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New York Post
02-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Scary condition that 'traps you in your own half-alive corpse'
Kelly Barta was turning red. It was 2012, and the 38-year-old mother of two had just quit the topical steroids she'd used for nearly 30 years to treat her eczema. Within days, she was crimson from head to toe, tormented by searing pain and a 'bone-deep' itch. 'It literally felt like someone poured boiling water over my whole body,' Barta told The Post. The burning wouldn't let up for five years — and in that time, she lost her career, her marriage and nearly her life. 13 Kelly Barta is the executive director of the Coalition of Skin Diseases. Courtesy Kelly Berta Barta was battling topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) syndrome, a debilitating condition some face after quitting high-potency creams to treat skin issues like eczema. Common symptoms include intense burning, redness, itching and skin shedding. Many sufferers are bedridden or housebound for months — or even years — before the effects begin to subside, according to the International Topical Steroid Awareness Network (ITSAN), which advocates for awareness and supports those affected. From childhood rash to decades on steroids Roughly 10% of the US population — about 31.6 million people — live with some form of eczema, the most common chronic inflammatory skin condition in the country, according to the National Eczema Association. Barta was first diagnosed as a child, when patches of itchy, red and irritated skin bloomed behind her knees and in the crooks of her arms. She managed it with moisturizers and hydrocortisone cream until she became a preteen, when the onset of puberty and the hormonal fluctuations that come with it caused her eczema to grow worse, spreading to her hands and her neck. 13 Eczema is a common skin condition that causes a skin rash, dry skin and itchiness. ÐлÑга ТеÑнавÑÐ°Ð°Ñ – 'There's a lot of bullying around skin conditions because it's associated with infectious diseases, so being in middle school, all I wanted was to look better, even more than feel better,' Barta said. When she went to a dermatologist and they prescribed her topical corticosteroids, the effects were almost instant. 'Within a couple of days, the rash cleared up and I felt a lot better too,' Barta said. 'I ended up managing my skin like that for 26 years.' Thin skin, big trouble Topical corticosteroids are some of the most common treatments for eczema, with one multinational study finding that 91% of people affected by the condition had used them. Though generally considered safe and effective when used for short periods, the body can build up a tolerance to topical steroids over time, requiring stronger doses to clear the skin. 13 Topical steroid creams are applied directly to the affected area of the skin. Photo Sesaon – When Barta's eczema would flare, doctors kept upping her prescription until she was on one of the strongest formulas on the market. She spent 10 years on the heavy-duty cream — and developed new allergies along the way, including to fish and latex. 'I know steroids can thin the skin, and my idea was maybe these things in the environment are getting into my bloodstream and I'm becoming hyperreactive,' Barta said. 'I was getting to the point where I would put my hand in my purse and come out with hives,' she added. 'You're imprisoned in this body with unrelenting pain. I remember thinking, 'Don't try to get to tomorrow — just survive the next hour.'' Kelly Barta Barta said her general practitioner dismissed her concerns, insisting she'd have to use topical steroids for the rest of her life to keep her eczema at bay. But a pharmacy tech at Costco flagged the dose. 'She didn't say anything other than 'be careful you're not overusing this,'' Barta said. 'But what does overusing mean?' The label warned against using the cream longer than two weeks unless directed by a doctor — which hers always did. 'That's a big caveat,' she said. 'Most doctors feel like this is perfectly safe to use forever.' 13 Researchers are studying whether weaning patients off of topical steroids could lower their risk of withdrawal symptoms. Courtesy Kelly Berta And Barta wasn't alone. The same multinational study found adult eczema patients used topical steroids for an average of 15.3 years. Three-quarters applied it one to two times a day, and half used it between 15 and 30 days each month. Shaken, Barta began researching. She discovered that while corticosteroids are intended to reduce inflammation, they can sometimes provoke a hypersensitivity response, triggering or worsening allergic reactions, according to ITSAN. 'If you have people on steroids for decades… we might look better, but what's happening internally?' she wondered. Burning alive Barta found a Canadian study suggesting barrier creams could cut topical steroid use. So she started weaning off, switching to jojoba oil and mango butter. Three months later, Barta quit steroids entirely. Within 36 hours, her skin went haywire. 'I started to burn so badly that I couldn't sleep,' she said. 'I was up on the couch all night, breathing like I was in childbirth.' 13 Topical steroid withdrawal is also known as red skin syndrome. Courtesy Kelly Berta A frantic Google search led her to a TSW support site — and a checklist of withdrawal symptoms. 'I checked all the boxes,' Barta said. At first, red splotches appeared where she'd applied the cream most and then began to spread. Eventually, her entire body burned and itched relentlessly. 