Around the State: May 15, 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.

Fetal development videos now required in class

North Dakota students will soon be required to view videos of fetal development as part of schools’ health curriculum, including animations similar in nature to those prompting recent outrage in the Ray school district, as a result of a new law passed by legislators in Bismarck.

The law requiring the new content was approved by overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate and signed into law by the governor last month.

HB1265, the new law, introduces as House Bill 1265, required the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to include “human growth and development discussion” and “human sexuality instruction” in the state’s health content standards.

Human growth and development, according to the new law, will tackle human biology as it relates to pregnancy and the development of a fetus in the womb.

Human sexuality instruction, meanwhile, is to be “about sexual activity and pregnancy in the context of student health or healthy relationships.”

These two topics must include the following:

• A three-minute ultrasound video showing the “development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development during a pregnancy

• A computer generated animation of “fertilization and every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development for every week of pregnancy until birth.”

(Story by Jacob Orledge, the Tioga Tribune)

Counterfeit bucks passed in Crosby

The Bank of Tioga recently notified the Crosby Area Chamber they have received six counterfeit Crosby Bucks bills from a business that had accepted them for payment.

“I noticed right away because of the feel of them,” said Andrea Nygaard, bank employee.

The bank is precluded from identifying the business involved, due to privacy policies.

According to Divide County Sheriff Zach Schroeder, the person who passed the bills has been identified and is a minor, so their identity is also shielded by law.

Crosby Bucks are a program of the Chamber, in which people can purchase the bucks to give as gifts. The bucks must be spent locally. Businesses accepting Crosby Bucks then turn them in with their bank deposit for reimbursement.

“In all the years The Journal has printed the bucks on behalf of the chamber, I can only recall one other time when fraudulent bills have been passed,” said Publisher Cecile Wehrman, who also serves as chamber secretary.

Despite the rarity of such an occurrence, the bucks have been printed in recent years on a specialty paper that is difficult to duplicate.

Some of the fake bills also had uneven or jagged borders which would be another sign it is not authentic.

(Story taken from the Journal, Crosby)

Max minister charged with theft

A McLean County minister was charged by the McLean County Sheriff’s office recently with Theft of Property a Class B felony, after unauthorized spending of church funding was discovered following an audit of the finances at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Max.

According to an affidavit supplied by the sheriff’s office, Rev. Erin Gullickson obtained assets “surreptitiously” through unauthorized control over church bank accounts for personal use.

Gullickson, who served as reverend at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Max and Concordia Lutheran Church in Benedict, “holds a position and title of a respected person of authority, whose responsibility is to guide the spiritual wellbeing of others,” Detective Bradley Nielsen stated in the affidavit.

“She knowingly took unauthorized control over Our Savior Lutheran Church assets, namely CDs, with the intent to deprive the church of such assets for her personal worldly gain,” Nielsen stated.

“She took advantage of the congregation council’s trust in her and lack of oversight, and in doing so was violating the Church Constitution and her own biblical teachings.”

On April 9, two CDs totaling $40,304.15 held at Bremer Bank were liquidated and deposited into the Youth League account. While it is unknown how this was done without the signatures of the two signers for the CDs, Nielsen surmised that he believes “it was just done without question, because Rev. Erin Gullickson is the Reverend of the church and no one questioned her authority to control church assets, even though the church constitution states Reverends are not to do so.”

“What is clear is that (Gullickson) spent the $40,304.15 within six months on personal items of a worldly nature, Nielsen stated.

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

Two employees and one council member gone

A mass exodus of sorts took place involving the Rolla City government recently.

Word of a trio of resignations began to spread with the announcement of a special meeting scheduled for noon the next day.

The first involved councilwoman Paula Wilkie while the other two pertained to a pair of employees in the office. Auditor Erica McDougall and deputy auditor Shelby Campbell both tendered their resignations.

In her letter, dated May 2, Wilkie said her resignation was effective immediately.

“I do not feel that I can truly be effective as a council person due to the way we continuously treat our employees in the City of Rolla.

McDougall began her tenure on February 1, 2021, and along with Campbell, who started in May of the same year, providing a brief bit of stability to the office. Since 2017, there have been nine different employees in the two positions.

(Story by John Rosinski, the Turtle Mountain Star)

Highway 21 Treasure Hunt June 16-17

Despite the dreary weather, spring is here and summer is fast approaching. So, it is time to consider making plans and marking your calendars. The 2023 Highway 21 Treasure Hunt, the largest rummage sale event in the state, has been scheduled for June 16-17.

Participating citywide rummage sales will be held in Flasher, Carson, Heil, Elgin, New Leipzig, Mott, Regent and New England; however, rural individuals will also host sales. Those hosting will do so from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

The route starts in New England, located 24 miles south of Dickinson, and extends 78 miles to Flasher.

More information and listings can be found on the Highway 21 Treasure Hunt Facebook page.

(Story taken from the Grant County News)