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Theborderlandpress.com
In this Issue:
Friday, January 26, 2024
Volume 3, Number 3
LANGDON LINEMEN HELP RESTORE POWER NEAR OAKES, N.D., AFTER ICE STORM By Sarah Hinnenkamp
News: North Dakota Gov. Burgum announces he won’t seek third term, Pg. A2
The Christmas ice storm that affected much of North Dakota and western Minnesota closed roads and knocked out power to thousands. Those who got hit the worst needed extra help and some of that help came from Langdon.
seen ice that bad before, and he took plenty of pictures.
Andrew Nyhagen and Derek Belle, linemen with Cavalier County Rural Electric Cooperative, took equipment on the road and helped restore power for Dakota Valley Electric near Oakes, N.D. They fixed broken power poles, put power lines back up, fixed wire breaks, and hit ice off the lines that were still up. They worked 14 to 16 hour days, starting around 6 a.m. and ending around 10 p.m.
Once crews got all the residential accounts back on near Oakes, they could head home. The work took 10 days.
“It was actually beautiful down there - 30 degrees, no wind - which made all the ice drop off the lines, so that was good,” Nyhagen said, adding that the damage was way worse than he thought it was going to be. He hadn’t Catholic Schools Week: St. Alphonsus School plans activities, Pg. A6 - A7
“We get the frost up here when we have problems,” Belle said. “For ice that thick - it was bigger than I’ve seen.”
Marty Tetrault, general manager of Cavalier County Rural Electric, wasn’t surprised the work took nearly two weeks, because the storm took down close to 1,600 power poles. “At the time our guys left, the estimate was 6 to 800 poles down, but they had not gone over their whole system yet,” Tetrault said of Dakota Valley Electric. “They had not been able to cover the whole system because of roads, weather, and ice, so it probably took until about the fifth day
Restoring power near Oakes, N.D. Photo by Andrew Nyhagen, Cavalier Rural Electric Cooperative.
until they got all the information and the pole count.” Tetrault said if it would have been windy, they may have had twice the number of lines down due to the weight of the ice on the power lines. In a rural area, there may be miles and miles of lines to feed two or three farms, and it takes a while to get power back on. Near Oakes, Belle and Nyhagen had the experience of setting 24 poles to get three accounts back online with power and, later, setting 13 poles for one person to have power.
Community: Highlighting Activity Professionals Week at Pembilier Nursing Center, Pg. A8
Derek Belle and Andrew Nyhagen, linemen with Cavalier Rural Electric Cooperative, stand in front of the equipment they took to Oakes, N.D. Photo by Terry Hinnenkamp.
Cavalier County offers help to residents applying for new $500 tax credit By Sarah Hinnenkamp
Homeowners in North Dakota can apply for up to $500 off their 2024 property taxes. The Office of the State Tax Commissioner is overseeing the new Primary Residence Credit program. Homeowners in North Dakota who live there a majority of the time are probably eligible. An online application is available at https://www.tax.nd.gov/prc and is due by March 31. Your social security number is required and the parcel number of your home, which can be found on your tax statement or by contacting the county tax director’s office. Once approved, the credit would reduce your bill for the 2024 tax year. Since the tax credit is funded by the state, it won’t impact local tax revenue. Lawmakers set aside more than $100 million for the program in the 20232025 state budget; the funding covers the 2024 tax year. At the Cavalier County Commission meeting on Tuesday, commissioners expressed concern that the program was rolled out as an online only application, fearing that many residents will miss out. “They’re all assuming that they’re going to get a form, but it’s all online,” said Commissioner Stanley Dick. “I don’t think we’re going to have people take advantage of it. There’s no form coming out. I think they’re going to miss it.” Cavalier County Tax Director Steph Bata said her office has already helped several people apply. “It’s 6 questions, and they need their social security number,” Bata said. “If they come to our office, we will help them fill it out.” Bata said her office can help look up the parcel number when people stop in, so they only need to have their social security number. The tax director’s office is located in the Cavalier County Courthouse at 901 3rd Street, Suite 2, in Langdon. You can email Steph Bata with questions at sbata@nd.gov or you can call the tax director’s office at 701-256-2289. There are other tax relief programs offered by the state, including the Homestead Credit and subsidies for low-income renters, disabled veterans and farm residences. For more information, visit the Office of the Tax Commissioner’s https://www. tax.nd.gov/tax-exemptions-credits/property-tax-credits-exemptions
Heading back to town after a long day of work well after dark, Nyhagen saw the countryside lit up with yard lights. For days, that drive into town was dark.
These types of shared efforts require coordination. All cooperatives have a list of equipment available and what they would be able to offer other cooperatives in case of an emergency. “The guys that do this work put a pile of hours in and away from families and significant others, and they’re definitely dedicated employees that put their time in for the customer,” Tetrault said. The ice storm made Tetrault think back to 2004, which was the most recent ice storm the Borderland experienced. It took down about 600 poles. “It was a pretty similar storm, and we got hit system wide - from Starkweather to Walhalla - and we were so spread out with our small crew,” Tetrault said. cont’d. on page A12
Pembina County Historical Society holds annual meeting, distributes awards Werven receives Excellence in Local History Award, Neche’s Gurke named Person of the Year By Borderland Press Staff
The Pembina County Historical Society held its annual meeting on Sunday, Jan. 21 at the Pembina County Historical Museum near Cavalier. It offered the opportunity for visiting, refreshments, door prizes, and conducting the business of the organization. It was also a time for awards. Excellence in Local History Award Matt Werven received the 2023 Excellence in Local History Award on behalf of the North Dakota State Historical Society Board during the annual meeting. The award recognizes individuals who have dedicated their time, talent, and effort to local and regional history that can serve as a role model of excellence. The award acknowledges the work Matt has accomplished over the past 30+ years interviewing hundreds of area persons and recording their stories. Matt has donated the interviews to SHSND where they have been digitized for citizens around the world to access through the archives
Matt Werven (left) was presented with the N.D. Excellence in Local History Award by Dr. William Peterson, State Historical Society of North Dakota Director, at the Pembina County Historical Society Annual Meeting on Jan. 21.
department of SHSND. Werven stated that he took on the project out of personal interest and that he knew the opportunity to re-
Index: News Agriculture Opinion Lifestyle Community
cord the memories and stories of the older generation is quickly disappearing as we lose members of that generation daily. The cassette recordings have been cont’d. on page A12
Weather: Page A2, A12 Page A3 Page A4 Page A5 Pages A8 - A9
Church/Obituaries Sports Classifieds Public Notices
Pages A10 - A11 Pages B1 - B4 Page B5 Pages B6 - B8
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