Around the State: January 8, 2024

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.

Ukranian family comes to Bottineau

As Christmas was coming upon us this past week, the Bottineau Area Christian Ministerial Association and a new family from Ukraine truly felt the blessings of the holiday season.

For almost a year, Rev. Beth Kelsey, pastor of United Parish, and the director of the ministerial association program to bring Ukranian families to Bottineau, has been diligent in making attempts to get a family to the local area with some difficulties due to a variety of issues that comes with war. However, her endurance paid off this past week when the Shevchenko family from Myholaiv, Ukraine, made it to Bottineau, which brought happiness to Kelsey's heart.

The Shevchenkos have found their new home in Bottineau a pleasant one. They are Oleksandr and Kseniia and their son Hazar.

"We are very thankful to be here," Oleksandr said. "We didn't expect such kind hospitality and the people have been so open to us.

"It is something incredible and a dream to be here."

"Everyone has been so kind to help us," Kseniia said.

"We are very happy to be in America."

(Story by Scott Wagar, the Bottineau Courant)

Jason's Super Foods closes to customers

With the doors of Jason's Super Foods presently closed, customers have been left with a lot of questions after the owner, Jason Tracy, stated that he would keep the store open with help from his family members after all of his employees, but one, handed in their resignations after months of having little or no merchandise to sell in the store due to what Tracy is calling on Facebook "personal problems in his life."

Tracy told the Courant on the same day that the majority of his employees had resigned their jobs concluding on Dec. 14. Tracy then added that he, his parents and an uncle would take over the store on Dec. 15. However, Tracy and his family didn't show up to take over the operations of the grocery store.

Since Dec. 11, it appears that Tracy hasn't spoken to anyone about the closure of the Bottineau store.

He did state that because of a divorce settlement going on in his life, the court has stated that he must keep his stores open until the case is settled.

For now, customers at Jason's Super Foods will have to continue to call the store or check the sign on the front door to see if the store has reopened.

(Story by Scott Wagar, the Bottineau Courant)

North Dakota's population hit all-time high

North Dakota hit a record high population last year, with the U.S. Census Bureau estimate showing the state's population reached 783,926 residents as of July 1, 2023.

The estimate represents an increase of 4,665 residents from the previous year and is 4,847 residents more than the official 2020 census count. North Dakota was one of 42 states that saw their population estimates increase last year.

"North Dakota continues working to attract and retain residents by building healthy, vibrant communities, cutting taxes and supporting economic development, and we're encouraged that a record number of residents are enjoying our state's outstanding quality of life for the second straight year," Governor Doug Burgum stated.

With the estimate released, North Dakota remains the 47th most populous state, ahead of Alaska and behind South Dakota.

Since 2010, North Dakota has been among the nation's fastest growing states, estimated to have grown by more than 16 percent.

(Story taken from the Kenmare News)

Rare mammoth specimen discovered

In the early morning hours over the Memorial Day weekend last May, coal miners at the Freedom Mine near Beulah, N.D., made an extraordinary find: a well-preserved, seven-foot-long tusk of an ancient mammoth. Recognizing the importance of the discovery, the mine roped off the site until representatives of the North Dakota Geological Survey, the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and the Bureau of Land Management could visit the site to document the discovery.

Over the course of 12 days, a team led by paleontologists from the North Dakota Geological Survey excavated the old streambed where the fossils were buried thousands of years ago. They recovered more than 20 bones from the skeleton, including ribs, a shoulder blade, a tooth, and parts of the hips.

"Most of the mammoth fossils known from North Dakota are isolated bones and teeth," said Clint Boyd, Senior Paleontologist for the North Dakota Geological Survey. "This specimen is one of the most complete mammoth skeletons discovered in North Dakota, making it an exciting and scientifically important discovery."

Mammoths lived in North Dakota during the Pleistocene Epoch, commonly called the Ice Age, and went extinct in this area around 10,000 years ago.

Once the bones are cleaned, paleontologists will be able to identify which species of mammoth was collected from the mine.

(Story taken from the McKenzie County Farmer)

Elementary students learn Dakota language

Area elementary schools such as those in Minnewaukan, Fort Totten, Warwick and Oberon are banding together to incorporate and flex students' new Dakota language skills. These schools come together at each of the participating schools (alternating locations much like a sporting event) and participate in showing the progress of elementary students' learning of the Dakota language. In this series of events, students are tested on their colors, numbers and names of body parts. Participating students are in grades three through six.

Since the passing of SB2304, the bill that required all North Dakota schools to incorporate Native American history into their curriculum, many new efforts have arisen to not only educate students on Native American history, but also on customs and language. Many of these efforts are making a significant impact as they are giving K-12 students the ability to connect with and learn about Native American culture.

These events are made possible by one of the many grants that are being used to fund the learning of Native American history and is making the fostering of culturally relevant knowledge more accessible.

At the heart of this event are a number of community members who are fostering the language of younger generations by supporting their students in the stands or by helping instruct the students. Marva Tollefson is one of the community members who are wholly dedicated to the process of teaching younger generations of students how to speak the Dakota language.

(Story Lottie Caldwell, the Benson County Farmers Press)