Armstrong Declares Statewide Fire Emergency As Drought Conditions
Persist, Wildfire Risk Remains High
STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
On March 10, Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed an executive order declaring a statewide fire emergency and activating the State
in recent memory last year, and the actions being taken now will ensure we are fully prepared for another intense wildfire season,” said Armstrong, a former volunteer firefighter. “The state is committed to using every resource at our disposal to protect life and property in collaboration with our local and federal
ger-than-average spring fire season. Fires have already started throughout the state this spring and have proven active and difficult to suppress, including a fire Sunday near Menoken that burned approximately 1,200 acres and involved five fire departments.
Under the March 10 emer-
nities. The Forest Service has already begun staging resources in Dickinson and Bismarck to assist local fire departments. This declaration allows the state to preposition resources for a rapid wildfire response given the high fire danger conditions that exist now and are expected to persist, and even worsen, through the spring until vegetation begins to green. The declaration is effective through May 31, unless extended.
North Dakotans can help prevent fires by taking the following actions:
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City of Williston Seeks Proposals for Multiple Lots
CITY OF WILLISTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The City of Williston is seeking proposals on five city-owned lots for both light industrial and commercial uses.
Four of the lots are in the Monroe Subdivision on the east side of Highway 2, across from the developing Williston Square; the other is downtown. See details at right.
To view all proposal details, visit www.willistondevelopment. com/open_bids/index.php. The City will rezone for the preferred use as needed and may consider lot rearrangement for the appropriate project. This request for proposals was posted on March 8.
Proposals must be submitted as a complete document set with seven hard copies by mail or hand delivered no later than 3 p.m. CT on March 28 to: Williston Economic Development Attn: Anna Nelson, Executive Director. Deliver to 113 4th Street East, Williston, ND 58801 or mail to PO Box 1306, Williston, ND 58802.
Details are as follows:
• Monroe Subdivision
Lots 13 and 14, Block 1, Monroe Subdivision
Description: M1 Light Industrial District
Preferred use: Light Industrial or Commercial
Lots 17 and 18R , Block 1, Monroe Subdivision
Description: Lot 17: M1 Light Industrial District
Lot 18R: C2 General Commercial District
Preferred use: Commercial
• Downtown
Lot 20, Block 16, Original Townsite Subdivision
Description: Upcoming rezoning to Downtown Commercial Preferred use: Commercial 5:30-7:00 P.M. AT ST. JOSEPH’S GYM FRIDAY MARCH 14 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Expression of recognition
Greek goddess of youth
16. An iPad is one
Adult beverage
Manning and Wallach are two
20. Makes a petty verbal attack
21. Tyrion Lannister's nickname 22. Pointed ends of pens 23. Wristwatches 26. Body part
Made a mistake
Adjusted
Turkish honorific title
Yell
Historic Alabama city
Cub
Type of sea bass dish
To call (archaic)
