Foster County Independent - The Official Newspaper for Foster County

The pages of the Independent from January to June, 2022, showed the area getting back to normal with events running on schedule, but COVID-19 still hung around taking a few more with it as it started to reside.

With mostly happy stories gracing the pages of the Independent in the first six months of 2022, we are left to see what the last half of the year brought to the area.

Here are a few of the stories that graced the pages of the Independent last year:

January

• Chet Pollert, long time District 29 Representative and House Majority Leader tendered his resignation from the North Dakota House having served since 1999.

• The Foster County Independent reported that the 20th confirmed death of COVID-19 occurred in the county.

• The Cathay School was marked for demolition having sat empty for over 40 years.

• The Carrington Cardinaires won the high kick and pom divisions at State NDADD meet.

• A feature film titled "Heart like Water" was shown at the Carrington Youth Center Theater. Based on the true stories of North Dakota settlers, it was shot in North Dakota in 2020 and used mostly local talent for the production.

February

• Carrington student McKenzie Jost was given a custom jersey for the Fargo Force Hockey Team during the 100th day of school ceremony.

The entire team attended the ceremony wearing jerseys designed by Jost.

• At just 23, Carrington resident Chase Pederson started a new job as a Carrington City Councilman.

•Three Champions at State B Wrestling for the Carrington Cardinals including Brecken Lura, Michael Clifton and Trace Hoggarth.

• The Carrington Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Foster County Independent when Amy Wobbema took over the business from Allen Stock.

March

• The Carrington Police Department seized 266 pounds of cocaine from a trucker parked at Casey's General Store. The street value of the drug was estimated at $4.8 million dollars.

• Brecken Lura made history by becoming one of 12 six-time placers in North Dakota history and the first from Carrington High School.

• Mariann Doeling was named president of CHI St. Alexius Health Devils Lake in North Dakota after serving as interim president since May of 2021. Prior to this appointment, Doeling served as president of CHI St. Alexius Health-Carrington where she served in various roles for more than 26 years.

• Leading Edge Equipment was recognized as being in the top 35 John Deere dealers in the U.S.

• Mike Ostlie formally took over for Blaine Schatz at the NDSU RE Center in Carrington.

• It was decided by the Carrington Public School Board of Education that Stadium '76 will be demolished and replaced.

• The Carrington Chamber and Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC) confirmed that they had been approached by the North Dakota Department of Commerce and Strengthen ND to create a garden space to honor Rainbow Gardens.

• Grace City native Victoria Vollmer published a book titled "A Rancher's Hands", which she both wrote and illustrated.

• Carrington Public Schools voted to charge $150 per month tuition for all students of the full-day Pre-K program.

• Three Kensal archers progressed to the NASP Western Nationals tournament in Utah.

Included in those archers were Nolan Hoffman, Paige Black and Logan Hoyt.

April

• The West End park in Carrington will be getting a new playground and bathroom facility at the cost of $243,000.

• Jacob Boeshans placed fifth at the state spelling bee.

• Students and teachers were forced to evacuate the Carrington school when the fire alarm sounded.

Fortunately it was only a power transformer that failed in the electrical room at the school.

• A fire broke out in the hammer mill at Dakota Growers Pasta Company.

Employees were evacuated with no injuries, but there was equipment damage.

• Jeremy Miller contested Mayor Tom Erdmann's seat as mayor of Carrington, but lost the election to Erdmann.

• Whitney Carter opened the Milestone's Learning Center in the old Nazarene Church in Carrington.

• Bowdon Ambulance received the Service of the Year Award from the North Dakota EMS Association.

May

• The Carrington Youth Center (CYC) created a plan to turn the back room into a playground and will eventually house slides and interactive equipment with the grand opening slated for October 2023.

• Three Carrington High School athletes qualified for state during the Snow, Snow Go Away invite in Bismarck. Included in those going to state are Mercedes Lura, Kylie Skadberg and Kael Kovar.

• Foster County declared an emergency due to flooding and roads washing out.

• Carrington High School Principal Chrystopher Bitz tendered his resignation. He was the second administrator to resign his position in 2022.

• Miss North Dakota, Reyna Bergstrom spoke to captive audiences of Carrington Elementary students about social media literacy, and how to use it in an ethical and safe manner.

June

• During the Memorial Day weekend, a thunderstorm hit the City of Carrington dumping as much as 4½ inches of rain on parts of the city in a 24-hour period flooding basements, lawns and streets.

Nathan Price

Road washouts caused Foster County to issue an emergency declaration in May.

• Carrington High School Community development class built wheel chair-accessible flower beds for local nursing home residents.

• Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R) visited the Carrington City Hall council chambers for a round-table discussion.

• Carrington High School Track and Field Coach Greg Hoeckle was selected as the 2022 South Central Region Girls' Coach of the Year.

• Local veterinarian Sarah Davis published another new book titled "They Had Eyes of Silver".

• Economic Development Director Karlee Griffin resigned her position and cited reasons for her resignation at a city council meeting.

• Carrington High School's Emma Hone was the first in the school's history to attend Girls' Nation.

See 2022: Year in Review part II in next weeks Independent.