North Dakota
Bill to improve rural veteran health care sees support from North Dakota providers
WASHINGTON, D.C. — North Dakota organizations have submitted letters of support for a federal bill that would improve veterans’ access to local health care options, which has been examined by the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The bill – the Critical Access for Veterans Care Act – from Sen. Kevin Cramer and Sen. Tim Sheehy would allow veterans living in the rural United States to seek health care services at their local critical access hospitals or rural health clinics, a press release said.
“The Community Care program literally can be a lifeline,” said Cramer, R-N.D. “(What) prevents it from being a lifeline as often as it ought to be is all of the roadblocks that get put up. After hearing from veterans and rural health care providers and leaders across North Dakota, I proposed a solution with Sen. Sheehy to simplify access to the critical access network, whether it’s a critical access hospital (or) rural health clinic.”
Cramer and Sheehy’s (R-Mont.) bill would amend the VA (Veterans Affairs) MISSION Act of 2018 to make a new category under which “care is required to be furnished through community providers, specifically for care sought by a veteran residing within 35 miles of the critical access hospital or rural health clinic,” the release said.
The release also said a number of veterans live in rural areas and face major challenges to accessing timely and quality health care. In North Dakota, there are 37 critical access hospitals, but only five of those communities housing them also have a VA community-based outpatient clinic. The state has one VA medical center in Fargo and eight community-based outpatient clinics in total.
The bill has received letters of support from the North Dakota Rural Health Association and a coalition of 22 North Dakota rural health care providers, the release said, who wrote that the legislation will offer a streamlined and practical approach building on existing infrastructure and recognized designations in rural health care. The American Hospital Association, America’s Warrior Partnership and the National Rural Health Association have also voiced support for the bill.
Another letter of support for the bill has come from Marcus Lewis, CEO of the North Dakota Veteran and Critical Access Hospital. A veteran himself, he said he lives more than three hours from the nearest VA hospital and works two hours away from it. However, there are three community health care facilities within 50 miles of his home.
“Despite the availability of this high quality local care, I am currently paying out of pocket for needed therapy because accessing services through the Community Care Network has proven prohibitively difficult,” he wrote.
Cramer said the VA system gives veterans less access to care that is readily available, and the goal of the bill is to give rural veterans access to their local critical access hospitals without strings attached.
“I worry if the bill is watered down, quite honestly, that we turn the authority back over to the bureaucracy to decide,” he said.
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North Dakota
Armstrong applauds federal funding for upgrading coal infrastructure, including Antelope Valley Station
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Kelly Armstrong today applauded President Donald Trump’s announcement of his plan to address the nation’s energy emergency with funding under the Defense Production Act, including up to $425 million for the U.S. Department of Energy for 12 projects selected to expand and reinvigorate America’s coal fleet and up to $75 million for a coal export facility.
The funding includes over $27.4 million to help pay for a $70 million proposed project to modernize two coal-fired units at North Dakota’s Antelope Valley Station, operated by Basin Electric Power Cooperative near Beulah in Mercer County. According to the DOE, the upgrades will mitigate unplanned outages, improve efficiency and increase generation capacity. The project is designed to ensure continued affordable and reliable electricity while also supporting local employment at Antelope Valley Station and Freedom Mine, the DOE said.
“North Dakota enjoys the lowest electricity rates in the nation, and investments like this will ensure our fleet of coal plants can produce clean, reliable and affordable power for decades to come,” Armstrong said. “We appreciate the continued support by President Trump and his administration for policies that support U.S. energy dominance and a more stable electric grid to serve our citizens, grow our economy and strengthen our national security. Coal country, and our entire state, will emerge even stronger from this action today.”
Prison Life in North Dakota
Every time we cross the Expressway overpass in Bismarck, you get a quick glimpse into prison life in North Dakota. Occasionally, you will see inmates in the yard doing various forms of outdoor recreation. The barbed wire that surrounds the North Dakota State Penitentiary is a sobering reminder that this is not where any sane person would ever want to spend any part of their life.
I met one of our listeners recently who works at the State Pen in Bismarck, and I got a chance to ask her some questions I’ve always wondered, mostly what life is like behind bars. “Is it like prison life in the movies?” She didn’t have a bright picture to paint, and that’s probably the way it should be, to help steer individuals away from a life of crime.
Oskari-Kauko Värä
I was surprised to find out that at least some of the inmates have tablets and are allowed to go online; their online experience is very controlled. I was also told prisoners are allowed to listen to the radio, something I already knew, as I have received calls from convicts making requests before. You kind of feel the pressure behind those requests, “play it or else”. Ha!
I plan to request a tour in the future using my media credentials and give you more insight into what it’s like behind bars at the North Dakota State Penitentiary.
Marina Nezhinkay
The 20 Worst Prisions in America
Did the North Dakota State Pen make the list? Nope. According to MoneyInc, these are the worst prisons that even the most hardened criminal would want to avoid.
20. Ely State Prison – Ely, Nevada
19. Folson State Prison – Folson, California
18. Penitentiary of New Mexico – Santa Fe, New Mexico
17. William C. Holman Correctional Facility – Atmore, Alabama
16. Sing Sing Correctional Facility – Ossining, New York
15. San Quentin State Prison – San Rafael, California
14. Louisiana State Pen – Angola, Louisiana
13. Rikers Island – New York, New York
12. Reeves County Detention Complex – Pecos, Texas
11. Julia Tutwiler Prison – Wetumpka, Alabama
10. Pelican Bay State Prison – Crescent City, California
9. United States Pen Marrion – Marion, Illinois
8. Idaho Correctional Center – Kuna, Idaho
7. United States Penitentiary Tucson – Tucson, Arizona
6. Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary – Leavenworth, Kansas
5. Orleans Parish Prison – New Orleans, Louisiana
4. Men’s Central Jail & Twin Towers Correctional Facility – Los Angeles, California
3. Tent City Jail – Phoenix, Arizona
2. Allan B. Polungky Unit – Livingtonston, Texas
1. US Penitentiary Administrative Maximum – Florence, Colorado
States with the most born-and-bred residents
Gallery Credit: Stacker
The 15 BEST Small-Town Cafes In North Dakota
North Dakota
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