Connect with us

North Dakota

Jamestown Chief of Police Scott Edinger receives award for his work

Published

on

Jamestown Chief of Police Scott Edinger receives award for his work


JAMESTOWN – Jamestown Chief of Police Scott Edinger received the 2024 Sworn Member of the Year Award from the Police Chiefs Association of North Dakota on June 25 in Minot.

The award was presented at the organization’s conference in Minot.

The Sworn Member of the Year Award is given based on continual, exceptional performance of duty, clearly above that normally expected which has contributed to the success of their department, according to the Police Chiefs Association of North Dakota website,

https://policechiefsnd.org/

Advertisement

The award criteria: the recipient’s conduct is significantly superior, exhibits conduct which would tend to establish a positive role model for others, is cooperative and productive to significantly further police missions and demonstrates positive personal initiative and expertise, according to the website.

“His life is full of service and helping others,” said David Peterson, chief of police in Williston, North Dakota, and a member of the selection committee that chose Edinger for the award.

“I’m proud of the selection and happy for Chief Edinger,” Peterson said.

The Police Chiefs Association of North Dakota is made up of members who are hired by municipalities across the state of North Dakota. Membership includes command staff-level members from over 60 cities and towns in North Dakota. Non-command staff can be associate members of the organization.

“I certainly didn’t expect this,” Edinger said of receiving the award. “Anytime something like this happens, it’s hard to take credit for anything like that because in my position it’s so dependent upon everybody that I work with  — everybody that works at the police department from command staff to patrol to the clerical staff, elected officials and support of the community. … nothing that I do is possible without that.”

Advertisement

Maj. Justin Blinsky, assistant chief of police for the Jamestown Police Department, nominated Edinger for the award.

“Chief Edinger’s nomination was based not only on his current work product but also a culmination of his career,” he said.

Edinger has longtime career in Jamestown

Edinger is a native of North Dakota who grew up in Lusk, Wyoming. He worked for the Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office in Lusk for about three years before returning to North Dakota and joining the Jamestown Police Department in 1994, where he has served for 30 years.

Edinger began his work at JPD as a patrol officer and after several years was chosen for the Stutsman County Drug Task Force, where he served for many years. He was promoted to corporal during that time and after completing his task force assignment was assigned to the detective division. Edinger was recognized for his work on the task force and detective division in several large-scale investigations and successful prosecutions, Blinsky said. While serving in the detective division, he was promoted to sergeant.

Advertisement

He was selected for Jamestown chief of police in 2012.

In his nomination of Edinger for the award, Blinsky wrote that he is a “leader, mentor, and works hard for the betterment of each police department employee. He clearly enjoys coming to work each day.”

Blinsky noted Edinger’s cumulative work, saying it exhibits “exceptional performance of duty that has a direct impact on the continued success of the Jamestown Police Department.”

During Edinger’s tenure as chief, numerous changes have been implemented to ensure the police department is “as efficient, modernized, employee-centric, and structured as possible, while balancing the interests of the City of Jamestown,” Blinsky wrote.

Blinsky said Edinger is willing to listen to new ideas or reasoning for changes while keeping a “big picture” perspective on how changes can have unintended consequences.

Advertisement

Edinger also relates well with citizens and shows compassion and humility, Blinsky said. He has been recognized by department employees, citizens, social groups, attorneys, judges, advocates and even some individuals convicted of crimes that he investigated for his work product and personal attributes, Blinsky wrote.

Edinger has received the following awards/commendations in his career from the Jamestown Police Department: Medal of Honor award, five Honorable Service awards, seven Exceptional Duty awards, four unit citations and Officer of the Year 2005. He was also recognized for his participation and response multiple times to assist Morton County during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in 2016-2017.

Edinger oversees 29 full-time sworn, three part-time sworn and four civilian staff at JPD.

Edinger served two terms as president of the Police Chiefs Association of North Dakota and is currently past president. He has provided testimony and insight to state legislators to help guide them through changes in state laws and procedures and also served on several advisory committees and community boards, Blinsky said.

Edinger said the award he received is a Jamestown Police Department award, noting the quality of the people who work there.

Advertisement

“Because of that, it makes everything that I do so much easier,” he said. “I guess I look at it as part of my job is to fight for those employees and look out for their well-being and I think that’s probably why that it (the award nomination) got submitted.”

Kathy Steiner has been the editor of The Jamestown Sun since 1995. She graduated from Valley City State College with a bachelor’s degree in English and studied mass communications at North Dakota State University, Fargo. She reports on business, government and community topics in the Jamestown area. Reach her at 701-952-8449 or ksteiner@jamestownsun.com.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

North Dakota

North Dakota Supreme Court Considers Motion to Reinstate Abortion Ban While Appeal is Pending

Published

on

North Dakota Supreme Court Considers Motion to Reinstate Abortion Ban While Appeal is Pending


 The North Dakota Supreme Court hears arguments involving abortion via Zoom on Nov. 21, 2024. (Screenshot Bismarck Tribune via the North Dakota Monitor)

 

 

 

Advertisement

(North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota’s solicitor general called on the North Dakota Supreme Court to reinstate an abortion law struck down by a lower court until a final decision in the case is made, arguing that the ban must remain in effect because the state has a compelling interest in protecting unborn life.

“We say that not to be dramatic, but because the district court seems to have lost sight of that,” Phil Axt told justices Thursday.

