North Dakota

State program expands services to domestic violence victims

Published

11 months ago

February 4, 2024

State program expands services to domestic violence victims

BISMARCK — Domestic violence victims in central and western North Dakota will now have access to expanded forensic medical services under a state-funded pilot program.

The Legislature last year with the approval of Senate Bill 2202 set aside $250,000 in grant dollars through the Attorney General’s Office toward the effort.

Supporters of the bill told lawmakers that Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, who provide trauma-informed care including forensic photography and assessment of injuries to sexual assault victims, should also be made available to victims of domestic violence.

Central Dakota Forensic Nurse Examiners, a nonprofit with nurses that respond to area hospitals to assist victims, was awarded $220,000 of the state grant dollars and began offering the expanded services in the Bismarck and Williston regions on Thursday, Feb. 1.

The nonprofit saw an inequality in the response available to victims, said Kristie Wolff, communications and engagement coordinator.

“If two victims had nearly identical circumstances, but one was bitten on the breast and the other was bitten on the shoulder during the assault, they would have access to different services,” Wolff said.

The sexual assault victim would have access to a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, who is trained to take photos that can later be used as evidence, collect saliva from bite marks, assess injuries and provide expert testimony in court. That would be available at no cost through the state program, Wolff said.

But previously the victim of physical violence would have been referred to the emergency room at their own expense with no access to a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, she said.

“We believe both victims deserve access to the same care,” she said.

Tisha Scheurer, the nonprofit’s executive director, told legislators last year that the multi-disciplinary approach used by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners leads to better health outcomes and higher prosecution rates.

The nurses also participate in a detailed interview process, and sometimes victims are more comfortable with the medical provider than law enforcement, she said.

“We cannot continue to ignore the other victim population that is even bigger in numbers,” Scheurer told lawmakers last year.

A survivor of domestic violence told a legislative committee that evidence collected in her case did not make it to a judge. The woman said one police officer took a photo of her injury through a patrol car window. Additional photos taken at a hospital did not qualify to be admitted into evidence, she said.

In 2022, domestic violence crisis shelters across the state served 6,128 new victims, according to CAWS North Dakota, the statewide sexual and domestic violence coalition.

It’s unclear how many victims the new pilot program might serve. Wolff said she anticipates it primarily benefiting victims of felony-level violence, such as nonfatal strangulation or cases involving a weapon or severe injury.

Central Dakota Forensic Nurse Examiners serves Burleigh, Morton, Grant, Sioux, Kidder, Sheridan and Emmons counties through its Bismarck region and Divide, McKenzie, and Williams counties through the Williston region.

The Abused Adult Resource Center in Bismarck and the Family Crisis Shelter in Williston are partners in implementing the new program.

“By continuing our work together, we can create a safer and more supportive environment where survivors of intimate partner violence feel empowered to seek help and reclaim their lives,” said Courtney Monroe Ryckman, direct services supervisor with the Abused Adult Resource Center.

Another $20,000 in grant dollars was awarded to Safe Alternatives for Abused Families in Devils Lake, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The state funding is a one-time program, but organizations will report back to the Legislature during the 2025 session. Central Dakota Forensic Nurse Examiners also plans to make the expanded services available to pediatric patients in the future, Wolff said.

This story was originally published on NorthDakotaMonitor.com

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North Dakota

North Dakota Horse Park gets finances on track as 2025 season takes shape

Published

6 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

North Dakota Horse Park gets finances on track as 2025 season takes shape

FARGO — Slowly, the North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo is growing its live horse racing meet and for the first time in nearly a decade, the organization that runs the track is not scrambling to make the tax payment that once loomed over it.

The Fargo track is operated by Horse Race North Dakota, a nonprofit organization that contributed when the track was built in 2003.

At a meeting of Horse Race North Dakota on Friday, Dec. 20. Cindy Slaughter, accountant and co-owner of TaxLady, which contracts with Horse Race North Dakota, said the track’s overall income is up about $93,000 from this time last year.

A fourth weekend of racing cost the track about $148,000 this year. However, that cost can be offset in the future by factors such as attendance and the amount bet on the races.

“There’s a couple of things we could do differently this year to reduce that amount,” North Dakota Horse Park General Manager Hugh Alan Drexler said.

Horses race out of the starting gates in the 5th race of the day during opening day at the North Dakota Horse Park on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

While Drexler and HRND will look to decrease costs, they will not try to do that at the expense of the horsemen, as they hope to keep purses for each race flat or increase them in 2025.

“I don’t want to cut the purses at all, that would be the last thing we would cut,” HRND President Jay Aslop said.

“That is what our goal is, to promote racing and to increase race dates,” Drexler said. “The day the finances don’t look the same, that is when we need to make a change.”

Live racing receives additional funds from the North Dakota Racing Commission. The commission will meet in February to determine the amount of funds that will be granted to the Fargo track as well as Chippewa Downs, the second horse racing track in North Dakota near Belcourt.

