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7
.*** *- **MIXED ADC 553
779,00-00-00 31P 7T
217 W COTA ST 3
ELTON'i
Calm before the storm
Frost clings to a shrub at the edge of the Badlands on March 3. The scene was short-lived
as a blizzard hit the region on Monday morning, March 5. (Photo by Richard Volesky)
BISMARCK - State School Su- said the Highway Patrol offers train- intendents and other educators in
perintendent Kirsten Baesler said she ing on handling an active shooter sit- rural school districts who have sug-
and a group of law enforcement uation, gestions about how to improve
agencies, including county sheriffs, Baesler and Gerhart have previ- school security.
city police chiefs and the North ously discussed having schools pro- Gerhart and Baesler, as state offi-
Dakota Highway Patrol, are planning vide space for law enforcementcials, said the involvement of local
to hold regional meetings in the next officers to do the administrative pa- officials, particularly sheriffs, police
few months to assess school districts' perwork that is often part of their officers and school superintendents
safety needs, regular duties. Baesler said a patrol in rural North Dakota, is essential to
Baesler on March 2 with Col. vehicle parked, even for a short time, the success of any strategy to pro-
Mike Gerhart, commander of the at a rural school could provide a vi- mote school safety.
North Dakota Highway Patrol, and sual deterrent to a potential school Baesler hosted a state Capitol
Donnell Preskey Hushka of the shooter, meeting last week with the directors
North Dakota Association of Coun- Gerhart had suggested a possible of the North Dakota School Boards
ties to discuss how school officials Highway Patrol school safety pres- Association, the North Dakota Coun-
and law enforcement agencies can ence to Baesler almost a year ago, cil of Educational Leaders - which
work together to strengthen school during a discussion of school bus in- represents school superintendents,
security, particularly in rural areas, spections. Gerhart said on March 2 principals and other administrators-
Preskey Hushka is a government af- that the initial conversation was and North Dakota United, which rep-
fairs specialist for the Association of about providing a common adminis- resents schoolteachers and public
Counties and director of the North trative work space in schools for any employees.
Dakota Sheriffs and Deputies Asso- law enforcement agency to use.The group's top priorities are
ciation. Preskey Hushka said it was im-school training to identify potential
The Department of Public In- portant for local schools and law en- threats, what to do with the infor-
struction, the Association of Coun- forcement to work together in mation, and ensuring there is ade-
i ties and the Highway Patrol plan to strengthening partnerships and safety quate follow-up; ' Safety
gather more information about plans. A key element of that, she improvements to school buildings;
i~chool safety measures that are al- said, was to identify schools' needs greater availability of school re-
i~ready in place, including which and the resources that law enforce- source officers, who are law en-
;~chool districts have school resource ment already provide, forcement personnel assigned to
iOfficers and the training that is given Baesler said she has also beenschools; and increased availability
ito school district personnel. Gerhardt hearing from parents, school super- of behavioral health specialists.
for new
' The Fargo Veterans Affairs (VA) The new Dickinson VA clinic pointments beginning summer of
Health Care System has awarded a will be located at 766 Elks this year. There will be no other
new contract for two .contractor- Drive. The new Williston clinic will change of interruption in medical
ibwned and operated VA community be located at 2119 2nd Avenue Wes services to veterans, the U.S. De-
based outpatient clinics in Dickin- partment of Veterans Affairs said.
ison and Williston to STG Interna- Veterans are slated to transition All veteran medical records will be
itional Inc. to the new facilities for their ap- transferred to the new locations.
Ii
By Richard Volesky
Editor/Reporter
:Golden Valley County and
Billings County commissioners on
Feb. 27 held a special, joint meet-
ing to discuss Extension Service
funding.
The state Legislature in 2017 de-
creased funding for the North
Dakota State University Extension
Service by more than $4 million.
The decreased funding meant a pro-
posed policy change in which coun-
ties with smaller populations would
have to pick up a greater share of
local Extension office costs. The
counties of Golden Valley, Logan,
Oliver, Sheridan, Slope and Steele
are among those that have popula-
tions under 2,000 and would have
increased costs.
Billings County's population is
also under 2,000: However, the
county already has its Extension of-
rice merged with Stark" County's.
In January, Golden' Valley
County commissioners met with
Extension officials and discussed
proposed changes for splitting ex-
Billings County has already been
sharing costs. In 2016, for example,
Billings County paid $6,000 to
Golden Valley County.
Tescher mentioned that there are
a number of events or activities that
used by farmers,~irancher~ or resi-
penses between the state and the dent s in both counties, such the an-
county. No decision was reached, nual Medora~.Beef Day, farm
but the matter of funding will likely succession planning, and a Rural
have to be worked out later this year Leadership North Dakota short
as the county sets its 2018 budget, course.
