North Dakota
Bill sponsors ask North Dakota House to restore rural funding after Senate slashes $45 million
BISMARCK — Communities in North Dakota with 1,000 people or fewer could benefit from a proposed $5 million permanent investment fund that would create grants for making infrastructure improvements.
Repurposing vacant buildings for housing, fixing roads and bolstering local economic development are the kind of projects that would be funded by the Rural Community Endowment Fund, which
Senate Bill 2097
aims to establish.
The fund would be overseen by the State Investment Board and use its annual interest to fund competitive grant-making while preserving its principal amount.
Those grants would be awarded by a committee that also evaluates how they’re used.
The committee would consist of one commissioner who appoints nine people from rural North Dakota and a representative of a nonprofit organization that supports rural communities.
The original proposal sought to use $50 million of the projected $6.5 billion general fund,
but that was reduced by 90% to $5 million before advancing through the Senate.
In a House Political Subdivisions Committee hearing Friday, March 7, each of the three bill sponsors said the funding reduction should be reconsidered.
Contributed / North Dakota Legislative Assembly
“I personally don’t think it’s enough,” Rep. Mike Brandenburg, R-Edgeley, said.
Primary sponsor Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, said the price tag should be returned to $50 million while the state is in the “best position” it’s ever been in financially.
Contributed / North Dakota Legislative Assembly
“The viability of rural communities is important economically, but it is more important to preserve the base of our value system,” Mathern said. “Hard work, self resiliency and cooperation are values grown in rural North Dakota. We need more of this in our country.”
Sen. Terry Wanzek, R-Jamestown, also sponsored the bill.
Contributed / North Dakota Legislative Assembly
Strengthen ND, a rural community development nonprofit, called the legislation the “rural trust” bill.
“It’s the product of over a decade worth of conversations with rural community leaders across North Dakota” said Megan Langley, executive director of Strengthen ND.
“Time and time again, I have received calls from rural communities in need of funding for projects,” she continued. “Time and time again, there was nowhere to refer them. The resource they needed simply did not exist.”
Nine people testified in favor of the bill during the hearing, and none stood in opposition.
In addition to the three legislators who sponsored the bill, those in support included the North Dakota Farmers Union, Strengthen ND, the League of Cities, Rolla Job Development Authority and the Roosevelt Custer and Red River regional councils.
Of the more than 40 testimony entries online, one opposed the bill.
The effort is duplicative, wrote Alexander Public Schools Superintendent Leslie Bieber, who added she supports more state funding going to rural communities.
A House floor vote has not been scheduled.
North Dakota
North Dakota voters to decide single-subject requirement for future constitutional amendments on June 9
BRECKENRIDGE — Coaches, teammates, friends and family gathered in the south parking lot of Breckenridge High School for another state tournament sendoff.
Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News
This year, it was Troy Berndt taking the ceremonial convertible ride. He is headed to St. Michael-Albertville High School for the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet on June 4-6.
Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News
He will be running in the third heat of the 400-meter prelims, scheduled for 4:52 p.m. June 4. There are seven athletes in each heat, 21 total, and nine will advance to the finals at 6:20 p.m. June 5.
The top two finishers in each heat advance, along with the next three best times. Berndt’s personal best time of 50.67 has him seeded 13th, but the 10th-, 11th- and 12th-seeded runners are less than five hundredths of a second ahead of him. The eighth- and ninth-seeded runners are also close, at 50.33 and 50.39, respectively.
Berndt dropped nearly seven-tenths of a second from his previous personal best at the Section 6A West Subsection Meet on May 21, running 51.35, and shaved another 0.68 seconds off at the Section 6A Championships on May 28 with a time of 50.67. If he keeps lowering his time, he will have a shot at reaching the podium against the best runners in Class A.
Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News
Results and photos will be available online immediately following the race June 4 and in the June 10 print edition of the Wahpeton Daily News.
Corbin Lee is a sports reporter for the Wahpeton Daily News and Richland County News-Monitor. Corbin can be reached by calling (701) 291-3551 or emailing corbin.lee@wahpetondailynews.com.
On this day in 1971, Rugby repeated as North Dakota’s high school sand greens golf champion behind medalist Dwight Stempson’s winning performance.
Here is the complete story as it appeared in the paper that day:
Rugby Repeats As Sand Greens Golf Champion
RUGBY, N. D. — Rugby repeated as North Dakota high school sand greens golf champion here Wednesday, posting a four-man total of 293 strokes for 18 holes.
Led by medalist Dwight Stempson’s medalist 36-35 — 71, the Panthers were eight strokes ahead of runnerup Stanley, which had a 301. Following were Garrison 311, Beulah 315, Leeds 322, Ashley 323, Bottineau 328, Pembina 329, Tioga 332, Parshall 341 and Hettinger 342.
Stempson and teammate Bruce Carlson each had one-under par 71s, but Carlson was unable to be at the regional and wasn’t qualified for individual honors.
Rounding out the Rugby totals were Delwin Wilson 40-37 — 77 and Dennett Hutchinson 35-39 — 74. Gary Kirchoffner, 41-39 — 80, was Rugby’s fifth entrant with the best four-of-five scores counted.
Runnerup Stanley was led by Steve Springan’s 34-38 — 72 and Joe Springan’s 36-38 — 74. Their two-man total of 146 strokes was good enough for the doubles title. Two strokes back with a 148 was the duo of Stempson and Wilson. Stan Saathoff and Mike Stepina of Garrison each had 76s for a 152 total and the Ashley combo of Steve Maier (76) and Dave Kretschmar (78) was fourth with a 154.
Stempson was the driving contest winner with a distance of 280 yards. Chris Knutson of Garrison headed the pitch and putt competition.
Kate Almquist is the social media manager for InForum. After working as an intern, she joined The Forum full time starting in January 2022. Readers can reach her at kalmquist@forumcomm.com.
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