Author: Jim Monk

North Dakota’s drought conditions improving

BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota’s drought is easing with recent precipitation, but some areas of the state are still dealing with poor conditions. This week’s U.S. Drought Monitor map shows that no areas of the state are in exceptional drought, the worst category, and less than 10% of North Dakota is in extreme drought, the second worst category. By comparison,…

Vaccine mandate protesters sue South Dakota over permit

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Protesters against COVID-19 vaccine mandates in South Dakota are suing Gov. Kristi Noem after the state denied their application to demonstrate on Capitol grounds during a special legislative session this month. The group of protesters say they planned to hold a demonstration next week to push the Legislature to take up a bill that would keep…

Man hospitalized after farm accident in Richland County

FAIRMOUNT, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) – A man was injured in a farming accident in Richland County.The Sheriff’s Office responded to an emergency call about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at a grain bin site near Fairmount. A man was working under a grain auger when a cable snapped on the auger, causing the auger to drop and strike the worker’s head. He was…

North Dakota expecting 18K doses of pediatric COVID vaccine

BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota health officials are expecting 18,000 initial doses of the pediatric coronavirus vaccine. That’s enough enough to cover 25% of the state’s roughly 71,000 children ages 5 to 11 who were identified in the 2019 census. The state Health Department said in a statement Wednesday that “vaccinating children will help protect them from getting COVID-19.” To…

Stenehjem: North Dakota colleges should avoid giving money to abortion providers

BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says state colleges should comply with legislation that forbids a school from funneling grant money to a person or organization that promotes or performs abortions. Stenehjem’s opinion came after an inquiry from North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark Hagerott, who asked if the legislation was constitutional. Stenehjem says it is not…

Burgum rejects Biden’s methane reduction plan

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum said the way to address methane emissions is through innovation, not further regulation which he says will only drive energy production overseas. Burgum and other Republicans in North Dakota have denounced President Biden’s methane reduction plan which he announced at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland this week. In the U.S., the…

Vaccinations for younger children begin in Minnesota this week

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Tim Walz says health care providers and others will begin vaccinating 5- to 11-year-old children this week, now that the Pfizer coronavirus shot has received federal approval for that age group. Walz says the vaccine will arrive in waves this week and that Minnesota providers have ordered as many doses as possible from the federal…

Silver Alert issued for missing Bismarck man

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) – A Silver Alert is in effect for a missing Bismarck man. Eighteen-year-old Chase Wade Hurdle is Black, 5’8″ tall, weighs 130 pounds and has brown eyes. Hurdle was wearing a blue long sleeve shirt, blue jeans and plastic framed glasses Hurdle has amnesia issues and may not know who or where he is. His last known…

South Dakota man pleads guilty in starvation death of toddler

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A Brookings man has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for his role in the 2019 starvation death of a toddler. Robert Price, Jr. entered the plea after reaching an agreement with prosecutors. Price and the child’s aunt, Renae Fayant, were indicted by a grand jury in July 2019 on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and…