'I was bedridden for a year and a half,' Barta said. During that period, she lost her hair, developed a cataract, gave up her music career, and could barely care for her two young sons. 'You think you're getting help, and then you end up 100 times worse off than you were before.' Kelly Barta She spent her days cycling between bed and bath, lying naked on towels as every movement tore open her cracked, oozing skin. Insomnia hit next, followed by sharp, stabbing nerve sensations and thermal dysregulation that left her shivering under a feather duvet in 90-degree Georgia heat. 'You're imprisoned in this body with unrelenting pain,' Barta said. 'I remember thinking, 'Don't try to get to tomorrow — just survive the next hour.'' 13 Patients with topical steroid withdrawal are vulnerable to life threatening infections. Courtesy Kelly Berta She lost 40 pounds. Doctors ran tests — and came up empty. One was caught Googling during her appointment. 'No one really knows what's going on,' Barta said, adding that many TSW patients get dismissed by doctors who mistake their symptoms for severe eczema and just prescribe more topical steroids. Family members also urged her to go back on the medication, but she refused. 'On a gut level, you know that thing has been slowly poisoning you,' she said. 'Why would you go back?' Barta was housebound for three years, losing her husband of 21 years along the way. With her skin barrier weakened, she caught a deadly eczema herpeticum infection and nearly died in the hospital. 13 Barta's skin has improved, but she still has some problems areas, like her hands and neck. Slowly, she grew stronger and the pain eased as her body began to heal. Still, it took more than 1,780 days for the burning to finally subside — and 13 years later, she's still recovering. 'How did this happen to me?' Barta, now 51 and president of ITSAN, recalled wondering. 'You think you're getting help, and then you end up 100 times worse off than you were before.' But you don't need decades on topical steroids to develop TSW. False promises Jada Jones was also diagnosed with eczema as a small child. She had mostly outgrown it by middle school, except for a few patches on her neck. When a dermatologist prescribed a mid-strength topical steroid, her skin cleared up fast. 'I was no longer struggling with eczema at all, or so I thought,' she said. 'In reality, your skin is just medication, so you can't really tell what's going on.' 13 Jada Jones went viral while documenting her experience with topical steroid withdrawal syndrome online. jadajonesss/Instagram Jones used topical steroids on and off until her junior year of high school, when stress triggered a bad flare-up. After discovering TSW online, she told her dermatologist she wanted off the medication. 'My dermatologist said, 'You're young. You're never going to have to go through that,' and then I got boosted to class one steroids — the strongest ones,' she remembered. 'After being reassured that I wouldn't have to go through this condition, it was just sort of like, 'OK, fine, I'll listen to my doctor.' 'They're looking at you like you're damn near a burn victim.' Jada Jones Jones's skin stayed clear for three years with occasional topical steroid use. She moved from Charlotte to LA, pursuing acting and content creation, and met her partner, Chris. Then, in June 2022, her skin took a terrifying turn. '[It] sort of looked like spots that turned into bigger, purplish, reddish bruising,' Jones said. 'It looked really, really odd, it didn't look like eczema.' After searching online, she discovered the potent topical steroids she'd been using might be playing a role. 13 Topical steroid withdrawal syndrome affects the whole body, not just eczema-prone areas. Courtesy Jada Jones Booked for a three-day wedding shoot, she made it through day one — but her skin felt like it was on fire. She stayed home the next morning. 'I was bedridden from that day on for the next three or four months,' Jones said. 'It was so crazy to realize that, oh my gosh, I think this is the one thing they said couldn't happen to me.' 'My body was forever changed from that moment forward,' she added. Six years after her first steroid prescription, she vowed never to use them again. What ensued was pure torture, both mentally and physically. A nightmare no one could fix Soon, her whole body was red, inflamed and in excruciating pain. She could no longer work and needed full-time care. 'It became sort of this nightmare, because we didn't know what to do,' Jones said. She tried traditional Chinese medicine and other comfort measures with no relief. Aside from loved ones, the online TSW community was her lifeline. 'With TSW, the most unfortunate part is that once it starts happening, it just has to take its course, unless you go back on topical steroids, which would just prolong the situation even more,' Jones said. 13 Adult women are more commonly affected by topical steroid withdrawal syndrome than men. Courtesy Jada Jones Like Barta, she suffered deep, relentless itch, nerve sensations, thermoregulation issues and cracked, oozing skin. At her annual checkup, doctors were baffled. 'They're looking at you like you're damn near a burn victim,' Jones said. 'You have really no idea how to advocate for yourself, but you're clearly sick and need help.' Her battle with TSW forced Jones and her partner to leave California and return home to North Carolina. For a year, symptoms settled then flared in cycles. 