Year in Review 2018 by MinotDailyNews

YEARINREVIEW TUESDAY • JANUARY 1, 2019

TOP 10 STORIES OF 2018

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#1 City of the Year has eventful 2018 City Engineer Lance Meyer, Gov. Doug Burgum and Mayor Shaun Sipma, left to right, lead a group on a walking tour of Minot’s Renaissance parking structure Oct. 22. Jill Schramm/MDN

By JILL SCHRAMM • Senior Staff Writer • jschramm@minotdailynews.com

Minot experiences ups and downs in 2018 The award reflected a number of completed projects and activities over the past few years and was part of the positive light shining on the region because Harvey also won City of the Year in the small cities category. The City of Minot had its share of challenges and changes in 2018 as well. In June, residents elected a new mayor in Shaun Sipma, a council member who had served as a spokesman for #MakeMinot, a grassroots group supporting government reforms that included a smaller council. Sipma replaced Chuck Barney as mayor, creating a vacancy in his council seat for

which council members appointed Stephan Podrygula. Podrygula had been an incumbent council member but finished behind Paul Pitner, Mark Jantzer and Lisa Olson in the six-way race for the three council seats on the June 2018 ballot. Pitner, a young businessman and real estate agent, was making his first race for council. The new council continued to deal with parking ramp, budget and landfill issues that heated up in 2018. The landfill debate began in January after neighbors of the existing facility mobilized against a proposed expansion. Trinity Health

inot was named North Dakota’s City of the Year for 2018 at the state League of Cities convention in September.

was among opponents, given the proximity of its medical complex under construction. The Minot Planning Commission had tabled the item in November 2017, and the city ended up stepping back from its zoning request in 2018 to do more study. After a series of focus group meetings, two public meetings and consultant research, the Public Works Department recommended expansion due to the cost and the time involved in siting a new landfill. It wasn’t until December that the council felt it finally had the information it needed to make a decision. Members agreed to seek state

permits to expand on about 80 acres purchased in 2017 south of the existing municipal solid waste facility and also on land south of the existing inert waste disposal. The city will apply to rezone all 320 acres purchased in 2017. Meanwhile, the city will begin looking for a new landfill site. In March, the City of Minot took over management of the two downtown parking ramps while suing the developer to collect on about $3.53 million the city says is owing in outstanding rent and construction-related expenses. The lawsuit in North Central District Court also seeks costs incurred to repair city property al-

legedly damaged by Cypress, costs incurred by the city to install exterior finishes in an amount of at least $507,531 and lost revenue. Cypress had responded the company has been working with the City of Minot on a resolution to the parking structure situation that would not cost the city or residents of Minot money. Cypress stated the biggest hurdle was to have the city live up to its obligation of finishing the parking structures, which the city owns. The council approved a $222,246 budget to operate the two downtown ramps in 2018, using

Trinity breaks more ground; celebrates future medical complex at construction site By ELOISE OGDEN • Regional Editor •eogden@minotdailynews.com

See CITY — Page 2

onstruction started in 2018 on Trinity Health’s future regional health facility.

The replacement hospital campus and medical district construction process began in May 2018 on 42 of the more than 70 acres in southwest Minot. The site is west of the Minot Family YMCA along 37th Avenue SW. In September Trinity Health celebrated its future regional health facility with a “Breaking More Ground” event. The new Trinity Health Healthcare Campus and Medical District will be a 970,000-square-foot full-service hospital, medical office and other building space. President/CEO John Kutch called the occasion an Jill Schramm/MDN Congressman Kevin Cramer, speaking at the “Breaking More Ground” ceremony held in Septem- exciting day for the future of ber, commends Trinity and Minot that they “would endeavor something as courageous and big as Trinity Heath, the Minot community and northwestyou are doing today.” ern North Dakota, according

to a Trinity news release. “This project is not really about building or buildings. It is about people. It’s about fulfilling our mission to improve the health of the people, the community, and the region we serve. This represents our vision, our people, and our future. It also embodies Trinity Health’s commitment to provide the highest quality healthcare to the people who entrust their care to us.” Congressman Kevin Cramer, who spoke at the September event, commended Trinity and Minot that they “would endeavor something as courageous and big as you are doing today.” Trinity Board Chairman See TRINITY — Page 3

2 Minot (N.D.) Daily News, Tuesday, January 1, 2019

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City Manager Tom Barry, Finance Director David Lakefield, Sen. John Hoeven, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford, Col. Sam Calkins with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, former Mayor Chuck Barney and Public Works Director Dan Jonasson were among those shoveling dirt in a ceremonial ground breaking for the flood protection project in Minot March 28.

By JILL SCHRAMM • Senior Staff Writer • jschramm@minotdailynews.com

First phases of construction in Minot start in 2018

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Year In Review

onstruction on the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project began in earnest in 2018.

The sound of ceremonial shovels scooping dirt and equipment grinding and hauling away trees gave notice March 28 that the flood protection project residents have been waiting for since 2011 is on its way. U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford, Col. Sam Calkins with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ St. Paul office joined local leaders to celebrate ground breaking on the first three phases of flood protection. These segments together extend from the U.S. Highway 83 Bypass to beyond Third Street Northeast. “This is the most exciting day I have had as mayor of Minot,” then Mayor Chuck Barney said at the ceremony, held under a tent near the Minot Water Treatment Plant on 16th Street Southwest. “We have to keep working on the final phases to get this done,” Hoeven said. “We need this flood protection. We need to keep going because we need to cover the whole area from Burlington to Velva.” Construction occurred during the past year on: – Phase 1 Fourth Avenue segment, a six-block stretch of levees, floodwalls, a new sanitary lift station, and a major pump station from just west of Broadway to the east side of Third Street Northeast. – Phase 2 Napa Valley, from the Highway 83 Bypass to 16th Street Southwest, including levees, a road closure structure and two storm water pump stations. – Phase 3 Forest Road, running along the north side

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A construction crew begins erecting pre-cast concrete wall panels for the new Perkett Ditch Pump station Dec. 3. of the river between 16th Street Southwest and the end of Third Avenue Southwest near the intersection of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, primarily featuring earthen levees. The total cost for the three phases is estimated at $99.4 million. Construction on the Broadway Pump Station began about a month after the project’s ground breaking at the southwest corner of Broadway and Fourth Avenue. The pump station is considered to be one of the largest in North Dakota, with the capacity to pump 180,000 gallons of water per

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cash reserves to help cover the cost. The city invested into cleaning up and maintaining the ramps. In December, the city updated its policies and equipment programming. The updates were prompted by a November incident in which a motorist was trapped for an hour and half, exposing a problem with how equipment was responding to over-extended parking passes. The council adopted a 2019 budget that asks Minot taxpayers to foot a $1.66 million bill to operate and put roofs on the parking ramps. The cost added more than 7 mills to the budget. A proposed property-tax increase averaging 18.5 percent drew a crowd to the Minot City Council’s budget hearing in September. Most wanted to see the preliminary budget cut, and they went away disappointed.

minute. Eight pumps will be installed in the facility. It is expected to take one year to complete. Meanwhile, the Structure Acquisition, Relocation and Ring Dike program serving the rural area in the Souris Basin continued to serve property owners with the $12 million available in funding. Toward the end of the year, the program continued to solicit participation. In July, Maj. Gen. Richard Kaiser, commander of the Mississippi Valley Division, and Calkins came to Minot for an update and tour of the construction.

The council began during the summer to assess the city’s financial situation, determine its budget priorities and try to make future ends meet as frugally as possible, so found it couldn’t do much more once the preliminary budget was completed. The need to fund the Northwest Area Water Project and Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project means less sales tax money for infrastructure and other city projects, shifting costs to property taxes. The consolidated tax increase for the owner of a home at median value of $178,000 was about $160 when tax statements went out at the end of the year. The city tax makes up about a third of a Minot taxpayer’s property-tax bill but accounted for most of the increase. In March, the province of Manitoba, whose lawsuit has caused NAWS to drag out in environmental studies, indicated a willingness to drop any further action in exchange for the right to be involved in the NAWS design.

The Corps is conducting a feasibility study that will determine which project features might qualify for federal funding consideration. The joint board and City of Minot, along with the Corps, wanted to see the study completed and a report finalized yet this year so the project can be included in the next congressional authorization bill for water resources. However, in November, it was learned the the $55 million Maple Diversion portion of the project that met the cost ratio for consideration in the congressional authorization bill was not included. The project needed to have the Corps’ chief’s report, but due to the tight timeline in completing the feasibility study, that report wasn’t done in time to get the Maple Diversion in the authorization bill. Authorization is the first step toward consideration for federal funding. Plans are to get the project into the next water resources bill in 2020, although Hoeven said he will work to secure the authorization in the next available legislative vehicle. Going into winter, the project portion from Broadway to Third Street Northeast was about six months behind. Two other phases between the U.S. Highway 83 Bypass and Broadway are about six months ahead of schedule. Work on the Broadway and Perkett Ditch pump stations will continue over winter. In early December, a milestone was reached on the Perkett station with the placement of pre-cast concrete wall panels.

Manitoba’s lawsuit against NAWS had been ongoing since October 2002. Construction began this past spring on NAWS-related improvements to the Minot Water Treatment Plant, and design of a biota treatment plant near Max is going forward. Also in 2018, the city’s running legal battle with a former city attorney came to an end. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals turned down Colleen Auer’s final appeal request in September, effectively ending the legal proceedings. Saying it’s important the story be told, Auer said she intends to eventually make documents, depositions and court motions electronically available to the public. Auer sued after the city fired her for insubordination. She had been employed by the city from March 31, to May 2, 2014. Auer argued she was fired in retaliation for a whistleblower complaint. She also sued over alleged mishandling of her credit report by the city and credit bureaus.

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Numerous people representing Minot’s Roosevelt Park Zoo or with a special interest in the zoo broke ground in June for the new cat habitats at the zoo. The new cat habitats are part of the plans for the zoo’s centennial observance in 2021.

Zoo starts construction on new cat habitats; parks, rec merger under way By ELOISE OGDEN • Regional Editor •eogden@minotdailynews.com

The long-awaited day arrived this year in June when ground was broken at Minot’s Roosevelt Park Zoo for new cat habitats. This year a proposed merger of the Minot Park District and City of Minot’s Recreation Commission also came together. “We’ve been talking about it for quite some time,” said Becky Dewitz, zoo director, at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new cat habitats in June. “The zoo is the oldest zoo in North Dakota and these are dramatic changes to improve the quality of the zoo for our people.” The project includes new habitat for Amur tigers near the Visitor’s Center and for new habitat for African lions on the east loop of the zoo where other African species located. The third phase of the project will be the renovation of the existing large cat habitat into a space that encourages climbing for the Amur leopards and snow leopards. “There’s not many zoos that have exhibits like what we are doing,” Dewitz said, referring to overhead cat walks that will be part of the new areas. As of December, the structures were up and enclosed in the habitats for the tigers and lions, said Jennifer Kleen, Minot Zoo Crew executive director. Rolac Contracting Inc. of Minot is the construction firm for the project.

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She said the habitats for the tigers and lions is expected to be completed in the summer of 2019. The third portion of the project, the habitat for the Amur leopards and snow leopards, is in the design phase. Several months earlier the zoo launched a Centennial Capital Campaign for the project. Originally the goal was $5 million but later changed to $6 million due to higher projected costs. As of Dec. 28, the capital campaign had $4,641,705, Kleen said. A number of donors have contributed to the capital campaign. The Minot Park District also committed $1 million to the zoo’s capital campaign. People also can “Buy A Brick for the Tigers at the Zoo,” a project to help the zoo reach the financial goal of the capital campaign. The bricks will be placed on the guest pathway to wind among the tiger yards. As of mid-December, 312 bricks were sold. The bricks will continue to be sold, Kleen said. The habitat for the leopards, a renovation of the existing cat habitats, would be in addition to the $6 million, Kleen said. She said no estimates of the cost are available yet. The three-phase project is to be completed by the zoo’s centennial year in 2021.

Merger of Parks & Recreation

A proposed merger of the Minot Park District and the City of Minot’s Recreation Commission also came together this year. The city and park district hope to begin the transition Jan. 1. “This isn’t about saving a lot of money but improving the quality and output of what we are getting for our dollar,” said Mayor Shaun Sipma at a public meeting on the merger held in December. Besides finances, the park district and city have worked out an arrangement for the park district to be able to absorb city recreation personnel and combine their pay and benefit packages equitably. The park district will be leasing city recreation facilities with the idea that an ownership change could occur at some future time, the Minot Daily News reported in December. “We are hoping that with us combining our efforts together we are going to be able to provide more for our community and more quality,” said Parks Director Ron Merritt at the December public meeting. “We are excited about this opportunity to combine forces and try to do an even better job than we are doing right now. The park board approved the merger. The city council likely will take it up in January.

