Dakota Beacon

DRUGS, DRUGS, DRUGS drive the rising crime rate in ND.  Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says the increase in drug use and arrests translates into a rise in crimes such as burglary and assault.  He sees this trend continuing if the state doesn’t provide more treatment for addiction.  A map accompanying the article on criminal justice showed the highest crime rates in ND are in three northwest counties: Divide, Williams and McKenzie.  Another map showed that since 2010 those counties also had the biggest percentage increases in population.  McKenzie County (Watford City) population increased over 50% during that period, while 21 of 53 ND counties lost population.

SOMETHING IS GOING ON  Several weeks ago I noted the Dickinson Press ran daily news items about South Dakota.  Since then, Press affiliates Jamestown Sun and Fargo Forum have also begun to include more SD items.  Generally, the SD reports originate from the Forum News Service, which recently established a capitol correspondent in Pierre, SD., but sometimes from the Rapid City Journal, a sister of the Bismarck Tribune.  Most of the Tribune’s ND news comes from the FNS.  Does some strategy connect these seemingly random dots?

BURGUM’S POLL  Gov. Doug Burgum released a poll authorized by his re-election campaign.  The poll compared Burgum to Heidi Heitkamp in a 2020 campaign for governor.  Burger led 62% to 33%; Trump and Biden were also matched with Trump leading 60% to 34%.

THE DAKOTAS have unusually low unemployment rates.  ND and SD have rates of 2.7 and 2.9%, respectively.  Seasonal businesses in both states rely on the federal H-2B visa program for temporary foreign workers.  SD alone employs 4,400 foreign workers at tourist areas such as Mt. Rushmore.

COUNTERINTUITIVE  Bloomberg ranked ND the fourth most economically diversified state.  Pennsylvania was #1, Texas #2, Colorado #3 and Nebraska #5.  A diverse economy builds resiliency against market fluctuations.  You would think ND’s reliance on mining and oil would have hurt its diversity — Wyoming was ranked #44 for that reason.  South Dakota was ranked #28 because of heavy reliance on the finance industry in Sioux Falls.  A full explanation for the rankings was available only to Bloomberg’s professional subscribers.

LIFE IN SMALL TOWNS  A Minot Daily News editorial mused at length about the challenges of ND’s small towns (shortage of jobs, shrinking populations, school closings, limited shopping, etc.).  The News said it was a shame because small town life was a ND legacy and wondered if there might be new ideas to prevent the towns from becoming memories.  Don’t hold your breath.  The editorial was probably on more solid ground when it noted it is difficult for government to resist market forces and trends.

SMALL TOWN GROCERIES continue their decline.  In the last five years, full-service groceries in ND declined from 137 to 98.  Several more are perched to exit.  A legislative study committee will convene to investigate the transportation and distribution of food in the state.  The loss of a grocery in a small town often leads to difficulty in sustaining other services.  The sponsor of the study said, “The biggest problem we are going to have is defining the problem.”   He said, “There’s also the question of demographics and whether it’s worth trying to save a grocery in a town that is dying.”

PERKINS RESTAURANTS can be found in six of ND's largest cities.  The Star Tribune reported that the company, which has hundreds of locations, is once again bankrupt.  The owner of the Grand Forks Perkins said he “is just doing awesome”  — his restaurant is not corporate-owned and will remain open.

IMMIGRATION  “The fact of the matter is, when people cross the border illegally, it is illegal to do it, unless they are seeking asylum.” — Former Vice President Joseph Biden.  A GF Herald editorial picked up on Biden’s comment saying “illegal immigration is a problem in the United States; combating it is neither wrong nor racist, but some will insinuate or outright declare it so.”  The editorial quoted a piece from “The Hill” which said illegal immigrants create a $116 billion annual burden on the economy and taxpayers.  The Herald editorial would be considered controversial on either coast.

A SOMALI CITIZEN who lives in Fargo pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for sex.  Basher Bare Abdi (27) had responded to an online posting by an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old girl.  Abdi, who required the assistance of an interpreter, was fined $1,000 and placed on probation, but escaped prison time.  He faces potentially more serious consequences for committing a deportable offense.

TOO MANY APARTMENTS IN FARGO  Nearly 11% of Fargo’s 30,000 apartments are vacant.  Clearly, the city is overbuilt and will need time to absorb the vacancies.  Fargo housing is 57% rentals — a higher percentage than the state (37%) and nation (36%).

WHITING PETROLEUM, a major oil producer in the Bakken, announced a company effort to reduce costs by eliminating 250 jobs.  About 100 of those positions are in ND at Williston, Watford City and New Town.  Paula Hickel, Job Service manager in Williston, said that while the cuts were a bit overwhelming, they are not an indication the bottom is falling out of the oilfield.

“NO. 1 UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE” was the heading for a Star Tribune article that said NDSU “was selected as a decisive No. 1 in the STATS FCS Preseason Top 25.”  The national champion Bison received 142 of 160 first-place votes.  The top five was rounded out by James Madison, South Dakota St., E. Washington and UC Davis.  UND will face three of the foregoing teams this fall:  NDSU (Sep. 7th), E. Washington and UC Davis.

MIKE JACOBS, former GF Herald editor and publisher, in addition to weekly political columns, writes a column about birds.  This week it featured the pelican — a tidbit from the column, 30,000 pelicans, the continent’s largest colony, can be found at Chase Lake near Medina, ND.

DAKTOIDS:  A federal appeals court upheld ND’s voter ID law, overturning a lower court ruling . . . The Altru Specialty Center in Grand Forks uses a robot for hip and knee replacements — they have successfully used the doctor-guided procedure 775 times . . . Nodaks need to buckle up — Forum columnist Jim Shaw said in 70% of ND vehicle fatalities those who died were not wearing seat belts; in Minnesota it’s 34%.