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[
"The Sports Xchange",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-28T00:50:58 | null | 2016-08-27T18:16:54 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fprofessional%2F4103173-blue-jays-rally-past-twins-8-7.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/field/image/0828%20Twins.JPG?itok=7AdJPApv | en | null | Blue Jays rally past Twins, 8-7 | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson, right, celebrates with second baseman Devon Travis after the game against the Minnesota Twins Saturday at the Rogers Centre. (Photo by Nick Turchiaro / USA TODAY Sports)
TORONTO — B.J. Upton saw Max Kepler dive for his sinking drive in the eighth inning and when the ball skipped past the right fielder he was thinking triple.
What he did not see was Kepler kicking the ball as he made a sliding attempt to pursue it. Kevin Pillar, who had doubled, scored the tying run on Upton’s hit.
Upton continued all the way home for what proved to be the winning run and the Toronto Blue Jays came back to defeat the Minnesota Twins 8-7 on Saturday.
The play was scored an RBI triple and an error.
Upton said he could not remember scoring like that before, even in Little League.
“That’s a first time,” he said. “I saw him dive, I kind of knew it would be a triple once it got by him, but rounding second I saw Luis (third base coach Rivera) keep waving me and I kept going.”
Edwin Encarnacion homered and had three RBI for the Blue Jays, who trailed 5-0 and 7-3 before handing the Twins their ninth straight loss.
“There’s all different kinds of ways to lose games,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “That one was particularly difficult. Things just snowballed. You’ve got a team that’s certainly capable of scoring runs in a hurry and got a little momentum. That was a tough one to endure, especially those last couple of innings.
“Max is trying to make a play and get us off the field with a lead and he came up short. He’s trying to do something to help us win.”
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Upton has injected speed into the team’s lineup.
“That’s one part of our team we don’t have a whole lot of, is team speed,” Gibbons said. “A guy like that can make a huge difference. We’ve seen him steal bases; he’s one of those guys that can go first to third just about every time.
“If he hits it in the gap, it could turn into three. ... That was a huge play.”
Reliever Jason Grilli (5-3) pitched around a single in the eighth to pick up the win and Ryan Pressly (6-6) took the loss, allowing two runs and five hits in one inning.
Roberto Osuna pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts to earn his 29th save of the season.
Brian Dozier had three hits and two RBI, and Trevor Plouffe hit a home run and had two RBI for the Twins.
Twins starter Ervin Santana allowed five hits, five walks and six runs while striking out four in six innings.
“They’re an aggressive team and they don’t swing at very bad pitches, either,” Santana said. “(The clubhouse is) a little down. At the same time, we have to come tomorrow, erase this game today and then play hard tomorrow.
“We had the lead for a couple of good innings and then we gave it in the blink of an eye.”
Toronto starter Marcus Stroman allowed nine hits, one walk and five runs in six innings. He struck out five.
Stroman appreciates what Upton has brought to the Blue Jays since he was acquired on July 26 in a trade with the San Diego Padres.
“He’ an unbelievable player, gives that added element of power and speed,” Stroman said. “Any time he’s in there, he can go deep or steal a base or go first to third, first to home. He’s dynamic out there and we’re excited to have him.”
The Blue Jays (73-56) entered the game with a one-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.
The Twins (49-80) scored a run in the first. Dozier led off with a single, stole second, took third on Joe Mauer’s fly out to left and scored on a wild pitch.
Minnesota scored four runs in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.
Plouffe led off with a walk and Eddie Rosario singled. Miguel Sano hit an RBI single, Eduardo Escobar hit an RBI double and Dozier stroked a two-run double.
Toronto scored in the bottom of the fourth when Encarnacion walked and Michael Saunders doubled.
Josh Donaldson walked with one out in the sixth and scored on Encarnacion’s 36th home run of the season, cutting the Twins’ lead to 5-3.
Bo Schultz allowed a walk and Plouffe’s ninth home run of the season in the seventh as the Twins bumped their lead to 7-3.
The Blue Jays scored three in the bottom of the seventh to trim the lead to 7-6.
Pillar led off with a single and was forced at second by Upton. Devon Travis walked, Josh Thole grounded out to first and Jose Bautista walked to load the bases.
Pressly replaced Santana and allowed Donaldson’s two-run single and Encarnacion’s RBI single. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/professional/4103173-blue-jays-rally-past-twins-8-7 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/685af6e3a5868a922f351973ed5e67d0a1bb578803d133441e82bc0b6d88a7cd.json |
[
"St. Paul Pioneer Press",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T04:52:55 | null | 2016-08-29T22:19:56 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2F4104381-plenty-playmakers-gophers-schedule-starting-oregon-state.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Plenty of playmakers on Gophers' schedule, starting with Oregon State | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | MINNEAPOLIS—Some teams, and players, have no trouble getting an opponent's attention. That certainly was the case last season when Minnesota opened against then-No. 2 Texas Christian and their Heisman-hyped quarterback Trevone Boykin.
Boykin passed for 246 yards, a touchdown and an interception while rushing for 92 yards and another score as the Horned Frogs beat Minnesota 23-17.
Minnesota's first opponent this season doesn't have similar credentials, so coach Tracy Claeys took steps to make sure his team takes Oregon State — and everyone else — seriously, among them outfitting players' helmets with stickers reading "RESPECT" during fall camp.
"It first comes," explained defensive end Hendrick Ekpe, "from preparing for your opponent."
Oregon State won only two games last season, but they'll bring real talent to TCF Bank Stadium on Thursday for an 8 p.m. kickoff.
The Beavers' main threats are a pair of wide receivers. Jordan Villamin is the 6-foot-5 target who has been in the Gophers' spotlight after posting a 15.3 yard-per-catch average and scoring five touchdowns last season.
Victor Bolden, a 5-9 receiver, also is in the Gophers' sights, as is Seth Collins, last year's quarterback now converted to receiver/running back. But Claeys said it'll all come down to whether Utah State transfer quarterback Darell Garretson can get them the ball.
"We just have to come ready to play like they are TCU and know that they do have threats, and we can be beaten," safety Damarius Travis said.
With an easier schedule this season, the Gophers will avoid some of the Big Ten East Division's best players, such as Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett and Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers. But they'll have their hands full, regardless.
Here is a look at some other 2016 opponents earning the Gophers' respect:
SAQUON BARKLEY—Penn State running back: With 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns last season, Barkley burst onto the scene as a true freshman. Will former Gophers offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Matt Limegrover be able to get the Nittany Lions' line to create more running lanes?
C.J. BEATHARD—Iowa quarterback: The senior signal caller was clutch during the Hawkeyes' undefeated run to the Big Ten title game, completing 62 percent of his passes with 17 TDs and five interceptions. He also rushed for six touchdowns despite, like Gophers QB Mitch Leidner, playing much of the season at less than full strength.
DESMOND KING—Iowa cornerback/kick returner: The Jim Thorpe Award winner returned for his senior season after posting eight interceptions and 72 tackles in 2015. The All-American also averaged 14.2 yards per punt return.
WILLIAM LIKELY-- Maryland cornerback/kick returner: This All-American was third in the nation in punt returns, averaging 17.7 yards. Two were returned for touchdowns, and he took a kickoff to the house, as well, in 2015.
WES LUNT-- Illinois quarterback: The combination of this respected senior quarterback and former NFL coach Lovie Smith could be a potent one for the Illini, who upset a hot Minnesota team at Champaign in 2014.
TOMMY ARMSTRONG—Nebraska quarterback: If the dual-threat athlete can cut down on his mistakes (16 interceptions in 2015), he could add to his 29 combined rushing and passing TDs from a year ago. WR Jordan Westerkamp makes Armstrong look good, too.
ANTHONY WALKER-- Northwestern linebacker: The 235-pound middle linebacker led the Big Ten with 20.5 tackles for losses and racked up 120 total last season. The Wildcats gave up a paltry 18.6 points per game, including a shutout of the U in the Big Ten opener.
JUSTIN JACKSON-- Northwestern running back: The Big Ten's best returning running back had 1,418 yards on a staggering 312 carries but only crossed the goal line five times.
COREY CLEMENT-- Wisconsin running back: After a lackluster 2015, which included a sports hernia and suspension for the Gophers game, Clement hopes to return to the form that earned him 949 yards and nine TDs while backup to Melvin Gordon in 2014. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/college/4104381-plenty-playmakers-gophers-schedule-starting-oregon-state | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/6823d8a24853585b5e31f12c3890c81f0894489c35e8067213a4403a64078c79.json |
[
"Letitia Stein",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T20:53:10 | null | 2016-08-30T14:22:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-and-world%2F4104812-n-carolina-florida-brace-brewing-tropical-systems.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | N. Carolina, Florida brace for brewing tropical systems | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | TAMPA, Fla.—North Carolina's far east coast could see tropical storm-force winds from a weather system expected to pass near its Outer Banks region on Tuesday, Aug. 30, before it turns out to sea, U.S. forecasters said.
The tropical depression, which has yet to be named, could strengthen into a tropical storm later on Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. As of morning, it was blowing winds of 35 mph and was located about 135 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C.
The state's Outer Banks region could see heavy rainfall and a minor storm surge, the National Weather Service in Newport, N.C., said in a weather advisory. Little impact was expected elsewhere in the state.
Forecasters were also tracking another tropical depression developing off the coast of Cuba, which was expected to churn towards Florida's Gulf Coast later in the week. The hurricane center expected it would strengthen into a tropical storm on Tuesday.
On its current path, the system could make landfall on Florida's north-central Gulf Coast on Thursday, bringing storms into Georgia and the eastern Carolinas on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Florida planned to raise the activation status of its State Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday to begin preparing.
Forecasters warned the system could dump five to 10 inches of rain over much of Florida by Friday, and some areas could be pounded by up to 15 inches of rain. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/nation-and-world/4104812-n-carolina-florida-brace-brewing-tropical-systems | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/8c025c5f97c2b90f75798afb00c989595205355d2c73c9e52c374126cdd2d063.json |
[
"Reuters Media",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T20:52:59 | null | 2016-08-30T14:28:48 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-and-world%2F4104822-trump-hovers-over-mccain-rubio-us-senate-re-election-contests.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B0FHRS_Qcepbb1Q3aERCOXpjak0.jpg?itok=OAJOuu1O | en | null | Trump hovers over McCain, Rubio U.S. Senate re-election contests | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Republican U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, left, talks with rival candidate businessman Donald Trump during a break in the midst of the Republican U.S. presidential candidates debate sponsored by ABC News at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire Feb. 6, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
WASHINGTON—Republican voters in Arizona and Florida are expected to pick Senators John McCain and Marco Rubio as their respective U.S. Senate nominees when they go to the polls on Tuesday, but one name not on either ballot, Donald Trump, looms large.
The Republican presidential nominee has endorsed both McCain and Rubio in their re-election bids even though he has rocky relations with both senators.
Trump offended McCain and many other Republicans last year by suggesting that the maverick senator and party's 2008 presidential nominee was anything but a war hero because he was captured during the Vietnam War after his airplane was shot down during a bombing mission.
