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Sharing North Dakota's Cold War History – KVRR Local News

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Sharing North Dakota's Cold War History – KVRR Local News


COOPERSTOWN, N.D. (KVRR) — Just outside of Cooperstown, N.D. lies the former site of Oscar-Zero Missile Alert Facility.

It is now the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site, where travelers can come to get a glimpse of where U.S. soldiers stood ready to launch in case of nuclear war.

Site Supervisor Robert Branting has been working at the site for several years, and this year he received the Heritage Award for a Front-line Tourism Employee at the Governor’s Travel and Tourism awards.

“It’s just an amazing ability to work with great seasonal staff. Have the veterans come through. Have visitors come in from all over the world. I’m very happy to help share that story of our Cold War mission.”

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Branting has been sharing stories of the site on social media, as well as collecting oral histories from the veterans that were stationed there.

“They were able to talk to their loved ones down there in the capsules. So I’ve talked to their wives who would say, you know, “I was on the phone with my husband who was working at the console, and all of a sudden I hear the primary alerting system alarm,” and the husband goes “Gotta go.”

On tours of the site, visitors are taken down an elevator to the command center, more than 50 feet below the ground.

Tour guests will see  two consoles where soldiers would have been sitting and turned the keys to launch a missile in the case of a nuclear strike.

Branting says that these histories are an important part of the story of the United States during the cold war.

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“It’s very enlightening just to see how folks react and see where the launch keys were that potentially could have ended the lives of millions of people.”

Just to the south of Cooperstown is the November-33 launch facility, where the missiles would have taken off from.

There used to be more facilities like these, but like this one near Hope, N.D. many have been abandoned.

For Branting, who’s father contracted cancer from Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam, it’s all about sharing the stories about how the history of the Cold War era affected people.

I remember a woman visited, who lived outside of Moscow, who was basically my age and she was just kind of in awe of all of these machinery here in place to potentially be targeting, you know, Russian installations near her home and I’m sure I’m sure I’d feel the same way over there.

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If you’re interested in taking a tour, you can stop by the Ronald Reagan middleman missile historical site just North of Cooperstown, N.D.





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North Dakota

Two people hospitalized following domestic assault and shooting in Fargo, suspect dead

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Two people hospitalized following domestic assault and shooting in Fargo, suspect dead


FARGO — Two people were injured in a separate domestic aggravated assault and shooting Saturday, Nov. 23, and the suspect is dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Fargo Police Department said.

Fargo police were dispatched at 2:19 a.m. to a report of a domestic aggravated assault and shooting in the 5500 block of 36th Avenue South, a police department news release said.

When officers arrived, they learned the suspect had committed aggravated assault on a victim, chased that person into an occupied neighboring townhouse and fired shots into the unit.

Another person inside the townhouse was struck by gunfire, police said. Both victims were taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

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Officers found the suspect’s vehicle parked in the 800 block of 34th Street North by using a FLOCK camera system to identify a possible route of travel from the crime scene, the release said.

Police also used Red River Valley SWAT’s armored Bearcat vehicle to get close to the suspect’s vehicle to make contact with the driver, who was not responding to officers’ verbal commands to come out of the vehicle.

The regional drone team flew a drone to get a closer look inside the suspect’s vehicle. Officers found the suspect was dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the release said.

This investigation is still active and ongoing. No names were released by police on Saturday morning.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Red River Regional Dispatch at 701-451-7660 and request to speak with a shift commander. Anonymous tips can be submitted by texting keyword FARGOPD and the tip to 847411.

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Illinois State Gets 1st Win Over North Dakota, 35-13

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Illinois State Gets 1st Win Over North Dakota, 35-13


 

(AP) — Wenkers Wright ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 Illinois State knocked off North Dakota for the first time, 35-13 in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday.

The Redbirds are 9-2 (6-2 Missouri Valley Conference) and are looking to reach the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2019 and sixth time in Brock Spack’s 16 seasons as head coach.

Illinois State opened the game with some trickery. Eddie Kasper pulled up on a fleaflicker and launched a 30-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Loyd to cap a seven-play, 70-yard opening drive.

