North Dakota
Multiple bills honor North Dakota veterans this session – KVRR Local News
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota News Cooperative) — The North Dakota Legislature is handling a number of bills to honor veterans this session, including seven to name roads and bridges after fallen North Dakota soldiers, and others that highlight current military members, prisoners of war, and service members who are missing in action.
The effort to rename North Dakota roads and bridges after fallen soldiers has “done a lot of healing and brought a spotlight to our vets here in North Dakota,” said Jim Nelson, the legislative director for the North Dakota Veterans Legislative Council.
House Bill 1228 would designate a portion of State Highway 5 and a bridge in Bottineau as the Lt. Cmdr. Carl J. Woods Vietnam bridge. Woods died on Sept. 28, 1965, near Qui Vinh, North Vietnam. After his helicopter was hit by antiaircraft fire, Woods flew the burning chopper 40 miles to the Gulf of Tonkin, where he bailed out before it crashed into the sea. Woods drowned before he could be rescued. A resident of Bottineau, Woods left behind his wife, son, and two daughters. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
House Bill 1212 would designate State Highway 18 from the intersection of State Highway 5 to the Canadian border as the Pfc. Henry Gurke Memorial Highway. Gurke was killed on Nov. 9, 1943, in Bougainville, Solomon Islands, when he smothered a grenade explosion with his body to protect nearby members of his unit from the blast. A native of Neche, Gurke is buried in the Union Cemetery there.
House Bill 1173 would designate the bridge on State Highway 31 north of New Salem as the Spc. Dennis “DJ” Ferderer Jr. Iraq Bridge. Ferderer was killed Nov. 2, 2005, in Duluiyah, Iraq. He enlisted in the Army after graduating from New Salem High School in 2003. His name is included on the Memorial to the Fallen in the Global War on Terrorism outside Fraine Barracks, which is the Bismarck headquarters of the North Dakota National Guard.
House Bill 1140 would designate the bridge on South State Avenue in Dickinson as the Spc. Jon P. Fettig Iraq Bridge. Fettig was killed in action outside Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on July 22, 2003. He was serving with the North Dakota Army National Guard’s 957th Engineer Company. He was the first North Dakota Army National Guard soldier killed in battle since the Korean War. Fettig’s name is included on the Memorial to the Fallen.
House Bill 1092 would designate the Carrington railroad overpass on U.S. Highway 52 as the Staff Sgt. Miles Shelley WWII Bridge. Shelley was killed April 1, 1944, in Bougainville, Solomon Islands, while serving with Company F, 164th Infantry Regiment. He received the Silver Star, Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart for his service in the Pacific theater. In Bougainville, he was killed after he called in an artillery strike on his own position so that the rest of his patrol could withdraw unharmed. He is buried in the Carrington Cemetery.
House Bill 1091 would designate the bridge on U.S. Highway 81 in Grafton as the Spc. 4 David Latraille Vietnam Bridge. Latraille was killed by enemy small arms fire on March 6, 1968, in Thua Thien, South Vietnam. He is buried in St. John’s Cemetery in Grafton.
House Bill 1090 would designate the bridge on State Highway 18 as the Spc. 4 Richard W. Orsund Vietnam Bridge. Orsund died on March 27, 1968, in Binh Duong, South Vietnam, from a metal fragment wound. He is buried in South Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Grafton.
During the 2023 legislative session, five bridges were named to honor veterans. These names provide lasting recognition and appreciation for local heroes who have given their life in a time of war while keeping their memory alive, recognizing the family they left behind, and allowing for community involvement, supporters say.
The 2025 Legislature’s efforts to honor veterans have not been restricted to naming roads and bridges.
House Bill 1293 would create a Burial Medallion Program for veterans’ graves. The medallion would be a small marker attached to an existing headstone or grave marker to indicate a veteran’s status. The bill passed the House 92-0 on Jan. 27. The Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee is reviewing the bill.
House Bill 1403 designated Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Day as a state holiday by proclamation of the governor. POW/MIA Recognition Day honors and remembers the sacrifices of prisoners of war and service members who went missing in action. POW/ MIA Recognition Day is the third Friday in September and has been observed since 1979.
Under House Bill 1148, the governor will issue a proclamation on May 1 for Military Appreciation Month in honor of the men and women of the U.S. armed forces who have served and are still serving. Military Appreciation Month is in May of each year.