In March, Trump ended Rubio's presidential bid by trouncing him in the Florida primary to cap a race in which the New York businessman taunted the first-term senator as "little Marco," and Rubio insulted Trump on everything from his hair color and the size of his hands to misspelled words in tweets.
During their re-election efforts, both McCain and Rubio have offered support for Trump as the party's White House nominee. But they have tiptoed around him, mainly out of concern that his provocative comments on illegal immigration, Muslims and U.S. support for NATO could alienate moderate and independent voters in their states.
At the same time, they have steered clear of attacks on Trump that might antagonize his core supporters.
Adding to the intrigue is that the fates of the two senators will likely play a big role in whether Republicans can upset expectations and maintain majority control of the Senate after the Nov. 8 election.
But first, McCain will have to win Tuesday's Republican primary in Arizona and Rubio will have to prevail in Florida.
McCain, who is trying to extend a 30-year Senate career, faces a challenge from physician and former state Senator Kelli Ward, who is aligned with the conservative Tea Party movement.
McCain leads Ward by 55 percent to 29 percent, according to a CNN opinion poll released last week. But Ward is ratcheting up her attacks, arguing: "It's time to defeat the establishment and retire McCain."
In an interview last week with Politico, Ward called McCain, 80, "a pretty sour old guy." Citing her medical background, she questioned whether he would even live long enough to complete another six-year Senate term.
Ward has aligned herself with Trump, who will face Democrat Hillary Clinton in November's presidential election.
Mixing the mortar
Echoing Trump's call for the building of a wall on the southern border with Mexico, Ward has boasted: "It's time to mix the mortar to fix the border."
Trying to neutralize Ward's appeal with conservatives, McCain has touted his support for gun rights, his vow to cut government waste and endorsements from anti-abortion leaders.
If McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, wins on Tuesday, he would face Democratic U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.
While McCain has said he is in the toughest re-election fight of his career, the CNN poll has him opening a 13-point lead over Kirkpatrick.
Rubio, who decided last year not to seek re-election to the Senate in order to pursue the Republican presidential nomination, jumped into the race in June after his failed White House bid.
His late decision to seek a second Senate term came at the urging of Republican Party leaders, who viewed him as their best hope for preventing Democrats from taking the seat.
That prompted the major Republican Senate candidates to quit, leaving Carlos Beruff, 58, a millionaire homebuilder and newcomer to politics, as Rubio's main primary challenger. Like Ward, Beruff has embraced Trump and has accused Rubio of "tap dancing" around the presidential nominee and only offering him lukewarm support.
Rubio is polling well ahead of Beruff. A win on Tuesday means Rubio would likely face U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, who leads the Democratic field. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/nation-and-world/4104822-trump-hovers-over-mccain-rubio-us-senate-re-election-contests | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/857ff7c88a6b23980026e6a8d88cae03fba149a7eacf3ebc29e012cb3ab311ef.json |
[
"Samuel Evers",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T20:51:58 | null | 2016-08-27T15:28:50 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fblue-hawks%2F4103130-elders-gone-dickinson-state-offensive-line-jobs-grabs.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B2r172P3qo9rWTNyQTUyQUNWSFU.jpg?itok=8lSf-cMU | en | null | With elders gone, Dickinson State offensive line jobs up for grabs | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Dickinson State freshman center Morgan Bishop, right, attempts to block a teammate at practice earlier this week at the Biesiot Activities Center. (Press Photo by Parker Cotton)
As a freshman, the 6-foot-2 Baker, Mont., native joined DSU and slid into a comfortable role behind three senior linemen. All were captains and two of them — Meyer Bohn and Jacob Elmore — entered the season as preseason all-conference picks.
Following their accomplished and self-evident lead, Fisher compiled a wonderful first season which ended in first-team all-conference honors alongside Bohn and Lane Millay, the third member of the senior captain trio.
Bohn, vocal and well-regarded by players and coaches alike, was also named an NAIA all-American.
This season, the inevitable roster turnover that every team has to endure hit the offensive line the hardest.
Those three stable forces have been been replaced with transfers, freshman and otherwise untested players. Now, suddenly, Fisher finds himself a de facto voice of leadership.
Fellow sophomore Kordell Cummins is the only other offensive lineman who has seen significant playing time with the Blue Hawks. The other three members of the projected starting lineup will all be making their first start for DSU this weekend.
"Walking into the locker room, not hearing one of Meyer's weird jokes, it's been a lot different," said Fisher, laughing. "With them gone I think the coaches expect more out of me, and I expect more out of me. Having that new role is kind of weird right now, but I've accepted it, I'm trying to live up to the expectations that Mayer and Lane and Jake had. It's going to be hard, but well worth doing."
While the winds of change swept in a new look offensive line, it also ushered in a coaching change.
Coach Ryan Payne, a DSU football alumnus who oversaw the tight ends the previous two seasons, stepped into a new role this season as offensive line coach.
A former lineman himself, Payne observed the experience of last season's core first-hand. With the need for drastic replacement this season, his goal in training camp was to preach the basics to his players.
Those basic fundamentals of the game may not be review worthy when working with a trove of proven talent and leadership, but Payne said he wanted to make sure this year's players were on the same page from the ground up.
"I came in and changed a few things around. I tried to reset a few things. The big thing through training camp was getting back to the basics, the proper techniques," Payne said. "Getting real good at the simple stuff and going from there."
Both Payne and head coach Pete Stanton are excited about senior transfer Deon Paulson. Paulson, at 6-foot-5, forwent his final year at University of Mary to play for the Blue Hawks.
The coaches seem to think he will step in and fill one of those vacant starting spots valiantly.
As currently configured, Cummins, Fisher and Paulson make up three of the five members of the starting line.
Freshman Morgan Bishop, the center, and sophomore Devin Schwanz, a tackle who saw the field sparingly last season, rounds out the group.
Nothing is set in stone, though, with a few other names thrown in as potential starters throughout the season.
Sifa Vea, a junior who played last season on defense, switched over this season to help add some depth to the line. Junior Andrew Alt is another player that could factor into the equation.
Players will be mixed and matched in practice and in games until Stanton and Payne find a satisfying combination of good demeanor, physicality and toughness.
This training camp, unlike last season when there wasn't a scramble for a lineup, has been noticeably different in one specific way, Payne said.
The ensemble of an even playing field has produced something any coach would love: some healthy contention for playing time. Payne was hoping to see every player, including Fisher, come in with an edge knowing that everything was essentially up for grabs.
So far, he likes what he has seen.
"The good thing about that position right now, is we've had some competition there. There's not just five guys that can play for us. So even Jeff (Fisher) is in a competition right now to start and play for us. That's the way it should be," Payne said. "When you have a lot of capable guys and only five guys that can start, there's a tier up and a tier down. It's been great because we have a whole lot of guys that can play around the same level so it has really bred some good back and forth." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/blue-hawks/4103130-elders-gone-dickinson-state-offensive-line-jobs-grabs | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/93234afe63ba5427e7e09868fc4b06d6d165902f61c21cc2bd6f7e8b0bc08ba7.json |
[
"Jan Dawson",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T04:50:03 | null | 2016-08-26T23:36:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2F4102954-trumps-candidacy-taking-toll-political-ad-spending.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitcTdEamlUdkR6QTQ.jpg?itok=3pSzt82N | en | null | Trump's candidacy taking a toll on political ad spending | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | LOS ANGELES—Donald Trump's controversial candidacy is already dampening political ad spending, and there are reasons to believe the negative Trump effect could get worse.
All the major TV station owners have reported second-quarter results, and the political-spending sector was a mixed bag.
The pattern is quite different this year from 2012. During the Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney general election, spending ramped up quickly in the second quarter, right after the Republican primary. This year, the percentage of total ad spending from political advertising dropped from the first to second quarters at all four major companies. Three of the four saw a lower percentage of political ad spending in the second quarter 2016 than in second quarter 2012. (Meredith saw a slight increase.)
Commentary from these and other companies that own local TV stations suggests they're putting on a brave face. Some argue that the drawn-out primaries on both sides pushed spending into the third quarter; others say presidential election years are always back-loaded and are confidently projecting higher spending in Q3 and Q4.
But the fact remains that Trump isn't spending on advertising. According to Advertising Analytics, the Hillary Clinton campaign and pro-Clinton PACs have spent more than $90 million on political ads since the end of the primaries. Trump, amazingly, has spent zero. (Trump PACs have spent $8.2 million.)
And there may be a secondary Trump effect. If the polls continue to show massive leads for Clinton even in what are normally major battleground states, her campaign may decide that it simply doesn't need to spend as much as it otherwise would have. Advertising is always heavily concentrated on states where the race is the closest; if there are fewer of those states, spending could be pared back.
Bear in mind that presidential ad spending is a small component of overall political spending. Most observers peg combined candidate and PAC spending for the presidential election at one-third of total political spending, while outliers like Meredith project an even lower contribution.
As such, many station owners are banking on strong spending by candidates for Senate, House, and gubernatorial races to deliver strong numbers through the rest of the year, even if spending for presidential campaigns remains weak. In some cases, the presence of less palatable candidates at the top of the ballot may force down-ballot candidates to spend more in order to get the word out. The big question is whether that spending will be enough to make up the difference. With most station owners having projected a big year due to the elections, there's quite a bit at stake. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/4102954-trumps-candidacy-taking-toll-political-ad-spending | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/e039a1e928fa0df7e102d70c2c869a6331a6adf1f1174ad310ec7726537f0575.json |
[
"Parker Cotton",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-28T06:52:11 | null | 2016-08-28T00:59:23 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fblue-hawks%2F4103358-dickinson-state-volleyball-drops-0-4.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Dickinson State volleyball drops to 0-4 | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | BUTTE, Mont. — The Dickinson State volleyball team fell to 0-4 in the early part of its new season following a 3-1 loss to Montana Western and a 3-0 loss to Carroll (Mont.) College on Saturday.
Against Montana Western, the Blue Hawks dropped the first two sets 25-13 and 25-21 before battling to stay alive with a 25-23 win in the third game. The Bulldogs rebounded to win the fourth set 25-22.
Tessa Sian had 10 kills to lead the Blue Hawks’ offense, and Shelby Gustafson was next with nine. Danielle Boyette had 16 assists to facilitate the offense, and she added seven digs and four kills. Aimee Molina also had 11 digs.
Against the Saints, Dickinson State lost by set scores of 25-11, 26-24, 25-15.
Carroll College hit .336 for the match and limited the Blue Hawks to .140. Brenna Hansen and Sydney Bentz led DSU with six kills each. Singleton added 16 digs.
The Blue Hawks return to the court Friday and Saturday in Mitchell, S.D., for four matches in the Corn Palace Classic, hosted by Dakota Wesleyan. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/blue-hawks/4103358-dickinson-state-volleyball-drops-0-4 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/047c6e4a73d2f2b4f62608d79d2cd5a00d0f9388152fd9b871aa833b7af83c34.json |
[
"Amy Dalrymple",
"Mike Nowatzki",
"Forum News Service",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-26T22:50:31 | null | 2016-08-26T17:35:10 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4102675-pipeline-protesters-reject-unlawful-label.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMita0hmZEI1dHdTNUE.jpg?itok=Bh1jYoGh | en | null | Pipeline protesters reject 'unlawful' label | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Shannon James, 21, of the Navajo Nation in Big Mountain, Ariz., rides a horse Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016, next to a protest camp near Cannon Ball, N.D. Michael Vosburg / Forum News Service
BISMARCK — After a week free of clashes with law enforcement, protesters of the Dakota Access Pipeline say removal of a roadblock leading to their camp is long overdue, and the American Civil Liberties Union is considering legal action if it doesn't happen.
For protesters, the roadblock perpetuates what they say is the misconception that their activities are inherently dangerous or violent — a perception many blame on comments made by authorities and state officials and media coverage — as opposed to the peaceful, prayer-heavy demonstrations that take place daily at the camp and construction site.
But a North Dakota Highway Patrol spokesman said that with hundreds of protesters still camping just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and occasionally marching up the road to the pipeline construction site, the checkpoint that's been in place since Aug. 17 is for their own safety to limit southbound traffic through the area.
Authorities and state officials also counter that while the majority of protesters are peaceful, there has been unlawful activity, with Gov. Jack Dalrymple and the Morton County Sheriff's Department both citing numerous criminal acts including trespassing on private property, blocking the highway, damaging construction equipment and threatening officers and contractors.
'Spinning a false narrative'
Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II said Friday that reports of criminal activity by protesters have been "extremely exaggerated," and he attributed the incidents that have occurred to pent-up frustration about 500 years of unjust treatment of Native Americans and sensitivity about the ancestral lands and water supply they fear a pipeline leak would spoil.
Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network who is helping lead the camp, said the camp is committed to nonviolence and he objects to the statements about criminal activity made by state officials.
"What we are seeing is the state and specifically the governor spinning a false narrative that only creates resentment and potential danger for all parties," Goldtooth said.
As an example of criminal activity, officials point to incidents of laser pointers used against aircraft that were observing the protest during early morning hours of Aug. 17 and Aug. 21. Goldtooth said he wasn't aware of any use of lasers, but questioned whether it could have been people using flashlights to see what was flying overhead the camp at night. Goldtooth said he observed aircraft flying over the camp at a low altitude with no lights on after midnight, which he equates to "mental warfare."
"It might not have been a laser, it might have just been curious people looking to see what that noise was," he said. "If you need to conduct surveillance or get an idea of numbers, you can come ask, you can come by the camp, or you can try to do something in the daylight. But not in the middle of the night."
Lt. Tom Iverson, a Highway Patrol spokesman, said the agency's plane has been surveilling the area "to kind of monitor if there's any people coming onto the roadway, if we need to send officers down if the roadway is blocked."
Roadblock staying put
As the Standing Rock tribal council did last week, the ACLU on Friday called on Dalrymple and Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier to remove the concrete barricade about six miles south of Mandan where authorities are allowing only local traffic and emergency responders to continue south on Highway 1806.
Iverson said the checkpoint is meant to ensure the safety of the protesters about 30 miles to the south.
"Although there may not be anybody on the roadway right now at this point, it's completely unpredictable," he said, adding, "By no means is this meant to limit anyone interested in protesting down there. You just have to go around and take a separate route to get there."
Jennifer Cook, policy director for the ACLU of North Dakota, said forcing protesters to drive an extra 15 miles to reach the camp violates their First Amendment rights. Cook noted the state has no similar roadblock south side of the protest area.
"Apparently they're not concerned about people going down the other way," she said.
Tribal officials and protesters say the roadblock hurts the economy by making it more difficult to reach the Prairie Knights Casino and Resort near Fort Yates, inconveniences those who travel to or from the reservation for work and cuts off access to popular recreational spots along the Missouri River, which they worry will boost resentment toward Native Americans.
Morton County spokeswoman Donnell Preskey said the roadblock will remain until Kirchmeier is assured there won't be people on the road or vehicles parked alongside it.
Activity subsides
Authorities are prepared if Dakota Access resumes construction and things escalate again, with a main goal of keeping protesters, workers and officers safe, Kirchmeier said earlier this week.
He said windows were broken out of one of the company's bulldozers at the pipeline site, fences were cut on private property and a gate was torn down during the first few days of the protest that began Aug. 10, but there hadn't been any reports of additional damage since the company stopped construction and law enforcement withdrew from the protest site last week.
A federal judge said Wednesday he would rule on or before Sept. 9 on Standing Rock's request for an emergency injunction to halt construction. Dakota Access spokespersons did not return messages seeking comment Friday, and Kirchmeier couldn't be reached for comment.
If Dakota Access decides to resume construction, opponents plan to use nonviolent direct action such as holding hands and forming a chain to block workers and delay construction, Goldtooth said. Organizers are emphasizing training in nonviolent direct action to keep the protest peaceful, he said.
Goldtooth, a member of the Lower Sioux Dakota Nation in Minnesota who has family members from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said arrests that result from civil disobedience shouldn't be considered violent or not peaceful.
The demonstration against Dakota Access has resulted in 29 arrests so far for disorderly conduct or trespassing. In its request for a temporary restraining order to keep protesters from interfering with construction or access to the site, Dakota Access said at least two protesters were armed with knives while others threw bottles and rocks at vehicles or made threats.
A hearing was scheduled Thursday to determine whether a preliminary injunction should be issued against the protesters, but Hovland delayed it until Sept. 8, extending the restraining order he had granted Aug. 16.
Permit under review
Protesters at the main campsite — estimates have fluctuated from 500 to 2,000 or more — don't have permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to occupy its land there, but they have applied for a permit that is now under review, corps spokeswoman Eileen Williamson said Friday.
While Dalrymple has called for federal officials to take some responsibility for the protest, Williamson reiterated that the corps has no law enforcement function.
"It's the activity that occurs while they're there that becomes a law enforcement interest," she said. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4102675-pipeline-protesters-reject-unlawful-label | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/56f8f64a2ecf804fa0c8936174132aeb7bc4ac352bfc8c2a2cee57db4cc4618e.json |
[
"Tammy Swift",
"Columnist",
"Forum News Service",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-28T16:51:26 | null | 2016-08-28T11:07:37 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Flifestyles%2Faccent%2F4103383-texting-changes-all-punctuation-rules-period.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Texting changes all punctuation rules. Period. | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | What with your schmancy punctuation and your insistence on writing out every word and your hoity-toity capitalizations. What with your maddening refusal to use exclamation points or unicorn emoticons or made-up words like, “GAAAHHH!!!”
Who do you think you are? You’re simply writing a text to a friend that you can’t make the movie because you have to work late. It’s not an invitation to the Windsors. You are not Oscar Wilde. Just break down and “lol” already.
And so it goes in the bizarro and counterintuitive world of textspeak. According to studies by linguists, the use of proper formal English in texts is now seen as downright show-offy, inappropriate and irritating.
Especially when it comes to the period. This almighty punctuation point used to be so important that English teachers spent years grilling us on its proper care and feeding.
In today’s textopia, however, periods are seen as unnecessary, insincere and even angry. (Unless, of course, you deliberately misuse it, as in: “Best. OITNB. Ever.”)
The period has been usurped by the ellipses, which is like the duct tape of the punctuation world in that it holds stuff together when you can’t find anything else.
But the real breakout star of today’s texticon is the exclamation point. Turn back to the 19th century, and the exclamation point was probably used only to announce bonnet sales at the mercantile or to inform a relative that a cow fell on Uncle Seth.
Today, exclamation points infuse every statement with the enthusiasm of a jazzercising Richard Simmons. It is used to convey excitement, anger, happiness, love, hatred, disappointment and everything in between. You are so right!!! I love you guys! I can’t believe he said that to me!!! It’s about time you got a raise! So thrilled about the new puppy/boyfriend/bunion surgery!!!
In fact, the exclamation mark has become so ubiquitous in texting that we suspect something is wrong when it isn’t used.
Case in point:
You: “I can’t believe I forgot our coffee date today!!! Sooo sorry! Things were so crazy at work!!! When can we reschedule?!!”
Friend: “No biggie. Some other time.”
You: “OMG, I can tell you’re mad!! I am SOOO sorry!!! How can I make this up to you?!!! Can I send you 25 puppy emoticons???!!!”
Textperts say that the period’s definitive, no-nonsense nature is what makes it so effectively dismissive and snarky. The period announces: “This is final, this is the end of the discussion,” linguistics professor Mark Liberman told The Conversation news site.
That’s all perfectly fine if you’re writing something more formal —such as an email to your child’s teacher or a follow-up thank-you after a job interview.
But the period can seem so formal and final in a casual texting conversation that it scares people.
Linguists attribute this to “situational code-switching,” in which we change how we talk depending on where we are, who we are talking to and what platform we are using. Textese is much more casual. It is closer to spoken communication than written communication, which is why we don’t send texts that read: “I found your obscure yet whimsical reference to Miley Cyrus to be quite jocular!!!” (See? Even multiple exclamation marks can’t save that one.)
I will try to remember this the next time I send a text. Sentence fragments like these. Smiley faces. Lots of exclamation marks. And farewell to sentences that end with a full stop.
Consider it a suitable mourning period. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/lifestyles/accent/4103383-texting-changes-all-punctuation-rules-period | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/952cb57afd64942c6a272f86d828ffe2e779bf5f52f39323ce97c167b5577e73.json |
[
"Nick Smith",
"Bismarck Tribune",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T22:51:28 | null | 2016-08-27T16:27:03 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4103143-nd-gubernatorial-candidates-building-political-foundations.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitdnM5RjlEeVVJSmM.jpg?itok=AnxCxV9j | en | null | N.D. gubernatorial candidates building on political foundati... | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Marty Riske, who owns the M.J. Capelli Family Hair Salons, is the Libertarian candidate for governor in North Dakota. Photo by Patrick Springer
BISMARCK—Some have likely seen them waving from parade floats, spoken to them at public events or gatherings or had a conversation at their doorsteps: Candidates have fanned out across the state to engage in summer retail politics.
Gubernatorial candidates and state party officials say the summer has been a good time to build a foundation as well as momentum. Soon the the post-Labor Day fall election blitz will begin.
"There's one last little pocket — one last weekend at the lake or get the kids ready for school," North Dakota Republican Party Chairman Kelly Armstrong said. "I like being us right now. Complacency is my biggest concern. I think we're in a pretty good spot."
New legislative and statewide candidates have run highly energetic campaigns, a good sign of the party's overall health and strong bench of candidates from which to draw, according to Armstrong.
"It's been abnormally quiet. But maybe that's some sort of strategy?" Armstrong said of the Democrats.
Republicans hold every elected statewide office in the state Capitol, two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers and two of three seats in the congressional delegation.
