North Dakota
Northwest North Dakota commission directs co-op to cut power to crypto data center
WILLISTON, N.D. — The Williams County Commission on Tuesday, June 20, voted unanimously to direct the Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative to shut off power to what is known as Phase II of the
Atlas Power crypto mining data center near Williston
.
On Wednesday afternoon, June 21, Commission Chairman Cory Hanson said the co-op had not yet cut the power and instead filed a petition for declaratory judgment in district court, a move Hanson said appeared to be the co-op’s way of asking a judge whether it had the authority to cut power to the data center.
Hanson said the commission voted to cut power to the data center because it had not satisfied a list of requirements the commission set in order for the center to receive a certificate of occupancy.
According to Hanson, those requirements included things like completion of final inspections and working with neighbors on a solution to sound issues created by the site, which Hanson said has been operating for some time.
Although Atlas Power had not met all of the requirements set by the county, he said, it had satisfied some, including establishing around-the-clock security at the data center.
The county commission set June 16 as the deadline for Atlas Power to meet certain stipulations.
Hanson said Wednesday county officials still had not received an explanation for why some requirements were not met.
When the $1.9-billion Atlas Power
data center project was announced in January of 2022
, North
Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was among those marking its debut
.
Attempts to reach Kevin Washington, founder of Atlas Power, for comment were not successful.
Rick Tabish, president of Montana-based FX Solutions, which is partnered with Atlas Power on the project as the general contractor, said Wednesday that shutting off power to the data center would have “extraordinary” financial implications for both the project and the co-op. He said it appears the co-op wants to be clear on what it and the county commission have authority to do.
Tabish said Atlas Power is committed to finding a solution to noise issues, and it has secured the services of a noise-mitigation consultant to design a wall that will suppress sounds created by the data center.
The consultant is very close to providing that design, he said, adding, “I know that everybody is working really hard to meet in the middle, including the residents. Everybody is trying to be rational, and it should resolve itself soon.”
The Drake women’s basketball team started its 2024-25 season with an 84-78 victory at North Dakota State on Monday.
The Bulldogs were led by Anna Miller’s 22-point, 13-rebound performance. Katie Dinnebier added 19 points and six assists. Courtney Becker scored 13 points and pulled down nine rebounds.
Abbie Aalsma, a transfer from Illinois State, scored 12 points in her Drake debut.
The Bulldogs outscored the Bison 28-17 in the fourth quarter to rally for the victory. Drake plays host to Saint Louis on Thursday at the Knapp Center.
GRAND FORKS – The North Dakota Museum of Art, located on the UND campus, is hosting its 27th Annual Autumn Art Auction on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Fifty-four works of art by artists from throughout the region and beyond will be auctioned by professional auctioneer David Gorder, Grand Forks.
The auction is the museum’s largest fundraiser; proceeds fund the Summer Art Camps, Family Day, exhibitions, concerts and much more. It features artists who have exhibited at the museum in the past, along with artists who are new to the museum and the auction.
Contributed / North Dakota Museum of Art
Tickets are $50 per person. Free parking is available next to the museum.
For tickets or information on live or absentee bidding, call (701) 777-4195 or go to
www.ndmoa.com/autumn-art-auction
.
The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres, provided by area restaurants, along with beer and wine. A wine and beer cash bar will also be available.
The live auction begins at 8 p.m.
Contributed / North Dakota Museum of Art
More than 30 local businesses are supporting this auction, according to the event announcement. The social will feature food donated by Blue Moose Bar and Grill, Ely’s Ivy, Ground Round, Little Bangkok and the Museum Cafe.
The artwork will be displayed on the Mezzanine Gallery for up-close viewing before the auction. Then, all artworks will be brought down to the stage in the main gallery for the live auction.
After the auction concludes, winning bidders can claim and take the artwork home or make other arrangements.
Contributed / North Dakota Museum of Art
Each year, the museum produces a full-color catalog that highlights the auction artwork. It includes images, descriptions and information about each artist. The full catalog and list of sponsors can be viewed at
www.ndmoa.com/autumn-art-auction
.
The North Dakota Museum of Art launched the auction in 1999 as a means to develop a market for artists in the region and to fund museum programs.
All proceeds from the sale of art are split between the artists and the museum, unless the artist chooses to donate the entire sale to the museum, said Brian Loftus, director of membership and marketing.
Contributed / North Dakota Museum of Art
The museum is located on Centennial Drive on campus. Regular museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There is no general admission; however, a donation of $5 for adults and pocket change for children is suggested.
The Museum Cafe is open for lunch weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. For more information, call the museum at (701) 777-4195 or go to
www.ndmoa.com
.
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The deer gun season in North Dakota opens at noon central time on Friday, Nov. 8.
North Dakota’s storied hunting heritage shines brightest among families and friends during the state’s deer gun season. And with deer numbers rebounding slowly from tough winters and a severe EHD outbreak a few years ago, the tradition continues in the state.
“Whitetail deer numbers are trending up so far, as far as we can tell. Anecdotally, we’ve got reports of many twins and fawn production being pretty decent. And so, that’ll bode well in the future,” said Casey Anderson, NDGF wildlife division chief.
There is one setback in certain deer hunting units for whitetail deer.
“We’ve had a slight EHD outbreak in the western side of the state. We are offering some refunds on whitetail licenses in some of those units. The outbreak has been fairly small compared to the one three, four years ago,” said Anderson.
Last year’s mild winter and descent in fawning habitat have helped the mule deer population.
“Mule deer numbers are trending in the right direction slowly, but our fawning production seems to be up. We’re flying the surveys right now, and we’ll be wrapping those up shortly,” said Anderson.
There are things that need to happen to help rebuild the deer population in North Dakota.
“To keep deer numbers heading in the right direction, we need to maintain habitat on the landscape, improve or maintain it. And the other thing is obviously we need a little help from Mother Nature as we come into this winter and next spring fawning season,” said Anderson.
And what can hunters hitting the field this deer season expect?
“I think they can expect a pretty good season this fall. Most likely most of the crops will be off, which always is an added benefit for those out looking for a deer,” said Anderson.
Anderson says hunters also need to be aware of dry conditions on the landscape during the deer season.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
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