BISMARCK, ND — A man accused of dealing large quantities of drugs in the oil patch has reached a plea agreement. The deal calls for 55-year-old Zachary Smith, known as “Old School”, to plead guilty to two counts, including a conspiracy charge. Authorities say Smith was part of an operation that in 2015 and 2016 moved meth and heroin…
BISMARCK, ND — After four months and 77 days in session, the North Dakota legislature has adjourned the 2017 session. Leaders thanked members in each party and their staffs for all of their work to get the session done before the mandated 80-day cutoff. Gov. Burgum thanked the legislature for “working with the executive branch and other state agencies…
FARGO, ND — It’s time to throw all of your unwanted junk on the boulevard. The annual metro Cleanup Week will take place May 1 thru 5. Here’s how it works: you are asked to set out all of your unwanted items before 7 a.m. on your normal garbage pickup day. Limit appliances to two per household. Logs and…
SOUTH DAKOTA — A major shakeup in law enforcement on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council declared a state of emergency and withdrew support this week for Police Chief Harry Martinez, who has since resigned. The reservation is dealing with a wave of drug-related crime. Eight police chiefs have come and gone since 2008. Not…
WELLS COUNTY, ND — The sheriff of Wells County, North Dakota has abruptly resigned. Johnny Lawson says he stepped down for personal reasons. The county commission has also fired his two deputies. The state’s attorney says an investigation is underway. Lawson has asked people to pray for himself and his family as they continue on to new adventures. Sheriff’s…
WHITECLAY, NE — A judge has overturned a decision to bar four Nebraska beer stores from selling next to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The South Dakota reservation is struggling with alcohol-related problems. The ruling is a setback for advocates who want to close the stores in Whiteclay, an unincorporated village of nine people that sells millions of cans of…
BISMARCK, ND — Eight more people have been extradited from Jamaica to North Dakota in a lottery scam. The eight suspects have appeared in federal court in Bismarck. Four pleaded not guilty. Four didn’t enter pleas because their public defenders weren’t present. All were ordered held until detention hearings. Authorities allege the scam bilked at least 90 mostly elderly…
DETROIT, Mich. — A not-guilty plea has been entered for a Detroit-area doctor charged with performing genital mutilations on two Minnesota girls in a first-of-its-kind case in the United States. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala is charged with six crimes, including conspiracy to bring the girls across state lines. It carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. She is…
GARFIELD, Minn. — Fire spreads from a garage into a house, causing extensive damage. It happened at 9170 Blue Jay Way Northwest in Garfield, Minnesota, west of Alexandria. Authorities say the fire consumed the upper floor of the house and caused extensive damage to the main and lower floors. The garage and vehicle inside were both lost. The fire is…
NORTH DAKOTA — Former Lieutenant Governor Drew Wrigley could be getting one of his old jobs back. According to Senator Hoeven, Wrigley and Chris Myers are both being considered by the White House for North Dakota’s top federal prosecutor job. But Hoeven says Myers has told him he does not want to go through the nomination process. Wrigley served…
