North Dakota
Weather Wednesday: telegraphic coded weather observations
BISMARCK — Bismarck, Omit, Leafage, Buck, Bank. That was the telegraphic code found on this thin piece of paper, hidden in this silk dress from the 1800s.
Wayne Chan decoded the mysterious message which turned out to be a meteorological one, detailing the weather conditions on May 27, 1888. “I’ve never seen any code that wasn’t meant for secrecy be so complex.”
But in the 1800s the U.S. Army Signal Service used this complex code to send weather reports from across the country to the central Signal Service in Washington, DC through telegram, which charged by the word.
“Basically they’re trying to compress several variables down to one word to save money when they transmit the message,” Chan explains.
Here’s how it breaks down: the first word is the reporting weather station: Bismarck. The second word: OMIT represents temperature and air pressure: 56 degrees with a barometric pressure of 30.08”. The next word LEAFAGE is code for dew point and observation time: 32 degrees at 10pm eastern time. BUCK reveals the wind direction and precipitation, it was a dry day with a north wind. And the final word BANK translates the wind speed of 12mph and sunset conditions which were clear on May 27, 1888.
These condensed weather reports in the beginning of the telegraph era were sent to the D.C. weather office three times a day where meteorologists there would decode the messages and create a national weather map of current conditions… a collection of reports traveling faster than the weather for the first time in history.
Meteorologists would use these weather observations as a base for creating a national forecast within two and a half hours of receiving the reports. The forecast would then be sent through telegram to cities and newspapers across the Union, to help alert people of what type of weather was heading their way… all thanks to these condensed, coded messages.
“It’s kind of like texting, you are compressing and using abbreviations and emojis to compress the message,” Chan adds. Though 136 years later, a text of Bismarck, Unit, Lashing, Silvan, Noisy, Ice would be difficult for to decipher, especially without the correct codebook.
Many weather stations in the 1800s were located near the telegraph office so the reports could be quickly transmitted since they had high priority. Telegraph operators were supposed to send the weather reports before almost anything else.
North Dakota
Runners will soon trek across North Dakota to bring awareness for families grieving the loss of a child – KVRR Local News
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — For more than 400 miles, 12 runners will trek across North Dakota to carry the stories of love, loss, and resilience from community to community.
“After having run Haven since 2017, the 10.15 Project came, and it just is so exciting because it’s really looking at pregnancy and infant loss and putting it in a new light. And really giving people the opportunity to do something that you can see and it’s meaningful,” said Jen Burgard, Founder and Executive Director of Haven.
The 10.15 Project was co-founded by Haven, an organization that supports grieving families. The relay begins on International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. And during the four days, the team hopes to bring awareness to families.
“It gives you pieces of solitude, of quiet, of reflection, and also a purpose. It gives you meaning, and I think endurance is one of the biggest pieces of this. It’s the endurance required to navigate pregnancy and infant loss is extreme. And I think this really mirrors that,” said Burgard.
While many of the runners come from different fields, many have also experienced a loss themselves.
“When it happened in my family, it was kind of something we were all struck by. You realize how common it is. And you know, I want to bring light to that,” said Ty Casey, Runner and Learning and Development Specialist at TrueNorth Steel.
Casey has multiple runs planned over the next few months, but with this run in particular, he hopes this will bring awareness.
“If this is one thing that can help bring light to it and help people be more open and help people to talk about it, and take some of the grief away that would be totally ideal for us just to help out a little bit,” said Casey.
The relay begins on October 15 in Medora and will end on October 18th in Fargo.
North Dakota
Behind the Badge – Spring Fever
Spring Fever
District Game Warden Sam Feldmann
As winter begins to fade and ice fishing begins to slow, everyone gets the itch to be outside on nice days when it’s warming and the sun is shining. People are beginning to think about their garden or outdoor projects around the house they have been pondering all winter.
While others have been thinking about open water fishing, getting the boat ready, hitting the field to look for shed antlers in a favorite spot they’ve been watching deer all winter, or slipping into the field to lure a spring gobbler into shotgun range with a new call they’ve been practicing with all winter.
With the excitement of warm weather and getting out to enjoy everything a spring day has to offer, I would like to remind everyone of a few things while enjoying what North Dakota has to offer.
This year is a registration year for all motorized watercrafts. This doesn’t just mean you have to renew your registration. It means that when you get the new red stickers sporting “28” on them that they must be affixed to both sides of the bow of the boat.
Another reminder is that if you are going shed hunting, there are a few things to remember. Shed antlers are legal to possess. This time of year, our officers receive lots of calls about shed hunters locating “dead heads,” which are animals that have died and the antlers are still attached to the skull plate.
If you happen to locate a dead head, you cannot possess it without contacting your local game warden and receiving a permit for the animal. Also, if you are going to shed hunt on posted private property or a Private Lands Opens To Sportsmen tract, you need to obtain permission to do so. Wildlife management areas and other state and federal lands are open to shed hunting, but a good rule of thumb is to check the regulations on public property before heading out.
If you are going to be chasing turkeys this spring through the timber, there are a few things that should be remembered. Make sure you have your tag with you when you are in the field. Remember that your tag is only legal for one bearded wild turkey. If you are lucky enough to harvest a turkey you fooled into coming to your calling and decoy, you must tag it before doing anything else.
One last reminder for the spring activities. Remember that all licenses, whether it’s a hunting license or fishing license, expired March 31 and needed to be renewed as of April 1, 2026
With these few reminders out of the way, remember to have fun and enjoy what the great state of North Dakota has to offer.
North Dakota
Retired Game & Fish Director facing new charge of molesting a child – KVRR Local News
MANDAN, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – Former North Dakota Game & Fish Director Terry Steinwand has been charged with molesting a child.
The Class “A” misdemeanor was filed after a Morton County District Court judge rejected a proposed plea agreement to a felony charge and prosecutors dismissed the charge while retaining the right to file an amended charge.
Steinwand is from Mandan. The 72-year-old is now charged with one count of sexual assault-offensive contact. The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
Steinwand was originally charged in September, 2025, when police say he admitted to sexual misconduct.
Steinwand worked for the Game & Fish Dept. for 40 years. He led the agency for about 15 years and retired in 2021.
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