Around the State: April 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.

Gullickson sentencing finalized

On Wednesday, March 20, former Our Savior Lutheran Church in Max, Pastor Erin Gullickson, was formally sentenced.

South Central District Judge Cynthia Feland sentenced Gullickson to more than half a year of jail time, probation, and full restitution of more than $81,000 she was accused of stealing since 2016.

The judge sentenced Gullickson to 10 years in prison, but suspended all but the time she has already served, plus an additional seven months.

After that, she will have three years of probation under the supervision, management, and control of the North Dakota Department of Corrections.

(Story by Tyson Matthews, the McLean County Independent)

Zuck robs Max Cenex

Back on March 16, a man dressed in a grey sweatshirt, jeans and green beanie entered the Cenex Station in Max and slid a note to the employees that stated "Give my your money, this is a robbery."

The employees complied and gave Jessy Ray Zuck, 44, $850.00 and some cigarettes.

Zuck then told the employees, "You can call the police now."

He then left the store and sat on the brick wall near the north entrance of Cenex.

When the McLean County Sheriff's Department arrived, Zuck was still seated on the brick wall. He was taken into custody and had the $850.00 and cigarettes in his possession, as well as a small knife in his right pants pocket.

Zuck was transported to the McLean County Detention Center and charged with robbery, terrorizing and theft of property.

(Story by Tyson Matthews, the McLean County Independent)

Two-headed calf

An unusual birth occurred among DJ Yri's cattle on the evening of March 24: a two-headed (bicephalic or dicephalic) calf.

Most such creatures are either stillborn or die shortly after birth; in this case, the calf was malformed on both ends and was euthanized before removal.

Dr. Trisa Tedrow of Town and Country Veterinary Service of New Rockford did the C-section.

Online sources disagree about how common two-headed cattle births are.

(Story taken from the Benson County Farmers Press)

Gov., MHA sign alcohol tax revenue agreement

Governor Doug Burgum, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation Chairman Mark Fox and State Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus signed a historic alcohol tax revenue sharing agreement - the first such agreement to be executed under a new law enacted last year.

Last year, the state Legislature passed, and Burgum signed, Senate Bill 2377, which allows each of the five tribal nations on North

Dakota to enter into an agreement with the state to impose a single tax on alcoholic beverages sold at the retail and wholesale levels within their respective reservations.

Tribal nations that adopt the alcohol tax will keep 80 percent of the tax revenue, while the state's general fund will received 20 percent.

MHA is the first tribe to execute an agreement with the state under the new law.

(Story taken from the Mountrail County Promoter)

Courtroom proceedings close in DAPL lawsuit

The waiting game has begun in the state of North Dakota's lawsuit against the federal government. The game might be a long one.

Five weeks of courtroom proceedings drew to a close on Friday, March 15. The case, filed under the Federal Tort Claims act, seeks $38 million in damages due to what the state calls "unlawful occupation of Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protestors on federal lands" more than seven years ago.

The state saw an unprecendented level of protest that spanned almost eight months during construction of the legally permitted pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners, in 2016 and 2017. The ensuing occupation about 50 miles south of Bismarck, resulted in a public safety concern that caused state officials and law enforcement to quickly prepare a response they had no playbook for. State lawyers say these events happened because the federal government failed to assist the state with emergency response efforts.

This landmark trial has captured both state and national attention, bringing accusations against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) of creating havoc, violence, and disruption to a normally quiet part of the country.

North Dakota's emergency response to the protests lasted over 230 days, involved 178 response agencies and spanned four counties. During the protests, North Dakota law enforcement made 761 arrests, 709 of which were out-of- state residents. The cleanup of the DAPL camps required over 600 roll-off dumpsters for a total of 9.8 million pounds of garbage and hazardous materials.

(Story by Steve Hallstrom, the McKenzie County Farmer)

County frets about effort to ban property tax

Property taxes are a long-standing concern for North Dakotans, but Divide County commissioners are worried what the most recently proposed ballot measure to eliminate these taxes might mean for the county.

Chairman Chico Eriksmoen spoke about the measure during the commission meeting after attending a North Dakota county commissioners summit in Bismarck on March 20.

"It's going to eliminate school bonding, eliminate all of our levies, our mills, eliminate the townships' levies," he said. "Basically net zero."

According to the proposed measure, the State Legislature and its political subdivisions, like counties and townships, would no longer be able to raise revenue through property taxes for real or personal properties. The state would also have to repay its subdivision equal to the amount of taxes that would be levied.

According to Eriksmoen, however, state officials present at the summit believed this would be easier said than done.

"The Legislature has absolutely no plan on how to fund this, " he said.

A preliminary estimate from the state Legislative Council from Sept. 2023 said the state would need to replace about $1.3 billion in property taxes if the measure is approved.

(Story by Jordan Rusche, the Journal, Crosby)