19 minute read
Project Sees Movement in Nekoma
By Shanda Christianson
Cavalier County Health District is looking for residents interested in being trained to offer mental health first aid trainings. Mental health first aid is a course that teaches people the skills and abilities to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or is having a mental health crisis. Just like people train in CPR to offer to someone who’s having a heart attack a lifesaving intervention, mental health first aid is the equivalent for a mental health crisis.
“It’s a real benefit in our community to have local trainers to train community individuals in the skills to apply this mental health first aid in order to give people that bridge maybe to get through the crisis they are currently in so they can be seen by a mental health professional,” said Steph Welsh, public health nurse for Cavalier County Health District.
Mental health first aid is a course that shows how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training teaches the skills people need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis. Many people can participate and benefit from the class - including teachers, first responders and veterans. The class is for anyone who wants to make their community healthier, happier, and safer for all.
“The real beauty of this course is there are no specific professional credentials or prerequisites or academic requirements to become a trainer in mental health first aid,” Welsh said. “We really are looking for people who are invested and passionate about the topic of mental health in our community.”
Cavalier County Health District will pay for the course for individuals to become mental health first aid trainers. The only expectation is that those individuals that complete the course offer at least one class of mental health first aid locally.
Mental health first aid was created in Australia in 2001 by Betty Kitchener, a nurse specializing in health education, and Anthony Jorm, a mental health literacy professor. Mental Health First Aid USA adapted the program from Mental Health First Aid Australia.
To learn more about the class and how to sign up, contact Cavalier County Health District at 256-2402. by Cavalier County Health District Radon is a colorless, odorless, and radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium in rocks and soil breaks down. Concentrations outside are low due to the dilution of ambient air. However, radon becomes a health risk when it accumulates inside buildings, and prolonged exposure to elevated radon levels can cause cancer. In North Dakota, 63% of homes have an elevated level of radon above the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Action Level” of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). All North Dakota counties are in the highest risk zone with the potential to test above the Action Level of 4 pCi/L.
The good news is that radon is a problem that can be managed. By installing a radon mitigation system, homeowners can effectively lower the level of radon in their homes. These systems use many conventional building materials and require few specialized tools to install. Systems may be installed by a homeowner or a radon mitigation contractor. Once in place, a properly installed mitigation system will reduce radon gas and safely vent it outside.
The US Surgeon General has declared radon the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. Radon is also the number one cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Radon and smoking are a dangerous combination. The CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry states that the risk of lung cancer from radon exposure is estimated at between 10 to 20 times greater for persons who smoke cigarettes than those who have never smoked. Radon-induced lung cancer typically develops 5 to 25 years after exposure. Our staff at Cavalier County Health District are committed to help people remain healthy and reduce their risk of lung cancer. To reduce your risk of developing lung cancer, test your home for radon and quit smoking. The only way to know your radon level is by testing, and radon kits can be found online or at home improvement stores for $20 to $30. Cavalier County Health District has testing kits available. Call 701-256-2402 or stop in to learn more about getting a test kit.
Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health, and tobacco treatment resources are available at NDQuits at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or https:// ndquits.health.nd.gov/. Locally, David Kavish PharmD,RPh is a tobacco treatment specialist at Langdon Prairie Health who can help you develop your quit plan – how to avoid triggers and establish routines to become tobacco-free. A quit plan improves your chance of success. David Kavish says, “We are committed to helping Cavalier County residents live the healthiest life possible.
Quitting tobacco and reducing home radon levels are both important ways to reduce the risks of lung cancer. Quitting smoking is beneficial at any age, and you do not have to quit alone.” Call Langdon Prairie Health today to become tobacco-free, 701256-6120.
Learn more at: http://www.city-data.com/ra don-zones/North-Dakota/North-Dakota.html#ixzz79HBtX7SU https://deq.nd.gov/publications/ WM/Radon/RadonFactSheet.pdf https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/radon/docs/radon.pdf
Landowners interested in posting private land electronically for the 202223 hunting season can log into My Account on the North Dakota Game and Fish Department website, gf.nd. gov. The deadline for landowners to digitally post land is July 1, which is necessary to produce print material and digital content prior to hunting seasons that begin in August.
The 2021 state legislature passed a bill to allow electronic posting of private land, giving landowners another option for posting private property.
Landowners who enrolled land electronically last year can renew, add, or modify posting designations during the enrollment period. Others posting for the first time might need to create a profile. To post land, proceed to the “Land Parcels/Electronic Posting” section at the bottom of the page and click “Search/Renew Land parcels.” The electronic posting system is linked to land descriptions based on county tax parcel information.