'No one will ever truly grasp the horrifying, never-ending ordeal that is enduring a condition that traps you in your own half-alive corpse with no escape.' Jada Jones In late 2023, she heard a fellow sufferer found relief in Tulum's healing saltwater. 'I wasn't in too bad of a state at the time, but I was also risking my body going backwards,' Jones said. She and her partner went to Mexico, where her skin improved then regressed. She, too, got a major infection that left her bedridden a month. 'At that point, I was really, really confused. I didn't know what to do,' Jones said. 'I did not want to live anymore because it was just too much, especially after seeing that my body was getting better at one point.' Doctors said topical steroids were the only option. Instead, she took to the sea. 13 There is no standard, agreed upon treatment for topical steroid withdrawal syndrome. Courtesy Jada Jones 'I started forcing myself into the ocean, something that could have been so dangerous, but it ended up working out for me,' she said. After 4.5 months in Tulum, she returned to Charlotte, her skin better but not fully healed. Still fighting, but living again She then traveled to Thailand for Cold Atmospheric Plasma Therapy (CAP), which has been shown to reduce inflammation, fight infection and accelerate recovery for those with TSW. 'This clinic doesn't have a website or anything, so it sounds like rinky dink, scary and weird, but when you're at this dire point in your life, you're willing to do anything,' Jones said. 'It's beyond skin deep — it affects every aspect of your professional life, your social life, your personal life,' she added. Jones spent nine months in Thailand. 'It was really, really intense, but it helped regenerate my skin and sped up the healing process a bit,' she said. 13 Cold Atmospheric Plasma treatment is being used as a potential therapy for topical steroid withdrawal syndrome. Courtesy Jada Jones Terrified to return to the US and lose access to CAP, she was relieved to find a fellow sufferer in Asheville owned the machine she could use. Jones hasn't had CAP therapy since January, now managing her skin with red light and infrared therapy daily. 'My skin right now is like very mild eczema symptoms that I would rather tolerate for the rest of my life than to ever go through that again,' Jones said. 'No one will ever truly grasp the horrifying, never-ending ordeal that is enduring a condition that traps you in your own half-alive corpse with no escape from an itchy, burning and red, hellfire of a body,' she added. Now 23, Jones's energy has finally rebounded and she's living a fuller life. 13 Jones continues to battle symptoms of topical steroid withdrawal symptoms, though they've improved over the last year. Courtesy Jada Jones 'It's like you realize that it was never worth it to be on those meds in the first place, but who could have told you any better?' she asked. Life beyond steroids While TSW is a well-documented phenomenon, research into its causes, effects and treatment is still limited. Without consistent diagnostic criteria, doctors often mistake TSW for a severe eczema rebound, according to ITSAN. While topical steroids can be safe when used right, companies like Phoilex offer alternatives to help people manage their skin. Their Active ReLeaf Spot Gel is a plant-based option for managing eczema and psoriasis. In trials, 93% of users felt relief from itching for 4 to 12 hours, and 74% saw fewer flare-ups. 'It's a great alternative for someone who's going through eczema,' Jones said. 'I've had friends who've tried it and they love it for maintaining their skin.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police Week honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Our region is once again preparing to honor the ultimate sacrifice made by police officers who have been killed in the line of duty. Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham hosted the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Memorial Association today to announce details of Police Week next week. Each year, during the first week in May, the organization honors all officers who served within the 7 counties within New York State Police Troop C. This year, a 39th name will be added to its permanent memorial wall, located outside of Binghamton City Hall. Edward Kulik, a veteran of both State Police and the Johnson City Police Department, died recently from cancer linked to his work at Ground Zero following the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attack. Kraham says it's important to recognize the many sacrifices made by law enforcement officers and their families. 'We should be doing everything that we can to support the men and women of law enforcement, to recognize those sacrifices, to make sure they are supported, that they are loved and that we come together on Police Week to honor them, to celebrate them and raise awareness for the issues of law enforcement,' Kraham said. This August will mark the 30th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Binghamton Patrolman Lee Barta. Barta was ambushed and shot in the back by Edmond Travis the Third while Barta was searching for the 19-year-old who had absconded from his work release program. The Lee Barta Community Center is named for the fallen officer and is located down the street from where Barta was killed. Binghamton Police Chief Joe Zikuski was a sergeant with the department at the time and had been Barta's supervisor when he worked undercover with the Special Investigations Unit. 