Dakota Beacon

YES, IT’S A CRISIS  The coronavirus has a stubborn hold on ND; the state has the most cases and deaths per capita in the nation and a shortage of hospital beds and staff.   Although Ward County (Minot) is ND’s fourth largest county, among ND's largest counties, it's at the top in new and active cases per capita.  By this time, most of the bigger counties and cities in ND have instituted mandates and restrictions to slow the virus.  The state’s universities have a large number of active cases — it’s a public health challenge to keep the students from taking the virus home for Thanksgiving.

REGIONAL PROBLEM — Nearby states SD, Wisconsin, and Iowa are not far behind ND in having a high number of coronavirus cases per capita.  Minnesota is also seeing increases, but doesn’t have high per capita numbers like its neighbors.  As of Tuesday, Minnesota had 2,700 virus deaths, SD 540 and ND 640.  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he wasn’t blaming the Dakotas for Minnesota’s virus problems, but he implored the Dakota governors to introduce greater virus restrictions to reduce the virus spread across state lines.  He had particularly harsh words for SD Governor Kristi Noem, whom he essentially accused of “showboating” about her state's lack of virus-related restrictions.

MANITOBA'S LOCKDOWN increases pressure on ND and its governor to order statewide virus restrictions.  The Canadian province, which borders ND, will enter a monthlong lockdown with mandatory business closures and travel restrictions.  Manitoba has a much lower level of virus infections than ND.

RUDE HOLIDAY SURPRISE  Retail closures and bankruptcies are taking a toll on companies which own and operate shopping malls.  CBL, the operator of the Kirkwood Mall in Bismarck and the Dakota Square Mall in Minot, has filed for bankruptcy.  CBL said the malls will remain open as it goes through bankruptcy — the company operate 105 other malls. 

CORN STALKS AND LEAVES are abundant after harvest.  UND’s College of Energy has a four-year, $3.75 million grant from the Dept. of Energy to learn how to turn them into jet fuel.  A successful project is not a sure thing — UND will try a succession of scale-ups to see if corn waste can produce jet fuel at a commercial level.  If that is accomplished, there are still impressive logistical challenges.  Think of gathering corn waste and loading hundreds of trucks which would then travel long distances and converge on a processing plant — can it be economical?

THE BAR GOT A NEW LOOK  The general manager of Erv’s Bar & Grill in Horace is not easily perturbed.  When a speeding stolen car driven by a 15-year old tipped over, began rolling down the sidewalk and tore off the bar’s porch awning and supports, Danielle Pretzer said, “The car just clipped the porch, so it took the railing and awning down.  We’re very fortunate we could just pull it down and we have a new look now.”  The teenager was removed from the car, arrested for felony possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance, and taken to a hospital.

SCROUNGING  When it came time for the Jamestown Fire Department to pay for a $1 million new ladder truck, a replacement for a disabled truck, they were quite short of cash.  So they did the natural thing, they wiped out the fire department’s equipment replacement fund.  Oh, Oh!  That created a new problem.  If one of their other aging vehicles failed, they would be right back where they started.  They hope to get a third of the money needed to replenish the fund from the city, a third from the state Legislature and the remainder through donations.  A fund raising campaign is underway — owners of a bar and grill and the owners of a wood works came up with $30,000 — one source was a charitable gambling casino within the bar.  Another was corn hole board sets made by the wood works.  Jamestown is a no growth city — scrounging is one way of meeting municipal needs. 

UP BY YOUR BOOTSTRAPS  Frank Ellingson (90) of the Carrington area died November 1.  His obituary indicates he attended a country school until the 8th grade, at which time he began farming and raised his first crop.  One-room schools and children leaving school to work after the 8th grade are both practices largely gone in ND — fortunately, part of a past age.  Frank wasn’t hindered by lack of education.  He became a successful farmer, a noted bird photographer, a technical whiz and an overseas traveler.

HAMM’S BEAR MAN  Remember the bear, he danced to drums in the “Land of Sky Blue Waters.”  The bear’s father is William Stein Sr. (97), who grew up on a ranch in Killdeer.  After the Air Force, he went on to study graphic arts at the U. of Minnesota and Minneapolis College of Art & Design.  Stein illustrated the Hamm’s Bear for 30 years — it was his career.  His obituary said he was still sketching the bear near the time of his death.

DAKTOIDS:  Politico reports that former ND U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp is the top candidate for Biden’s Secretary of Agriculture . . . “It was so much more relaxing and kind of put the fun back into farming.” — A NDSU extension agent expressing a popular reaction among farmers to the 2020 crop and harvest after a dismal 2019 harvest.