WINTER STORM WHIPS THROUGH REGION

High winds, little snow

REGION-Mother Nature made sure that the winter weather season wouldn’t leave northeastern North Dakota too quickly, as it made an appearance late Sunday into Monday in the northeastern part of the state. According to Assistant State Climatologist Daryl Ritchison, the event occurred in the region mostly on Monday. “The wraparound snow caused most of the issues on Monday,” he said. […]

Life Skills and Transition Center receives accreditation on CQL standards



GRAFTON– Gov. Jack Dalrymple congratulated staff of Life Skills and Transition Center (LSTC) in Grafton for receiving a four-year accreditation from the National Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL). Superintendent Susan Foerster said that to her knowledge, the center is the only institution in the country to be granted accreditation under new CQL standards. The center in Grafton first earned […]

Unruh files rezone request

Pay review in city’s future

GRAFTON – Grafton City Council (GCC) met Monday at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of city hall for their regular monthly meeting. Members in attendance were mayor Chris West and council members Shane Mohn, Greg Young, Dave Fellman, Don Hutson, Brian Sieben, Len Wysocki, Chris Lipsh and Mary Stark. Also attending were Nick Hall, Connie Johnson and Nick Ziegelmann. […]

Republican North Dakota Senate candidates discuss hot topics

District 10 showdown

Editors note: Due to the length of the answers this is the first of a two part series. DISTRICT 10 – North Dakota Senate candidates from District 10 will meet Feb. 20 in Park River to see who will potentially occupy the senate seat vacated by Joe Miller. Four candidates that are campaigning for the privilege of representing voters from […]

Nelson sentenced for vehicle break-ins

Furlough request denied

Ronald FrancisVondal Nelson, age 26, of Bismarck pled guilty in a plea agreement to seven of the 15 charges against him stemming from a rash of vehicle break-ins that occurred in the Grafton area last summer. Also involved in the theft ring were Karly Delorme and Michael Johnson. Nelson pled guilty to five counts of breaking into a vehicle, Class […]

Martinez admits enough evidence to convict

Innocence maintained through Alford plea

Jose Martinez from Grafton pled guilty to one count of gross sexual imposition on Friday at the Walsh County Courthouse. His plea was entered as an Alford plea which means his plea of guilty is without making an admission of guilt. In other words, he pled guilty but at the same time he maintains that he’s innocent. Martinez was sentenced […]

Coffman pleads not guilty to burglary charges

Criminal mischief charge added to list of counts

Jonathan Sands Coffman of Grafton appeared with his attorney Samuel A. Gereszek at his preliminary hearing before Judge Richard Geiger in Walsh County District Court Tuesday. He pled not guilty to one count of burglary and two criminal mischief charges. The original two charges were burglary (at night), a Class B felony and one count of criminal mischief, a Class […]

County Court Report



DECEMBER 2015 DISPOSITIONS Thomas John Slebodnik, Forest River, possession of drug paraphernalia. Defendant shall pay $710 in fees. Defendant shall serve two years supervised probation and 30 months in Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation with 60 first serve days and credit given for 38 days served. This sentence shall run concurrent with 50-2015-CR-346/Count 8. Brennen Randall Blasky, Fordville, reckless endangerment. […]

Through with Chew Week tackles smokeless tobacco

Local dentists offer free screenings

Through with Chew Week – Feb. 14-20 – is an annual effort to call attention to discourage the use of smokeless tobacco, particularly among youth. Throughout the week, public health organizations across the country educate people about the harmful effects of smokeless tobacco and encourage them to be “through with chew.” According to Walsh County Health District and the North […]

Scrapbooking retreat at Park River Bible Camp



Park River Bible Camp will host “Capturing Life” at the camp the weekend of March 18-20. The scrapbooking and stamping retreat will offer scrapbookers and stampers big blocks of time to work, visit and laugh while sharing and learning techniques to enhance their projects. Stores will be available to purchase supplies and retreaters can choose to participate in the secret […]