Around the State: April 3, 2023

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.

Chicken ordinance likely to go to a vote

Stanley City Council held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 14.

The council opened their meeting to take public input on a proposal to allow chickens in city limits after a resident had brought a proposal to their February meeting to allow backyard small flocks.

City Attorney Ryan Sandberg of Pringle & Harigstad went over the city’s current ordinance which limits chickens to a commercial area with a business in livestock. They cannot be within 250 feet of a residentially zoned lot or residence.

The council opened the public hearing for comment with Amanda Schow and her daughter speaking first. Schow had brought the proposal to the council last month.

Like many in the room who spoke in favor of backyard chickens, she pointed out the rural and agricultural nature of the community. The proposed ordinance she had provided would address concerns including the requirements for maintenance and consequences as well as banning roosters.

Those speaking in favor cited the educational benefits as well as the value of providing your own food.

Those speaking opposed were concerned about enforcement of the ordinance, who would be responsible if a chicken got out and was attacked by a dog. They understood the idea of growing your own food, but they did not want to have the sound and smell issues in their neighborhoods.

Since the comments at the meeting were nearly evenly split, the council felt that taking this issue to a vote might be the fairest way to deal with the issue and have left the decision up to those in favor of chickens to begin the petition process.

(Story by Mary Kilen, the Mountrail County Promoter)

Rockets are state champs in archery

The Rockets reached new levels of success after attending the recent North Dakota State NASP Archery Tournament.

First, New Rockford-Sheyenne took home its first state championship in archery as a team. The middle school team, consisting of 23 girls and guys, finished first in the bullseye team competition.

Second, Layton Jacobson became a two-time state champion in the 3D individual competition.

Third, six other Rocket archers finished in the top 10 of their division in individual competition.

All together, NR-S had a whopping 27 archers qualify for the NASP Western Nationals Tournament in Sandy, Utah on April 28-29.

(Story taken from the New Rockford Transcript)

City taking new tactic to collect $24K utilities bill

Members of the Hillsboro City Commission agreed recently to change tactics in their ongoing attempt to settle a $24,200 utility bill racked up by the out-of-state owner of the city’s mobile home court.

City leaders revealed in November that Bill Block of Minneapolis had sent the city a letter claiming that he had been overcharged by more than $173,000 for water and electricity used by renters since purchasing the trailer court on the northwest edge of the city in 2001.

In his letter, Block said he hadn’t paid his last three utility bills and that he planned to deduct $800 per month from the bills he’s sent by the city, although he indicated he’d settle his billing dispute if the city paid him $57,600, a third of the amount he alleged he had been overbilled from 2001 to 2022.

City commissioners previously discussed turning over Block’s outstanding bill to a collection agency, and assured renters in the trailer court that their water service wouldn’t be turned off even though their landlord had stopped paying his utility bill.

City Commission President Levi Reese requested the commission rescind a previous motion to hire a collection agency and move ahead with adding Block’s unpaid bills to the property taxes assessed to his trailer court.

(Story by Cole Short, the Hillsboro Banner)

Former Fessenden coach honored in S.D.

Boyd Sussex, former Fessenden teacher and coach, was honored on his induction into the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association (SDBCA) Hall of Shrine on Friday, March 17, at the Class A Basketball Tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Sussex was involved in coaching for 33 years with 31 of them being head boys basketball coach. The first 12 years of his career were spent in North Dakota with four years at Glenburn, seven years at Fessenden and one year at Garrison. Four district basketball and four conference championships were won at Fessenden.

(Story taken from the Herald-Press, Harvey)

Garrison gamers going to state

Garrison is sending yet another team to compete for a state title in the 2022-23 school year. Garrison’s esports team has qualified for the state championships in the Fortnite division.

The state bound Fortnite team, coached by Dr. Zachary Brigante, includes returning players Conner Andrews and Brendan Berntson from last year’s state qualifying Apex squad, as well as eighth-grader Raelynn Maki of Garrison.

(Story by Ethyn Williams-Calvert, the McLean County Independent)

Printing paper demand can’t keep up

The high cost of printing threatens the future of rural newspapers. Most printers have decreased the amount of inventory held and relied on paper merchants to warehouse and deliver paper within days or hours of need.

One chink in the chain, such as a blizzard, creates disorder and delays to subscribers.

The economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic means going from a standstill to 100 miles per hour overnight, something printers just don’t do well.

As the U.S. emerged from COVID-19 lockdowns and global supply issues, demand for printing paper and direct mail services increased faster than supply has been able to rebound. The demand for paper is actually greater than the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

Prices continue to rise for commercial printing such as envelopes, business cards, menus, signs, stationery, raffle tickets, etc. Like newspapers, commercial print companies are falling off the market due to cost alone.

Many paper mills switched from printable paper to cardboard to make boxes for direct mail.

Paper manufacturers hiked prices 10 percent in 2021, their first increase since 2014.

(Story by James R. Johnson, the Traill County Tribune)