The Game and Fish website has complete instructions for landowners, along with frequently asked questions for both landowners and hunters.
Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, Nekoma. Photo by Larry Stokke. There is movement on the project for the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex in Nekoma. The Cavalier County Job Development Authority (JDA) has been working with Carol Goodman, who is the Oak View consultant for the complex in Nekoma. She said on the side of the property that JDA owns, the tactical area is reaching a point where work is going to be able to be done in the pyramid, and they’re eyeing a March 1 start date.
Goodman said she will begin circulating a request for bids. A bid package will go out for companies that would be interested in coming in and removing all the asbestos tiles, which Goodman said will be an extensive amount of work. “The good news about that is to be able to show that we are now going in there and starting to do some very visible clean-up. That is going to help us a lot with the marketing and searching for permanent partners to be in that building so this is pretty exciting,” Goodman said.
Goodman said the payment for this portion of the project will be through the funds that were appropriated through the Legislature last winter in the form of a $1.5 million grant. She said Frost Fire Park got about $900,000.
“We ended up with about $600,000 of that, so we’ve got the funds to do this asbestos clean-up, and it’s going to be very nice to get that part of it done,” Goodman said.
School Lunches Undergoing Changes
By Nick Vorlage
On Friday, Feb. 4, the Biden Administration issued transitional standards for school lunches which are meant to ease the path for cafeterias to get back on a healthier course as they recover from pandemic and supply chain disruptions. Schools have been struggling to meet the government's nutrition benchmarks through the pandemic but are not being punished for falling short. The “bridge” rule announced by the USDA on Friday extends emergency flexibilities for the next two school years as they gradually transition back to normal.
Beginning during the 2022/23 school year, children ages six and up may now be offered flavored low-fat 1% milk. Before the change, children could ONLY be offered nonfat, flavored milk, as well as nonfat or low-fat unflavored milk. Grains will be seeing a change as well. Previously, all grains offered through schools - whether that be in the form of cereals, breads, or pasta - would have to be high-grain offerings. Beginning next year, only 80% of all grains offered in school lunches must be whole-grain rich.
Sodium in school lunches will also be seeing a reduction of 10% starting the 2023/24 school year. The USDA has previously planned to have a larger reduction in sodium, but the 10% reduction still falls in line with suggestions provided by the FDA.
The last time the USDA changed school nutrition standards was back in 2012 as part of former first lady Michelle Obama’s healthy eating initiative.
Langdon Prairie Health Named Top Healthcare Organization in N.D.
Langdon Prairie Health, formerly Cavalier County Memorial Hospital, was named the top healthcare organization in North Dakota by their Accountable Care Organization, Caravan Health, and in the Top 5 in the region for surpassing Medicare’s quality benchmarks.
Exceeding the benchmarks means that Langdon Prairie Health’s Medicare beneficiaries received improved access to services, which resulted in improved health. The five-state region consists of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The quality benchmarks include the completion of Medicare’s free Annual Wellness Visit; HbA1c blood test, which measures blood sugar to diagnose and manage diabetes; regular blood pressure checks; and screenings for breast and colorectal cancers, tobacco use and depression, as well as several other measures.
In addition, Langdon Prairie Health was recognized by Caravan for its use of telehealth during the pandemic. Caravan featured Langdon Prairie Health in the spotlight of its Weekly Digest e-newsletter, lauding Langdon Prairie Health’s quick adoption of telehealth early in the pandemic as a way to maintain continuity of care with patients.
“Our staff and providers took the initiative to reach out to patients, and it has been nothing but a success,” Darla Roder, chief operating officer for Langdon Prairie Health, said of the organization’s telehealth program. “Our providers were pleased to be able to continue care for their patients, and the patients were appreciative of the opportunity to have that connection from the safety of their homes.”
Theater Auditions in Walhalla, Sunday
Auditions for Frost Fire Summer Theatre’s production of "The Sound of Music" will be held 1-3 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 13 at Walhalla Lutheran Church, 416 Central Avenue, in Walhalla.
Those who audition are asked to sing a short, prepared song. An accompanist will be provided. There will also be a short reading and a movement audition; bring a resume if you have one.
The cast will include approximately 20 male and female performers of all ages. All positions are salaried, and room and board is provided on rehearsal and performance weekends. Rehearsals will be held in Grand Forks during the month of June, and the show will be mounted on the stage at Frost Fire Park June 17-19 and 2324. There are no rehearsals once the show opens. There will be 19 performances from June 25 running through July 31. Shows will be held on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesdays.
The show will be under the direction of Amy Jo Paukert and will star Misti Koop as Maria.
