Dakota Beacon

Narcissism -- Excessive interest in one’s self (Webster’s). Chris Linnares’ “Happy Body/Hot Life” was a feature of the SheSays section of the Fargo Forum. Happy Body is closing down and Linnares devoted the last video episode to “someone she admired.” That someone turned out to be her husband and publisher of the Forum, Bill Marcil, Jr. In a 12-minute video, the couple exchanged cute and adoring remarks. We also learn that Marcil’s proudest achievement since becoming publisher is the SheSays section, which targets 35-year-old women with kids. Marcil is the son of the Forum’s owners and says he had been warming the bench for 20 years. Linnares say she has “more new and exciting things on the way.”

Prior to the elections GF Herald Editor Mike Jacobs wrote that Heidi Heitkamp was unlikely to win the U.S. Senate race. He said “that the only scenario that would result in her election was an ice storm that sut down western North Dakota.” There was no ice storm -- yet Heitkamp won. Jacobs was left shaking his head, he said, ‘I’ve always been proud of my ability to discern the direction of North Dakota politics, but pride goes before a fall, and I spent much of last week imaging (stet) where I tripped this time.” It wasn’t easy -- Jacobs noted that Heitkamp faced headwinds. He said, “That means that Heitkamp had to energize every Democrat, gain the biggest share of independent voters and attract some Republicans as well. She did all of that, and so she won.”

A looming shortage of U.S. airline pilots could be a good omen for UND’s aviation department. Enrollment at flight schools has been declining because cost of flight education is high and entry level airline jobs pay poorly. The Wall Street Journal reported, “At the University of North Dakota, which has one of the best-known academic aviation programs in the U.S., officials say student interest in airline careers is at the lowest level in four decades.” The WSJ article speculates that both the airline industry and government may have to underwrite flight training to avoid a crisis.

What about that: A football headline in the Minot Daily News reads “Bison too much for Sioux.” What? The Hazen High School Bison whipped the Westhope Sioux for the Class A state championship . . . Jamestown has two Linda Browns -- one is good and one is bad, it’s hard to say which is which. One writes a letter to the Sun -- the other responds “that’s not me.”

A scandal leads to one measure of success. Paula Broadwell (40) is a Bismarck native, distinguished West Point graduate and the co-author of a biography, “All In: the Education of General David Petraeus.” She is also alleged to have carried on an affair with Petraeus which led to his resignation as CIA Director. The biography jumped from an Amazon ranking of 77,000 to 111.

Paula Broadwell’s father, retired Bismarck basketball coach Paul Krantz, told the New York Daily News “he thinks the scandal is a smoke screen for a bigger story.” Krantz said, “There is a lot more that is going to come out.” As the week wore on, it became apparent that a lot more was going on -- not all of it good for his daughter. She was listed in her high school yearbook as "most likely to be remembered."

“They are not refugees and not an immigrant family. They are folks who are homeless and don’t have an address here in Grand Forks.” -- Public Health Director Don Shields confronting rumors about the source of a TB outbreak. He was referring to a visiting homeless family that was responsible for the tuberculosis. Ten or more people in GF contacted the disease and 250 have been tested. Shields said, “Alcoholism was an issue with this group, and they were homeless people, so it could be that the involvement with alcohol might have been a higher priority than taking the medication.”

“Some good, some bad and some ugly.” -- Williston Herald Managing Editor David Rupkalvis summing up his thoughts on how the oil boom has impacted Williston. He says “tantalizing jobs are also bringing in an influx of people who realize once they get here that they can’t find a place to live and too often can’t find the job they dream of. There is a lot of good, a whole lot. But with that good comes struggles, tribulations and challenges longtime residents never imagined.”

KKR comes to Williston. The Wall Street Journal reports that the large, NYSE private-equity fund is planning a $150 million bet on a Williston -- a master-planned community with over 800 apartments and a slightly smaller number of single-family homes. KKR is confident the Williston population will double or triple in a few years giving KKR “a first-mover advantage.”

“You have a prior history with at least 23 prior convictions and approximately five felonies. The longest you have gone in your adult life without a criminal conviction is 18 months.” -- Jamestown Judge Thomas Merrick as he sentenced Leon Howard (35) to life without parole for killing Somali immigrant Abdi Ali Ahmed. Fritz Fremgen, Stutsman County state’s attorney, was contemptuous as he recommended the sentence: “No legitimate income, no car, did not support his family, no degree, no job,” he said. “He parties, he’s ‘Rah Rah’ (Howard’s nickname). … People give him a place to live, food and several have sex with him.” Howard built his long criminal record in Minnesota.

Marie Jansen (55) was driving a SUV on I-94 east near the Montana/ND border with pregnant daughters Desiree Jansen (21) and Miranda Jansen (19) as passengers, both from Billings. Marie lost control on an icy patch and rolled the SUV -- both daughters died the ND way, thrown from the vehicle because they weren’t wearing seat belts.

ND may be unfriendly to space aliens. Space Aliens Grill & Bars are concept restaurants that landed in each of ND’s four largest cities and feature gristly ribs. The restaurants in Minot and GF have closed, but Space Aliens continues to dish out ribs in Bismarck and Fargo.

They are not very lively, but most are smiling. The GF Herald pictured nine residents of the Sunset Lutheran Nursing Home in Grafton, all over 100 -- the oldest was about to turn 107. What were popular women’s names 100 years ago: try Irene, Clara, Orphie, Johanna, Daisy, Verna, Ann, Esther, and Vivian. In the 2010 census, ND had about 200 people over 100 -- 90% women.

DAKTOIDS: The number of individual income tax returns filed in ND is up 19% in the last five years -- 80% are e-filed . . . A record 325,000 ND voters participated in this year’s election . . . The Williston Herald asked residents if they need a new airport: Yes - 82%, No - 18%.