The Official Newspaper for Foster County

Around the State: September 26, 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.

It runs in the family

Last month, Tristan Thompson took a step further to follow a career that he not only aspired to since he was younger, but in doing so cemented himself in a family tradition that dates back four generations.

On August 26, 23-year-old Thompson graduated from the North Dakota Law Enforcement Training Academy in Bismarck. Thompson, a graduate from the academy’s 142nd class, was presented his certificate by his father, Jordan Thompson - the third generation in his family in the career of law enforcement.

The Thompson family’s involvement in law enforcement stems back almost 70 years.

Arthur Thompson, Tristan’s great-grandfather, moved his family to Garrison from Finley, North Dakota where he was chief of police in the 1950s.

Two of his sons, Dennis and Arlin followed in their father’s footsteps. Dennis, Tristan’s grandfather, served as a deputy sheriff for McLean County, as well as county coroner for over 30 years.

Arlin was McLean County Sheriff from 1960 to 1998. The third generation carried it on. Dennis’ son and Tristan’s father, Jordan, was a police officer in Williston before moving to Minot where he worked as a police officer and detective sergeant.

(Story by James C. Falcon, the McLean County Independent)

Remembering an encounter with Queen Elizabeth

The death of Queen Elizabeth had Ruth Ganes recalling the time she saw the queen on July 31, 1978 in Canada.

Ganes said, “I was on duty as an ER nurse and had the privilege of attending Queen Elizabeth’s dedication of the new University Hospital addition in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We had explicit instructions if any of the royal family needed medical assistance.”

Ganes said her husband Eric had their very young children, watching the parade prior to the dedication.

(Story taken from the Kenmare News)

Canada Goose trail will open to vehicle traffic

The Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge is opening the Canada Goose Hiking Trail to automobile travel on Friday, September 16, 2022 through Sunday, September 25, 2022. The trail distance is six miles, and starts at the gate just outside the west city limits of Kenmare on Hwy 2 and exits on the east side of the Upper Des Lacs Lake on Hwy 52.

The trail offers visitors the opportunity to view portions of Pool 2 from the east side of the lake and observe many different migratory bird species such as ducks, geese, sans, grebes, and shorebirds as they congregate during fall migration.

The trail is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Traffic is one-way only from south to north, because the road is too narrow for safe two-way travel.

(Story taken from the Kenmare News)

Rice pleads not guilty in Knutson murder

A Velva woman who was arrested and charged with the 2007 death of her then-roommate has pleaded not guilty.

Nichole Erin Rice, 34, made her plea during a preliminary hearing held recently, about six months after she was arrested for the murder of Anita Knutson.

Knutson, originally from Butte, was found dead in her bedroom in the northwest Minot apartment she shared with Rice on June 4, 2007. According to reports, Knutson had been stabbed twice; a pocket knife with dried blood on it was found on her bed.

In the almost 15 years that followed, Rice - known by her maiden name of Nichole Thomas, was a person of interest, but there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest her.

There was a confession - someone had said that a “belligerently drunk” Rice admitted to Knutson’s murder, but the identity of who Rice made the confession to wasn’t learned until March of this year. Rice was arrested without incident at Minot Air Force Base on March 17 and charged with murder, a Class AA felony.

A pretrial conference for Rice is scheduled for November 16.

(Story by James C. Falcon, the McLean County Independent)

Towner County Sheriff releases shooting details

The investigation into the deaths of Doug Dulmage, Justin Bracken, Richard Bracken and Robert Bracken, to-date, has revealed that there was a dispute between brothers Robert Bracken and Richard Bracken which had been escalating for a week or more prior to the events of August 29, 2022.

The investigating agencies are now in possession of preliminary autopsy results which indicate that Doug Dulmage, Justin Bracken and Richard Bracken all perished as a result of multiple fatal gunshot wounds.

Robert Bracken had one fatal, self-inflicted gunshot wound and was in possession of the firearm that was recovered at the scene.

Evidence at the scene indicates that Robert Bracken fatally shot Doug Dulmage, Justin Bracken (Robert’s son) and Richard Bracken, before taking his own life.

(Story taken from the Benson County Farmers Press)

Lisbon has their very own deer ambassador

We have been hearing about Lisbon’s orphaned deer for a few months. Some of her back story is a bit sketchy. What is known is that she was orphaned when her mother was hit by a vehicle. She was also injured. According to one of her adopted “moms”, Laurie Rask, Baby, the name given to her by Rask, has a bad right rear hoof that drags a bit.

Rask describes her as being very gentle and even puts her head on Rask’s shoulder, like a hug.

North Dakota Game and Fish wardens know about her.

Baby is a yearling, who has been seen on the golf course, in the park, playing with a dog near the park and generally making herself at home wherever she can.

One of the fears the warden has is that people are feeding her things like dog food, which he says they are not equipped to digest properly.

“At this time of year, deer are getting ready to move on for the winter,” said Warden Mark Pollert. “It is best to stop feeding her now so that she can make that transition.”

Should she become a problem, Game and Fish will not tranquilize and relocate her. The reality is she will be put down. According to the warden, it is best to keep a distance and let her adjust and move on out of town.

(Story by Jeanne Sexton-Brown, the Ransom County Gazette)

 
 
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