The most high-profile statewide race so far is the race for governor, which features Republican Doug Burgum, Democratic-NPL Rep. Marvin Nelson and Marty Riske for the Libertarian Party.
The Republicans have held the governor's office since 1992.
Burgum ran an expensive, high-profile and tough gubernatorial primary fight, emerging with an upset win over Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.
Since the dust settled, Burgum has spent the summer continuing to build his campaign while mending fences with state officials and party faithful during a campaign that included some negative campaigning at times.
"It's been exciting to see the positive reaction we've received from citizens across the state about our campaign's vision to diversify and transform North Dakota's economy," Burgum said. "From now until Nov. 8, we're going to continue the discussion with voters about balancing our budget, reinventing government and diversifying our economy."
Democratic-NPL Party Chairwoman Kylie Oversen says they've positioned themselves to accomplish a goal she's touted since stepping into the party's top role: focusing on gaining more legislative seats to rebuild the party and increase their bench.
"We've got a really strong slate of candidates that have been working hard for months," Oversen said.
Several candidates are in good shape particularly in the eastern part of the state, said Oversen, adding that their statewide candidates have been making a strong showing as well.
"I think what we've been hearing is that voters have gotten maybe tired of the status quo," Oversen said.
Nelson said getting more visibility on the race is always a challenge given the interest in the presidential campaign.
"It's hard ... with the national reality show on TV every night," Nelson said. "I'm sure I'm probably still not quite where I need to be in terms of visibility."
Plans for the home stretch of the campaign this fall are still being developed, according to Nelson, who said he's drawn a receptive audience to his campaign message about the Republican-dominated state government leaving some of the population behind. Nelson also said budget cuts to human services programs weren't the right decision and the state needs to be more responsive to the public and state workers.
Libertarian Party Chairman Tony Mangnall said the party's strength has reached an all-time high in the state this election cycle due to dissatisfaction with the status quo with the two major political parties.
"We've turned that corner. We're a real party," Mangnall said. "We've been able to use social media — the great equalizer. With as successful as this year's been, it's only looking up."
The party has also seen a jump in volunteers coming forward and getting involved, providing a larger base to draw from and build on after this cycle, Mangnall said.
Riske said he's participated in a few parades across the state this summer, a popular way to conduct on-the-ground politicking in the summer months. He's also been active on social media, debating issues with residents on Facebook.
"Overall, I'm really pleased with it," Riske said of the campaign.
The state budget is a major concern to voters, according to Riske, who said North Dakota hasn't yet fully felt the impacts of the sharp drop in oil production out west despite revenue declines stemming from low oil and agriculture prices.
"We're really in a midst of a perfect storm here, (and) I think we're in a good position," Riske said of his campaign and the Libertarian Party in general. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4103143-nd-gubernatorial-candidates-building-political-foundations | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/b19c6dde3800804108d08480c70cbd339da84fcd51fd8e29c92e7c7dbfa687c8.json |
[
"Forum News Service",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-26T22:50:00 | null | 2016-08-26T16:30:51 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4102606-man-declared-dead-after-being-found-unresponsive-grand-forks-hotel.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Man declared dead after being found unresponsive in Grand Forks hotel | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | GRAND FORKS -- A man has been pronounced dead by medical officials after being found unresponsive Friday morning at the Hilton Garden Inn on the University of North Dakota campus.
The 26-year-old had been staying at the hotel and was not affiliated with the university, according to a release from the UND Police Department.
The release stated that officers from the department responded to a call about the man at about 8:20 a.m. and attempted life-saving measures until the man was transported by medical personnel to Altru Hospital, where the man was later pronounced dead.
The man's identity was not included in the release. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4102606-man-declared-dead-after-being-found-unresponsive-grand-forks-hotel | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/b9d0e7ed1b0b3f3dbaa277e10b37f0d841ef3bec18d12f9dd45df162c366d56d.json |
[
"Dave Orrick",
"St. Paul Pioneer Press",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T04:52:05 | null | 2016-08-29T22:22:42 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2F4104387-ryder-cup-fans-meet-most-team-usa.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Ryder Cup fans, Meet (most of) Team USA | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | BLAINE, Minn.-- These eight guys will descend on Minnesota in a month, tear up the state's hardest golf course and bring back American pride and bragging rights for golf.
In theory, at least.
Eight of the 12 members for Ryder Cup Team USA became official Sunday, and on Monday Captain Davis Love III lauded each.
The eight automatically qualified based on their performance over the past two years. Love will select three additional team members — so-called captain's picks — Sept. 11 and the final player Sept. 25. So a number of high-profile players — Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk and Olympic bronze medalist Matt Kuchar — still could make the team.
The biennial USA-vs-Europe competition will be held Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska.
Unlike a typical golf event, the team competition features raucous crowds that push the boundaries of golf etiquette and players competing not for money, but national and continental pride under match-play formats that demand pressure golf from all quarters.
Europe has won the past three Ryder Cups, and eight of the last 10, leading to mounting pressure on Team USA to reclaim the cup that for most of its 89-year history was dominated by America.
Nine members of Team Europe have been named, with Captain Darren Clarke scheduled to announce his three captain's picks Tuesday morning.
Here are the eight Team USA members, in order of their qualifying points, with comments from Love:
- DUSTIN JOHNSON
2016 U.S. Open winner, 2 Ryder Cups
"One of our most talented players. He's a powerful, long hitter, obviously. ... He's willing to do anything we ask him to do. He fits in very, very well. He's easy to pair and he's just so calm under pressure. I remember when Corey (Pavin) was the captain over in (the 2010 Ryder Cup in) Wales and I was out with Dustin hitting some balls and his driver broke Thursday afternoon right before the Opening Ceremony. I would have panicked and Dustin is like, "I've got a great one back in the locker, let's go get it." ... He's a great steady influence on the team."
-JORDAN SPIETH
2015 Masters, U.S. Open winner, 1 Ryder Cup
"Team guy. He's all about his team. He's very organized. Got an incredible game plan. He sticks with his game plan. Something that we really talked about in this whole year-and-a-half process is we have to have a game plan and stick with it. Jordan is another guy that can be paired with anybody. Obviously, great putter under pressure."
-PHIL MICKELSON
5-time major winner, 10 Ryder Cups
"One of the biggest things that Phil brought up on this (USA Ryder Cup) committee is that we have to have some consistency and some continuity. Well, 11 teams in a row, Phil Mickelson is that for us. He's a veteran leader. He was unbelievable in (the USA-vs.-the world-minus-Europe 2015 Presidents Cup in) Korea. ... He was the star of the team both on and off the golf course. And I'll never forget Jack Nicklaus saying that when (Mickelson) played for Jack (in the 2007 Presidents Cup), Phil went 0-5 and Jack said he was the most valuable player on his team that year because Phil was a great team guy, great guy to have around the locker room and in the team room."
-PATRICK REED
Won The Barclays Sunday, 1 Ryder Cup
"Fiery competitor. ... He's a guy that's so competitive. He wants to be on this team. He wants to win. He's talked about it for two years. He's ready to go."
-JIMMY WALKER
2016 PGA Championship winner; 1 Ryder Cup
"Winning a major championship really got his game back going again. He's obviously one of the best players on (the PGA) Tour the last three or four years. A longer hitter than you think; he's got a lot of power, which will be great for Hazeltine.
But he had a taste of the Ryder Cup two years ago, and he really wants to be on the team. I think it was holding him back a little bit actually before the PGA. He was trying too hard to make points. But he's ready for more Ryder Cup and I'm excited to have him on the team."
-BROOKS KOEPKA
1 PGA Tour victory, no Ryder Cups
"Super strong player. He's great to pair with anybody because who wouldn't want to play with Brooks as far as he hits it? He's got a lot of power. He told me he's really motivated by watching Europe celebrate two years ago. He saw that. He wasn't on the team, but that really motivated him to make the team. He's going to add a lot of youthful enthusiasm and a lot of power to our team."
-BRANDT SNEDEKER
8 PGA Tour wins, 1 Ryder Cup
"He's only 35 years old, but he's been around a long time. One of my great friends, a guy we really relied on at (the 2012 Ryder Cup in) Medinah. He's a guy that wants to stand there on that last green and make the putt. He's an unbelievably great pressure putter. But he brings an air of confidence to the team room and just to the whole team. He just brightens up the room when he walks in. He's always positive and full of energy. Brandt's just a huge part of a lot of the teams, again, that I've been around the last ten years."
-ZACH JOHNSON
2007 Masters, 2015 Open Championship winner, 4 Ryder Cups
"Our No. 8 guy, who breathed a sigh of relief last night. Zach Johnson's been really working hard on his game the last few weeks. We had dinner last Sunday night after the Wyndham, and he was nervous about getting knocked out. I think here is another guy who has been trying really hard to make points, and I think it held him back a little bit. Now that I talked to him last night before dinner, I think Zach is going to free it up a little bit more the next couple weeks and go play. But he and (his wife) Kim are just great friends of (my wife) Robin and I. They are really stable in the team room. They are great leaders. I couldn't see going without Zach Johnson." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/4104387-ryder-cup-fans-meet-most-team-usa | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/47562acc222d74628e5123ce1769def2414344b64d68106426b9f06a34c51eae.json |
[
"Chris Olson",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T00:52:44 | null | 2016-08-29T19:47:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F4104212-fire-chief-train-dog-himself-search-and-rescue-tactics.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-uQejEvAT0lb3lXMk56TTgydmM_0.jpg?itok=aPUloBBB | en | null | Fire chief to train dog, himself in search and rescue tactics | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | JAMESTOWN, N.D.—When Jamestown Fire Chief Jim Reuther picked up Chloe, an 8-week-old female bloodhound, in Fargo, he wasn't thinking too much about the return trip to Jamestown.
"Try driving with a 20-pound dog on your lap," he said, chuckling at the thought.
Reuther went to Fargo Aug. 21 to meet with Erin and Ryan Solberg, owners of Cedar Ridge Hounds where they raise pure-bred bloodhounds in northern Minnesota. The couple decided to give Reuther the dog because of how he intends to use Chloe—as a search-and-rescue dog.
Reuther said he had talked with Erin Solberg off and on for about eight or nine months about bloodhounds, and he mentioned how he wanted to use Chloe.
"It's an amazing cause (training Chloe to become a search-and-rescue dog), and he (Reuther) seems so gung-ho," Erin Solberg said.
Solberg said a puppy like Chloe would normally cost around $500, and she would be more if she were to certify Chloe as a pure-bred bloodhound. She said two of the dogs from their farm had been sold to other people who have either trained the dogs in search and rescue or are in the process of doing so.
The idea
Reuther said he got the idea to train a bloodhound in search and rescue after seeing what a bloodhound that has received proper training can do at a search-and-rescue scene. In December 2011, he said he watched a bloodhound, which was owned and trained by Earle "Bud" Myers with the Valley Water Rescue Team, search along holes drilled in the ice to help locate the body of Darrin Ackerman, a 49-year-old Jamestown man who was last seen ice fishing on the reservoir. When the bloodhound named Barnaby indicated on the scent of Ackerman on one of the holes, the rescue team used a remote-operated vehicle with a camera attached and located Ackerman.
