary number of traffic fatalities in McKenzie County (south of Williston).  So far this year, the county of 10,000 has about 30 percent of the state’s auto deaths.  Hwy 85 is dangerous, but officials point out that most of the deaths involve bad judgment by victims: no seat belts, alcohol, improper turns, etc.

The Bismarck Tribune was quite clear: In November 2012, Kalcie Eagle (21) of New Town forced his way into the home of Martha Johnson and shot her and three grandchildren.  Martha’s husband said, “He was just looking for something to shoot.”  The troubled young man later slit his own throat.  There has been little doubt about this scenario since the time of the murders.  What’s missing?  There is no official report about the murders.  The FBI has been working on the case for five months and has not issued a public report.

What does this progression represent: 96-90-63-55-45?  It’s the percentage of union members who voted against accepting an offer from American Crystal Sugar.  The first vote was taken in 2011; the last just taken.  The GF Herald referred to a “bittersweet resolution” and the decimation of the union.  The remaining workers lost 20 months of employment and ended up accepting the original contract offer. American Crystal employees are among the best paid workers in the Red River Valley.

Wealthy Minnesotans needed to sit down and absorb the shock of a proposal to hit them with the nation’s third highest state income tax rate.  Perhaps a glass of wine will dull the pain, oops, there is also a proposal to raise taxes on a bottle of wine by about 50 cents.

“It’s by North Dakotans, for North Dakotans, investing in North Dakota.” --Mark Anderson the CEO of a new private equity firm in Minot which will invest in oil and gas activity in western ND.  Anderson’s company, Mainstream Investors, is one of a number of investments which will be presented to 300-400 participants in the Bakken Investor Conference next week in Minot.  Registration is $850 -- Let the Buyer Beware. 

“A couple of young women wearing high-heeled boots sounded like a herd of horses going down the corridor to the cafe in North Dakota’s capitol.” -- Renowned GF Herald columnist Marilyn Hagerty beginning her review of the cafe in the state’s capitol.

The obituary of Leona Obrigewitsch (92) formerly of Medina furnishes a glimpse of life in German-Russian ND nearly 100 years ago.  Leona was one of 16 children, including triplets, of Peter and Magdalena (of course) Reis.  Leona left school after the 8th grade to work on the family farm.  She married Philip, they farmed and had 10 children.  Several children stayed in ND, but the rest scattered from Las Vegas to Gschwend, Germany.  Leona was always close to the Catholic church.