YOUR VIEWS A look back at the most popular words from the community in 2015 | PAGE 3
WINNER Farmers Union Oil awards ‘biggest Christmas stocking’ to local youth | PAGE 4
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2014 & 2015 NDNA AWARD WINNER
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Friday, January 1, 2016
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VOL. 111 NO. 1
BOWMANEXTRA.com
BUFFALO SPRINGS
Man offers witty response to stolen fencing By BRYCE MARTIN
Pioneer Editor bmartin@countrymedia.net John Fossum was understandably upset after he found over $1,000 in fencing material stolen from his work site. But it was with reserved wit that he responded to the criminal(s) via Facebook. The Bowman resident pointedly mocked the guilty party in a post that circulated on social media pages Tuesday night showing a pair of tin snips that had been left at the site of the alleged theft. “Looking for the owner of the tin snips pictured below that must have needed fencing material in a hurry,” Fossum began
SPORTS
Boy’s basketball season looks promising
the post. He reported in the post that the pair of red, aged snips, used to cut various materials including tin, were found near a flatbed that had held about $1,000 worth of new fencing material. The snips were found, but the fencing was gone, according to the post. Fossum explained that the flatbed trailer was parked on Buffalo Springs Road about four-and-ahalf miles from Highway 12. He alleged the burglary took place somewhere between the night of Dec. 24 to Tuesday morning. “If the owner of the snips would like them back, they can be picked up at the sheriffs department...,” Fossum wrote. The Bowman County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that it is
presently investigating the matter. Fossum ended his post with a clever warning: “If more materials are needed in the near future please smile for the trail cams that we will now be placing every day after work. “We would hate for someone to (lose) a set of tin snips again.” As of Wednesday, the only responses to the post were out of support for Fossum and condemnation of the thieves.
(Right) Do you recognize these tin snips? If so, John Fossum has a message for you. The pictured tool was discovered at the site of an alleged burglary that occurred sometime over the past week in Bowman County. (Courtesy photo)
Welcome to 2016
Year in Review JOIN US ON AN UPDATED LOOK AT THE BIGGEST NEWS OF THE PAST YEAR | PAGE 2
Bowman County Boy’s Basketball Coach Erik Egan weighs in on the new season. | PAGE 10
COMMUNITY
Ruggles named to NDIDA board of directors A Bowman resident was recently elected to serve the North Dakota Implement Dealers Association. | PAGE 4
T
he past year ushered in many changes around Bowman County. New businesses were welcomed, but farewells were said to others. Shopko, one of the first new businesses to open in 2015, saw success over its predecessor, ALCO. Bowman got a new optometrist, filling a years-long vacancy, and a barber. Scranton’s Main Bar was taken over by new owners while Bowman’s Crystal Bar closed after decades. A handful of restaurants opened to delight peoples’ palettes (one closed shortly after it opened). And the new ambulance garage and highly anticipated lodge filled the long-standing empty lots on Highway 12. A sprawling new airport welcomed aircraft near the eastern edge of Bowman while its former location wrestled through a lengthy, controversial process to become an industrial park. Oil continued to be the focus of many
INDEX
coffee-fueled, early morning conversations, but not like it used to be — people focused on its continuing slump. Others offered optimism that it would return to a boom, just not sure when. The community has much to look forward to in the New Year. Notable projects coming to a head include the new Southwest Healthcare Services Hospital, surge fund projects in all three cities will wrap up and the industrial park will begin to get its infrastructure. Those projects were touted to both improve the region and attract newcomers. Bowman is gaining momentum, with new community events and higher participation being seen in others. Two-thousand-and-sixteen will mark yet another year that Bowman County will stand out as a brightly shining gem among North Dakota’s vast stretch of unique communities. (By Bryce Martin/Pioneer Editor)
What’s next for the Pioneer?
It is undeniable that 2015 was one of the biggest years for the Bowman County Pioneer. The publication underwent a large amount of changes right at the switch of the New Year’s calendar with the launch of our completely redesigned website and print edition. Though, it wasn’t a change everybody liked at first. Our office a handful of letters, calls and emails asking why we changed the layout to broadsheet, ditching the previous tab-sized paper. Our answer was simple: it was both a business decision, making it financially feasible for our continued success, and it brought a more modern feel to the paper. It allowed us more space to bring readers the latest news. With time, those concerns mostly disappeared. Overall, the changes brought much success, as did our steadfast approach to reporting the news. At the 2015 North Dakota Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Awards in May, the Pioneer brought home more than a dozen awards, for design, writing, photography and advertising. It was a humbling moment. So, how can we top such a bright year? By continuing what has brought us the most success—engaging our community, following its events and continuing our dedication to report the latest, most accurate news, but also by placing a greater emphasis on countywide stories and on each city therein. By no means is it a time for us to slow down; knowing that we have our community’s support only accelerates our passion for what we do. We have several plans for the New Year that will reaffirm our commitment to community journalism and to our community. We welcome 2016 with high hopes! -Bryce Martin, editor
Sports................ 10-11 | Obituaries................ 7 | Opinion................ 6 | Church Directory................ 7 | Classifieds/Legals................ 8-9 | Briefs................ 2