'I was close with Lee. I delivered his paycheck to his house for 6 months because nobody here knew he was a police officer. When he got shot, I was actually in the gym working out. I was working afternoon hours. It was a long manhunt that day. It ended up with Travis shooting and killing himself over on the Northside. It was a day a lot of us will never forget,' Zikuski said. Ziksuski and Kraham are both scheduled to make remarks at the Police Week flag raising ceremony next Monday at 11 a.m. outside of City Hall. Barta's widow, Mary, is one of two keynote speakers at the annual Police Week Memorial Breakfast next Tuesday at Endwell Greens. Other events include a memorial church service on Sunday at 2 o'clock at The Father's Heart in Vestal, a corn hole tournament on Friday May 9th at 5 p.m. at American Legion Post 1645 on Robinson Street and a Community Day on Saturday May 10th from 11 to 3 outside of Dick's House of Sport at the Oakdale Commons. More information at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A pen stroke from reality, SB 2398 seeks to avoid any 'pathway that creates a problem' near military bases
Apr. 4—GRAND FORKS — A bill that creates military "impact zones" and panels to oversee development within them was born in part from concerns about future wind farm developments and a failed agribusiness project from the past. Now, after Senate Bill 2398 was approved by both the North Dakota Senate and House of Representatives, its chief sponsor may finally be able to relish the result of nearly a year of work on the legislation. "There is always satisfaction with bringing a project (to fruition)," said Sen. Jeff Barta, R-Grand Forks. "I feel very good about this." Awaiting the signature of Gov. Kelly Armstrong, SB 2398 is just a pen stroke from final approval. If it happens, it will do two things in particular: Create impact zones adjacent to military installations and also form committees tasked with providing oversight of proposed development within those zones. The bill especially focuses on the Grand Forks region, due to the proximity of Grand Forks Air Force Base, Camp Grafton (5 miles south of Devils Lake) and the Cavalier Space Force Station. Its genesis, according to Barta, was in part "a conversation about wind farms." But a China-backed corn mill, once proposed to be built in Grand Forks, played a role too, he said. Known locally by the name of its ownership group — "Fufeng" — the planned factory was announced in November 2021, when local government and development leaders touted its potential impact to the region's economy. Soon after the announcement came very public discussions centered around its supposed environmental impacts as well as the possibility that it was a national security threat, due to its planned proximity to Grand Forks Air Force Base. In early 2023, the Air Force provided an official opinion, confirming the concerns about security. The city abandoned the plan shortly thereafter. SB 2398's overarching goal is to help avoid similar problems in the future, Barta and other supporters have said. "We have some great things going with the installations here and I don't even know all of the things they are doing," Barta said via telephone Thursday during a break at the Capitol. It's important to keep the nearby lands free of development that could hinder those operations, he added. "It's just allowing them to do the operational things they need to do to stay at the forefront of (their military activities). We don't have a crystal ball knowing where new developments are going to go ... both in the air and on the ground," he said. "It's about knowing that we aren't going down a pathway that creates a problem. We certainly don't want another Fufeng, right? That wasn't the entire genesis behind this, but it was certainly a contributing factor." He believes Fufeng's proponents and civic boosters "did everything that was asked." But well-intentioned projects can sometimes inadvertantly run afoul of military missions, he said. "Not pointing fingers at anyone whatsoever," he said. "We went through the appropriate channels, so everything should (have been) good, only to find out that no, it wasn't." He stresses that SB 2398 is not specifically a response to Fufeng. However, Grand Forks' saga with the project was big news, prompting coverage by the New York Times. Even today, it's being discussed in national circles. In "Seven Things You Can't Say About China," a book that has spent time this spring in the New York Times bestseller list, author Tom Cotton — a Republican senator from Arkansas — referenced Fufeng and the controversy it stirred. During a recent meeting of the City Council, Grand Forks resident Craig Spicer stood during the public comment segment to read a snippet. "Local officials celebrated the economic investment and job creation at first, but engaged local citizens began showing up at meetings to oppose the project and ultimately prevailed, after which they broke out into chants of 'USA,' " said Spicer, quoting directly from the book. As SB 2398 was being mapped out, the Department of Defense took notice, Barta said. "They see we're doing things right in North Dakota and we can further protect these crucial missions that we have going on at every one of our (military installations)." Bruce Gjovig, a member of the Mayor's Base Retention Committee in Grand Forks, wrote testimony in favor of SB 2398, noting that North Dakota lacks state-level legislation to protect installations from encroachment. "When we accept a military installation, we have a duty to protect it," Gjovig wrote. "Coordination and communication are needed between military authorities and state, county and township jurisdictions. This is critical to ensure certain developments align with military compatibility goals." SB 2398's route through the Legislature wasn't a direct one. Its original wording created predetermined and sizable impact zones — 25 miles in each direction — near military installations. The size of those zones raised concern. Now, the zones will be " established by an assessment in a compatible use study and contingent upon the missions of each military base ." Input during the legislative process also prompted a change in the makeup of the committee — technically committees, with an "s." In an earlier form, the bill called for the members to include the governor. That changed, however, and members now include the state agriculture commissioner, as well as a representative from each county within the boundaries of a zone, to be selected by local county commissions; a township representative, to be selected by the boards of township supervisors; a city representative, to be selected by affected city councils; and, on a voluntary basis, the commander of each military installation, or a designee. Barta noted Thursday that if it becomes law, SB 2398 will authorize multiple panels whose members will specialize in the installation in their particular region. "Those committees are specific to the (nearby) installation," he said. "We're trying to bring it as local as we can." The installations themselves have the ability to opt in on the zones and committees.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Dakota Senate concurs on military zones measure
Apr. 2—BISMARCK — A plan to create "impact zones" around military installations and a committee to give consideration to developments that could impact missions cleared one more legislative step on Wednesday. The North Dakota Senate voted 46-1 to concur on the final version of Senate Bill 2398, intended to create more collaboration, conversation and oversight for projects planned near Air Force bases at Minot and Grand Forks, as well as Camp Grafton and the Cavalier Space Force Station in northeast North Dakota. The Senate's decision to concur — after the chamber voted 47-0 on Feb. 19 to pass an earlier version and after the House passed the new version last week — means SB 2398 now will head to the desk of Gov. Kelly Armstrong. The only dissenting vote on Wednesday was from Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg. During a committee hearing in early March , Sen. Jeff Barta, R-Grand Forks, said the intent of SB 2398 is to get various stakeholders "seated around a table to say 'this is what has to be done in order for you to operate here.' " Originally, as previously reported by the Grand Forks Herald, SB 2398 included predetermined "impact zones" that stretched 25 miles in each direction from the Air Force bases in Grand Forks and Minot. That led to initial hesitation from the Grand Forks City Council , whose members were concerned that the long reach of the impact zone could jeopardize future development in and around the city. Grand Forks Air Force Base is about 18 miles from downtown Grand Forks. The size of the impact zones was amended, now to be " established by an assessment in a compatible use study and contingent upon the missions of each military base ." The committee's makeup also changed over the past two months. Originally, it included the governor among its members; now, members include the state agriculture commissioner, as well as a representative from each county within the boundaries of a zone, to be selected by local county commissions; a township representative, to be selected by the boards of township supervisors; a city representative, to be selected by affected city councils; and, on a voluntary basis, the commander of each military installation, or a designee. During comments on the Senate floor Wednesday, Barta said "the way it originally was written the concern was, given the areas that this might encompass, that there would be too many people at the table." Barta said the goal was to create a committee that would be "stealthy enough" but still able to make important decisions. The House passed the amended version on Thursday, March 27, in a 73-19 vote, pushing SB 2398 back to the Senate for its members to concur.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Jeff Barta outlines revisions to military compatibility commission bill during committee hearing
Mar. 6—BISMARCK — A revised proposal to create a military compatibility commission seeks to establish "the rules we are going to play by" for developing land and projects near North Dakota's military bases, its prime sponsor said Thursday. Sen. Jeff Barta, R-Grand Forks, spoke before the House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee on Thursday, explaining the difference between the original version of the bill and how it now reads. The goal, he said, is to pass the bill as a method to get various stakeholders "seated around a table to say 'this is what has to be done in order for you to operate here.'" Senate Bill 2398 seeks to establish a military compatibility commission and so-called "military impact zones," which would extend from the bases and installations that already exist within the state, including Grand Forks Air Force Base, Minot Air Force Base, Cavalier Space Force Station and Camp Grafton South. The intent of the commission is to "harmonize land use in military impact zones, review potential encroachment of military installations in military impact zones and promote the sustainability of military operations in the state," according to the bill. Gone from the