Dakota Beacon

MORE DAPL  You may have hoped you heard the last of the Dakota Access Pipeline controversy.  Not yet.  The Standing Rock Sioux want further studies and are making their final argument in a case now three years old, although the pipeline has been moving much of ND’s oil for two years.  Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has her own solution — she would revoke the permits for both the DAPL and Keystone XL, a pipeline proposed to carry Canadian and Bakken oil.  The Keystone XL would pass near the southwest corner of ND.  Under her plan future energy projects impacting Indian Country would require their consent.

THE ND SOYBEAN PROCESSORS had an agreement to build a $290 million crushing plant in the Spiritwood Energy Park near Jamestown.  The plan appeared dead for lack of financing and the Park was preparing to terminate the agreement.  The soybean processors said “not so fast” and contended in district court they could still revive the deal.  The court agreed and issued a preliminary injunction keeping the agreement alive.

FEUD OVER  Kris Engelstad McGarry, Ralph Engelstad’s daughter and the head of his foundation, threatened to limit support for UND because of disputes with its former president.  Happily, she has announced an agreement to fund the Engelstad Arena through 2030.

THE GRAND FARM INITIATIVE  In ND, 60% of the labor market consists of middle-skill jobs, those requiring more than a high school education, but less than a four-year degree.  A shortage of such workers is a barrier to economic growth in the state according to Gov. Burgum.  The state is attempting to introduce high school students to technical education and career options to capitalize on the state’s potential in the ag and technology industries.

DICKINSON STATE UNIVERSITY is shifting its mission to include certificates in areas such as welding and law enforcement to meet workforce needs in western ND.  DSU is not developing these programs from start, but instead will collaborate with two-year colleges in Bismarck and Devils Lake to offer their programs on the Dickinson Campus.

ROOFLESS GARAGE  A city parking garage in Minot is the subject of ongoing disputes and lawsuits between the city and the developer.  The garage does not have a roof because it was designed to have apartments above the garage.  There is no plan at this time for constructing the housing and the garage is leaking and stalling development of commercial space on the ground floor.  The city council has authorized $870,000 for a roof that will last 10 to 15 years.

A FLARING RECORD — not a good one.  “We really fell out of bed in terms of flaring.” — Director of Mineral Resources Lynn Helms.  June oil production in ND reached a new high of 1.42 million barrels a day, but natural gas flaring was 24% of gas production, well above the state's 12% target.  A temporary shutdown of various infrastructures was blamed.  Helms recently visited petrochemical facilities in Canada looking for long-term alternatives to flaring, such as using natural gas for the production of plastic pellets.

WELFARE FRAUD  If you locate the counties in ND which are most-audited by the IRS, you will find the majority include Indian reservations.  There’s a reason, these are the counties with the highest percent of EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) filers.  Welfare benefits are increasingly delivered by payments through the tax code.  The same audit pattern exists in adjoining states and southern states with heavy black populations.  The IRS contends the audits are largely computer selected and race and geography are not a factor.  Advocates for the poor say that makes no difference — they say disproportionate impact can be evidence of racism, even if there is no intent.

TWO SIDES OF THE RIVER.  The racial makeup of ND universities changed only slightly from 2009 to 2018 — white students went from 82% to 81%.  Across the Red River, white students in Moorhead colleges are generally less than 80% of the student body, a decline of about 10% in the last decade.  Across Minnesota, whites in higher education dropped from 76% to 68% during the same time period.

PEAS & CORN  You haven’t used enough canned peas and corn.  Del Monte announced it will close its Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, plant and eliminate 360 full- and part-time jobs.  The closing pushes back into farm country affecting 300 farmers and 22,000 acres.  Sleepy Eye, a town of 3,600, calls it “a terrible shock.”

THE LATE JIM GRAHAM (88) was a bachelor farmer and car collector in Wheaton, Minnesota.  His collection reached 500 cars, but he paired it back to 250 which were sold at auction by his estate.  There were over a thousand bidders including those from 23 countries.  The highest price of $71,000 was paid for a 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible; a 1957 Chevrolet Cameo pickup fetched $58,000. Twenty of the vehicles will go overseas.  Wheaton is very near the southeast corner of ND.

EMBEZZLER MEETS PONZI ARTIST  Jerry Hennessy caused the dissolution and sale of the Ashby Farmers Elevator in Minnesota.  He brought down the elevator when he stole more than $5 million to pay for big-game hunting trips.  Hennessy will get a chance to meet really big crooks — he has been placed in a North Carolina federal prison where, among other illuminati, he will join Bernie Madoff, perpetrator of the world’s largest Ponzi scheme. 

REP. ILHAN OMAR, a black Muslim who is a first-year U.S. representative from a Minneapolis district, is a national celebrity as the result of a series of political missteps and related criticism from Pres. Trump.  Anyone who thought she might retreat and adopt a low profile is wrong.  Omar sought last week to visit Israel, a request denied because of her support of a boycott against Israel.  Democrats are placed in an awkward position — many had sought to distance themselves from Omar, but now feel obliged to support her.  Some Minnesota political analysts believe she may have statewide impact on the 2020 fall elections.

DAKTOIDS:  A couple from ND who asphyxiated in their tent added to the fatalities at the Sturgis motorcycle rally . . . Every two or three years, UND plays a destination hockey game — the next is planned for Nashville in October 2020 — the opponent is Penn State.