Reuther said he started exploring the idea of getting his own bloodhound and getting the dog and himself trained in search and rescue after that day. When he saw a similar experience with a different bloodhound earlier this year in the West Fargo, N.D., area and discussed the idea with Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger and Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser, he decided training a bloodhound for search and rescue was something he wanted to do.
Reuther also talked with his veterinarian, Dr. Dawn Entzminger, to make sure she was willing to provide around-the-clock medical attention to Chloe in case she is injured at a search-and-rescue scene.
Training
Reuther said he is doing the training with Chloe and himself with no cost to the city of Jamestown or the Jamestown Fire Department. He said he will pay for any training that he or Chloe takes.
Currently Reuther and Chloe are getting to know each other. He said he has started some basic training with Chloe—basically playing hide and seek.
"I'll have someone hold her, then I will walk away, then have her come to me," he said. "Once we have that down, I'll hide behind something and see if she can find me."
Myers, a retired state's attorney who worked in Grand Forks, Richland and Cass counties, said bloodhounds are trained to be scent-specific searchers.
"We train them so they are only searching for one person, so they can go into a crowd and eliminate everyone in that crowd except for the one scent for which they are looking," he said.
Reuther said Myers will be helping him train Chloe.
Both men said the biggest challenge in training a dog in search and rescue is building the relationship between the dog and the handler.
"They have to be able to read each other, to know what each little sign means, to know each other's mood," Myers said.
Reuther said he hopes to have he and Chloe ready for search-and-rescue work in about a year, maybe more, depending on how he and the dog learn the training. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/local/4104212-fire-chief-train-dog-himself-search-and-rescue-tactics | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/7ad93f6a9e2f863f84a8ac7834efa06f2f506e2a777d95f23beb93140fa6e42e.json |
[
"Jeff Kolpack",
"Jeff Kolpack Covers North Dakota State Athletics",
"The Fargo Marathon",
"Golf For The Forum. His Blog Can Be Accessed At Www.Bisonmedia.Areavoices.Com. On The Radio",
"Kolpack",
"Izzo Sports Talk Show Runs A.M. Every Saturday Morning. April Through August",
"The Wday Golf Show With Jef... | 2016-08-31T00:52:41 | null | 2016-08-30T19:04:31 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2F4105036-ndsu-junior-plank-made-most-his-opportunity-middle-linebacker.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B2r172P3qo9rQkxZTGlxWVBfbm8.jpg?itok=FCQRzYCX | en | null | NDSU junior Plank made the most of his opportunity at middle linebacker | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | NDSU junior linebacker Matt Plank (44) assists teammates Jarrod Tuszka (93) and Pierre Gee-Tucker (47) in stopping Charleston Southern's Saire Davis during the season opener last Saturday at the Fargodome.David Samson / The Forum
NDSU junior linebacker Matt Plank sets his sights on Charleston Southern quarterback Kyle Copeland during the season opener last Saturday at the Fargodome. David Samson / Forum News Service
FARGO—It was one of his first days on campus when Matt Plank saw the North Dakota State defensive playbook. He likened it to the thickness of a college textbook.
To a true freshman, it probably looked more like "War and Peace."
"Coach (Steve) Stanard, who was the original linebackers coach, slapped down a 200-page playbook and I'm like, 'Is this history class?'" Plank said. "What's going on? But it's gotten easier over the years."
The playbook was easy enough for the junior middle linebacker to make a difference in Saturday's 24-17 overtime win over Charleston Southern (S.C.) at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. Plank was pressed into action for the first time in his career when starter Nick DeLuca went out with a shoulder injury on the first play of the second half.
The Bison have not been real generous with backup minutes over the last few years at linebacker, but there was no going back with Plank. He delivered with six tackles, including a critical stop in overtime, combining with linebacker Pierre Gee-Tucker to stop running back Mike Holloway for a 1-yard gain.
"Everybody wants their shot to let everybody know that I may be the second-string guy, but there's not going to be a talent drop-off," Plank said. "I can make the play."
It forced a third-and-9 and two incompletions later, the Bison were celebrating a season opening win on national TV.
It was a reward of sorts for a guy like Plank, now in his fourth year in the program from Gardner, Kan.
"Everybody comes in as a freshman and thinks they're going to start," he said "Who's Grant Olson? That's my spot, I'm taking that spot. It's a reality check when you get here because there are a lot of great players and a lot of great people ahead of you."
Olson was the senior captain when Plank redshirted. Carlton Littlejohn moved to the middle for his senior year in 2014 and DeLuca assumed control last season. DeLuca is questionable for the Eastern Washington game on Sept. 10 and the fact a 6-foot-3, 245-pound linebacker got the shorter end of the stick with contact with a smaller back like Holloway was somewhat surprising.
"It's football. Even the biggest, the strongest, the baddest dudes get hurt," Plank said. "And that's no knock on Nick. We hope he recovers quickly and we know that he's a tough guy."
Plank played in 15 games last season and finished with 21 tackles and one forced fumble, mostly in a mop-up role. His night as a starter against CSU didn't exactly start off with a bang. He and Gee-Tucker did stop Holloway for a 1-yard loss early in the third quarter, but Holloway broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run on the next play.
"The pursuit angles are what cost us that touchdown," Plank said. "But we came to the sideline and everybody was pretty calm. They were all like, 'We believe in you.' The coaches said they believed in me."
DeLuca is being held out of practice this week and his status for next week will be determined at a later date. Meanwhile, that huge-looking playbook as a freshman has shrunk substantially for Plank.
"Sticking it out through that fall camp, I knew this is the place where I wanted to be," he said. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/college/4105036-ndsu-junior-plank-made-most-his-opportunity-middle-linebacker | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/342a98941b98fb51f6328b6158c64e7875e6930f6d16b5cf03af4a2cad90665e.json |
[
"Reuters Media",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-26T18:51:03 | null | 2016-08-26T11:59:03 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-and-world%2F4102368-us-mulls-rule-require-speed-limiting-devices-trucks-buses.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-uQejEvAT0lZE5WSTNGSVFvcm8.jpg?itok=ap3E9xEl | en | null | U.S. mulls rule to require speed-limiting devices for trucks, buses | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Traffic flows from southbound Interstate 29 to eastbound Interstate 94 in Fargo, N.D. in this file photo.
• WASHINGTON—The U.S. Transportation Department on Friday, Aug. 26, issued a proposed rule that would require trucks and buses to be equipped with devices that would limit their speed, a move it said could save both lives and fuel.
• "There are significant safety benefits to this proposed rulemaking," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "In addition to saving lives, the projected fuel and emissions savings make this proposal a win for safety, energy conservation, and our environment."
• Under the long-delayed proposal, all new U.S. trucks and buses weighing more than 26,000 pounds would need to be equipped with a speed-limiting device.
• The department said the maximum allowable speed would be decided after the agency receives public input. Publication of the proposal kicks off a 60-day comment period.
• It said both vehicle manufacturers and the companies that purchase and operate the vehicles would be subject to the rule. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/nation-and-world/4102368-us-mulls-rule-require-speed-limiting-devices-trucks-buses | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/7dda67e0e38ea349dbd847afd454b5284445c108243f4d2fc147f0d2da1bfb40.json |
[
"Forum News Service",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:18 | null | 2016-08-30T13:13:22 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4104720-amnesty-international-calls-protest-roadblock-be-removed.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/field/image/Copy%20of%20082616.N.AD_.DAKOTAACCESS.site_.JPG?itok=O-NhVjir | en | null | Amnesty International calls for protest roadblock to be remo... | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | BISMARCK - Amnesty International USA is calling on North Dakota officials to remove a roadblock to the Dakota Access Pipeline protest site and meet regularly with protesters and community leaders.
In a letter to Gov. Jack Dalrymple, the Morton County Sheriff's Office and the North Dakota Highway Patrol, Amnesty International said no parking signs on Highway 1806 and reduced speed limit warnings would ensure safety at the protest site without a roadblock.
The organization also urged state officials to regularly meet with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council and other groups gathered at the protest site. Human rights observers from Amnesty International visited the protest site last week and the group plans to continue monitoring the situation.
"The U.S. government is obligated under international law to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights of Indigenous people, including the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. It is the legitimate right of people to peacefully express their opinion," the letter reads. "Public assemblies should not be considered as the 'enemy.'"
The call from Amnesty International follow similar requests from the American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota last week.
Law enforcement has said the roadblock restricting southbound traffic on Highway 1806 is necessary for safety due to protesters who have blocked the roadway or vehicles stopping to take pictures. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4104720-amnesty-international-calls-protest-roadblock-be-removed | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/5a94421b5e9c736cdd5c3b0aac7b3a208e335639731fe9b33a4289091d022610.json |
[
"Samuel Evers",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T20:51:06 | null | 2016-08-27T15:32:25 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fblue-hawks%2F4103132-former-coachs-work-still-blueprint-blue-hawks-defense.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B2r172P3qo9relZuWXl0aEgzSFE.jpg?itok=yutmgZQO | en | null | Former coach's work still the blueprint for Blue Hawks' defe... | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | That fall, Stanton was putting together an all-American season as a safety in his last season playing with the Blue Hawks. Hofland was the team's new defensive coordinator.
DSU boasted the best scoring defense (6.8 points per game) and overall defense (217.8 yards per game) in NAIA Division II that season. The Blue Hawks were undefeated in the regular season, and after losing the first game of the playoffs that year in overtime to Carroll College, Stanton stuck around one more year after graduation to serve as an assistant coach. He then spent time coaching high school football in Montana for 11 seasons before finding himself back at DSU in 2000.
Hofland, of course, was still there, coaching in the same position. And so they coexisted for the next 16 years — with Stanton becoming the head coach prior to the 2014 season. But after last year, Hofland finally decided to call it quits.
So when DSU and Montana Western kickoff their seasons today in Miles City, it will be the first time in 29 years, or roughly 300 games, the Blue Hawks will take a field without the backing of Hofland.
But long before this season's official start, when players and coaches conjugated earlier this month for the start of training camp, Stanton was already beginning to feel the absence.
"It's definitely been a big difference without him here. Obviously he is going to be missed by the coaching staff and the players," said Stanton, who expects his old friend to attend a few home games this season. "I found myself the first couple days looking around for coach. It's just out of habit of being around him the last 16 years and playing for him way back for a year.
"From a football sense and a personal sense, he'll be missed."
Hofland's football mind and stern professionalism yielded some great defenses for the Blue Hawks over the years. Last season, for example, he commanded the fifth-best passing defense in the NAIA. In his first summer since 1987 without schemes and playcalls in mind, he spent time traveling with his wife and being around his family.
Conversely, in their first summer since 1987 without their defensive coordinator, the Blue Hawks' defensive coaching staff spent their time trying to fill the void he left behind.
But because of the strong foundation Hofland left with DSU, the learning curve has been manageable.
