North Dakota
We all have the power to stand up against domestic violence • North Dakota Monitor
In 2023, five North Dakotans died in domestic violence-related incidents.
Even just one life lost to domestic violence is too many. Five lives lost is a tragedy. Five victims were killed by someone who was supposed to love and care for them. Five families had a loved one taken from them and are having to move forward through an unimaginable loss. Five communities are left grieving and wondering what they could have done differently to prevent the crime.
Parents lost a daughter. A sister lost a brother. Children lost their mother.
And that’s just in the last year. According to the North Dakota Attorney General’s 2023 Homicide Report, for the period of 2004-2023 in North Dakota, 40% of deaths due to homicide involved domestic violence.
Too often, we don’t think about domestic violence until these tragedies happen, until we find out someone we know is experiencing domestic violence. But domestic violence happens in every community. Every year, thousands of North Dakotans seek help in navigating violent relationships. Data from the North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition shows that in 2023 alone, 6,131 new victims of domestic violence were served by 19 domestic violence victim advocacy centers across North Dakota. Nationally, about 1 in 4 women have experienced some form of sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.
With these rates of violence, everyone knows someone who has experienced domestic violence, even if that person hasn’t shared their story with you.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time dedicated to uplifting the voices and experiences of survivors. I hope North Dakotans will join me in supporting Domestic Violence Awareness Month and starting conversations about how we can make our homes and communities safer.
Learning how to identify domestic violence is a good place to start. Look for warning signs in your loved ones’ relationships; does your loved one have frequent injuries they can’t fully explain? Is your loved one’s partner isolating them by preventing them from seeing friends and family? Is their partner constantly putting them down, calling them names, or playing mind games? Is their partner preventing them from getting a job or controlling their finances?
These are all signs that domestic violence may be occurring in that relationship, and your loved one could be at risk for serious harm.
If you’re concerned about a loved one’s relationship, reach out to them and tell them that you’re worried about them. Listen to them, believe them, and remind them that the abuse is not their fault. Get to know your local domestic violence/sexual assault victim advocacy center and the services they provide, such as help with safety planning, finding shelter, and obtaining a protection order. Tell your loved ones they can find help at advocacy centers if they’re ever looking for support.
There are so many other ways to support survivors and prevent future violence. Get involved in whatever way feels right to you.
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the five North Dakotans lost to domestic violence in 2023, I want everyone to remember that we have the power to lend a helping hand. Domestic violence affects all of us, and because of this, it can feel like an oversized problem that is impossible to fix. But because every single one of us is affected by domestic violence, we all also have the power to stand up against violence and reach out to someone who is experiencing abuse.
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic or sexual violence, free and confidential help is available 24/7. Visit the North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition (NDDSVC) website to view a directory of domestic and sexual violence victim advocacy centers and find support near you.
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – An investigation by the Burleigh County State’s Attorney’s office into Burleigh County Auditor and Treasurer Mark Splonskowski has identified a possible violation of the Hatch Act.
The investigation is centered around a group text message acquired by Burleigh County State’s Attorney Julie Lawyer from Splonskowski’s personal phone during work hours advising 66 other people to not vote for Burleigh County Commissioner Brian Bitner.
“The body of the text read, ‘I’m just letting you know from the perspective of being the county auditor for a year and a half, please do not vote for Brian Bitner for County Commissioner. If you want more details as to why, let me know. Also, let your friends know too. Thanks,‘” said Burleigh County State’s Attorney Julie Lawyer.
Lawyer said if Splonskowski is found guilty of a Hatch Act violation by the Federal Office of Special Council, the county commission would lose twice that employee’s annual salary in federal grant funds. She also said that as an elected employee, Splonskowski cannot be fired for a Hatch Act violation.
We reached out to Splonskowski for comment and have not heard back yet.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
BISMARCK — A total 26,040 gallons of crude oil was lost in North Dakota after an explosion in Williams County on Friday, Nov. 29, and a leak in Bottineau County on Saturday, Nov. 30.
According to a Monday release from the North Dakota Oil and Gas Division, approximately 17,640 gallons of oil was spilled after a tank operated by Hess Corp. exploded about 6.8 miles south of Ray in Williams County.
A total of 126 gallons have since been recovered. The site also lost 2,520 gallons of produced water and recovered 126 gallons.
The next day, a tank overflow about 6.6 miles northwest of Maxbass in Bottineau County led to a 8,400-gallon oil spill, half of which have since been recovered.
The site, operated by Scout Energy Corp., also lost 3,360 gallons of produced water and recovered three-quarters, according to the release.
A total 5,880 gallons of produced water were spilled between the two incidents and 2,646 gallons have been recovered. Around 4,326 gallons of oil have been recovered in total.
Clean up efforts are underway, according to the release.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
Rob Port’s column, ”
The Maah Daah Hey monument sounds interesting, but the proponents should be ready to compromise
,” returns to Rob Port’s knee-jerk “left-wing” baiting of very moderate conservation groups, and bellyaching over the hurt feelings of Big Carbon. He should really look again at a map of the Maah Daah Hey area and see that it is already “comprised,” a non-contiguous patchwork.
Instead of demeaning Indigenous Nations and their interests in the area, Port should also dig deeper. A little investigative research would also tell him that this area includes the northeastern limit in the range of the Ponderosa Pine. It is North Dakota’s most unique woodland. At one time it was designated a national forest, North Dakota’s only one, until the USDA renamed it a national grassland for some reason. It is also the trailhead for North Dakota’s longest off-road bicycle trail. Hunting and camping would still be allowed as a national monument.
The U.S. is already the world’s No. 1 oil producer, and North Dakota is in the top 3 states in that regard. The oil companies will live. Their funding of science-denialism is a big piece of their opposition to protecting our public lands. We need to fight back against MAGA anti-conservationism and Mccarthyism. A Maah Daah Hey National Monument would not just be a feather in North Dakota’s hat, but also for the U.S.
Ron Gaul lives in Fargo.
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