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Patrick Holien said it is a “large part of Trinity’s strategic plan to be the primary health-care provider for northwest North Dakota, not just for today and tomorrow but a long ways into the future.” The new hospital will provide a wide range of healthcare services including 200-plus private rooms, stateof-the-art surgical suites, advanced cardiac, neurosurgical and orthopedic care, behavioral health section and emergency/level II trauma center with 24

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This is an artist’s rendering of the new Trinity Healthcare Campus and Medical District being built in southwest Minot off 37th Avenue. treatment bays. Patient family lounge on each of the rooms will be private and patient floors. Last fall Trinity Health regrouped in sets of 16 with a

ceived approval from the Ward County Commission to issue up to $380 million in health-care revenue bonds. The architectural firm partnering with Trinity Health for the project is TEG Architects. Yates-Northwest Contracting, a joint venture, is managing the project’s construction. The $350 million project is scheduled for completion in 2021. Trinity Health’s centennial will be observed in 2022. Trinity Health also unveiled a new corporate brand identity a “living green” leaf design in the shape of a “t” with the tagline, “Making More Possible.”

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vember and was easily elected for a fourth term. John Pietsch bested Dave Pankow for the second open spot on the commission. He’ll begin his first four year term at the Jan. 2 meeting of the Ward County Commission. In addition to Fjeldahl and Pietsch, other members of the commission are Alan Water, Jim Rostad and Shelly Weppler. In the District 3 race for the State Senate, Republican Oley Larsen was the top vote getter against independent Andy Maragos and Democrat Joseph Nesdahl. Winners in the District 3 House race were Republicans Jeff Hoverson and Bob Paulson. Voters rejected Democrats Shannon Krueger and Bob Schwartz. Long-time Republican Senator Randy Burckhard was re-elected in District 5. He has served in the state Legislature since 2011. Democrat David Haugen was unsuccessful in his bid to unseat Burckhard. District 3 House winners were Scott Louser and Jay Fisher. Louser was first elected in 2011. Fisher was a newcomer. On the short end of the ballot total was Zachary Raknerud.

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While the election of Roed may not have been completely surprising to some, the margin of victory certainly was. Roed swept the office by capturing the majority of votes in all 19 voting precincts. It was his first run at elected office. Barnard was also seeking his first approval from voters. He had been named interim sheriff in April 2017 by the Ward County Commission following the resignation of his former boss, Steve Kukowski. At that time Barnard was head of investigations for the department. Roed, a 28-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, was a captain serving under Barnard. He will take over reigns of the sheriff’s office on Jan. 1. Part of Roed’s responsibilities includes working regularly with the Ward County Commission, the make-up of which was changed during last November’s election. Following the decision of commissioner Larry Louser to not seek re-election for a second term, three candidates were seeking two open positions on the commission. One of the seats belonged to John Fjeldahl. He was the top vote getter in No-

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t the November 6, 2018 general election voters chose some new people to occupy very visible potions in Ward County. Foremost was the defeat of Sheriff Bob Barnard, ousted by challenger Robert Roed.

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Year In Review

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The year in Minot was also marked by high profile crime. In May, former Minot kindergarten teacher Cynthia Louise Wilder, 28, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for helping to plan the brutal stabbing murder of her husband’s pregnant ex-wife in NoCynthia vember 2015. Her Wilder husband, Richie Wilder Jr., had previously been sentenced to life without parole for the murder of his ex-wife, Angila Wilder. Cynthia Wilder was charged after she confessed her role in the crime to an old friend, who was working with police and recording the conversation without her knowledge. Cynthia Wilder admitted to stak-

ing out Angila Wilder’s house to determine when residents arrived and left and of helping to clean up blood evidence after Richie Wilder Jr. returned home from committing the murder. Cynthia Wilder later pleaded guilty to the Class AA felony conspiracy charge. Cynthia Wilder had initially appealed the life sentence handed down by North Central District Court Judge Stacy Louser, but months later decided to drop the appeal. The Wilder case was also featured in 2018 in an episode of NBC’s Dateline this year. In August, Travis Eugene Yoney, 45, of Minot, was charged with attempted murder and accused of trying to shoot and kill a one-time confidential informant who helped bring about Yoney’s conviction last

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year for delivery of marijuana. Yoney pleaded not guilty to that charge and to related charges. A court hearing in that case is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2019, in district court in Minot. In September, Bradley Joe Morales, 28, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the August 2017 murder of his exgirlfriend, Sharmaine Leake, 25. A jury found Morales guilty of the Class AA felony

See CRIME — Page 5

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Minot’s Daily Bread opened in late July.