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Simon Romfo tied it on North Dakota’s only touchdown of the day, throwing 20 yards to Nate DeMontagnac.

Wright scored from the 10 to make it 14-7 after a quarter, and after C.J. Elrichs kicked a 20-yard field goal midway through the second to make it 14-10 at intermission, Wright powered in from the 18 and Mitch Bartol caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Rittenhouse to make it 28-10 after three.

Seth Glatz added a 13-yard touchdown run to make it 35-10 before Elrichs added a 37-yard field goal to get the Fighting Hawks on the board to set the final margin.

Rittenhouse finished 21 of 33 passing for 187 yards for Illinois State. Loyd caught eight passes for 121 yards.

Romfo completed 11 of 26 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown with an interception for North Dakota (5-7, 2-6).

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Illinois State faced North Dakota for just the fourth time and third time as Missouri Valley Conference opponents. The Redbirds lost the previous three meetings.



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Photos: Championship scenes from North Dakota Class A, Class B state volleyball

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Photos: Championship scenes from North Dakota Class A, Class B state volleyball


FARGO — Top-seeded Langdon Area-Munich lived up to its billing Saturday night at the Fargodome.

The

Cardinals earned a 15-25, 25-16, 25-15, 25-16 victory

against No. 2-seeded South Prairie-Max to earn the North Dakota Class B volleyball state championship.

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Bismarck Century spoiled West Fargo Sheyenne’s bid for a three-peat. The

Patriots scored a 25-21, 18-25, 25-15, 25-22 victory

for the Class A state championship.

Century won its 10th state title in program history.

Below are championship scenes from Saturday night at the Fargodome:

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Bismarck Century player Addison Klemin spikes the ball against Sheyenne in the North Dakota Class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Bismarck Century celebrates winning the North Dakota class A championship game against Sheyenne on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Bismarck Century celebrates winning the North Dakota Class A championship game against Sheyenne on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

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Langdon Area/Munich player Kemi Morstad bumps the ball against South Prairie-Max at the North Dakota Class B state volleyball championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Langdon Area/Munich player Kemi Morstad bumps the ball against South Prairie-Max at the North Dakota Class B state volleyball championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

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Bismarck Century player Alexis Heinle spikes the ball against Sheyenne in the North Dakota class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Bismarck Century player Alexis Heinle spikes the ball against Sheyenne in the North Dakota Class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Langdon Area/Munich player Hilary Haaven spikes the ball in the North Dakota Class B state volleyball tournament on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Langdon Area/Munich player Hilary Haaven spikes the ball in the North Dakota Class B state volleyball tournament on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

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Bismarck Century versus Sheyenne in the North Dakota class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Bismarck Century battles West Fargo Sheyenne in the North Dakota Class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Bismarck Century player Alexis Heinle spikes the ball against Sheyenne in the North Dakota class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Bismarck Century player Alexis Heinle spikes the ball against Sheyenne in the North Dakota Class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

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South Prairie-Max player Azjiah Trader spikes the ball as Langdon Area/Munich players Hilary Haaven and Aubrey Bedding attempt to block it at the North Dakota Class B state volleyball championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

South Prairie-Max player Azjiah Trader spikes the ball as Langdon Area/Munich players Hilary Haaven and Aubrey Bedding attempt to block it at the North Dakota Class B state volleyball championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

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Sheyenne player Cora Metcalf spikes the ball as Bismarck Century's Cadynce Dewitz rises up for a block attempts in the North Dakota class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Sheyenne hitter Cora Metcalf spikes the ball against Bismarck Century in the North Dakota Class A championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Langdon Area/Munich player Payton Hall sets up a teammate against South Prairie-Max at the North Dakota Class B state volleyball championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Langdon Area/Munich player Payton Hall sets up a teammate against South Prairie-Max at the North Dakota Class B state volleyball championship game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

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South Praire-Max player Reagan Trudell sets a up teammate in the North Dakota Class B state volleyball tournarment on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

South Praire-Max player Reagan Trudell sets a up teammate in the North Dakota Class B state volleyball tournarment on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at the Fargodome.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Eric Peterson

Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.

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