Tag: Ward County

Judge Rules Ward County State’s Attorney’s Demand ‘Not in Good Faith’

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Minot area criminal defense attornies and the Ward County State’s Attorney’s office have been squabbling in court recently. The incidents have brought considerable media coverage, and now a ruling against the State’s Attorney’s office. Andrea Johnson with The Minot Daily News has the coverage, but it’s not available online so you’ll have to find it

Read & Share   sourced from: Dickinson Press

Part II: Inside the jail where inmate’s fate was sealed

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Kim Fundingsland takes us into the Ward County Jail and the culture that existed there before the Dustin Irwin tragedy and now after the reforms have been and are being put into place. Learning from this mistake is the perhaps the least and the most we can do.

Read & Share   sourced from: Minot Daily News

State Water Commission votes on drought, flood measures

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A State Water Commission appropriation following the 2011 flood that was originally committed to Ward County will be redirected to the City of Minot to help with acquisitions related to the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection project.

Read & Share   sourced from: KMOT News

County Upholds Right-of-Way Policy

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

A months-long debate over a decades-old Ward County policy that requires landowners to donate right-of-way land to the County upon platting land up to 40 acres has been decided. But opponents of the policy say they will not quit. Jill Schramm with the Minot Daily News has the story on the landowner rights versus the County

Read & Share   sourced from: Minot Daily News

Minot Daily Digs in Deep on Dustin Irwin Story

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Kim Fundingsland with the Minot Daily News provides the first installment in some local investigative journalism on the Dustin Irwin tragedy. Irwin was an inmate at the Ward County Jail in 2014; he died shortly after being transferred to the custody of the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department. Part I of the series delves into details

Read & Share   sourced from: Minot Daily News

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Eating the $336 Million Flood Protection Elephant

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The discussion on how to fund the local share of flood protection — about $336 million — is finally happening. Personally, I’m frustrated by the fact that we’re six years removed from the high water and just now talking about how to pay for the plan. But frustration alone doesn’t typically deliver better outcomes. So,

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Ward County Commissioners vote to accept Sheriff’s resignation

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The saga of Sheriff Steve Kukowski’s tenure as Sheriff is drawing to a close. Ward County Commissioners voted to accept Mr. Kukowski’s resignation following a two-hour executive session on Tuesday. It all stems from the death of Dustin Irwin, an inmate at the Ward County Jail, who died in October of 2014 while in the

Read & Share   sourced from: KMOT News

Minot area needs up to $400 million for water projects

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Between flood protection and NAWS, water-related infrastructure is what we’re going to be paying for Minot for a while. Minot’s Liasion Committee met yesterday, and among the discussion, pieces was how we’re going to meet our financial obligations on these projects. Jill Schramm with the Minot Daily News has the story.

Read & Share   sourced from: Minot Daily News

We Can No Longer Afford the Hypocrisy

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Good Morning Senator Hogue and Senator Larsen, I’m writing to provide a last minute appeal for House Bill 1163 regarding the removal of North Dakota’s Sunday closing laws. And because this debate is just the latest in a series at both the state and local level that has me concerned, I’m publishing this letter publicly

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Sheriff Kukowski Trail Hangs on Technicality

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Charges against currently-suspended Ward County Sheriff Kukowski that resulted from the death of inmate Dustin Irwin in October of 2014 are hanging on a technical mistake made by the special prosecuting attorney. It’s a matter of date, and in the case of typing 2014 versus 2015 created a legal argument may halt the prosecution.

Read & Share   sourced from: Minot Daily News

Trinity Makes Financing Moves Towards New Hospital Construction

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Representatives from Trinity Hospital were in front of the Ward County Commission on Tuesday morning outlining the financing status and construction plans for Minot’s new hospital. The effort will require the sale of nearly $430 million in bonds, and because it is a nonprofit organization, it must facilitate the sale of those bonds through a government

Read & Share   sourced from: Minot Daily News

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Ward County Jail Enclosed, Ready for Winter Construction

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Construction on the Ward County Jail expansion is moving along. The contractor has the building enclosed and will be able to continue interior construction through the winter. The addition of more than 100 cells is expected to open in the spring of 2018. Joe Skurzewski with KMOT has more.

Read & Share   sourced from: KMOT News

Ward County Green Light’s Spending Flood Protection Dollars in Minot

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Six million dollars in unused flood recovery money intended for buyouts and allocated from the State Water Commission to Ward County will likely be spent within the City of Minot. The County Commission voted Tuesday to allow spending of those dollars within the City with the provision that they remain in the loop and provide

Read & Share   sourced from: Minot Daily News

New Ward County Office Building Dedicated

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Ward County’s new administration building had it’s formal dedication yesterday. The new building will be called Chumas Plaza, named after long-time Minot merchant George Chumas who ran a small grocery store on the site. Tootsie Rolls were readily available at the dedication.

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Rural Flood Protection Tracking for Spring Start

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

The stARR program, the rural component of the basin-wide Mouse River Plan is tracking towards summer construction starts provided funding is delivered by the State Water Commission this March. stARR stands for Structure Acquisition, Relocation or Ring Dike.

Read & Share   sourced from: KX News

Ward County Admin Building, Jail Expansion Moving Along

by: Josh Wolsky  |  

Construction on the new Ward County administration building is wrapping up. Most departments have already made the move into their new space. Preliminary groundwork on the new jail is also complete.

Read & Share   sourced from: KMOT News