Businesses come and go in 2018 By ASHTON GERARD • Staff Writer • agerard@minotdailynews.com

Though much of Minot remains the same, much changed in the business scene in 2018. From hotels closing or changing hands to new businesses and concepts coming to the area, here is a breakdown of what has changed in Minot for business.

Hotels

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At the beginning of 2018, whisperings around Minot revealed that some hotels around Minot were rumored to be up for sale or closing their doors. Hotels that closed their doors permanently in 2018 include the Vegas Motel and Guest Lodge on North Hill. Vegas Motel owner Greg Pekovich of Billings, Mont., told the Minot Daily News in February the decision to close the motel was that the supply of rooms had more than doubled in the city and the demand declined dramatically due to the boom and bust in the oil field. At this point in the year, The Sevens Bar & Restaurant remained open as well as its ballroom and meeting rooms. Multiple hotels in Minot changed hands over the course of 2018. In May, Holiday Inn Riverside, located on East Burdick Expressway across from the state fairgrounds, was sold and is now the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center. Fairfield Inn by Mariott located near Dakota Square Mall recently transitioned to Wingate by Wyndham.

Retailers

Following the fall of Sears in 2017, Herberger’s marked the second big box retailer to shut its doors nationwide, leaving another empty space at Dakota

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Year In Review

2018 brought sentences for murder, attempted murder; charges for attempted murder, manslaughter

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4 Minot (N.D.) Daily News, Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Herberger’s announced its closure in May.

Square Mall in 2018. Herberger’s announced they were closing their doors in May. The closures mean that nearly 134,000 square feet of retail space just from those two businesses is available at Dakota Square. A new boutique, Leela & Lavender, is one of the newest shopping additions to the Dakota Square Mall. The boutique opened in early November.

Food

Minot’s food scene received an upgrade in 2018 with new concepts appearing around town. Broadway saw two new establishments come to town in Minot’s Daily Bread and SuduWOK. Minot’s Daily Bread, located at 1500 South Broadway, opened in late July bringing European-style baking to North Dakota. Minot’s Daily Bread

now updates their Facebook page daily to display their latest creations and specials. Serving up some Asian flair, SuduWOK came to 1416 South Broadway and offered a selection of Asian inspired dishes. In October, owner Mike Sartwell stated a need for fresh, signature foods that’s all about choice and customization. As of Dec. 24, 2018, SuduWOK served its last meals as they closed their doors for good. They wrote in a Facebook post: “We are very proud of our creation and we thought there would be a much stronger demand for this type of concept. While we have a significant number of loyal fans, whom we appreciate very much, there simply is not enough interest in SuduWOK to keep the doors open.” In 2018, growing coffee con-

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noisseur With Room Coffee set up a permanent shop in the Bricks Studio Building downtown, located at 400 East Central Avenue. They celebrated their grand opening in July and offering a mix of coffee and tea drinks with plants and other merchandise. At Dakota Square, Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill underwent a renovation in October in reopened as Rock Tap House. Their menu now consists of stuffed burgers, tacos, sandwiches, salads and more. With the renovation, they installed a 32-line tap tower with 4 domestic and 28 rotating craft brew capabilities along with 15 new TV’s, a game room, new furniture and lighting. Also new to Dakota Square is Sinful Delights, a decadent dessert bar specializing in overthe-top milkshakes and other unique dessert offerings.

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a bushel from about $10 a bushel a year and a half ago. The trade war truce sent the price of soybeans over the $9 mark. Soybean farmers were aided during the time the two counties discontinued trade by a trade assistance subsidy approved by Congress in the amount of 40 cents per bushel. Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, continued to push in mid-December for enactment of an additional 40 cents per bushel for soybean producers. “I am encouraged that China is starting to buy soybeans from U.S. producers,” said Hoeven. “At the same time, I called Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and emphasized that it is very important that the USDA continue with the trade assistance payment for our farmers. We want to see both that assistance, as well as China coming back in into the market to

buy our agricultural products.” North Dakota soybeans sold to China must first move from storage in this state to ports in the Pacific Northwest and then overseas to China. While the initial purchase of soybeans from the U.S. is not on par with past purchases, it represents an excellent start to the possible resumption of trade

New Farm Bill

Both the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a new farm bill in mid-December. The bill was forwarded to the desk of President Donald Trump for his signature. 2018 was not a particularly good year for farmers. The United States Department of Agriculture says their statistics show announced farm income is projected to drop 12 percent for 2018. Highlights of the 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act, or Farm Bill, include the retention of crop insurance programs, which allow farmers to purchase policies to protect against loss due to disease, drought or other catastrophic events. The bill also includes legislation to expand access to rural broadband. Included in the bill is the creation of an Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. The office will oversee non-traditional farming operations.

