North Dakota
Behind the Badge – Boating Accident on Fourth of July Weekend
Boating Accident – Fourth of July Weekend
District Game Warden Noah Raitz
The Fourth of July weekend is one of the busiest stretch of days game wardens have during the summer.
Sure, there are busy days when the fish are biting, or the weather is perfect for a lake day.
But, without a doubt the Fourth of July will have recreators flocking to their lakes to get the boat on the water and enjoy the long weekend.
As lakes get crowded it becomes more important for boat operators to understand boating regulations and how to be safe on the water.
This starts at home before the boat is even hooked up.
One of the most common violations I find is not having the required number of personal flotation devices.
PFDs are usually stored in one of the front compartments or under the seats, depending on the type of boat.
It’s not uncommon for boat owners, who have enough PFDs, to struggle to remember which storage compartment they put them in.
Not knowing where your PFDs are stored on your boat is a safety concern because you never know when you might be put in an emergency where the PFD is needed.
While working the Fourth of July weekend in 2023, I received a call that a personal watercraft and a boat had collided.
I was at a nearby lake when it happened and was able to respond quickly.
I was told the boat had quickly started heading toward the boat ramp.
The caller told me it sounded like a shotgun blast when they collided.
The boat, almost full of passengers, was pulling a tuber and was making the typical “S” shaped maneuver as they followed the shoreline to a bend in the lake.
The PWC was heading toward this same bend from the opposite direction.
Once they recognized each other, they both attempted a turn but neither one was able to get out of the way.
A lot of questions started running through my head because an “accident” where nobody made a mistake is uncommon.
How close were they to the shoreline? Where was the attention of the driver? Who was the give-way vessel and who was the stand-on vessel? Was the throttle applied when the PWC attempted to turn? Almost all accidents are avoidable if state boating regulations are followed.
Upon arrival at the boat ramp, I could immediately see the boat that was involved in the collision was on a trailer with a large piece of the boat on the ground and a hole that matched it on the stern.
The driver said that when the collision happened, he could see water rushing in the back almost immediately.
He expressed that if he had not been able to drive the boat, they would have sunk within a few minutes.
The impact had enough force to bend the bow eye to one side along with multiple chunks of fiberglass missing on the PWC.
After the PWC collided with the boat, the momentum of both vessels caused the tuber to continue forward and collide with the PWC as well.
The tuber was able to lean to his side and keep the inner tube between himself and the PWC, acting as a cushion and bouncing him off.
The collision did not result in any injuries, but it was an extremely close call for everyone.
It’s hard to speculate what could have happened to the passengers if the collision happened a few seconds earlier or later, but I am almost certain there would have been more injuries.
Had the boat sunk, would all the passengers been able to swim to shore or locate a PFD?
What if the PWC operator hit his head and was knocked unconscious while the boat took off toward shore?
What if the tuber was unable to react fast enough and collided with the PWC before he could lean to his side?
Boat safety equipment and boating regulations are crucial for the safety of yourselves and others on the water.
The purpose of a PFD is to keep you upright in the water, even if you are unconscious.
Obviously, a PFD can’t stop a collision from happening, but it could save your life in an emergency.
It goes beyond just having a PFD though.
I would encourage everyone to review our boating regulations and if you have a question, call your local game warden.
GRAND FORKS — A North Dakota composer’s dream is turning into a statewide invitation.
Williston-based musician Emily Black-Driscoll was chosen as the North Dakota Music Teachers Association’s commissioned composer for 2026. She’s preparing an original composition that will premiere in August.
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North Dakota
Challengers declare victory after ND Supreme Court rules against Legislature’s attempt to alter term limits
BISMARCK — A constitutional ballot measure to amend the state’s term limits law as proposed by the Legislature will not appear on November’s ballot, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday, siding with petitioners who argued the Legislature exceeded its authority and violated the state constitution in proposing the changes.
“The people’s voice was heard,” Grand Forks County Commissioner Terry Bjerke said in reaction to the news.
Bjerke was a member of the sponsoring committee behind the successful 2022 effort to pass a term limits initiative, which amended the state constitution by capping legislative term limits to eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. The amendment, which became article XV of the state constitution, also included a clause barring the Legislature from making constitutional changes to term limits.
