Dakota Beacon

BLINKING AMBER LIGHT  ND continued to set records for coronavirus new cases and active cases.  Along with SD and Iowa, ND is one of the few states where new cases are increasing, particularly, in nursing homes in Bismarck and other western cities.  That occasioned the visit of Dr. Deborah Birx, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator.  She met in a closed-door roundtable discussion with state legislative leaders and health department officials.  Birx did not advocate new restrictions, called Nodaks “common-sense and practical,” and had high praise for the state’s commitment to testing and its robust testing capacities.

RELUCTANT MOVE  Thursday, as ND reported a record 360 new cases, Gov. Burgum reluctantly raised the risk level for eight counties from green (low risk) to yellow (moderate).  The counties which are home to Bismarck, Grand Forks and Dickinson were included.  At the same time, 13 mostly rural counties had their risk level reduced from green to blue (new normal).

STATE-OWNED OIL WELLS  State government is the single biggest owner of minerals in ND — there are currently over 8,000 wells on state property.  A company called Mineral Tracker was retained to estimate the value of the state oil and gas holdings.  The firm came back with a valuation of $1.45 billion.  The valuation is sensitive to the price of oil — every $10 increase in the price of oil raises the valuation by $500 million.

DAPL  A federal court earlier revoked the easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline.  Now, the Corps of Engineers must decide whether to allow the line to continue to pump oil or honor the revocation.  The Corps and the pipeline operator have both asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to reverse the revocation order.  The Corps previously found that the risk of an oil spill is low and its effects would be limited.

USE CAUTION ON MINIMUM WAGE  The GF Herald says ND’s $7.25 an hour minimum wage is sadly low; however, $15 an hour which is targeted in Minneapolis is far too much for ND.  The Herald believes the free market pays more than the minimum for most low-paying jobs in ND, so a higher minimum may not be needed.  If the Legislature decides to raise the minimum, the Herald believes it should be done in careful increments with proper exceptions for training and youth workers.

HEARTS ARE THROBBING in Fargo about a rumor that Amazon is planning a new large distribution center there.  The Ryan Companies of Minneapolis, which are building such a center in Sioux Falls, have secured a permit on a large parcel in Fargo north of the airport and next to I-29.  The Sioux Falls facility is two-million square feet and will have up to 1,000 employees.  Ryan and Fargo officials will not comment.

HEAD FAKE?  Jamestown has had a series of disappointments with promising large industrial projects that have fallen through.  Casey Houweling has stepped up with a proposal for a $30-35 million greenhouse with 30 acres under glass for growing tomatoes and cucumbers.  He used some concerning words:  "There are a few more hurdles (like money?) to cross but I believe we'll get there.”  The Spiritwood Energy Park has applied for a $5 million grant for infrastructure — the proposed greenhouse would use waste steam from the Great River Energy power plant and carbon dioxide from Dakota Spirit AgEnergy.

COAL CREEK is the largest coal-fired power plant in ND and Minnesota owner Great River Energy plans to close the plant in 2022.  The closure could strand a massive transmission line which runs from the plant to Minnesota.  GRE had proposed wind farms to replace power generated by the coal plant.  For reasons that are unclear, McLean County, where Coal Creek is located, placed a moratorium on wind development, effectively blocking the GRE proposal.

THREE SCENARIOS are being considered for the transmission line.  GRE could continue to own and operate the line for whatever sources of power that develop, or turn the line over to the overseer of the power grid for the middle of the nation.  Lastly, GRE could sell the power line along with Coal Creek — that seems unlikely since GRE has been unable to give the plant away. 

THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT TRIANGLE  Residents of Medora largely favor the Roosevelt Library — they believe Medora could become the third point on the Theodore Roosevelt triangle, a tourist route that would include Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone.  However, they have misgivings about the library location, about 1.5 miles from downtown, because it might cause visitors to bypass the town.  Library founders pledge to maintain a link with downtown.

THE OTTO BREMER TRUST, which owns Bremer Bank in Minnesota, distributed $7.4 million in ND as part of its most recent grant making cycle.  Trinity Health in Minot was a large recipient.

UNSETTLING REPORTS  South Dakota billionaire and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford (84) is reported to be under investigation for child pornography.  Sanford gave almost $1 billion to his namesake Sanford Health network which includes 44 hospitals and 480 clinics, the nation’s largest rural nonprofit health care system.  Sanford has become ND’s largest health care system.  Mr. Sanford is considered the wealthiest man in SD; his wealth is derived from ownership of First Premier Bank in Sioux Falls.

IMPROVE YOUR PELICAN IQ  The birds weigh up to 20 pounds, have a wingspan of nearly 10 feet, and measure 6 feet from bill to tail. The white pelican lives for about 25 years and breeds only once a year.  Many pelicans spend summer in ND at the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge west of Jamestown.  The birds normally stay in ND through September on an island in Chase Lake which is alkalized, free of fish and other food sources, so the pelicans hunt small fish and salamanders from prairie lakes up to 100 miles away.  There have been as many as 35,000 pelicans at Chase Lake, but this year there are only about 14,000 due to flooded nesting areas.

DAKTOIDS:  Lute Olson died at age 85.  He grew up in Mayville and went on to become one of the country’s most successful college basketball coaches at the University of Arizona . . . Bismarck Airport Director Greg Haug caught a 32-pound salmon in the Ft. Peck reservoir, a Montana record . . . At the end of August, 60% of the ND wheat crop had been harvested.