All of the veteran memorial bills have been approved by the House and will be considered by Senate committees.
(Story written by Ann Estvold – North Dakota News Cooperative)
Bret Bielema and the Illinois coaching staff continue to remain busy on the recruiting front after offering three-star tight end Ben Hynek on Thursday. And why shouldn’t they? The Illini have been on a roll lately.
Hynek, a junior tight end out of Stanley (North Dakota), is ranked No. 23 in the nation at his position and third overall in the state in the class of 2027, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings. Hynek has eight offers so far, including two from Big Ten programs (Wisconsin and Minnesota) and two more out of the SEC (Auburn and Missouri).
The next step for the Illini will be lining up a visit to Champaign sometime this summer with Hynek, who went on two unofficial visits last month, to Minnesota and Iowa State. Hynek has excellent size for his age and position (6-foot-6, 245 pounds) and is a well-rounded athlete. He is also a pitcher on his high school baseball team and a shot-putter on the track squad.
Just as with any junior-to-be recruit, Hynek shouldn’t be expected to commit anytime soon. He has plenty of time before he needs to make a decision and will probably wind up fielding more offers from Power 4 programs over the summer.
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BOWBELLS, N.D. — More cases of
measles
have been identified in North Dakota, including in a previously uninfected county.
The North Dakota Health and Human Services Department announced on Thursday, May 29, the state’s 28th case, up seven from last week.
The latest case was the first reported in Burke County in far northwest North Dakota. The release did not identify the age of the infected individual but said they traveled frequently to
Williams County, where the first case was reported.
Williams County has nearly half the state’s cases with 13 infections, according to Health and Human Services.
The state has reported 23 cases in people who are less than 20 years old, including three in children 5 years old or younger.
Burke is the fourth county in North Dakota to have a measles case. Cass and Grand Forks counties reported seven cases each as of Thursday. At the end of last week, Cass County reported six cases and Grand Forks County reported two.
People in Divide County may have been exposed to the virus, Health and Human Services said. Places of possible exposure in Crosby include Lindsey’s Grocery Store at 211 Main St. S. from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Monday and Dollar General, 1108 Fourth St. SE, between 3:20 and 5:45 p.m. Monday, the release said.
“This is the highest number of measles cases reported in North Dakota since 1978, when 211 cases occurred,” state Immunization Director Molly Howell said in a statement.
North Dakota has a vaccination rate of almost 90%. The risk of measles to vaccinated residents is low, Health and Human Services said.
Measles is highly contagious since it can spread through the air and linger in rooms for up to two hours, the release said.
“People with measles are contagious before and after symptoms appear, increasing the risk of unintentional spread,” the release said.
The state recommends two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — the first between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
Two doses of the vaccine provide 97% protection, while one dose is 93% effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The MMR vaccine is effective for life.
Residents who were born before 1957 are considered immune.
Those who have contracted the virus should monitor symptoms for 21 days, while unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles should quarantine for the same time period, the release said.
Information on measles and the vaccine can be found at
hhhs.nd.gov/immunizations/measles.
North Dakota
North Dakota (NDHSAA) high school baseball playoffs: 2025 brackets, matchups, game times (5/28/2025)
The postseason has arrived for North Dakota high school baseball.
The playoffs begin in the Peace Garden State in Class A and Class B, with a handful of games getting underway this week. Region semifinal and finals will be played throughout the state of North Dakota, with a chance on the line to advance to the next round.
Stick with High School on SI North Dakota for all of the matchups, game times and scores throughout the 2025 NDHSAA baseball playoffs.
Here are the NDHSAA high school baseball playoff brackets, with matchups and game times from NDHSAA’s Class A and Class B:
No. 4 at No. 1 Mandan
No. 3 Legacy at No. 2 Sheyenne
No. 4 Jamestown at No. 1 Fargo Davies
No. 3 West Fargo Horace at No. 2 Minot
BYE: Thompson
Bishop Ryan at No. 3 Northern Cass
Rugby at No. 1 Park River/Fordville-Lankin
No. 5 Shiloh Christian at No. 4 LaMoure/Litchville-Marion
Follow SBLive North Dakota throughout the 2025 high school baseball season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!
Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school baseball news.
To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App
— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi
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