There will be no major overhaul of the defense, said defensive line coach Jeff Miller. There was no need.
When the defense trots on to the field today, it'll be in the same 3-4 formation and cover 4 scheme the Blue Hawks displayed last year.
According to Miller, the changes implemented this summer were minor. A different blitz package here, a name change there.
"He was very good at his job and he did it for a long time, and he was very successful at it. It's one of those deals where you aren't trying to reinvent the wheel if you don't have to," said Miller, who switched from the offensive line to the defensive line this season.
Miller said he and linebackers coach Dalmin Gibson sat down throughout the summer to work through details.
"We've made a few tweaks, nothing major. Not an overhaul," Miller said. "The main thing is the words that are used to describe each package."
In Hofland's absence, the defense will run by committee. There has been no official hire to replace him. It will instead be a collaboration between Miller (the defensive line), Gibson (the linebackers) and Stanton (the defensive backs).
And instead of Hofland's command, Miller and Stanton will split the in-game play calling duties.
"Once we get into the season, it'll be a collab between me calling the front, Stanton calling the back, as well as Gibson having an input. If he wants to put his say into it, he can. That's how we're going to try and run it," Miller said. "But when it comes down to first and 10, I'll call down the front for my guys."
It has been a different training camp for the players receiving those calls as well — new vocabulary, new packages and a new voice in their heads while they're on the field.
Certain seniors, like defensive captain Drew Johnson, have played their entire college career up to this point under Hofland.
"Coach Hofland means the world to me and a bunch of other guys," he said. "I'd do anything for the guy just like he'd do anything for us. We loved playing for him. It's been a new thing, not having him around. But I think we've adapted pretty well. We knew he wasn't going to be around this fall, and we just had go into the season knowing that. But Coach Miller made the switch to defense; he's done a good job getting us ready, getting us up to date with any changes."
For the Blue Hawks, the transition will become smoother with time. But all said, the wit and character of Hofland will be missed.
"If coach Hofland said something, you listened. He was funny and intense. Very intense," Johnson said. "But he was a great coach." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/blue-hawks/4103132-former-coachs-work-still-blueprint-blue-hawks-defense | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/94ab2ad3768ec4bac3c783364597ba8e1c07db08be7795723d85360c409e60eb.json |
[
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-28T06:51:11 | null | 2016-08-28T01:01:15 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2F4103360-scoreboard-august-28-2016.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Scoreboard of August 28, 2016 | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | null | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/4103360-scoreboard-august-28-2016 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/4261d69e9d189cd44f137e5ee7634ef44607b5bbd170a47e17bd74395677c9b0.json |
[
"Renée Jean",
"Williston Herald",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T00:53:34 | null | 2016-08-29T19:35:22 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4104201-williston-crew-camp-court-fight-continue.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Williston crew camp court fight to continue | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | WILLISTON, N.D.—Target Logistics says it is not just going to walk away from the crew camp issue in Williston, and will continue its fight in the court system.
"The city's action represents economic protectionism at its worst, and Target Logistics believes that its only recourse given the City Commissioner's decision is to pursue a fair outcome in the
courts," Travis A. Lawson, a public relations specialist for Target Logistics, said.
Target is one of three companies involved in a lawsuit questioning the legality of the city's first
sunset, which set a July 1 closing date. The suit contended the ordinance was not legitimate
since it was contested and did not pass with a supermajority. A federal judge had issued a
temporary injunction barring enforcement of the first sunset, and set a scheduling conference for
Sept. 19.
The other two parties to the suit are Halliburton and Lodging Solutions Williston LLC.
Halliburton spokeswoman Emily Mir said the company is evaluating its next steps. She said the
company is not buying apartments in the area, and that a recent sale of undeveloped properties
has been concluded, with all units sold.
Lodging Solutions, meanwhile, did not immediately return a phone call requesting comment.
The city's second crew camp sunset, which passed Aug. 23, set a closing date of Sept. 1. It was
unanimous and so did get a supermajority, owing to revisions such as allowing crew camp
operators to request the city reconsider the decision if future housing situations warrant.
However, that supermajority did not deter Target from saying it would seek a legal remedy.
The company has offered compromise solutions, Lawson pointed out. That includes a proposed
ordinance for commissioners to review that would have raised the bar on certain standards for
crew camps to allow them to continue operating. Details of the ordinance itself, however, were
never made available to the public.
"Workforce housing providers offered a number of compromise solutions that would have
satisfied the city's stated desire to protect the economic interests of the local housing providers
while still affording workforce housing providers the opportunity to remain in business and
continue to compete in the market for housing rotational workers, especially in the likely event
that the energy business in Williston rebounds," Lawson said.
Those efforts make the hardline approach Williston all the more disappointing, especially given
the not inconsiderable investments crew camp operators have made.
Target Logistics, for example, built its own wastewater treatment system in Tioga, and hauls all
of its wastes there, a $3 million investment. Its Bear Paw facility, meanwhile, is a $20 million
investment, and is just one the three facilities it has in the area.
Many of the permanent structures could take advantage of programs that would allow
infrastructure to be paid off over time with tax dollars, but Target didn't ask for nor receive any
such help.
"Target Logistics is disappointed that the city commissioners of Williston took a hardline
approach and determined that an outright ban of all workforce housing in Williston and
Williston's extraterritorial jurisdiction is the only outcome they would accept," Lawson said.
Travis Kelley, Target Logistic's regional vice president in Williston, was not available for direct
comment, but has pointed out in previous interviews that outright bans tend to have unintended
consequences.
A moratorium in 2011-2012 prompted several RV park applications, he recalled, which were
permitted through the state in allowable zones, rather than through temporary conditional use
permits, as people still needed affordable housing options.
"Now you have an RV park that's a permanent fixture in the community," he said then. "I know
none of them thought that was coming at the time."
Following that moratorium, there were discussions questioning the wisdom of the moratoriums
and asking if it was the right approach.
"If it didn't work well in the past, then maybe a different approach would be warranted here as
well," he said. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4104201-williston-crew-camp-court-fight-continue | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/9398039e912b2108263af41eccf21dafad8b9860d9d97c421ed91c1b8b525741.json |
[
"Wendy Reuer",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T02:51:35 | null | 2016-08-29T21:42:19 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fpreps%2F4104359-national-group-slaps-fargo-youth-soccer-coach-very-rare-suspension.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B2r172P3qo9rZXhkSWtGNHZ6Qzg.jpg?itok=Y--uyB95 | en | null | National group slaps Fargo youth soccer coach with 'very rare' suspension | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | FARGO—In a "very rare" move, national officials have suspended for four months a Fargo coach who has a long history of causing controversy in the world of area youth soccer.
US Club Soccer, a national youth soccer governing body, decided last week to suspend Matt Noah, president of the Fargo Soccer Club and a North Dakota State University scientist, from all coaching until Jan. 1, 2017.
"In the end, Mr. Noah overreacts to any perceived wrongdoing and then cannot let anything go. This ongoing pattern of conduct is detrimental to the game and our organization," according to a US Club Soccer memo about the suspension, dated Wednesday, Aug. 24.
The suspension came after an unspecified complaint launched a disciplinary investigation in June.
In explaining their reasoning, officials with the national organization cited a long list of Noah clashes, several of which have previously been reported in The Forum.
"Mr. Noah has had disputes with referees, referee administrators, club officials, tournament directors, facility managers, local park district officials and even his own employer. Whether he is right or wrong in his perceived grievances is irrelevant; it is the way he conducts himself in each of these interactions that is the problem. Every interaction seems to end up with a threat of filing a complaint and/or grievance (or litigation)," US Club Soccer said in the memo.
When reached by phone on Monday, Aug. 29, Noah said he had no comment.
The memo from US Club Soccer outlines the terms of Noah's suspension, which does not allow Noah to be present at or in any way coach or supervise games, scrimmages or training sessions.
Noah is also prohibited from making "public pronouncements via speech, correspondence, or social media that are deemed to be in violation of the US Club Soccer Policies," the memo said.
However, Noah will be allowed to continue as administrator of Fargo Soccer Club, which he formed after a fallout with an existing youth soccer club about a decade ago. He's also allowed to attend games as a parent if his children are playing. However, he must remain on the parents' side and may not contact any coach, referee or game or tournament official at any such game.
According to the memo, after receiving complaints of Noah's conduct, a three-person hearing board was formed in June. Noah was informed of the complaints and that a hearing would be held on the matter on Aug. 2. On July 27, more information was sent to Noah about an unspecified incident at the US Club Soccer National Cup Finals in Colorado.
A telephone hearing was held Aug. 2, and Noah was given more time to submit his own information to the board by Aug. 12, which included emails and video clips.
Before making its decision, the hearing board examined 114 pages of materials from the
US Club Soccer staff and 188 pages of materials from Noah.
In the end, the board decided that Noah had not taken responsibility for his own conduct.
"Mr. Noah places great emphasis on the actions of everyone else as a rationale for his actions," the memo said. "However, he completely fails to understand that it is his individual behavior and not the actions of others that is the issue."
Tyler Heffernan, a spokesman for US Club Soccer, said while data is not available on suspensions, it is "very rare" for the program's disciplinary committee to suspend a coach.
It is unclear what impact Noah's suspension will have on Fargo Soccer Club teams. The Fargo Soccer Club's current season has games that run through mid-October. It would likely start its next outdoor season in mid-March although the club usually offers indoor clinics and traveling competitions.
Noah became president and coach of Fargo Soccer Club in 2007, when he founded the club after a messy break-up with Red River Soccer Club. He had returned to Fargo in 2006 and started working at NDSU after earning a master's degree living in New Jersey, Chicago, California and Boulder, Colo., working for technological companies like Dell, AT&T and startups.
The father of seven children wanted to form a competitive team for children under 9 years old. He told The Forum the club initially OK'd the idea but changed its mind and said he couldn't coach. Club officials eventually banned Noah, though his children were still allowed to play.
The dispute even involved the police at one point. When Noah showed up to watch his son play in a Red River Soccer Club game, officers were called. After police talked to him, Noah left.
While Noah has had a contentious relationship with many in the soccer world, he also has strong supporters who say they appreciate the attention he pays to his players' development. In a profile of Noah published in The Forum in June, one of his players credited the coach with helping New Americans on his team transition to life in the U.S.
His youth soccer teams have also been relatively successful. As of July, the Fargo Soccer Club U-15 team, nicknamed the Warriors, won four tournaments, including the US Club Soccer Midwest Regional In Waukegan, Ill. Heading into the tournament, the team was ranked No. 1,762 in the nation for U-15, according to gotsoccer.com, and it left there with five wins in five games, making the team the first North Dakota club to win a US Club Soccer Regional and to qualify for a National Cup.
The disputes cited by US Club Soccer in its suspension of Noah includes when he publicly accused the Fargo Park District earlier this year of having racist policies for refusing to line soccer fields at Brunsdale Park where many of his minority players practice and play. The district denies that it treats those facilities differently than others.
