‘The Wolverine’
FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2013
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Tiny Amidon may build first-ever city hall By LAUREN DONOVAN Bismarck Tribune AMIDON — A sign outside Amidon boasting it’s the smallest county seat in the nation still stands, but the designation fell. As of the 2010 U.S. census, three other county seats slipped below Amidon in population and Gann Valley, S.D., now holds the “smallest” title with 14 people. Amidon had 20 in the census. Its mayor, Jerry Erickson, said he thinks there are now 33 people in the Slope County community that boasts both the Burning Coal Vein Campgrounds and White Butte,
the highest point in North Dakota, as scenic attractions. It’s also a gateway city to the Black Hills of South Dakota and sees a lot of tourism traffic during the summer months. Erickson said his Erickson small, but illustrious town may soon have a city hall to call its own, something it’s not had before — at least in memory — and won’t have to borrow space in county-owned buildings. He said the city council doesn’t
envision anything grand, just enough shop room to store the city-owned Bobcat and a meeting room for city officials. The city recently purchased six lots on U.S. Highway 85, the main thoroughfare in town, from a trust owned by a family with historic ties to Amidon. While Amidon doesn’t levy any city property taxes, it does have some money tucked away from its share of oil and gas tax revenue. “We have enough dollars to do this,” Erickson said. He said a specially formed committee has been meeting to come up with a plan for the building, “so
Millions going to oil towns By NICK SMITH Bismarck Tribune Western North Dakota cities and law enforcement agencies will have more than $58 million heading their way for infrastructure and equipment. The North Dakota Board of University and School Lands approved the money Thursday from the Oil and Gas Impact Grant Fund. State Land Commissioner Lance Gaebe told the board the requests included nearly $39.7 million for oil patch communities for infrastructure upgrades. An additional $14 million was to be split among the oil patch hub cities of Dickinson, Minot and Williston. Another $3 million was approved for dust control and nearly $1.4 million for law enforcement agencies. At the board’s June meeting, a unanimous vote gave tentative approval for the funding. Board members had to wait until Thursday’s meeting, after the July 1 start of the new two-year budget cycle, to give official approval. A total of $10 million was approved for Watford City water projects and sewer lines.
it’s put together the way we want it to be.” He said the state Tourism Division is interested in using some space in a city building to highlight the scenic attractions, which also include the Maah Daah Hey II biking, hiking and horseback trail that terminates at the Burning Coal Vein Campground to the west. “We don’t know what all the uses might be,” he said. “Since we can afford to, I think we should go ahead.” Other improvements are in store for Amidon. Fitterer Oil, a local fuel distribution company, is looking into set-
ting up a credit card fueling island in town. The mayor said that will solve a big headache for residents, who can’t get so much as a couple of gallons of gas for their lawnmowers without leaving town. Also, developers of a cabin and campground operation on the edge of town are building a bar on their property. It’s underground, with a red metal roof, and their plan is to name it The Bunker Bar, he said. Erickson said if all goes as planned, Amidon will have its own city hall by this time next year. (Reach Lauren Donovan at 701220-5511 or lauren@westriv.com.)
GLAMOROUS GIRLS, GORGEOUS GUYS
The city of Tioga was given $6 million for similar projects and New Town was given more than $481,000 for a water treatment plant expansion. Tioga is set to receive an additional $4 million in a year and New Town the remainder of the funds for its project, which is to come to $9.6 million. The $240 million Oil and Gas Impact Grant Fund is set up so that no more than 60 percent of the funds can be allocated in a single year. The money promised to the oil patch communities in the current grant round was split between both fiscal years of the biennium. The five-member board unanimously approved the funds, which are to be spread among 24 projects in 20 cities. The grants also include $82,600 for the city of Arnegard’s newly-formed police department. Funds will be used to purchase a patrol vehicle and equipment including Breathalyzers, a pair of tasers, a radar gun and radios. Members of the Drug and Violent Crime Policy Board, part of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, forwarded a recommendation Continued on 11A
TOM STROMME/Tribune
ABOVE: Waiting their turns to walk the runway as models in the Glamorous Girls and Gorgeous Guys Style Show at Edgewood Vista on Thursday afternoon are, from right, Arvin Auch, 88, Eleanor Leger, Joe Braun, 88, Verona Lechler, 74, Darlene Fuchs, 84, Dorothea Ziegler, 93, Rose Wagner, 96, and Vernon Baszler, 85. There were 20 models wearing a variety of fashions through the years in the firstever style show, said Tammy Getz, life enrichment director for Edgewood Vista. “We started from the 1900s all the way to 1970,” said Getz. LEFT: Dorothea Ziegler holds a wedding photograph of her mother-inlaw in 1908, wearing the same dress Ziegler modeled on Thursday at the style show.
Probe of train disaster focuses on speed 80 people killed in derailment By HERNAN MUNOZ Associated Press SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain — By all accounts, the train was going way too fast as it curled around a gentle bend. Then in an instant, one car tumbled off the track, followed by the rest of the locomotive, which seemed to come apart like a zipper being pulled. The derailment sent pieces of the sleek train plowing across the ground in a ghastly jumble of smashed metal, dirt and smoke. But a day after Spain suffered its deadliest rail disaster in decades — which killed 80 people and maimed scores of others — one question sur-
passed all others: Why was the train moving so fast? Investigators opened a probe Thursday into possible failings by the 52-year-old driver and the train’s in-built speed-regulation systems. Experts said one, or both, must be at fault for the disastrous Wednesday night crash of the train that was carrying 218 passengers and five crew members to Santiago de Compostela, a destination of Catholic pilgrimage preparing to celebrate its most revered saint. Instead, this stunned city of nearly 100,000 converted its sports arena Associated Press into a shelter for the dead and the This aerial image shows the site of a deadly passenger train accident grieving. Continued on 11A in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on Thursday.
Voting rights
Oil industry waste
Saturday
U.S. AG goes after Texas over redistricting, voter ID laws — 2A
Study of oil field waste will focus on radioactive waste — 1B
Declining number of priests a challenge for Pope Francis
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Meter reader accused of car break-in By JENNY MICHAEL Bismarck Tribune A Bismarck man is accused of breaking into a car while reading meters as a contract employee for the city. Bradford Owens, 46, was charged Monday with Class C felony breaking into a vehicle. South Central District Judge Cynthia Feland set bond for Owens at $1,500 cash, which has been posted. Continued on 11A