Unfortunate
Separate oneself from others
Hero sandwiches
Former OSS
Open spaces in a forest
Innermost brain membranes
Fortune
Hunting expedition
Doomed queen Boleyn
Peyton's little brother
Type of wrap
Scottish tax
Soviet Socialist Republic
An increase in price or value
1. Works of body art
2. Abba __, Israeli politician
3. A desert in Asia
4. Eat greedily
5. Doomed French queen
6. Beat
7. One who survives on blood
8. As a consequence
9. Counted on 10. Acquired Brain Injury Behavior Science
11. Unclean
13. One who does not drink
17. Wild ox of the Malay Archipelago
24. __ student, learns healing
25. Bacterial skin infection
26. Expresses surprise
27. What one says on a wedding day
28. Crony
29. Where you entered the world (abbr.)
35. Unit of length
36. Side that is sheltered from the wind
37. More (Spanish)
38. Autonomic nervous system
40. Violent troublemakers, originally in Paris
41. Statements that something is untrue
42. Greek alphabet letter
43. Suspends from above
44. Popular types of cigars
45. Girls
47. U.S. philosopher and logician
48. Nocturnal hoofed animal
49. Relaxing spaces
52. From a distance
53. Form of Persian
54. Amounts of time
55. Trigonometric function
Regional
NDCA Announces New Board Appointment of Amanda Skinner
NORTH DAKOTA
COUNCIL OF THE ARTS
North Dakota Council on the Arts announces the addition of Amanda Skinner of Williston to its board of directors, representing Region 1. She was recently appointed by Governor Armstrong. Amanda will serve through July 2027 filling a vacant position and then will have an opportunity to serve an additional five-year term.
NDCA's Board consists of nine members — one from each of the state's eight regions, and one member-at-large, each of whom is appointed by the Governor for a five-year term. Visit NDCA's Board of Directors web page for additional information on each of the board members as well as the regions they represent.
Amanda Skinner moved to Williston from California in 2005. She holds a master’s degree in mathematics education from Minot State University and spent
over a decade teaching high school math, physics, robotics and computer science. Her dedication to education earned her recognition as NDATL's Techie Teacher of the Year in 2017, as well as Honorable Mention Educator awards from NCWIT in 2019 and 2020.
A maker and tinkerer at heart, Amanda has a passion for repairing vintage sewing machines, knitting machines and spinning wheels, which she incorporates into her costume design and fiber arts projects. She is deeply committed to exploring and teaching the connections between the arts, mathematics and technology. Over the years, her creativity and craftsmanship have been recognized with multiple awards for cosplay costumes, hand-spun yarns and polished knitted pieces.
Now a freelance sewist and alterations specialist, Amanda continues to share her expertise as a volunteer. Whether chaperoning field trips, judging robotics competitions, creating costumes for high school musicals or teaching
students to spin yarn, Amanda is always eager to contribute to her community.
In her free time, Amanda enjoys hiking, camping and learning new skills. She is an active member of the Dakota Prairie Quilt Guild, the Ply Spinning Guild and The Knitting Guild Association. Amanda is honored to serve her region on the North Dakota Council on the Arts and looks forward to supporting the vibrant arts community in this role.
PSC Reschedules Public Hearings for Proposed Transmission Line Project
STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
The North Dakota Public Service Commission has rescheduled a public hearing and will hold an additional hearing regarding a proposal to construct a transmission line in Mercer, McLean, Ward, Mountrail and Williams Counties.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative is requesting a siting permit for the construction of a 345-kV transmission line. The line would be approximately 162 miles long and would originate at the Leland Olds Station substation located southeast of Stanton and would end at the Tande substation east of Tioga. Estimated cost of the project is $317 million. This project was selected by the Southwest Power Pool as part of the 2021 Interregional Transmission Planning process to mitigate reliability constraints and to increase load serving capability in the region. The project would complete a 345-kV loop around the north side of Lake Sakakawea between two existing substations where no 345-kV transmission exists today.
The hearing in Stanley was postponed after a newspaper publication error. A public notice
failed to run in one of the official county newspapers as required by law before a hearing is held.
The Commission did previously hold a hearing in Underwood, but has scheduled another hearing to ensure that anyone who wants to provide comments has the opportunity. Those who testified at the previous hearing do not have to attend the additional hearing – those comments will be included as part of the official record for the case.
Details for the public hearings are as follows:
• Monday, March 31 – 1 p.m. Underwood City Hall - Carl Bader Hall (Gymnasium) 88 Lincoln Ave., Underwood, ND 58576
• Friday, April 4 – 9 a.m. Mountrail County South Complex
8103 61st St. NW, Stanley, ND 58784
The hearings provide an opportunity for members of the public to contribute to the PSC’s official record. Any comments from members of the public must be received at a hearing to be part of the record. People with concerns, questions or support/opposition for the project are encouraged to attend a hearing and present their information. Information received after the hearings will not be part of the official record and cannot be used as a basis for the Commission’s decision unless certain additional procedures are followed.
