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Wilbur-Ellis closes Walhalla branch By Sarah Hinnenkamp
Friday, September 22, 2023
Volume 2, Number 37
Roxy marquee restoration on track
Photo by Melanie Thornberg.
Three people are without jobs after the Wilbur-Ellis Corporation abruptly closed its Walhalla branch on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Two managers and a human resources representative from outside of Walhalla delivered news that the three positions were eliminated and the branch was closing, effective immediately. “I know that the managers felt terrible about it. They get their orders from above, and that’s it, “ said Hailey Moore, who lost her job as the office manager and customer service representative. “There’s going to have to be something to come in to fill, either in that building or elsewhere.” Moore said the Wilbur-Ellis branch was providing more than 50% of the chemical for Walhalla area farmers. “It was quite the shock, and it still is,” Moore said. “We’re still trying to figure out what the heck happened.”
In this Issue:
Moore had been with the Wilbur-Ellis branch since it opened in Walhalla in 2012. The other two positions that were eliminated were a sales and agronomist position and an operations representative for the warehouse. The Walhalla branch was the only retail sales branch in the Grand Forks district; other locations provide wholesale products. Walhalla Farmers Grain owns the building and leased it to Wilbur-Ellis. During its time in Walhalla, Wilbur-Ellis added three bins and seed treating equipment. The company sold crop protection, liquid fertilizer, chemical and seed, including soybeans, corn, canola, sunflowers, and cover crop. “For the community it’s a loss and, obviously, the agriculture community, having that chemical available and the size of the facility and the amount we could store at all times…it will be a loss for that.” cont’d. on page A2
Community: North BorderWalhalla welcomes new staff, Pg. A5
The Cavalier County Clerk of Court’s office in the county courthouse is a passport acceptance facility. Since the office works closely with people applying for and renewing passports, it has been sharing information during Passport Awareness Month. Clerk of Court Anita Beauchamp recommends people check the expiration date on their passport books and cards and be aware of the current processing times if they have upcoming international travel. It is currently recommended that people apply for passports six to nine months before the passport expiration date or ahead of planned travel. Beauchamp’s office in the courthouse has the forms to apply for a passport as a new applicant or to renew an expired or soon to be expired passport. You can also print them from the travel.state.gov site.
Print your application after using the form filler at travel.state.gov/passportforms Make sure your photo meets the requirements by visiting travel.state. gov/photos
Index: News Agriculture Opinion Community Lifestyle
The Roxy is still open for movies and concessions during construction, Friday through Monday at 7:30 p.m.
By Borderland Press Staff
Here are some tips to help you during Passport Awareness Month as provided by the U.S. Department of State:
Sports: Cardinal cross country team is cruising this season, Pg. B1
The Roxy Theater’s marquee restoration is moving right along thanks to new paint completed by Travis Downs. Donations from businesses and community members raised the funds to repair both the marquee and the roof. The replacement of the roof of the theater and the roof portion of the marquee had been completed earlier this season, leaving the painting of the marquee and replacement of the lights.
NOW IS THE TIME TO CHECK YOUR PASSPORT EXPIRATION DATE When was the last time you checked your passport? Are you up to date? September is a great time to check because it is Passport Awareness Month.
News: Hatton-Northwood volleyball teams receive support after bus crash, Pg. A2
Photo by Larry Stokke.
Include your email address on your passport application Submit your most recent passport with your application or report it lost or stolen at travel.state.gov/loststolen Also, visit travel.state.gov/destination as many countries require six months of passport validity Make sure you include your correct Social Security number Here is some general information from the Department of State in regard to passports: The Department of State is committed to providing the best possible service for their passport customers. They encourage all Americans to check their passports and renew now if they are planning international travel in the upcoming year. As more Americans are traveling internationally again, they continue seeing unprecedented demand for passports. In Fiscal Year 2022, nearly 22 million passports were issued by the US Department of State - more than ever before - and they are on track to break that record again for Fiscal Year 2023. Their current processing times are 1013 weeks for routine processing and 7-9 weeks for expedited processing, which costs an additional $60. These processing times do not include mailing times. It may take up to 2 weeks for applications to arrive by mail at a
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passport agency or center and up to 2 weeks for an applicant to receive a completed passport in the mail after they print it. They are working hard to get back to their pre-pandemic processing times by the end of calendar year 2023. They will update their website with the current processing times as they make progress towards this goal. They continue to advise travelers to carefully review the current passport processing times on travel.state.gov before making any definite or nonrefundable travel plans. Travelers should also remember that some countries require that a passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of their trip, and they should check their country inform a tion pages to learn about entry a n d exit requirements for the country they are visiting. They remain committed to serving as many Americans as possible, as quickly as possible, while upholding their responsibility to protect U.S. borders through the vigilant adjudication of U.S. passport applications.
Their website, travel.state.gov, has more information on how to apply and how to check the status of a pending passport application. Adults applying for the first time and children under 16 must appear in person to apply. Parents must accompany their child under 16 or provide notarized consent with form DS-3053. U.S. citizens can also visit their website for important information about their travel destination. Travel.state. gov hosts information specific to every country in the world, a traveler’s checklist, and travel advisories with information about evolving health and safety conditions. They encourage U.S. citi-
zens t o enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive the latest safety and security information via email while they are overseas.