Around the State: August 8, 2022

The counties and cities within the state of North Dakota hold many interesting news stories.

Here are just a few of the feature stories that others are reading in communities around the state.

KSI employee killed on job site

A KSI industries employee was killed recently as a result of a “tragic accident” on a work site near White Earth.

The unidentified employee was a member of a pipeline crew working nearly three miles south of White Earth on July 19, when he was struck and killed by an excavator just prior to 5 p.m.

“The employee was part of a pipeline crew and, for reasons still unknown, was in the path of a moving excavator when he was struck and killed,” read a press release from the company. “No other employees were injured.”

(Story by Jacob Orledge, the Tioga Tribune)

Churches report unruly use by youths

Local churches are locking their doors or considering installing security cameras after a couple recent incidents involving uninvited guests.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of a group, or groups of youngsters allegedly playing “Hide and Seek” at St. Patrick’s and Concordia Lutheran churches in Crosby.

“Our custodians found pee on the floor, hot chocolate stuff thrown around, things out of place,” said Rev. Zach Shipman. “There wasn’t anything broken, holes in the wall or anything like that, just enough to be a pain.”

(Story by Brad Nygaard, the Journal, Crosby)

Bitzero to convert Nekoma pyramid

The Cavalier Job Development Authority (CCJDA) has executed binding agreements for international data center developer Bitzero Blockchain, Inc., to acquire and redevelop the historic Stanley R. Michelsen Safeguard Complex at Nekoma, N.D. commonly known as “The Pyramid.”

Bitzero plans to develop the abandoned Cold War-era military installation into a highly secure data center for high-performance computing and data processing. Waste heat captured from the data center’s servers will be used to heat an on-site greenhouse, and the company also is planning an interpretive center and additional community engagement at the site, representing a total expected investment estimated by Bitzero at $500 million.

“This is fantastic news for Cavalier County and our entire state, putting this iconic pyramid on the prairie to innovative use and further solidifying North Dakota’s status as a global hub for data center development,” North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said. The CCJDA Board of Directors voted unanimously on July 18 to accept Bitzero’s bid proposal after a presentation from Bitzero CEO Akbar Shamji.

Shamji and Bitzero strategic investor Kevin O’Leary announced in June that the company had selected North Dakota for its headquarters and hub for all North American operations, with plans to build 200 megawatts of data centers in the next two to three years, as well as a graphene battery assembly and distribution hub.

More than 1,000 workers came to Nekoma in the 1970s to build the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex, the centerpiece being the huge concrete pyramid with its 3-foot-thick walls and the supporting towers that remain on the landscape.

As part of the U.S. nuclear defense system during the Cold War the site once controlled anti-ballistic missiles. It became operational in 1975 but was shuttered after only eight months, as Congress voted in April 1975 to deactivate the complex.

(Story taken from the Kenmare News)

Sheriff responds to man with a gun

At about 7:12 a.m., Sunday, July 24, the Traill County Sheriff’s office received a 9-1-1 call stating that there was a man with a gun at Subway in Hillsboro.

Upon investigation, it was determined that Subway employee Jackie Halvorson was cleaning windows at the restaurant when she saw an older man approach her. He pulled a gun from under a jacket he was carrying, grabbed her by the arm and started to walk her toward his pickup that was parked on the road next to the restaurant.

The woman was able to get away from the man and ran to a nearby business, where she was able to seek help from Traill County deputies.

The suspect, who was already under a doctor’s care, was transported to a Fargo hospital, where he is being evaluated for mental health issues.

(Story by Sheriff Steve Hunt, taken from the Traill County Tribune)

N.D. Dept. of Health sees first monkey pox case

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) is reporting its first case of monkeypox in an individual in eastern North Dakota.

The individual likely acquired monkeypox while traveling out-of-state.

Preliminary testing performed at the NDDoH Laboratory Services section confirmed the person to be infected with orthopoxvirus. The sample will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmatory testing. The individual who tested positive is currently isolating.

(Story taken from the New Town News)

Crime spree in Rolla

An alleged crime in Rolla recently involved a motorcycle, a push lawnmower and a GMC vehicle.

According to Rolla Police Chief William Poitra, all three incidents occurred at around 4:30 a.m. Poitra indicated the suspect first went into an unlocked shed and found a motorcycle with the keys included. Poitra said the suspect took the motorcycle, but quickly discovered he could not operate the machine.

The motorcycle was dropped in the grass. The suspect then went next door into another unlocked shed and took a push lawnmower.

While pushing the lawnmower, the perpertrator saw the GMC vehicle and took off with it.

Despite receiving a few tips, no arrests have been made.

(Story taken from the Turtle Mountain Star)

Monumental achievement

Buxton’s monument honoring the city’s former school is getting a helping hand from some of the community’s youngest residents.

Sunnyside Lemons, a lemonade stand run by a number of Buxton children, has raised roughly $850 in four hours of selling drinks and desserts this summer.

The group’s goal is to donate funds to either repair or replace Buxton’s crumbling school monument.

(Story taken from the Hillsboro Banner)