Latest news with #GrandForks
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Grand Forks man to serve eight years for attempted murder
Jun. 30—GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks man was ordered to serve eight years in prison after changing his plea in an attempted murder case Monday, June 30. Alexander Antonio Thompson, 28, pleaded guilty to Class A felony attempted murder and Class C felony aggravated assault. An additional count of aggravated assault was dismissed under Thompson's plea agreement. Thompson got into a physical altercation with his coworker on April 22, 2024, according to an affidavit filed in the case. While on top of his coworker, Thompson put his hands around the man's throat, squeezed and restricted airflow. After they were separated, Thompson grabbed an electrical extension cord, which he wrapped around his coworker's neck while the man was walking away, the affidavit said. Witnesses said the coworker's eyes rolled backward into his head, and he lost consciousness. While strangling the man, Thompson said, "I'm going to kill you," according to the affidavit. Several people had to intervene before Thompson released his coworker. Thompson was sentenced Monday to 20 years at the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation with 12 years suspended, leaving eight to serve. He has credit for 435 days spent in custody. While in prison, Thompson must complete an anger management evaluation and follow through with any recommendations. Upon release, he will be on supervised probation for two years.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Grand Forks County to receive more from state for juvenile detention services
Jun. 30—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks County Commission approved a new contract with the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for use of county juvenile detention facilities during a special meeting Monday. The commission unanimously approved the new contract. Although the commission has its first regular meeting of July on Tuesday, the contract needed to be signed before July 1, when it takes effect. The contract also coincides with the state's new biennium, the start of a new fiscal cycle, which also begins July 1. Regional Youth Assessment Center Administrator Robin Spain told commissioners that this new contract will increase the per diem rate the county collects from DOCR. For the next two years, the county will receive $375 a day per person the county is hosting on behalf of DOCR. DOCR will also reimburse the county for medical expenses. Previously, the state paid the county $260 per day per individual for use of the county's facility. The contract will not automatically renew when it expires in June 2027, but can be extended for up to six months past the expiration or renewed on a quarterly basis after the initial term. The increase matches increases to what the county charges others for use of the youth assessment center. In May, the commission approved increasing rates from $225 per diem to $350 per diem. At that time, the commission also gave Spain approval to sign those amended contracts without needing to come to the commission. Typically, the commission approves all contracts with the county, but can delegate that authority in some circumstances.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
South Washington Street down to two lanes at 28th Avenue South beginning June 30
Jun. 27—GRAND FORKS — South Washington Street will see lane closures at 28th Avenue South beginning June 30. The project will focus on turn lane work. The lane closures are expected to last through July 6. During construction, Washington Street will be down to one lane in each direction and traffic on 28th Avenue will only be able to make right turns at the intersection. Northbound Washington Street traffic will return to normal beginning July 6 but but southbound traffic impacts will continue past July 6. The North Dakota Department of Transportation is leading the project and will extend the left turn lanes to allow for additional queueing space. NDDOT will also do concrete panel replacement. The project will cost $209,965, with the city of Grand Forks spending roughly $15,400. The rest of the funds come from state and federal funding sources.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
UPDATED: Minor damage reported in Grand Forks County after storms; rail cars overturned in Traill County
Jun. 21—GRAND FORKS — Minor damage was reported in Grand Forks County and elsewhere in the Grand Forks region following a night of high winds and tornado-like weather, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Forks. However, farther south in the Grand Forks region — especially in and around Mayville — the damage was worse. Traill County Sheriff Steve Hunt told the Grand Forks Herald that power was out for some residents, a diesel fuel tank was tipped over and rail cars were overturned in the southern part of his county. As the sun rose in Grand Forks County, residents generally awoke to very minor damage, such as a few branches scattered about. Some were without power until around 5 a.m. A tornado warning was issued for Grand Forks County just after midnight Saturday morning, June 21, as strong winds moved into the area from Griggs County to the west. The tornado warning was downgraded to a severe thunderstorm warning shortly after, and that warning expired around 5 a.m., National Weather Service lead forecaster Tim Lynch said. A tornado signature was observed in Griggs County, but there has been no confirmation of a tornado in Grand Forks County. Local wind speeds reached 69 mph at Grand Forks International Airport. In the region, wind speeds reached 110 mph in Steele County and up to 80 to 90 mph in Traill County, Lynch said. Ben Gates, director of emergency management in Steele County, said that as of 10 a.m. Saturday, damage assessments were being done throughout the county, including in the city of Hope, which had several large trees fall. "I'd say a large majority of the trees in the city are down, covering streets and stuff like that," Gates said. Several homes had trees fall on their roofs, he said, and others sustained damage from shingles being ripped off. Homeowners also reported their patios, trampolines and other outdoor items were taken by the storm. As far as Gates knew, there were no injuries reported. "We have a pretty robust emergency alert system, so we were (relying) pretty heavily on that last night, and I