bill's original verbiage is a stipulation that the zones extend a predetermined distance from each installation. For GFAFB, for instance, the original distance was 25 miles in each direction, which prompted early concern from the Grand Forks City Council that it could hinder future development in and around the city. "Since I introduced it, and I introduced it just before deadline, it has changed quite a bit," Barta told members of the committee on Thursday. "With that, I consider the bill a success already. It's an indication of the intent of the bill from the beginning, which is to increase communication and cooperation across all entities and political (subdivisions) when it comes to new development in the area." Regardless of distances from an installation — which now would be determined separately, depending on the mission — Barta believes a commission would create more openness and dialogue when potential development is proposed near military operations. "It's only fair to anybody coming to the state to do business that they know what they face," he said. "We're just trying to get all of these people involved and seated around a table to say this is what has to be done in order for you to operate here." Mostly, though, it's "to ensure protection of North Dakota military installations." After Barta explained the revisions to the committee, a representative of the North Dakota wind energy industry spoke against SB 2398 — albeit gently. Levi Andrist said "opposition (to SB 2398) is probably the correct technical term, but we certainly support military compatibility in North Dakota." Andrist said that in 2011, Congress enacted a national Department of Defense clearinghouse that already oversees wind projects, ensuring that they do not compromise military installations and their missions. "This is important: A wind project is legally required under federal law to engage with the clearinghouse, and additionally with the (Federal Aviation Administration), if their structure is over 200 feet tall," Andrist said. "... A project is neither developable nor is it financeable if it does not address the DOD's concerns under this process. A wind project will not get built if there are objections by the DOD or military installations in the state." Additionally, he said, the state Public Service Commission siting process requires hearings to be held in counties where wind projects are proposed. The overall process to create new wind projects is "robust," he said. With that in mind, Andrist said his industry requests "a friendly amendment," since "we very much support the intent of the bill." The amendment he suggests would add the following: "Except for activity subject to the United States Department of Defense clearinghouse, established by federal law, the commission shall do the same things the bill is intended to do." "This amendment would still allow the various types of development to be subject to the military compatibility commission, namely value-added ag projects, aviation activities, commercial activities, industrial development, transportation development and housing development," he said. "This doesn't gut the bill. What the amendment proposes to do is reflect the reality that there is a robust federal review process already required by federal law." Alan Dohrmann, chief operating officer for Gov. Kelly Armstrong, also spoke Thursday, outlining concerns. He has spoken to Barta about some of the ideas, he said, but Barta doesn't necessarily agree with them. However, "the one thing everybody agrees on ... is that encroachment on our bases is an important issue that needs to be addressed," Dohrmann said. "We believe that there are processes in place already that can achieve that aim without adding another board or commission." The main concern of Dohrmann, and therefore Gov. Armstrong, "centers around the fact that to be part of this commission, you must have a military compatibility study. To our knowledge, the only base that has had a military compatibility study done, or compatible use study done, is Grand Forks (Air Force Base), and that was just completed in 2024," Dohrmann said. "As the bill is currently written, if a compatible use study is required, there is a possibility that the only folks who would be on this commission would be the governor, a representative from Grand Forks County if they chose to opt in, possibly a representative from Larimore if they chose to opt in, and then a representative from one of the 41 townships from Grand Forks County if they chose to opt in. ... If they do join, they can look at how to best zone in and around bases and everybody on that committee has zoning authority except for the chair. "It begs the question: Why do we need to add the governor to a committee made up of local zoning officials who already have the power and responsibility and already have to go through the clearinghouse?" Grand Forks resident Bruce Gjovig submitted written testimony on behalf of Grand Forks' Mayor's base Retention Committee. The committee, he wrote, urges a "do-pass" for SB 2398, "to protect our military installations against encroachment by land, airspace, and electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) developments." His letter also suggests a counter-drone amendment to establish a perimeter defense outside the fenceline of installations to better "neutralize threats early." It would include the county sheriff and base security working together for counter-UAS responses. SB 2398 passed through the Senate 47-0 earlier this session. The bill now awaits its fate in the House.
