S erving the R egion S ince 1907
www.bowmanextra.com NEWS, 2
Another large source water spill in Bowman Co.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
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Night Hawks 1st in region
Court pushes back Parra trial
Gross sexual imposition trial now to be heard in May By BRYCE MARTIN Pioneer Editor
A pretrial conference scheduled for this week for a Bowman man charged with gross sexual imposition has been postponed until next month, according to an order filed in Southwest Judicial District Court last week.
Jovani Parra, 19, is facing a felony jury trial related to an August 2015 incident in which it was alleged Parra had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl. He was arraigned in August on two counts of gross sexual imposition of a victim less than 15 years old and one count of luring minors
Parra
by computer or other electronic means. Both are con-
sidered felonies per North Dakota Century Code. The trial was also pushed back, now scheduled to begin May 4. It was cited in a stipulation signed Feb. 5 that both the state and defending attorney were waiting for evidence related to the case and that they had conflicts on the date of the trial, which was initially scheduled for Feb. 24. The pretrial conference is now slated for April 19 in Stark County.
Bowman officers first executed a search warrant Aug. 19, 2015 at a residence police said was being rented by Parra, located near the intersection of First Street Southwest and Highway 85 in Bowman. Officers carried from the scene several brown paper bags, the contents of which were not immediately disclosed. It was later stated in the court documents, however, that authorities had seized various electronic items
Country Media names new, local publisher for Pioneer, Finder
TAKE A LOOK INSIDE
An abandoned schoolhouse stands quietly in Adelaide Township, south of Rhame. (Photo by Bryce Martin/Pioneer)
There’s a hidden gem of forlorn beauty south of Rhame By BRYCE MARTIN Pioneer Editor
J
ust a few miles south of Rhame stands an important piece of Bowman County’s history — an old, dilapidated one-room schoolhouse once used to educate local youth. As it exists today, a few 100 yards down a random gravel road jutting off Rhame Road, the structure is in a great state of disrepair. The school, built it 1909 according to local accounts, is located in Adelaide Township. It’s not encouraged for people to enter the building, but once inside the school scape brings to mind images of the many local students — the youngest class now in their 60s — that once sat at the small desks, pondering their future. The main level of the school, passed the crumbling front entrance, is sinking into the tall empty space of the cement basement below. The tall walls, once covered by chalk dust, now ominously shed their paints; the hardwood floors raised and buckled and the ceilings severely drooping down due to water damage. Panes of thin glass that would shield the classes from
North Dakota’s harsh temperatures and sunlight are now weathered and cracked. Several of the windows are missing while others have what seemed to be multiple bullet holes; vandalism is a frequent component of long abandoned structures on the prairie. Random birds have made the rotting basement rafters their home. Dust, dirt and debris litter all the interior spaces. There remains little inside to discern the building as a school. The only remnants are two small, metal chairs eerily still standing on all four legs. The bell tower on the top of the school hasn’t ringed for decades — the bell itself absent. Despite the school’s crumbling façade, it still retains a sort of forlorn beauty. The SCHOOL Page 5 school is just
Little schoolhouse on the prairie Only on our website » See a full gallery of photos from the schoolhouse
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High: 30 Low: 17 Colder with periods of sun
Index Classifieds ..............7 Comics ...................9 Obituaries ..............7 Opinion ..................6
from the residence. A second search warrant was executed the following Monday to obtain Parra’s DNA. He was later placed under arrest. Gross sexual imposition is a Class A felony, punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a $10,000 fine or both; luring minors by computer or electronic means is a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, or both.
OPINION, 6 Puzzles ...................9 Briefs .......................2 Sports .....................10 Community ..........4
Country Media, Inc. has announced the recent promotion of Nate Lee to the position of publisher of The Bowman County Pioneer and its weekly regional shopper publication, The Finder. With this change, The PioLee neer and Finder’s top management is now locally placed. “It’s important to Bowman that these two publications be overseen by a local resident,” said Steve Hungerford, president and CEO of Country Media, which is headquartered in Portland, Ore. “Nate Lee, with his knowledge of Bowman County and his growing involvement with local organizations and activities, is well positioned to know just where and how we can help this area grow.” Lee, a resident of Bowman, has been a Country Media employee since January 2013, when he began as office manager for one of The Pioneer’s sister publications, The Dunn County Herald in Killdeer. He relocated to Bowman in May 2013 to work primarily as advertising graphic designer for The Pioneer and Finder. Last year, his duties were expanded to include advertising sales. Lee takes over the position previously held by Stacy Swenson, who continues with Country Media as publisher of other regional properties, including the Dunn County Herald, The Herald in New England and the Adams County Record in Hettinger. As publisher, Lee’s focus will be on generating revenue and managing daily operations for the two Bowman-based publications and affiliated websites. “I’m excited and eager to step into this new role,” Lee, 31, said. “It is with great pleasure that I accept this position and the important duties that accompany it.” “Both publications have been a cornerstone of the region for decades and my plans to capitalize on the area’s growth will benefit both our company and the communities that it represents.” Meanwhile, Pioneer editor Bryce Martin continues in that role, as well as group editor of Country Media’s Great Plains Group.
Letter: Get ready to open your wallets for wind farm
For up-to-the-minute news: www.bowmanextra.com We want to hear from you: See how to contact us on Page 6 Vol. 111, No. 7 ©2016, Country Media Inc.