General News

By Dave Thompson

Bismarck, ND – A plane from Boise, Idaho to Minneapolis was diverted to the Bismarck Airport -- after the FAA ordered planes to land at the nearest airport.

Ernie Hoover from Greenwich, Connecticut was on the flight.

"We did kind of bank to the left and kind of circled around and started to descend and one of the flight attendants walked through the cabin and said that the captain would be making an announcement. He made an announcement that all aircraft nationally were being required to land at the nearest airport."

By Steve Wennblom

Fargo, Nd – The price of gasoline is already reacting to today's attacks on the East Coast.

Jim Feneis of First Fuel Bank in St. Cloud had to bump his price up 10-cents to a dollar-79-point-9 this morning. He cautions that prices could go higher.

He says the price of MidEast oil in London has jumped three dollars-29 cents a barrel when trading stopped.

Feneis says if the terrorism situation isn't resolve in the next few days, there might be a shortage of gasoline.

By Steve Wennblom

Fargo, ND – The U.S. Border Patrol is enhancing its coverage of the U.S. and Canadian border in wake of today's attacks on the Pentagon and World trade Center.

Glen Schroeder is the chief patrol agent for the patrol in Grand Forks. Schroeder says agents will be working on a mandatory overtime basis, and all of the patrol's resources will be used to the fullest.

The Grand Forks office of the patrol is responsible for watching 917 miles of the international border between ports of entry in North Dakota Minnesota and Wisconsin.

By Stan Stelter

Bismarck, ND – A group of North Dakotans planning to lobby on the farm bill in Washington, D.C. became part of the horrendous events this morning (Tuesday).Dale Enerson, a farmer from Stanley, says he is part of a North Dakota Farmers Union group that intended to be lobbying on Capitol Hill today.

By Dave Thompson, Hope Deutscher

Bismarck, ND – North Dakota Governor John Hoeven was on his way to Washington, D.C. this morning when the terrorist attack happened.

Hoeven was getting ready to board his connecting flight...when it was canceled. He wanted to return to North Dakota via the state airplane -- but the FAA said "no." So, Hoeven is driving to Fargo -- and will hold a news conference there later this afternoon.

Hoeven is asking people to stay calm...and says extra security precautions are in place...

By Stan Stelter, Tracy Fugere

Fargo, ND – Security has been heightened at the Quentin Burdick Federal Courthouse in Fargo in the wake of bombings in New York and Washington, D.C. this morning.

Brian Berg is a U.S. Marshal in Fargo:

By Steve Wennblom

Fargo, ND – Shopping malls in three Major North Dakota cities closed this morning, following the lead of other across the country.

Fargo's West Acres mall, the state's largest, closed just after 11 a.m. The Columbia Mall in Grand Forks also closed, as did Bismarck's Kirkwood Mall. In Minot, officials of Dakota Square Mall said they were leaving the decision up to individual stores. Employees there are also being allowed to go home if they want to.

By Steve Wennblom

Fargo, ND – Evening classes at North Dakota State University have been cancelled in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.

NDSU president Joseph Chapman says the break will give students and staff to -- in his words -- a chance to "make sense of this terrible tragedy."

NDSU will also make couselors available to students later today.

By Steve Wennblom

Fargo, ND – An FBI spokesman says no explosives were found when bags from an airplane were searched in Grand Forks.

Special agent Jay Brunn says a man on the plane had been acting strangely before the search.

A bomb-sniffing dog at first indicated there may be explosives in a bag ? but didn't indicate that during a second check.

No explosives were found. Brunn says the passenger who was acting strangely is being questioned but he doesn't expect the man will be arrested.

By Steve Wennblom

Fargo, ND – North Dakota's National Guard is on higher security alert today.

Sergeant First Class Rob Keller says soldiers at the state's armories are watching for anything unusual. He says access to some buildings is restricted ? but none of the armories have been closed.

Air Force personnel at the guard's 119th Fighter wing in Fargo are also taking added security measures today.