AMANDA SKINNER |
CLUES DOWN
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Always “Learn Before You Burn” by checking with your local officials for the latest information on burn restrictions and viewing fire danger maps at ndresponse.gov/burn. The governor’s declaration is not a fire restriction or ban.
Burned brush piles can reignite with high winds, so careful monitoring of piles and sloughs is recommended, even if the fire appears to be out.
Always stay off dry grass when driving a vehicle, as hot exhaust pipes can be a heat source for starting a wildfire.
North Dakotans are also encouraged to be “Ready, Set, Go!”
Ready – Be Prepared. Sign up for local alerts and follow local emergency management on social media. Create and prac-
tice an emergency plan. Set – Be Alert. Prepare to evacuate. Evacuate early if you need more time or feel your life is in danger.
Go! – Evacuate Now. Do not hesitate. Bring your pets and emergency supply kit.
Wildfires last October burned over 120,000 acres in North Dakota, including a fire near Ray that resulted in two fatalities. The state’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration was granted in December for Williams and McKenzie counties.
Drought conditions are rated as extreme in about 5% of North Dakota and severe in about 22% of the state, all in western North Dakota, while much of southeastern North Dakota is in moderate drought. Overall, more than 40% of the state’s residents are living in drought-affected areas, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor
North Dakota
Nuclear Energy Study Moving Forward
WESTERN DAKOTA ENERGY ASSOCIATION
A study that would explore the feasibility of nuclear energy in North Dakota has made its way to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
HB 1025 would authorize a legislative management study to explore the feasibility, siting and deployment of advanced nuclear power plants in North Dakota. The bill was introduced by Senate Majority Leader David Hogue in response to a broad directive given to the 2023-24 interim Energy Development and Transmission Committee to study the development of nuclear energy within North Dakota. The interim committee could not devote the time necessary to adequately study the potential of nuclear for the state and determined that a comprehensive, dedicated study was warranted. The proposed study invites private sector participation and directs the legislative council to seek matching private funds to assist with the cost.
called the study "critical in ensuring that the state remains at the forefront of energy security and reliability." Feldner said the study was not a commitment to nuclear generation, but would allow North Dakota to assess whether nuclear could complement the state's existing resources, infrastructure and workforce.
81-8 vote. The House also amended the bill to include an emphasis on studying small modular and micro nuclear reactors.
Hogue said the timing is right to consider the study because it will take many years for the industry to develop.
Hogue cited the growing interest in the development of nuclear energy, both domestically and globally. He predicted that a study of nuclear development could extend several biennia, and would prepare the state to add nuclear generation in the future if deemed desirable.
Excel Energy's Beth Feldner
Felder also argued the importance of the study in providing North Dakotans the education and understanding needed to actively guide the development process.
"North Dakota, not external interests, will lead the conversation on whether advanced nuclear fits within the state's energy strategy, economic development goals and community values," said Feldner.
The original version of the bill sought a $500,000 appropriation, but it was reduced to $300,000 before passing the House on an
The Senate committee discussed amending the bill to include the evaluation of the permanent disposal of spent fuel and waste and to involve the High-Level Radioactive Waste Advisory Council in the reporting. The committee planned to have the amendments drafted before taking further action on the bill.
A complementary bill, SB 2159, seeks to allow the EERC and the State Energy Research Center to study nuclear energy by removing a current prohibition from state law. The bill passed the Senate 45-2 and will be discussed in the House next week.
This was originally published in Western Dakota Energy Association’s March 7 newsletter.
