Dakota Beacon

AROUND THE REGION:

ND’s per capita coronavirus cases would be relatively low if it were not for Cass and Grand Forks counties which account for over 70% of the cases in the state.  Nursing homes are driving the count in Fargo and LM Wind Power is the major cause in Grand Forks.  ND has 130 nursing home cases of which 27 are at Villa Marie in Fargo.  Fargo has been designated one of 15 national metro hotspots.  ND businesses will begin what Gov. Burgum calls a “Smart Restart.”

MN has had a low number of cases per capita, but has a rising number of new cases and the highest death rate in the region.  The high death rate is caused by nursing homes and assisted living facilities which are driving MN’s case growth.  MN is the only state not requiring licenses for assisted living providers.  Restrictions are being removed very cautiously.

SD continues to have its case growth driven by Sioux Falls which has about 90% of the state’s cases.   Cases related to Smithfield Foods are the biggest part of the Sioux Falls cases.  The remainder of the state outside Sioux Falls is returning to normal.

MT has the lowest per capita case rate in the nation and a low death rate. The state is returning in stages to a normal level of business.

WOEFULLY LACKING IN URGENCY  The coronavirus outbreak at LM Wind Power in Grand Forks has been responsible for more than 160 cases.  Questions arise about the city’s responsibility.  The Minneapolis Star-Tribune published a report this week saying that the city’s response was woefully lacking in urgency and did not rely enough on local health officials.  With the benefit of hindsight, the city’s response to complaints by LMWP employees looks weak.  Mayor Mike Brown passed the job to Keith Lund, an economic development official, who merely gave LMWP what he called a “heads-up.”  The city may have lacked the authority to change outcomes, but it is also obvious it did not seriously try.

“IT’S NOT THAT PEOPLE AREN’T TRYING.  It's just that it is very difficult to control this illness.” —Dennis Burson, an animal science professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  Prof. Burson was referring to the growing list of meat packers which have become hotspots for the coronavirus because employees work side by side in close quarters.  A pork plant in Worthington, Minnesota, is one of the latest to join the list and Nobles County has over 700 cases — the most intense concentration of cases in the state.

CONTRACT TRACING is a pillar of infection control and typically requires in-depth interviews with those who may have been exposed.  A Star-Tribune report indicates ND is one of the leading states in this practice.  The report said, “Louisiana, which has been hit hard by the virus, had only about 70 people working on tracing contacts this week. By comparison, North Dakota, with less than a fifth of Louisiana’s population and no serious outbreaks, has 250 case investigators and will soon bring on an additional 172 staffers.”

IRONY OF THEIR SITUATION  As interest in the pandemic sends readership soaring, weekly newspapers in ND are experiencing slow financial death from the loss of advertising revenue.  A New Rockford Transcript story about the first (and only) person in Eddy County to get the coronavirus, received more than 12,000 hits — a normal story draws 200.  New Rockford has a population of about 1,350.  The ND Newspaper Association said its members “are grappling with one of the most challenging environments ever to face the industry.”

TOO MANY COLLEGES  Columnist Lloyd Omdahl addressed the issue of state bankruptcies.  As for ND, he said, “North Dakota won’t go bankrupt but it will go frugal. More than usual, that is.”  One of his more interesting observations concerned ND’s many small public colleges: “Some will propose closing Mayville, Bottineau, Williston and Devils Lake for starters. If not closing, a strict realignment of programming will alter the missions of various institutions.”  Such proposals seem common sense, but time after time have proven almost politically impossible.  Perhaps a fiscal crisis would tip the balance. 

LEE ENTERPRISES, the owner of the Bismarck Tribune, has made an unusual offer to advertisers.  It is offering matching grants up to $500,000 for advertising in the Trib.  A maximum monthly individual grant would be $15,000.  Some revenue for the Trib — some help for wounded businesses.

ROOSEVELT LIBRARY  The board of the planned T. Roosevelt Library in Medora is considering 12 architects — eight in the U.S and four in Europe.  Some of the best-known firms in the world are represented, for example, Studio Gang (Chicago) and Snohetta (Oslo, Norway).  The group will be narrowed down to three finalists who will prepare designs for a selection to be made in September.  Eileen Scheel has been added to the foundation board — she is a philanthropist and the wife of Steve Scheel, chairman of the board of Scheels sporting goods in Fargo.

BOMBERS COME HOME  For 16 years B-52 bombers at Minot AFB have spent part of each year in Guam — a rotation called Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP).  No longer, a Minot Daily News article indicates the bombers will stay in the continental U.S.  The article does not indicate how the end of CBP affects Minot or the Minot AFB.

JAMESTOWN’S LADDER TRUCK DIED about a year ago making the city vulnerable to large fires in taller buildings.  The city developed a somewhat unrealistic plan to fund a $1 million replacement truck, the plan included obtaining a third of the price from donations.  The city gave up on the plan and will drain a $989,000 fund intended for the replacement of other equipment.  A new truck will be delivered near the end of summer.  Jamestown has devised a fresh plan to replenish the exhausted replacement fund.

DAKTOIDS:  Gov. Burgum received a nod of approval — a survey conducted by a university consortium found 67% of Nodaks approve of his handling of the pandemic.