The ban, signed into law by Gov. Doug Burgum in April 2023, made abortion illegal in all cases except rape or incest if the mother has been pregnant for less than six weeks, or when the pregnancy poses a serious physical health threat.

South Central Judicial District Court Judge Bruce Romanick vacated the law in September, declaring it unconstitutionally vague and an infringement on medical freedom.

He further wrote that “pregnant women in North Dakota have a fundamental right to choose abortion before viability exists.”

Advertisement

The law went into effect just weeks after the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled the state’s previous abortion ban unconstitutional and found that women have a right to seek an abortion for health reasons.

Axt argued Thursday that Romanick’s judgment striking down the 2023 law conflicts with the Supreme Court’s prior ruling, and that Romanick’s legal analysis contains “glaring errors.” Axt claimed there’s nothing in the state constitution that supports a right to abortion until the point of viability.

“It’s been clear since our territorial days that in order to justify killing another human being, there must be a threat of death or serious bodily injury,” Axt said.

Meetra Mehdizadeh, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said to reverse Romanick’s decision even temporarily would be to disregard many serious problems he identified with the statute.

Advertisement

The ban does not sufficiently explain to doctors when they may legally provide abortions — which chills their ability to provide necessary health care for fear of prosecution, she said.

“The district court correctly held that the ban violates the rights of both physicians and patients, and staying the judgment and allowing the state to continue to enforce an unconstitutional law would be nonsensical,” Mehdizadeh said.

Axt countered that the law is not vague, and that doctors are incorrect to assume they would face criminal penalties for good-faith medical decisions.

If doctors are confused about the ban, said Axt, “the solution is not striking down the law — it is providing some professional education.”

In briefs filed with the court, the state also argued that Romanick’s judgment vacating the law seems to conflict with his original order declaring the law unconstitutional.

Advertisement

While the order identifies a right to abortion until the point of fetal viability, Romanick’s judgment does not include any reference to viability. The state is now confused as to whether it can now enforce any restrictions on abortion, Axt said.

North Dakota still must observe abortion regulations established under other laws not challenged in the lawsuit, Mehdizadeh said.

Axt further claimed that Romanick’s judgment should be put on hold because it addresses a “novel” area of law, and because it takes a supermajority of the Supreme Court to declare a statute unconstitutional.

“Statutes should not be presumed unconstitutional until this court has had an opportunity to weigh in on the matter, and a super majority of this court is of that opinion,” Axt said.

Justice Daniel Crothers said he questioned Axt’s logic.

Advertisement

“Any novel issue where the district court declares something unconstitutional, it’s sounding like you’re suggesting that we should presume that it’s wrong,” Crothers said to Axt.

The appeal is the latest step in a lawsuit brought against the state by a group of reproductive health care doctors and a Moorhead, Minnesota-based abortion provider, Red River Women’s Clinic. The clinic previously operated in Fargo, but moved across the state line after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

The ban, passed with overwhelming support by both chambers of the Republican-dominated Legislature, set penalties of up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 for any health care professionals found in violation of the law.

The arguments were only on whether Romanick’s decision should be put on hold during the appeal, not on the merits of the case itself, which the Supreme Court will consider separately. The justices took the matter under advisement.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

North Dakota

Four western North Dakota volleyball teams punch a ticket to state semifinals

Published

on

Four western North Dakota volleyball teams punch a ticket to state semifinals


BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The quarterfinal round of the NDHSAA State Volleyball tournament played out in the Fargodome Thursday with four teams from the west side of the state advancing to the semifinals.

In Class A, Century avenged a quarterfinal loss from a year ago to advance to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Legacy upended West Fargo Horace in an upset.

The two teams will face off in the semifinals, which guarantees that a team from the west will make the Class A State Championship game. The Patriots are 2-0 against the Sabers this season.

2024 NDHSAA Volleyball semifinal bracket(KFYR)

In Class B, South Prairie-Max and Medina-Pingree-Buchanan both advanced to the semifinals in their first ever state tournament appearance.

Advertisement

The Royals defeated Kenmare-Bowbells 3-0. The Thunder defeated Central McLean 3-0. That guarantees that a team from the west will also make the Class B State Championship game as the Royals and Thunder will face off in the semifinals.

Class B NDHSAA Volleyball semifinals bracket
Class B NDHSAA Volleyball semifinals bracket(KFYR)



Source link

Continue Reading

North Dakota

Cass County Deputy being investigated by the ND BCI resigns

Published

on

Cass County Deputy being investigated by the ND BCI resigns


FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy who is under investigation by the the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) has resigned from the department.

Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner says he was contacted by the BCI in September saying they were initiating an investigation into Deputy Carson Quam for alleged criminal activity. Jahner says the Sheriff’s Office was unaware of any criminal activity Quam was potentially involved with.

On November 21, the Sheriff’s office announced that Quam is no longer an employee of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Jahner says the information was not released in September because it was an active and ongoing investigation from another agency.

Advertisement

“Any time criminal allegations are made against one of my employees, my Office will always collaborate with the investigating and prosecuting agencies to assist throughout the investigation and potential prosecution, working to ensure the integrity of the case. If criminal activity is substantiated, it will not be tolerated. My Office will always strive through rigorous background checks, department training, and accountability to put the best deputies in our communities to protect and serve our citizens,” said Sheriff Jahner.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says it is unable to comment further pending investigation and review by the Grand Forks and Cass County States Attorney’s Offices. Valley News Live will continue to follow this situation as it develops.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending