North Dakota
North Dakota lawmakers propose dark sky initiative protecting migrating birds • North Dakota Monitor
North Dakota lawmakers will consider a resolution Thursday that would establish a statewide Dark Sky Week to combat light pollution and protect migrating birds. Senate Concurrent Resolution 4004, which would designate April 21-28 as Dark Sky Week, encourages residents to participate by limiting or turning off nonessential lighting.
The resolution introduced by Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, Sen. Dean Rummel, R-Dickinson, Rep. Austin Foss, D-Fargo, Rep. Karla Hanson, D-Fargo, and Rep. Eric Murphy, R-Grand Forks, aims to protect a critical and disappearing natural resource: darkness.
Most Americans – including the majority of North Dakotans – live under light-polluted skies. Affecting more than just the visibility of the night sky, it can alter the behavior of certain plants and nocturnal animals.
“Birds use the cues of the sun and the earth’s vibrational field to navigate at nighttime and they get very disoriented by light pollution,” said Amanda Booher, Audubon Great Plains communications manager.
North Dakota is centrally located within a major migratory pathway for birds. Each spring and fall, millions fly over the state, moving between their nesting and wintering grounds. During peak migration in mid-April, more than 35,000 birds may travel through North Dakota in a single night, Booher said. North Dakota is a critical stop for sandhill cranes, nuthatches, the American robin and waterfowl species like mallards.
The resolution encourages households and property owners to protect migrating birds by closing curtains, facing outdoor lights downwards and installing motion sensor lighting or light covers. These practices may also lower household energy costs, Mathern told the North Dakota Monitor.
Mathern hopes this resolution encourages political subdivisions to factor light pollution and potential impacts to bird migration in future decision-making.
“(Audubon Great Plains) really appreciates this legislation being on the table and the discussion to build awareness,” Booher said.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a public hearing on the resolution at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Peace Garden Room of the Capitol. Written testimony can be submitted until 8 a.m. on Thursday.
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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