think it was pretty well received," he said. As county employees work to clear the streets, Gates asks residents to stay clear, holding off on driving around to assess the damage. "Make sure that we're giving the crew space and time to work," he said. Structural damage from high winds was reported near Bemidji. Three people were killed overnight in a tornado that hit Enderlin, North Dakota, an hour west of Fargo in Cass and Ransom counties, WDAY reported Saturday morning. The region is now in peak storm season, which generally lasts from late June through July, Lynch said, and he characterized the overnight storms as on the stronger side of normal for this time of year. "The wind was profound on this one," he said. In Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, a drive through town showed very minor damage, including small tree branches down and construction signs toppled. "We were so lucky. No major damage anywhere in the county," said Kari Goelz, Grand Forks County's emergency management director. "Only a handful of power outages." She said Grand Forks received just over an inch of rain. And more good news for Greater Grand Forks: Goelz said the Grand Forks Fair would open on schedule Saturday after closing early Friday evening. In Mayville, numerous tree branches were downed by the storm. Community members began working shortly after sunup to clear the debris. Mayville received an inch of rain, according to WDAY. Sheriff Hunt said Mayville was hit with strong winds, but the worst of it was in the southwest corner of Traill County, near Clifford and Galesburg. "We have tons of trees down (and) power lines are down," he told the Herald. "We some grain bins and structures like that that have been damaged and tipped over." He said the focus is to get the streets open and power restored. It could take several days to get power back on for some in Traill County, he said. Hunt encourages anyone in the area to be aware of downed power lines. Conditions could favor more storms for the Red River Valley on Sunday, when a cold front will approach from the west. There will be a potential for more strong thunderstorms, possibly bringing damaging wind gusts up to 75 mph, golf ball-sized hail and the potential for a tornado or two, Lynch said. He urged people to monitor the forecast through the rest of the weekend. "Be mindful of how you get your warnings," he said. "Make sure you have multiple ways of getting your warnings, (Sunday) for sure."
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
UND to deploy two satellites from SpaceX rocket, first satellites commissioned in North Dakota
Jun. 20—GRAND FORKS — To Robert Kraus's recollection, one thing Andrew Armacost said at the start of his presidency that he desired for the University of North Dakota was a satellite. That wish is coming true, twofold. "We got to give credit to President Armacost," said Kraus, dean of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. "He's been supportive of everything that we've been doing to get to this point." Pablo de León, department chair and professor in the department of space studies, added, "so instead of one satellite, we'll give him two." "And more to come," Kraus replied. The university will launch the first two satellites commissioned in North Dakota out of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 4:19 p.m., Saturday, June 21, out of the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The project, called the ROADS mission (Rendezvous and Operations for Autonomous Docking and Servicing), will deploy the satellites from the launch vehicle. Once in orbit, the satellites will slowly drift apart, then perform rendezvous proximity operations and docking. Ronald Fevig, associate professor of space studies, said the two satellites, slightly larger than half-gallon milk cartons, will provide UND students with experiential learning opportunities, such as training on Doppler tracking — using radio signals to track satellites — and having a digital repeater for the amateur radio community. "Those four are our primary objectives — docking, educational, tracking and communications," Fevig said. This isn't the first time UND has had hardware in space, Fevig said. ISSAC, the International Space Station Agricultural Camera, designed, built and operated by UND students and faculty, was operated on board the International Space Station from 2011 to 2013, according to a UND webpage about the project. De León said the satellites will also attempt to dock with another satellite to refuel. Refueling is a complex process for satellites, he said. "That opens an array of different possibilities, one of them being in the future probably refueling, which will be a critical technology that needs to be mastered in order to increase the time of operations of satellites in space," he said. The project was mainly funded by $4 million in appropriations from the North Dakota Legislature in the 2021 biennium. UND was given the funding for space and national security research, which the School of Aerospace Sciences used a small portion of to build a space operations classroom in Robin Hall. From there, De León found a company to collaborate with and develop the satellites — AVS USA, an engineering firm headquartered in New York. The remainder of the school's portion of the funding went to the satellites, with UND providing some funding to cap it off. Students will be trained on how to operate the satellites. Kraus said it has been difficult for universities to get satellites into space in the past. Because SpaceX launches two or three rockets a week and allows universities to put their projects on board, it has made the idea of launching a satellite more viable. There has been additional funding given to UND for space and national security, which has been used to finish the national security corridor in the College of Engineering and Mines, Kruas said. The College of Engineering will move in to design and build its own satellites, which it will launch and the School of Aerospace Sciences will operate. "We wanted to get something up, start using it, train people on how to do it, while Engineering is building their facilities to now design and build their own," Kraus said. "It's a very cross-discipline set of projects. And so we're seeing more and more partnerships between the School of Aerospace Sciences, the College of Engineering and Mines, and then also physics and astrophysics and arts and sciences." A livestream of the launch will be available at .