During the 2025 session, however, lawmakers narrowly approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 4008, in which the legislature proposed Constitutional Measure 1, a ballot measure to amend the term limits language to allow legislators to decide in which chamber they want to serve their 16 years, and to repeal the clause limiting the legislative assembly’s authority to propose an amendment to alter or repeal term limits.
Bjerke and former Minot legislator Oley Larsen brought the lawsuit challenging the validity of the Legislature’s action in January, and the state Supreme Court
heard oral arguments in the case
this spring.
“Those term limits may only be altered by a measure proposed by the people rather than the Legislative Assembly. And yet a few years later, the Legislative Assembly is doing what they are prohibited from doing,” attorney Zachary Wallen argued on Bjerke and Larsen’s behalf.
Tanner Ecker / The Bismarck Tribune
The Legislature’s attorneys argued the clause prohibiting legislative proposals to alter the constitutional term limits language “infringes on our republican form of government” by “limiting the people’s ability to vote on amendments proposed by their elected officials.”
Justice Jon Jensen seemed skeptical of that argument during the April 2 hearing, questioning whether a second vote was appropriate.
“The public did speak on this. The public spoke on it when it passed the original constitutional amendment and they said, ‘Legislature, you don’t even get to propose a change.’ They have already spoken on it,” Jensen said. “You want a second shot, or a second bite at the apple, not a first one, a second.”
In Thursday’s ruling, all five justices sided with Bjerke and Larsen.
“We … conclude the Legislative Assembly’s adoption of S.C.R. 4008 violated N.D. Const. art. XV … and declare S.C.R. 4008 and Constitutional Measure 1 void … We enjoin the Secretary of State from placing Constitutional Measure 1 on the November 2026 general election ballot,” the ruling said.
Bjerke thanked the legal team that worked on behalf of their lawsuit, and said he was grateful the court reached the conclusion it did.
“I’m thrilled that what the people voted on and approved has been validated,” Bjerke said.
He added that the Legislature had “multiple opportunities” to address term limits prior to 2022’s initiated measure and chose not to, and gave a nod to the country’s coming milestone and the process by which voters expressed their support for term limits.
“We’ve lasted 250 years,” Bjerke said. “I have two words for those elected leaders who think they aren’t: everyone’s replaceable.”
North Dakota
Fargo woman convicted in North Dakota fraud case now faces charges in Minnesota: A deeper dive
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A North Dakota woman who was sentenced to 180 days in jail in Cass County for defrauding healthcare providers and Medicaid programs is now facing additional fraud charges in Minnesota.
Christine Marie Pryor, 55, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to theft by deception involving more than $50,000. She was sentenced to first serve 180 days with a 3-year sentence suspended. She received credit for 44 days already served.
Pryor was ordered to pay $82,584.78 in restitution to Southeast Human Services in Fargo, where she worked between 2018 and 2019.
How the scheme unfolded
According to court documents, Pryor worked at multiple healthcare facilities in North Dakota and Minnesota between 2018 and 2023, using the identities and credentials of three licensed professionals without their knowledge. She submitted fraudulent Capella University diplomas and transcripts to gain employment.
Investigators say Pryor admitted she searched state licensing websites for therapists who shared her first name, then used those therapists’ last names and license numbers when applying for jobs.
At Southeast Human Services, where she worked as a Licensed Addiction Counselor, Pryor earned $55,584.82 while providing therapy services to approximately 150 patients. She also opened her own counseling center, NIAM Brain Injury Center, in Fargo between 2020 and 2021, and worked at The Lotus Center in Moorhead, Minnesota, from 2021 to 2023.
Court documents say the three licensed professionals whose identities were used told investigators they had no knowledge of Pryor’s actions and did not give her permission to use their information.
Two additional charges against Pryor in North Dakota, unauthorized use of personal identifying information, were dismissed on motion of the state.
Additional charges in Minnesota
Pryor is also facing charges in Minnesota. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Tuesday charges against Pryor in Clay County District Court for six theft offenses and six identity theft offenses related to defrauding Minnesota’s Medicaid program of more than $150,000.
According to the Minnesota complaint, Pryor claimed to provide psychotherapy and alcohol and drug counseling services to Medicaid recipients despite having no license or credentials to do so. Prosecutors allege she used the credentials and identities of three licensed professionals while claiming to provide Medicaid-funded services to 169 clients.
The Minnesota charges were filed as part of National Health Care Fraud Takedown Day, a joint effort involving the Department of Justice and more than 40 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
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