Cavalier County
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Republican
Single Copy Volume 134
cavaliercountyextra.com
In this issue:
Copyright © Langdon, North Dakota
Cavalier County Commissioners held a meeting this past week, see Page 3 for details. Turn to Page 5 to read about local scholarships given to students.
Index
OPINION YOUTH CHURCH COMMUNITY SPORTS PRO DIR AG PN CLASSIFIED
PAGE 4 PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 7 PAGE 8 PAGE 9 PAGE 10 PAGE 10-12 PAGE 13
“A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country, is good enough to be given a fair deal later.” - Theodore Roosevelt That quote is part of the emblem for the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs (NDDVA) which was established in 1945. The mission of this department is “to assist veterans of North Dakota and their dependents in obtaining all benefits to which they are entitled, both federal and state, either by direct contact or through the assistance of county veterans service officers, tribal veterans service officers, or national service officers”. This mission is highlighted most during the month of May which is National Mental Health Awareness month. Langdon City Commission Chair Jerry Nowatzki shared his experiences when he was active duty in the Navy. Nowatzki was stationed on submarines which is an incredibly stressful environment. He shared that looking back on his time in the service, he and his shipmates all drank alcohol in excess to selfmedicate. That level of drinking continued for Nowatzki and the majority of his close friends after they retired. “Some of us developed anxi-
ety problems after retirement, others depression, and we continued the self-medicating. I was lucky, my wife and I realized I had a mental health problem, and I chose to be proactive about it. I sought professional medical help for anxiety, and I no longer drink,” Nowatzki shared. “I’ve lost 3 close friends to alcohol-related health prob-
remain for active duty service members and veterans alike when seeking treatment for mental health issues. More than 1.7 million veterans received treatment in a VA mental health specialty program in fiscal year 2018. A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that less than 50 percent of
lems. I’m glad I sought help when I did. There seems to be a stigma about asking for help. All the branches of the military and the Veterans Administration try extremely hard to break the wall of pride or stubbornness between a solder, sailor, airmen or marine and the help some of them desperately need.” The history of mental health needs among service members is a long one with each generation of soldier being more and more vocal about their needs for assistance. But difficulties
service members and veterans receive one or more benefits or services from VA. Some of the barriers veterans face include: • Personal embarrassment about service-related mental disabilities • Long wait times to receive mental health treatment • Shame over needing to seek mental health treatment • Fear of being seen as weak • Stigma associated with mental health issues • A lack of understanding or lack of awareness about mental
Will state budget woes hit hard locally? The worst kept secret in the state is the fact that the state budget is highly dependent upon the oil extraction tax to fund it. From special savings like the Legacy Fund to the special projects like the Prairie Dog bill, North Dakota has for the past decade utilized the natural resources found in the Bakken shale to make the state successfully funded and encourage growth. Now, as COVID-19 continues to cause problems around the world, its impact on the oil market has brought home how devastating this is. Late April saw the price for oil crash amid a supply glut caused from lack of demand because of COVID-19 and price wars between Saudi Arabia and Russia. The reference point for oil prices, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, was being traded at a negative value of $37. Not only is this a historical first, it's incredibly bad news for North Dakota which collects 53 percent of its revenue from severance taxes. For the City of Langdon, looking ahead to budget time is not as hopeful as it was this past winter. Langdon City Auditor
RoxAnne Hoffarth budgeted to receive around $315,000.00 from the state this year. Typically, the state will send a report on what local governments can expect to receive for the following year around budget time. While the drop in oil prices isn't new, with a decline occurring for the past five years, this drastic of a decrease could
gets and funding, Hoffarth did have good news to share. COVID-19 may have caused the bottom to drop out of oil, but the reduction in travel has brought a significant increase to local taxes. “Our city sales tax is up $16,000 this April from last year at the same time. So it seems people are staying local and shopping local. Keep up the good work Langdon residents,” Hoffarth shared. Langdon City Commission Chair Jerry Nowatzki shared that while at first he was worried about the city sales tax being down due to the COVID madness – the reluctance to leave homes and have things shipped to doorsteps instead – has turned out to be a nonissue. With residents no longer traveling to larger cities, their sales tax dollars stayed local and working out well for the city as it looks to making a balanced budget. "Shop Local. I can't say that enough,” Nowatzki said. The downturn in state revenue comes at a time when the Langdon City Commission
$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$ BUDGET $$$$$$$$$$$$$ have significant impact on the State's ability to help small municipalities like Langdon. “It had decreased or stayed the same for the last few years. General fund and street department receive about 50/50. The street department depends most on state revenue and the general fund. Our street department relies on this money to run because they are not an enterprise fund, meaning they have no way to make their own money,” explained Hoffarth. Despite the fear of what may occur at the state level for bud-
Farmers & Merchants State Bank 816 3rd Street, Langdon, ND 58249
(701)256-5431 • www.fmbanklangdon.com
Member FDIC
Monday, May 25, 2020
Number 21
Now is the time for a better tomorrow
By Melissa Anderson Republican Editor
Catch up with the latest from the Langdon Area School District on Page 2.
Official Newspaper of Cavalier County Published since 1889
cont. on page 3
health problems and treatment options • Logistical problems, such as long travel distances in order to receive this type of care • Concerns over the veteran mental health treatment offered by the VA • Demographic barriers and false perceptions based on these demographics such as age or gender Cavalier County Veterans Service Officer Leon Hiltner has helped many veterans throughout his years to receive the services they need, including mental health. Hiltner shared that he believes that mental health is a major concern for not only the VA but the country as well. “I have dealt with mental health issues in my occupation here. Applying for PTSD or even traumatic brain injury, we’ve had those claims come across the desk. I have used the resources provided me by the State of North Dakota and VA. I actually have on my phone the crisis hotline in case someone calls me when I’m not in the office,” says Hiltner. Mental health is an all encompassing term, but there is a pattern of conditions that have been noted to affect veterans more. The RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research has found that 18.5 percent of the cont. on page 2
Hein Lawn Care Services ready to take on summer As the dreams of green lawns and summer fun take hold, the need to maintain those lawns for summer fun takes center field. Businesses and facilities within the City of Langdon that contract their lawn care have found a new provider in Hein Lawn Care Services. Hein Lawn Care has secured work with three of the biggest contracts for the upcom-
care services to the school district, the hospital, and the city parks. They are also doing some private work for individuals, but the primary focus will be with the three contracted jobs. “For the most part, I think we will be full, but we will be looking. At the same time, there are others trying to do jobs. I want them to do good, too,” Hein said.
ing summer after purchasing equipment from the disbanded CS Lawn Care. Owner Dave Hein explained that after discussing with his wife, Amy, and their three sons, they decided the potential for buying and seeking out the contracts was a good opportunity. “One reason was the opportunity for my kids to have jobs, and I think the community needed it. There is a high demand for it,” Hein explained. Hein shared that he and his sons will be providing lawn
Hein has only focused his efforts for additional summer work as he also works full-time for United Communications and Amy Hein also works fulltime at the Osnabrock Community Living Center. As the business takes off and the Heins learn the ropes, he sees the lawn care business as providing a great opportunity for local youth to find employment during the summer. “I’m hoping down the road that we expand big enough cont. on page 2
FM Bank is closed Saturday, May 23 and Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day.