On Feb. 27, Golden Valley Jim Arthaud, Billings County
County Commission Chairman Commission chairman, said he
Troy Tescher explained that thinks the increase to 22 percent, or
Billings County now pays 22 per- the $15,400, would be workable.
cent of Stark County's cost. Tescher The other two Billings County
asked Billings County commission- commissioners at the meeting did-
ers to consider paying 22 percent of n't voice an opinion. Arthaud said
Golden Valley County's $70,000 the issue would probably be dis-
cost, which would amount to cussed at a future Billings County
$15,400. Under a prior agreement, meeting.
pondering using
By Richard Volesky
Editor/Reporter
MEDORA - Billings County
School District officials and parents
during the next few months may be
looking into the pros and cons of
using a four-day school week.
Dickie Jo Kubas, a teacher at
Prairie School, proposed the idea to
the Billings County School Board
last month. The board declined to
immediately moved forward with the
idea, due to time constraints to con-
sider the details. The issue, however,
is expected to be on the board's
March meeting agenda.
~ubas told board members that a
f~day week would be an enhance-
ment for the district, considering that
it's a rural district. The change
wouldn't be permanent, and it could
be evaluated during a one-year trial
period, she said.
She explained the idea would be
to have four, seven-hour days, in-
stead of the current 6 1/2-hour days.
The required minimum number of
annual educational hours would still
be met.
The first Friday could include an
optional "family discovery day" that
could include in-school activities,
Kubas said. It would be a half-day, and
so lunch would not have to be offered.
horter wee
"1 think we can be much more effective as
teachers when we can concentrate on those
four days,"
Dickie Jo Kubas, Prairie School teacher
Kubas said that Fridays in class- Earlier in the meeting, Julie Reis,
rooms are often less productive, and board member, said her research
the goal is to have days that are more showed there'd be a cost savings
productive from Mondays through from decreased bussing. HOwever, it
Thursdays. wouldn't be a "make or break sce-
"I think we can be much more ef- nario" with a huge cost savings, She
fective as teachers when we can con- said.
centrate on those four days," added "I think it's a super idea," said
Kubas. Joey Kessel, board member. But he
A required step in, the process is also said he would want to know
to have a public input meeting, and what the public thinks and he
then a plan for the four-day week doubted getting the plan finalized by
would be sent to the North Dakota March 1 was doable.
Department of Public Instruction. Board members unanimously de-
However, with the annual deadline cided that the board and school ad-
for reconfiguring school days being ministrators should research the idea,
March 1, that was too short of a no- with the research to be completed by
tice for Scfiool Board members. Dec. 31,2018, which would be in ad-
"The March deadline really scares vance of the next state' deadline of
me," said Lynn Arthaud, SchoolMarch 1,2019.
Board president. "It's a l~uge decision Four other districts in North
for a school board." Dakota use four-days weeks. They
Arthaud said she had questions if are East Fairview and Horse Creek
the change would affect state finan- schools in McKenzie County, and
cial aide, how it would affect bus Dunseith and Turtle Mountain
routes and high school students and Community schools in Rolette
extracurricular activities. County.
State to participate in Opportunity Zones Program
BISMARCK - Gov. Doug Bur-
gum on March 2 said North Dakota
will participate in the newly created
Opportunity Zones Program, a com-
munity development incentive estab-
lished by the federal Tax Cuts and
Jobs Act of 2017.
The program gives each state's
governor the authority to designate"
opportunity zones," or areas of pop-
ulations that are eligible to receive
private investments through "oppor-
tunity funds. "
Opportunity funds allow U.S. in-
vestors holding unrealized gains in
stocks and mutual funds to pool their
resources in projects located in oppor-
tunity zones, which will be focused on
rebuilding low-income communities.
Opportunity z ones are defined as low-
income census tracts where the
poverty rate is 20 percent or greater
and/or family income is less than 80
percent of the area's median income.
"The new federally authorized, state-des-
ignated opportunity z ones create very at-
tractive federal tax relief incentives, which
will greatly help attract much-needed private
capital investment toward the rebuilding of
our low-income communities and regions
within North Dakota."
N.D. Gov. Doug Burgum
"The new federally authorized,
state-designated opportunity z ones
create very attractive federal tax re-
lief incentives, which will greatly
help attract much-needed private
capital investment toward the re-
building of our low-income commu-
nities and regions within North
Dakota," Burgum said.
The opportunity zone application
form and details on the application
process will be available at busi-
ness.nd.gov Nominations will be
made by the governor by March 21.
If the application extension is
granted by the U.S. Department of
the Treasury, the governor will make
nominations by April 20.
When finalized, the Treasury De-
partment will approve the nominated
census tracts and administer the pro-
gram.
Affairs clinics in Dickinson, Williston
Hours of operation will be Monday Dickinson to include primary care telephone; three telehealth exam
s through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 services, behaviorial health services, rooms, free parking on site, and
p.m. preventive health services, labora- handicapped accessibility.
Both clinics will be approxi- tory with blood drawing services, There are expected to be more
mately 6,300 square feet, featuring prescriptions with routine prescrip- than 9,000 patient visits annually at
the same range of services as the tions processed through the mail, the new Dickinson and Williston
previous VA clinics in Williston and through "My HealtheVet," or byVA clinics.
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