The park system banned Noah from meeting with Park District employees or elected officials after that incident.
The national officials also cited an incident in late 2015 when Noah claimed NDSU was unfairly excluding Fargo Soccer Club from competing in a youth indoor soccer tournament it had organized. The reason, according to NDSU, was that other youth clubs did not want to participate if Noah's club was involved. They let his club enter, but the other clubs dropped out.
"The result was no tournament. Mr. Noah won and the kids lost but he completely fails to understand," says the suspension memo from the national office.
Other complaints against Noah described by US Club Soccer in the memo include allegations that he:
• Accused a referee crew of making bad calls in a U-11 game, then posted disparaging comments on his club website about a 13-year-old referee who refereed the U-11 game.
• Argued that a referee mentor at a game who stepped in to act as a "fourth official" violated the tournament rule calling for a three-referee system.
• Threatened to sue if a game was not rescheduled so he could go to church.
• On two separate occasions was ejected from a match and then refused to leave the field in a timely manner.
• Claimed other clubs violated guest player rules but took advantage of the rules for his teams. He compared using guest players in a U-13 girls game to players from another country showing up for a World Cup game. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/preps/4104359-national-group-slaps-fargo-youth-soccer-coach-very-rare-suspension | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/60660f4255e1093578dc522fd29a32e940484b3dabcb4771f99af098faa2b587.json |
[
"Kevin Holten",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-31T04:54:04 | null | 2016-08-30T23:32:10 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fopinion%2Fcolumns%2F4105269-holten-behind-scenes-pickup-man.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-uQejEvAT0lamxITzZ3NkkyYXM.jpg?itok=66o7Mxvu | en | null | Holten: Behind the scenes with a pickup man | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Do you know what a pickup man is? In rodeo, he is essentially a lifesaver.
Now you wouldn't necessarily notice that during the average bronc ride, but he is. And here's why. He prevents bad things from happening.
Joe Blankenship, who grew up near Glendive, Mont., and then attended Dickinson State University, where he rode bulls for the DSU rodeo team, now lives near Gladstone and is one of the preeminent pickup men in the region.
In many ways, he is simply continuing a family tradition, because his father, Bill Blankenship, was also one of the preeminent pickup men in the region, and Bill set the bar really high.
Officially, a pickup man's job in rodeo is to ride up next to the rider, who is still seated on the bucking horse, and assist him in getting off, once the eight second ride is over.
In other words, it's a lot like riding into a tornado. And who in his right mind would do that? For sure, it takes a special breed and a skilled horseman.
A pickup man's job is also to get the bucking horse out of the arena quickly and safely, after the ride, clearing the way for the next ride. It may sound simple, but having ridden in rodeo, I can assure you it's not. It is fraught with potential complications and that's why, if you're a rodeo cowboy, you like your pickup men to have loads of experience, and Joe Blankenship has that.
For Blankenship, a rodeo starts long before long before the rodeo itself, and in some cases days before.
"I like to have everything set up well in advance," Blankenship said, referring to a checklist that is quite long and includes everything from cleaning and organizing the tack and trailer, polishing bits, examining the health of his seven horses, purchasing leg-wraps, fueling up his truck, mapping out a route to the rodeo, and even picking up sponsor-labelled shirts from the cleaners.
I rode along with Joe and his wife and assistant, Robin, to two rodeos, including a bucking horse futurity in Grassy Butte on Saturday and a rodeo in Amidon on Sunday, in order to get a behind-the-scenes look at the life of a rodeo pickup man. And I can assure you, it is a much more analytical than you might surmise.
On the way, I asked Blankenship what steps one needed to follow after a bareback bronc ride is successfully completed.
He said the first step, before the ride, is to properly position yourself and your horse in the arena, based upon a history of how a particular bucking horse typically performs.
Thus, before a ride takes place, there is research to do—including knowing how many riders there are so that you know how many horses you need to bring in order to keep them fresh. And who the riders are, what their experience level is and which hand they ride with.
After that, you need to determine the safest direction to take the bucking horse, one that keeps everyone off the fence. Then, ride up and position yourself with your leg ahead of the rider's leg, at the horse's shoulder and, if necessary, hold onto the bucking horse's mane to help hold it in place. After that, get the rider off safely, onto the ground and then and only then, undo the flank strap.
Bucking horses have a flank strap wrapped around them that encourages them to buck. It is basically a belt tied tight around their waste, and nothing more.
One time, Blankenship said, the extra slack from a flank strap worked its way around the rider's leg before he got off from his bucking horse onto Joe's horse, and when he grabbed Joe, it yanked them both to the ground. That is just one of many things that can potentially go wrong.
But it's something Blankenship's grandfather told him that stuck with me more than anything.
His grandfather said, "The fastest way to work cattle is slow."
That's very true, and it's something we might be able to apply to most everything. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/opinion/columns/4105269-holten-behind-scenes-pickup-man | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/a21d1b4c3816a2a8d2f68188249763ed80e3e17592ba7ba847c22ce75ab9fa3c.json |
[
"Sydney Mook",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T22:53:41 | null | 2016-08-30T16:15:25 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-and-world%2F4104889-official-us-targeted-islamic-state-official-syria-strike.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Official: U.S. targeted Islamic State official in Syria strike | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | WASHINGTON -- The United States carried out an air strike in Syria's town of al-Bab targeting a senior Islamic State official, a U.S. defense official told Reuters on Tuesday, declining to disclose the target and saying the operation was still being reviewed.
Islamic State said its spokesman and head of external operations Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, one of the group's longest-serving and most prominent leaders, had been killed in Aleppo province.
A senior Syrian rebel official had said earlier that Adnani was most probably killed in al-Bab
As Islamic State's spokesman, he was its most visible member. As head of external operations, he was in charge of attacks overseas, including Europe, that have become an increasingly important tactic for the group as its core Iraqi and Syrian territory has been eroded by military losses. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/nation-and-world/4104889-official-us-targeted-islamic-state-official-syria-strike | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/f37623c9aa1bed51b1736fa7f4836f288ddbfa1969aa7491d05acf9cf9c82bba.json |
[
"Parker Cotton",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-31T00:53:02 | null | 2016-08-30T18:16:12 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fpreps%2F4104998-dickinson-trinity-football-ranked-no-4-class-2a-poll.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Dickinson Trinity football ranked No. 4 in Class 2A poll | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | The Dickinson Trinity football team was voted into a tie for No. 4 in the season’s first Class 2A football poll on Monday, as voted on by members of the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
The Titans, after their 32-8 victory over Class 1A Killdeer on Thursday, received 17 points in the poll and one first-place vote. Trinity was tied in the poll with Fargo Shanley, which lost its season-opener to Bismarck St. Mary’s 18-7.
St. Mary’s, with nine first-place votes, earned the top spot in the poll with 49 points. Valley City was next with 41 points, two points ahead of No. 3 Beulah, which garnered two-first place votes.
Central Cass and Kindred also received votes in the poll but remained outside the top five.
In the Class 3A poll, Dickinson High received votes but was also left outside the top five after its 28-9 win over Fargo North on Friday.
West Fargo, with seven votes for the top spot, earned 62 points to lead the poll. The Packers were followed in order by Bismarck Century (52), Bismarck High (34), Fargo South (30) and Minot (10). Williston and Bismarck Legacy, after a 19-7 victory over West Fargo Sheyenne on Friday for the Sabers first ever win as a varsity program, also received votes in the poll. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/preps/4104998-dickinson-trinity-football-ranked-no-4-class-2a-poll | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/ff599c78efcbf642d581fff42a9108b7159885e8915c11e45e2cf9354957ac02.json |
[
"Amy Dalrymple",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T22:51:48 | null | 2016-08-27T16:52:15 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4103155-new-court-battle-brewing-different-pipeline.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitMHE1bWcyRnE5ZzA.jpg?itok=GifbmzxC | en | null | New court battle brewing on different pipeline | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Construction on the Sacagawea Pipeline is pictured in July 2016 in Mountrail County, N.D. The Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota submitted this photo to state regulators with concerns about construction practices. Submited photo
NEW TOWN, N.D. — Construction has resumed on a pipeline that will cross a water body over the objections of a North Dakota Native American tribe.
No, it's not the Dakota Access Pipeline. This project involves Paradigm Energy Partners, a company that is installing two pipelines under Lake Sakakawea that will be owned by Sacagawea Pipeline Co.
The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation asserts that Paradigm was required but failed to get the tribe's permission to begin pipeline construction under the lake. The Tribal Business Council voted Aug. 3 to issue a cease and desist order to halt all construction under Lake Sakakawea.
"Paradigm was informed on several different occasions that the consent of the MHA Nation would not be granted unless there were adequate assurances that an oil pipeline under the lake posed no threat to the MHA Nation's water resources," Tribal Chairman Mark Fox wrote in an Aug. 8 letter. "To date, that assurance has not been provided to the MHA Nation's satisfaction."
Paradigm filed a federal lawsuit on Aug. 19 against Fox and Tribal Police Chief Nelson Hart arguing they have no authority to halt construction. The company is constructing two 70-mile companion oil and natural gas pipelines that will travel from McKenzie to Mountrail counties.
The oil pipeline, which was the first to be constructed and is nearly complete, is under investigation by federal pipeline regulators after former contractors said the pipeline was installed under the lake without being properly inspected. The current contractor maintains the pipeline was inspected and the allegations are false claims being made by workers who were fired.
While those concerns remain unresolved, the company began installing a natural gas pipeline under Lake Sakakawea. Because the 16-inch diameter pipeline will transport raw gas, it is considered a gathering pipeline and is not subject to the same regulatory scrutiny or public meeting requirement as the oil pipeline.
Paradigm sought a temporary restraining order to prevent the tribe from halting construction, arguing it has the regulatory approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland granted the temporary restraining order, authorizing construction to resume. However, the parties will be back in court in Bismarck on Thursday as Paradigm argues for an injunction against the tribe and to continue the restraining order.
All of this has played out quietly while a protest of the 1,172-mile Dakota Access Pipeline has attracted thousands north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The tribe is suing the Corps of Engineers over its approval of the $3.78 billion pipeline's Missouri River crossing.
The MHA Nation's situation is further complicated by the fact that the tribe has a stake in Sacagawea Pipeline Co. The company is a joint venture involving Paradigm Energy Partners, Phillips 66 and Greywolf Midstream, an entity owned by the tribe that's an investor in the project. The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation produces about one-sixth of North Dakota's total oil production.
Reducing trucks, flaring
Paradigm says the Sacagawea Pipeline system will reduce truck traffic and reduce natural gas flaring in areas where pipeline capacity is limited. The pipelines will cross privately owned lands, state trust lands, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation lands and land regulated by the Corps of Engineers.
About 8,980 feet of the pipeline system will pass under Lake Sakakawea via the installation of about 10,980 feet of welded steel pipeline, the Corps of Engineers said in its environmental assessment. The pipeline will be installed at least 100 feet below the lakebed through horizontal directional drilling with emergency shut-off valves on either side of the lake and around-the-clock pipeline monitoring to detect leaks.