Overcoming financial struggles

Heavy special assessments loomed over the North Dakota Horse Park for several years after it opened.

In 2003, the city of Fargo spent $1.5 million to extend sewer, water and other infrastructure to the track. The city planned to recoup the costs with special assessments, a kind of property tax assessed to benefiting properties, but the city agreed to suspend the assessments for five years in hopes that the race track would stimulate the development of commercial and residential properties. This would spread the assessments over more property owners and create a smaller bill for the track, which in 2015 was about $1.9 million.

The track is now in repayment of its taxes, making annual payments to the city of Fargo, and accountants are confident a fourth weekend of racing in 2025 will not adversely affect the track.

“I don’t have any concerns about running a fourth weekend this year,” Slaughter said.

Horse racing will be held at the Fargo track in 2025 over four weekends, likely July 12 through Aug. 3, track officials said.

“(It will be) some combination of either Friday, Saturday or Saturday, Sunday depending on what other events are going on in the area,” said Drexler.

In 2024, attendance at the Fargo track was up overall with about 8,358 in attendance over the eight race days, up from about 8,127, in 2023.

The Fargo track held horse races on Saturday and Sunday afternoons for four consecutive weekends, starting Saturday, July 13. The weekend of July 27-28, races were held in the evening so as to not compete with the Fargo AirSho. The horse park competed for attendance each weekend as the Fargo Street Fair, Red River Valley Fair and the Renaissance Fair overlapped the schedule. The horse park’s closing weekend coincided with WeFest.

The track hosted only three weekends of racing in 2022 and 2023, as it was constricted to operating expenses and the amount of money granted for a live season by the North Dakota Racing Commission. The Fargo track hosted a four-week meet in 2021 but held only two weekends in 2020.

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North Dakota

Sports Spotlight: Ben DeForest

Published

14 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Bismarck High Wrestlers win a lot of titles.

“We’re striving for a state championship, that’s where the bar is set,” said Bismarck High Wrestling head coach Mark Lardy.

Three of said titles belong to the top-ranked 133-pound wrestler in North Dakota, Ben DeForest.

Now, Ben’s going for number four.

“It would mean everything to me,” said Ben DeForest. “There have been some great wrestlers from BHS that have been four-timers it would just mean a lot for me to add my name to that list.”

”He led a lot by example in the past,” said Lardy. “Now he leads not only by example but his voice in the room is heard.“

Even when his BHS days are over, Ben has another chapter to write in his story: He’s committed to Wrestle at UMary.

“We pride ourselves on trying to keep and retain as many local North Dakota kids here at U-Mary and we’re just very thankful that Ben chose to come here and wrestle for us as well,” said U-Mary Wrestling head coach Adam Aho.

The state champ has a bigger goal in mind.

“His goal is way beyond what our room is going to give him. This is just a stepping stone,” said Lardy.

Ben wants a national championship.

“We need every guy to have that type of mentality,” said Aho. “Without it, we will never be relevant on the national scene.”

”Once you get your hand raised you realize, all those morning practices you didn’t want to go to and all those lifts that you were like, uh I don’t know, it’s worth it. It’s worth it,” said DeForest.

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North Dakota

My Heartfelt Christmas Wish To You North Dakota

Published

1 day ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

My Heartfelt Christmas Wish To You North Dakota.

Not a “catchy-clicky” title and I doubt many of my listeners or readers will probably even read this article.

However, I wanted to share something with you that is on my heart. This is so not me, as I’m more the guy who writes about “North Dakota’s 10 most quirky this and that”.

It’s not that I’m not a sensitive guy, because when I was growing up, I was probably too sensitive. I would avoid sad movies, songs, or anything that would spark too much of an emotion.

Yes, you could say my heart has become a bit jaded and cold over the years. It’s not something I’m proud of but more of a defense mechanism.

2024 has probably been one of the most challenging years for my family.

From losing loved ones to family issues to health issues to very challenging financial times, it’s been one of those years where you just can’t catch a break. I’m sure many of you can relate.

As we were attending a Christmas Eve candlelight service last night a young child caught my eye.

She was a cute little toddler who was starting to act up. Something I remember oh so well at church with my little now 20-year-old son.

As her father took her outside the sanctuary to attend to her, I couldn’t help but notice this child’s extremely unfair situation. She had a disability at a year or so old, that none of us could ever imagine. It broke my heart.

This poor child and her family no doubt have a long road ahead of them. As we lit our candles later in the service, I caught the wonder in her eyes, and it couldn’t help but melt my cold heart at the time.

She was perfect and I found myself saying a prayer for this little blonde girl with curly locks and her family.

Her situation also reminded me that I should be thankful for what I have and not what I don’t this Christmas. This is my Christmas wish for you North Dakota, that you will realize the same thing.

Be thankful for who you have around the tree today, not what’s under it.

Merry Christmas to all my listeners and readers. I hope at least a few of you get to read this and it will touch you the same way this little girl touched me on Christmas Eve.