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In early July 2018, the United States imposed tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese good being imported into the country. China retaliated with tariffs on imported good from the U.S. The trade war between the world’s two largest economies was underway. For North Dakota farmers the effect was particularly felt by soybean farmers. China’s annual purchase of soybeans from U.S. markets totaled more than $12 billion in 2017, accounting for about 60 percent of U.S. soybean exports. Sales came to a halt when the two counties announced additional tariffs on imported goods. U.S. stocks of soybeans grew and the price per bushel of soybeans fell as the two countries continued to clash about an unequal balance of trade tipped heavily in favor of China. It wasn’t until early December that a resolution, however temporary, was agreed upon. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to 90-day truce in the trade war for the purpose of allowing trade to continue while the two sides could work out an agreement on new trading practices. Almost immediately China agreed to purchase about 1.5-million metric tons of soybeans from the U.S. It was good news for North Dakota soybean growers who had watched the price of their product drop to about $8.50

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manslaughter. He accidentally shot and killed Devon Main while Valentin was playing with a 9mm handgun he did not know was loaded. Valentin pleaded not guilty to the charge in district court in Bottineau. A status conference in the case is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2019. Also in October, a Minot jury acquitted Kommika Gregory, 38, of the most serious charge of Class AA felony murder, but did find her Kommika guilty of Gregory Class B felony manslaughter. Gregory had testified at trial that she shot Ronald Stanley Thompson in self defense after he intervened in a dispute between Gregory and her ex-boyfriend. She claimed Thompson put his hands on her and blocked her path to the door as she tried to leave. The state argued that the evidence did not match Gregory’s ac-

count. A prosecutor claimed that Thompson was actually in a defensive crouch, holding his arm in front of his chest, when he was shot and that he was standing near a sofa in the apartment instead of in the hallway blocking Gregory’s path to the door. Gregory is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8 by Judge Gary Lee. A manslaughter charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Manslaughter committed with a weapon carries a minimum mandatory sentence of four years in prison. In November, Chad Legare, of Alexandria, Minn., entered an Alford plea to attempted murder of Father Robert Wapinski, a priest at St. Xavier Catholic Church in Anamoose. Legare entered the priest’s living quarters on Jan. 30, disabled a light, and waited for the priest to enter. He then wrapped speaker wire around Wapenski’s neck and tightened it until the priest fell unconscious. Wapenski was discovered and taken to the hospital

for treatment. Legare entered the Alford plea because he claims he did not intend to murder the priest. Court records show that Legare claimed his girlfriend told him she had been raped by Wapenski. The woman has denied that Wapenski so assaulted her. Legare will be sentenced in district court in McHenry County at a later date. Also in November, Cody Allen Faltersack, 24, was charged with manslaughter in the death of his girlfriend’s 6month-old son in Stanley. According to a probable cause affidavit Cody filed with Faltersack the court, Faltersack allegedly told police that he dropped the baby on the side of his head when he went to put him down on a bed. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 7 in district court in Stanley.

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murder charge in May. Morales stabbed Leake during a domestic altercation. He had claimed he had accidentally stabbed her as she went one way and he went another on the stairway. He expressed remorse, tried to render aid and begged bystanders to help her. The state had argued that the blood spatter evidence showed Morales actually chased Leake with the knife in his hand and stabbed her in the neck as she tried to open the patio door to make her escape. Leake was taken to the hospital but never regained consciousness and died of her injuries. Morales is appealing his case to the North Dakota Supreme Court. In October, a Bott i n e a u man, Carlos Anton i o Valentin, 19, was charged Carlos with Class Valentin B felony

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Chad Legare enters the courtroom in Towner. Legare pleaded guilty to attempted murder of Father Robert Wapinski.

Crime

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Trade war highlights 2018 ag issues

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Year In Review

“Where You’ll Shimmer & Shine!”