Through a Lutheran Lens
ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END: UNIVERSAL TRUTH
PASTOR ZACH HARRIS FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH
“It’s over!” someone says. We look on with shock and disbelief. A quizzical frown pervades our features: “Whaddaya mean OVER?!” “How could that be?” And suddenly, we realize that our sense of reality will never be the same again. A stability that made us feel secure was somehow removed, and now a familiar stew of feelings starts to boil that churns our brains as well as our guts. And as we slide further and further from the safe harbor we always knew, that unmoored mix of feelings starts to come into focus as pain, anger and hate coalesce into that familiar monster we have known as “fear.”
This is probably a fairly familiar scenario for many of us. So, here’s the weird part of this though: imagining what the “it” part of that first scenario is that brings forth all that emotional daisy-chain. I’m trying to lead a journey facing our fears on Wednesday nights during the five weeks of Lent that lead up to Holy Week and Easter. I’m kind of doing a top-down approach, from the macro to the micro. So, here’s the weird (yet, upon reflection, maybe not so weird) perspective after week one.
You see, the above reaction seems to make sense to the average person if what was encountered was the loss of one’s job. Maybe with different verbiage, it makes sense with the loss of someone’s life. The shock is understandable when you see the “Out of Business” sign on your favorite restaurant. And for some, it is even more intense when you find that streaming show you’ve been following has been cancelled and once again another mystery box will never be opened and solved! But when one mentions
something on the magnitude of the whole Universe going out of existence: the reaction is pretty much: ho-hum.
You see, on the macro scale of our fear for things dying, the biggest thing we could imagine would most likely be . . . well, everything! And you see, that’s a prediction with a pretty high certainty across a whole host of perspectives.
Various mythologies have different versions, with the Norse Ragnarok at least probably being one of the most famous. The Old Testament talks about the End of Days. Christianity has various versions of eschatology, the theology of the end of the world, but none so relentless as the idea of the “Rapture” created by John Darby in the 1800’s and refined by folks like Hal Lindsey of “Late
Great Planet Earth” fame who passed away this past November, having predicted the end of the world multiple times during his 95 years of life. Then there were those Mayans who gave a firm date that had everyone on edge December 21, 2012, along with the more modern versions who looked to Y2K and passing comets to mark the moment. But even simple science gives a number of scenarios that started with a Big Bang some 14 billion years ago which got the universe expanding. However, it will, most likely, only slow its stretch like a rubber band and collapse in quick fashion back upon itself in a “Big Crunch” some 100 billion years down the road.
So, amongst a people who live in a society so vexed with fear turned inside out into para-
noia, hatred and division, it is at least a bit sad that we cannot seem to generate any sympathy for the end of reality as we know it, existence if you will. Yeah, it’s a ways off, so I’ll let you know if we plan a ceremony. But on the immediate horizon to balance out that minus: Taco Bell is bringing back some losses from the past (look out Cool Ranch Doritos Tacos—you’re on my radar), N.D.’s two weeks of summer are scheduled for sometime between July 4 and July 5 and season six of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is coming in April (which, in keeping with much of this article, is scheduled to be its last).
So just remember, when God did this whole creation thing, according to Genesis, he declared: “And it was Good.” But it only stayed that way for a
little while until his kids got to playing around with it, and it’s been back and forth ever since. That fear, paranoia, hatred and division is probably why we can’t have nice things these days. But at First Lutheran on Wednesday evenings, we’re talking about it and how Jesus gave us the solution. And that solution is just as good as the Universe was when it was created— probably even better. But, like this article, all good things must come to an end. See you next week. Have no fear!
Pastor Zach Harris has been an ordained minister for 33 years and currently serves First Lutheran Church in Williston. His column, “Through a Lutheran Lens: A Pastor’s Perspective,” will appear regularly in the Williston Graphic.
Classifieds
The Housing Authority
Of the City of Williston
The Housing Authority of the City of Williston is now accepting applications for 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom, and 4 bedroom units. *Income, eligibility, and admission preferences apply. Applications are available at The Housing Authority of the City of Williston located at 1801 8th Ave West Williston, ND 58801 Monday-Friday 9am - 4pm (701) 572-2006