For more information, contact Amy Jo and David Paukert at 701-259-2384 or email dpaukert8@gmail.com or text 701-270-9424.
By Shanda Christianson, NAFB Farm Director
A top ethanol industry official said the Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has failed to restore the integrity of the renewable fuel standard with its final rule to further extend refiner volume compliance deadlines. Renewable Fuels Association chief Geoff Cooper said EPA was headed in the right direction with its December renewable volume proposals, but during the last week of January, EPA told the world that refiners need not plan for date-certainty in meeting volume requirements.
“They’re talking about going back in time and extending 2019 and 2020, and then, worst of all, looking forward and saying, we’re just kind of going to throw our hands up, and we will require refiners to show they complied with the [Renewable Fuel Standard] RFs, sort of, whenever we feel like it,” Cooper said. “I just think that does not help put the RFs back on track, and it doesn’t help restore the integrity and fidelity to the program, that we’re looking for,”
Cooper said EPA chief Michael Regan agreed to pursue this, but now, Cooper said uncertainty will breed mischief.
“You’ve got some refiners that haven’t even shown 2019 compliance yet, and so, because of the way credits are tradable and because of the way they have two-year lifetimes, it just allows for those obligated parties, those refiners, to play games in the marketplace,” Cooper said.
Cooper said it’s not good for the integrity and stability of the RFs and homegrown biofuels in the marketplace.
Experts Say COVID Could Have Been Worse on Economy
By Shanda Christianson
The economy has been a challenge over the past two years and continues to be moving into a new year. But agriculture has weathered the storm without the damage once feared when the pandemic started, and many restaurants shut down for a time. Experts said it could have been worse.
“For agriculture, the good news is the economy’s growing and consumers have money. And, you know, there’s not as many restaurants so people are eating at home,” Steve Nicholson of Rabobank. “And so, they’re going to the grocery store and buying it and bringing it home and eating it. So, that’s been good for a lot of parts of the ag economy.”
Nicholson said, some categories just exploded.
“Despite all the issues of covid, you know, it has been good for agriculture. The restaurant business, food service has been challenged, there’s no doubt about it,” Nicholson said. “It’s coming back. It’s not what it used to be. You know, generally it’s been pretty good for agriculture and making sure, also, that everyone stays healthy is a big challenge as well.”
Ultimately, Nicholson said it’s all a balancing act.
“I think when you look at the overall economy, think about inflation that could raise some challenges, you know, ever-increasing costs. As we know, commodity markets don’t really care. I mean, inflation will help keep commodity prices higher, but if the supply and demand overwhelm them, they don’t really care if it’s inflation or not, i mean prices will do what they need to do,” Nicholson said.
Spotlight on Water Enhancement Pilot Program
The Red River Basin Wildlife and Water Enhancement Pilot Program came about within the last year and a half and had experts asking how to address the water quality issues and habitat issues in eastern North Dakota. It provides cost-share assistance for seeding cropland to grass cover. Experts call it a sort of short-term CRP program. A few examples of ideal fits for this program would be areas difficult to farm near waterways, saline areas, and eroded areas.
“Being that it’s a given that most of the Red River Valley and eastern counties are dedicated to ag production, we wanted to make sure that we develop a program that can help with water quality and wildlife habitat but that’s also compatible with those ag operations in that part of the state,” said Kevin Kading, North Dakota Game and Fish Private Lands Coordinator.
Walsh County is one of the seven counties involved in the Water Enhancement Pilot Program.
“There’s 1900 miles of streams that have water quality impairment, and you’ve got a lake within Walsh County itself, we know we have Matejcek Dam and, also, Homme Dam that have harmful algae blooms and a lot of the pollution that’s coming off is coming from runoff,” said Sarah Johnston, district manager of the Walsh County Soil Conservation District.
Johnston said they see water quality issues that can be addressed and really want to go to those areas of the field that are a headache for producers: areas that don’t produce well because they are flooded every year, areas that may be near a wetland, or in an area that is very saline. “If we can make those areas productive and pay the producer for that by restoring habitat, we’re also going to benefit water quality just by keeping soil in place, especially during flood times,” Johnston said. The seven North Dakota counties included in the pilot program are Walsh County, Cass County, Grand Forks County, Griggs County, Ransom County, Richland County, and Sargent County.
SBARE Seeking Northeast N.D. Applicants
North Dakota’s State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE) is looking for someone to serve on its board in a position representing Benson, Cavalier, Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina, Ramsey, Rolette, Towner, and Walsh counties.
The State Board of Agricultural Research was established in 1997 to be responsible for budgeting and policymaking for the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. In 1999, it changed to the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education then.
