General News

Judge orders DAPL to shut down pending environmental review

By Dave Thompson • 15 hours ago

A federal judge has ordered the Dakota Access Pipeline to shut down, pending an environmental review.

Judge James Boasberg had earlier ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to do a full Environmental Impact Statement on the $3.8 billion, 1100 mile pipeline. The Corps had done an “Environmental Assessment,” a rung lower than a full EIS.

The ruling says the pipeline must be shut down and emptied of oil by August 5th.

The pipeline carries 570,000 barrels of Bakken crude per day. A project is pending that would have doubled its capacity.

33 new cases of COVID-19 detected in ND

By Danielle Webster • 16 hours ago

33 new individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in North Dakota, bringing the new statewide positive total to 3,849.

The results were from a pool of 1,238 tests for a daily positive rate of 2.7 percent.

17 new cases were detected in Cass County. Burleigh County had six new cases, and Grand Forks County had three new cases. Barnes, Cavalier, Ransom, Steele, Stutsman, Traill and Walsh Counties each had one new case.

Sioux County going 'mail-in-ballot' elections permanently

By Dave Thompson • 17 hours ago

The Sioux County Auditor said that county’s first experience with “voting by mail” went very well.

So well, in fact, that the November general election will be done by mail as well.

The primary was conducted that way, with Gov. Doug Burgum suspending the requirement that counties conducting mail elections would have to have one polling place.

"It was my first year running elections," said Sioux County Auditor Cassie LeCompte. "I had no past knowledge to go off of running elections."

37 new cases of novel coronavirus

By Danielle Webster • Jul 5, 2020

37 new individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in North Dakota, bringing the new statewide positive total to 3,816.

The results were from a pool of 3,816 tests for a daily positive rate of 1.0 percent.

The cases broken down by county are:

57 new COVID-19 cases in ND

By Danielle Webster • Jul 4, 2020

57 new individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in North Dakota, bringing the new statewide positive total to 3,779.

The results were from a pool of 4,437 tests for a daily positive rate of 1.3 percent.

The cases broken down by county are:

65 new COVID-19 infections in ND

By Danielle Webster • Jul 3, 2020

65 new individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in North Dakota, bringing the new statewide positive total to 3,722.

The results were from a pool of 4,639 tests for a daily positive rate of 1.4 percent.

The cases broken down by county are:

State health department: 43 new COVID-19 infections

By Danielle Webster • Jul 2, 2020

43 new individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in North Dakota, bringing the new statewide positive total to 3,657.

The results were from a pool of 3,625 tests for a daily positive rate of 1.2 percent.

There were 17 new cases in Cass County, and 14 in Burleigh County. Three new cases were detected in Grand Forks County. Morton and Stark Counties each had two new cases, while Cavalier, McHenry, Traill, Walsh and Wells Counties each had one new case.

ND IT director talks 'telework,' cyber fraud

By Dave Thompson • Jul 2, 2020

North Dakota’s Information Technology director said his department is using money from the CARES Act to buy equipment, as the state continues to move toward employees working remotely.

Telework expanded because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IT director Shawn Riley told the Legislature’s interim Information Technology Committee his Department is spending $10.5 million on new equipment.

ND COVID-19 death toll reaches 80; 39 new cases

By Danielle Webster • Jul 1, 2020

One more individual has passed away with COVID-19 in North Dakota. The statewide death toll now stands at 80.

The patient was a man in his 90s from Stark County. He had underlying health conditions.

39 new individuals have also tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide positive total to 3,615. The positive results were from a pool of 2,505 tests for a daily positive rate of 1.6 percent.

The cases broken down by county are:

Board of Higher Education okays budget proposals for operations, buildings

By Dave Thompson • Jul 1, 2020

The state Board of Higher Education has voted to submit a “needs based budget” to Governor Burgum for consideration, as he prepares his executive budget request for the 2021-2023 biennium.

When Burgum issued his budget guidelines, higher education was asked to reduce its general fund request by 10 percent. That would come in a reduction in higher-ed’s funding formula. That would drop the appropriation to $574.7 million.

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