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6 Minot (N.D.) Daily News, Tuesday, January 1, 2019

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By JILL SCHRAMM • Senior Staff Writer • jschramm@minotdailynews.com

History makes way for change in 2018 Home Sweet Home was on the move in June, crossing the street to a new home out of the path of flood protection construction. The move was just one of the changes occurring in 2018 for long-time fixtures in the Minot community. Originally a residence, the house at 103 4th Ave. NW served as a gift shop for more than 30 years. The city purchased the building earlier this year for $432,000 to acquire the property for a flood wall. The purchase was made using primarily National Disaster Resilience funds in the wake of the 2011 flood that inundated much of the city. The purchase was necessary because of a determination by the State Historical Society that the house has historic value. Dig It Up Backhoe Service was hired for $565,770 to dig and construct a foundation, meet requirements for asbestos abatement, board windows, remove brick and perform other preparations necessary to move the 119-year-old house and situate it on its new foundation. Contractors settled the building onto a permanent foundation in August. EAPC conducted an engineering assessment that identified a need for minor shoring repairs. The shoring repairs came to $17,693. The city plans to eventually sell the house. Also to make way for flood protection, crews began demolishing and removing the former Minot Flour Mill building, located just east of the Third Street viaduct, in April. The North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office agreed to the demolition of the structure once the property was docu-

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Photos by Jill Schramm/MDN

TOP: Xcel Energy and workers with Huwe the House Mover raise electrical lines to move Home Sweet Home under them and across the street June 28. ABOVE: Officials, Chamber representatives and others line the Broadway Bridge on Nov. 15 to cut the ribbon on the completion of the two-year replacement project.

mented in an updated Minot Industrial Historic District report. The history of the building goes back to before 1904, when Minot pioneer businessmen, including Erik Ramstad and Alfred Blaisdell, founded the Minot Milling Co. In more recent years, the building was used by Souris Valley Feed and Seed. Unrelated to flood protection, the demolition of the The Virginia apartments near the intersection of Burdick Expressway on Broadway took place in August. Closing the book on that piece of Minot history, it opens the door for a new development yet to come. The Virginia, originally known as Virginia Flats, was built in 1910 by Winfield Smart, a former mayor, state legislator and property developer. The building continued to be operated as apartments until shortly before its demolition. Bringing the building up to code was

deemed too expensive, leading to its removal, according to owner Lee Bertsch with Bertsch Properties. He said he plans to construct a new multi-tenant building that will be a credit to the high profile intersection. Another structure not quite as old was replaced with the completion of the new Broadway Bridge. Originally constructed in two phases, with southbound lanes built in 1962 and northbound lanes in 1971, the bridge was replaced in two phases in 2017 and 2018. The ribbon cutting on the completed $21 million project was held Nov. 15. The 1,000-foot-long bridge includes new LED lighting to match the downtown and an enhanced walkway for pedestrians and bikes. Because of today’s engineering and design capabilities, only six piers are needed to hold up the bridge, compared to 14 on the former bridge.

2018 mild winter, little precipitation

By ELOISE OGDEN • Regional Editor • eogden@minotdailynews.com

The saying goes if you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change. But this winter of 2018 hasn’t changed into anything like many past ones with heavy snowfall and extremely low temperatures. Instead, Minot and area have been experiencing an unseasonably mild winter with little precipitation. As of mid-December, Minot and the nearby area had less than 11 inches of precipitation since the beginning of the year. That’s more than six inches below the long-term average. Other areas throughout North Dakota have had minimal precipitation as well. “It is going to be warm and there’s no precipitation in the forecast for the foreseeable future,” National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Abeling of Bismarck told the Minot Daily News in mid-December.

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#9 Out with the old

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This photo taken in Minot shows the temperature on Dec. 18. Minot and the area have been experiencing an unseasonably mild winter with little precipitation. He called the warm and dry weather pattern “almost like a Chinook.” An abundance of dry air over the Rocky Mountains was work-

ing as a ridge in the upper atmosphere over the northern United States that acts as a barrier to any possible intervention of cold weather.

#10

The current warm spell is not a result of impending El Nino, a warming of sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean. But instead linked closer to weather conditions originating in tropical climates, the Minot Daily News reported on Dec. 14. “We can’t give El Nino credit for this,” Abeling told the newspaper. Although the weather could change to a more normal season of snow, people are enjoying the milder winter temperatures. Shortly before Christmas, the weather changed again, bringing snow and ice covering streets, driveways and parking lots. The day after Christmas, those living in North Dakota knew winter was really back when a storm hit the state, dropping several inches of snow in the area and various amonts in other parts of the state.

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Year In Review