A major part of SBARE’s work is to gather proposals for research and Extension and prioritize the list. The prioritized list then goes to legislators for review.
Qualifications to serve as a board member include: * Knowledge of issues that affect citizens and industries in North Dakota * Local leadership experience * Willingness to serve on the SBARE, including preparing for and attending board meetings, completing assignments between meetings, and some involvement with decision makers and other stakeholders * Willingness to communicate with other groups about how SBARE functions
The four-year term begins July 1. The deadline to apply is March 7.
An application form is available at the NDSU Extension office in your county. For more information, contact Shana Forster, NDSU Extension’s north central district director, at 701-857-7679 or shana.forster@ndsu.edu. A committee will interview the candidates before sending a recommendation to the State Board of Higher Education for approval. By American Farm Bureau Federation The American Farm Bureau Federation submitted comments on Feb. 7 to the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers regarding proposed changes to the Waters of the U.S. Rule.
“We highlighted the problems with this proposed rule which range from the incredibly vague terms that they're using to establish jurisdiction, to the claim that they made about this rule having zero impact on the regulated community,” said Courtney Briggs, Farm Bureau senior director of Congressional relations. “And we spent a fair amount of time talking about the many benefits of the Navigable Waters Protection rule and the importance of the exclusions and exemptions, particularly prior-converted cropland.”
Briggs says the proposed changes would be harmful for farmers and ranchers.
“This proposal would greatly expand the federal government's reach over private property, and in particular, it would allow the agencies to regulate ephemeral features, ditches, low spots in a farm field,” Briggs said. “So, it's incredibly concerning that federal protections and federal compliance will be associated with a low spot in a farm pasture.”
With the comment period closing on Feb. 7, the EPA and Army Corps now turn their attention to finalizing the rule.
“I would anticipate that we see a finalized rule sometime this year. And if you remember back in the summer of last year, the EPA and the Corps said that they would rewrite the WOTUS definition in a two-step process. but it really remains to be seen if the agencies will embark on that step two rulemaking,” Briggs said. “And finally, most folks who are closely monitoring the WOTUS fight have turned their attention to the Supreme Court because the high court will be hearing the Sackett case later this year, which may provide an opportunity for the court to draw a bright line of jurisdiction.”
Congressman Has Beef with Editorial
By American Farm Bureau Federation
South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson has a ‘beef’ with the New York Times over its editorial alleging the beef industry is destroying the planet. He said the New York Times editorial made “sweeping, inaccurate statements” about the U.S. beef industry. “I was disappointed earlier this week to see the New York Times had an opinion piece titled, and I’m not making this up, ’Meet the People Being Paid to Kill Our Planet,’” Johnson said. Johnson said it’s just the opposite. “In recent decades, the U.S. beef industry has reduced net emissions by more than 40 percent. And so, net emissions from U.S. beef production are ten times lower than net emissions in other parts of the world,” Johnson said. “Additionally, U.S. ranchers are producing the same amount of beef as they did in 1977 with 33 percent fewer animals, and, of course, less land being used as well.” With farm productivity 287% greater in 2017 than in 1948, U.S. farmers and ranchers are the most productive in the world.
“I could not agree with you more. The collaborative and constructive efforts on behalf of American agriculture on a region by region basis, I think, has been significant,” said Livestock Chair Jim Costa. “Yes, we can do more, and that’s part of the purpose of this subcommittee hearing. The fact is American agriculture does more with less.” South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson added that a more sustainable ag future will not come from the “harsh, scolding voices of the naysayers,” but the leadership and innovation of ag researchers and producers.
Iverson Competes in Hippology Contest
Maggie and teammates are the three on the right. Maggie is in the white shirt third from the right. Submitted Photo.
Local Prairie Rose 4-H member, Maggie Iverson, competed in the Hippology contest in Bismarck on Jan. 29. Maggie and her team had to use their knowledge to examine, go through stations, judge, and team problem solve about horses. She joined the Pierce county intermediate team, and they placed 4th in the competition. The objectives and outcomes of the Hippology contest are to: • Stimulate learning in equine science and the agricultural industry • Have youth develop positive interests and attitudes about equine science and related careers • Have youth gain a base of knowledge of equine science projects • Have youth utilize skills and abilities to solve everyday situations • Reward 4-H members for knowledge gained in a subject matter area • Provide a competitive setting in which attitudes of friendliness and fairness prevail • Allow participants to process information, analyze complex problems and make informed decisions regarding current agricultural, environmental, equine science and equine industry issues • Develop teamwork, self-confidence, public speaking and decision-making skills • Have participants seek out higher education opportunities and careers related to equine science
Congratulations Maggie and team!