The Tribal Business Council supported the Sacagawea Pipeline system in an April 2015 resolution, finding it in the best interest of the tribe to grant a right-of-way for the project. The North Dakota Public Service Commission has jurisdiction over the oil pipeline but not the natural gas gathering pipeline.
In late July, shortly before the tribe issued its cease and desist order, federal pipeline regulators received a complaint about potential problems with the oil pipeline under Lake Sakakawea. On Aug. 3, the Laborers District of Minnesota and North Dakota notified the PSC about potential violations on the oil pipeline.
A former laborer on the pipeline alleges that the contractor, Boyd & Co., failed to properly inspect the pipeline before it was installed under the lake, putting the lake at risk of a spill. Two other former workers have reported similar concerns to federal and state regulators.
The owner of Boyd & Co. told Forum News Service the pipeline was properly inspected and he says the claims are false accusations made by workers who were fired.
Public Service Commission Chairwoman Julie Fedorchak said the state agency has forwarded those reports to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which has jurisdiction in that area.
"We're certainly going to look at what PHMSA says, but they're the authority on those regulations and determining if there's a violation of them," Fedorchak said.
PHMSA has confirmed it's investigating the claims, but the status of the investigation is unclear.
Meanwhile, Phillips 66 has told investors the Sacagawea Pipeline is expected to be operational by Sept. 30.
The PSC is investigating concerns from the Laborers Union about construction practices on the oil pipeline the union says did not properly protect wetlands, prevent erosion or protect the pipeline coating from becoming damaged.
In addition, PSC inspectors who have visited the oil pipeline construction have raised concerns about poor topsoil separation on the project, a step that is important to successfully restoring the land.
A Paradigm spokesperson said the company took immediate action after learning of the concerns on topsoil management. In addition, the company said PHMSA has been involved during construction and has reviewed documentation from third-party inspections.
"Sacagawea Pipeline Company stands behind our contractors and third-party inspectors and remains fully committed to preserving the environment and ecological safety of Lake Sakakawea and all areas where we operate," the company said in a statement.
-- Optional trim --
Limited oversight
The natural gas pipeline construction has proceeded with less regulatory oversight than the oil pipeline.
The North Dakota Industrial Commission has limited regulation over gathering lines and has six pipeline inspectors who can inspect projects. But under current rules, the company is not required to notify regulators about a gathering pipeline until after it is constructed and placed into service.
"We were not aware of the construction of this pipeline, but under our current regulations we wouldn't have to be notified of that construction," said Department of Mineral Resources spokeswoman Alison Ritter said.
New proposed rules on gathering pipelines are expected to take effect on Oct. 1 that would include notifying the agency seven days prior to construction.
Kevin Connors, pipeline program supervisor for the Department of Mineral Resources, said Friday the concerns raised about the oil pipeline have gotten the agency's attention. The natural gas pipeline is being constructed in the same right-of-way as the oil pipeline.
"We'll certainly approach this situation with a closer look," Connors said, adding he planned to ask an inspector to look into the project this week.
The Corps of Engineers also has oversight of the construction of both pipelines as it relates to Corps-managed land, said spokeswoman Eileen Williamson. The Corps permit has several requirements to protect the lake, including spill response planning.
Lake Sakakawea is the drinking water source for several western North Dakota cities, including communities on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
Paradigm attorneys wrote in court records that if the natural gas pipeline is not complete by Nov. 1, the company will lose its anchor customer and the project will fail.
The Laborers Union, which supports the Dakota Access Pipeline being constructed by union contractors, questioned last week why pipeline opponents are so vocal about that project but not speaking out about the Sacagawea Pipeline.
"Our members find it hard to understand why protesters have targeted a pipeline that's being built the right way, but we don't hear a word about the pipeline just installed under Lake Sakakawea that workers say wasn't properly inspected," said Kevin Pranis, a spokesman for the Laborers International Union of North America in North Dakota. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4103155-new-court-battle-brewing-different-pipeline | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/ce47087be03d603af04e901a0e46a18d8214292d6041c1951022790eb6fcfdee.json |
[
"The Sports Xchange",
"On Aug",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:48 | null | 2016-08-25T23:52:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fprofessional%2F4102072-tigers-complete-sweep-skidding-twins.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-rFYXPKbCuma3pybzZXYmF6cUU.jpg?itok=Pw04vhGc | en | null | Tigers complete sweep of skidding Twins | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier (2) fields a ball but throws it away for an error trying to double up Detroit Tigers catcher James McCann (34) and allows a run for the Tigers in the second inning Thursday at Target Field. Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Tigers catcher James McCann celebrates with designated hitter Victor Martinez after his home run Thursday against the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Target Field. (Bruce Kluckhohn/USA TODAY Sports)
MINNEAPOLIS—Victor Martinez had three hits and James McCann homered for the Detroit Tigers as they finished off a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with an 8-5 win at Target Field on Thursday afternoon.
McCann's three-run blast gave Detroit a 6-0 lead in the third inning and Martinez added on with a two-run double in the sixth inning that ended up providing Detroit with some important insurance.
Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris (2-2) allowed two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings, winning for the first time since June 29. Detroit has won its last four games overall.
Closer Francisco Rodriguez worked the ninth for his 35th save.
Robbie Grossman had two hits and two RBIs for the Twins and Max Kepler added a two-run double in the eighth inning as Minnesota attempted to mount a late rally.
Twins rookie Jose Berrios (2-4) took the loss, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and five walks with three strikeouts in five innings.
Minnesota has lost its last seven games and has been swept in back-to-back series by a pair of Central Division rivals. Kansas City took four from the Twins at Kauffman Stadium last week.
Detroit posted three-run frames in the second and third, getting an RBI fielder's choice grounder from Andrew Romine and a two-run double from Ian Kinsler to take a 3-0 lead in the second.
McCann's blast, his 11th of the season, pushed the lead to six runs in the third and Martinez extended the lead to 8-0 in the sixth.
The Twins chipped away with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings on Grossman's first RBI single and a run-scoring hit from Eduardo Escobar.
Grossman plated Jorge Polanco to start the eighth before Kepler's drive to the right-center field gap scored a pair of runs to cap the inning.
After scoring three runs against the Detroit bullpen following Norris' exit, Rodriguez struck out a pair in the ninth to close out the game.
NOTES: Tigers CF Cameron Maybin was not in the starting lineup on Thursday. Manager Brad Ausmus said it was a routine day of rest. ... Twins 1B Joe Mauer missed his second consecutive game because of a sore quad initially injured last week while running the bases against the Atlanta Braves. Mauer is considered day-to-day and could return as soon as Friday. ... The Tigers return to Detroit on Friday to begin a six-game homestand with the first of three games against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park. ... Minnesota begins a six-game road trip on Friday with the first of three games against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/professional/4102072-tigers-complete-sweep-skidding-twins | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/75d7ec08e2358c55f8848cee3a70ae99269fdca01fe3aad0b7f11e3b3a4b52ca.json |
[
"April Baumgarten",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T22:50:57 | null | 2016-08-27T16:50:57 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4103154-heavy-rain-saturated-soil-set-stage-major-flooding-its-too-early-tell-sure.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitT1ZUZlpFclpmQWM.jpg?itok=LpXbBtGp | en | null | Heavy rain, saturated soil set stage for major flooding, but it’s too early to tell for sure | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Access to a narrow peninsula of farmland jutting out into Stump Lake, south of Lakota, N.D., is compromised by the rising lake water.Herald photo by Sarah Kolberg.
DEVILS LAKE, N.D.—The excess rain this year is one ingredient needed for spring flooding, and as residents wonder if Devils Lake could begin to swallow up land, National Weather Service meteorologists say it's too early to tell if the Red River will cause significant damage.
Grand Forks had about 3.21 inches of rain in August as of Thursday. That's about 18 inches for the year, or about 4 inches of precipitation above average counts, according to the weather service. July was the seventh-wettest month on record with 5.3 inches.
To the west, more than 19 inches has fallen in Devils Lake as of Tuesday, according to Jeff Frith, manager for the Devils Lake Basin Joint Water Resource Board. July saw 6.65 inches, the second-wettest July since 1993, which had 10.25 inches. About 4.3 inches has fallen in August as of Tuesday.
Near Starkweather, N.D., a Ramsey County city of 117 residents located about 25 miles north of Devils Lake, weather tracker Mike Connor has reported more than 23 inches, with 8.12 inches falling in July, the most that has fallen in that month since 1993. About 5.2 inches has fallen there in August as of Tuesday.
The excess rain has saturated the soil, especially in the northern Red River Valley, and as a whole, North Dakota is wetter than normal, National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer Ritterling said. If it doesn't dry up, the ground could freeze and leave no room for the snowpack to melt except outward.
That could mean flooding for some communities around Devils Lake. The massive body of water has remained steady at about 1,450 feet for most of the year, give or take a few inches.
The rain is concerning because it is filling up the coulees near Devils Lake and causing significant inflow, Frith said. Usually flows wrap up toward the end of July, but some coulees have been running full blast the last few weeks.
It's not unusual considering the amount of rain the Devils Lake Basin has seen, Frith said.
"We have been seeing a dramatic increase in the flows in the coulees, certainly more than what we had this spring when the coulees thawed out in the spring," Frith said. "We had virtually zero flow at that time due to our drier conditions."
Heavy flow in the spring could be preceded by a wet fall, which is concerning because it could increase the elevation of Devils Lake, he said. The lake's record elevation was set June 27, 2011, when it reached 1,454.4 feet, resulting in the flooding of cropland, roads, homesteads and even small communities. The lake reached near-record levels in June 2013 when the elevation topped out at 1,426.97 feet.
Every foot the lake goes up or down puts about 10,000 acres of land at risk, Frith said.
"If we go into freeze-up with saturated soils the way they are now, the basin storage capacity up in the northern part of the basin flow, we could see a significant amount of runoff next spring and be right back where we were three or four years ago," he said. "It just sets the stage for nowhere for the snowmelt to go."
Too soon to tell
Knowing if the region, specifically the Red River Valley, will see significant flooding is like predicting the winner of the 2017 Super Bowl, Ritterling said. There are so many variables that are unknown that it is too early to tell.
"There are a lot of factors that go into spring flooding," she said.
She referred to an article written by Grand Forks meteorologist Allen Voelker. "Anatomy of the Red River Spring Flood" describes the key factors in predicting flooding for cities along the river: the freeze and melt cycle, the amount of early spring rain and late spring storms that will deplete or add to snowpack, the depth of snowpack and how much water it contains, frost depth, river ice conditions and soil moisture content.
"Out of all of those, we partially know one of them," she said of soil moisture content. "There is no way to tell at this point."
It's likely there are two to three months left until the ground freezes, and it's possible the region could begin to dry off by then. Temperatures for the three-month outlook are expected to be above average, though precipitation also could be above average, according to the weather service's Climate Prediction Center. Most of North Dakota and all of Minnesota should avoid drought through November.
"There is still a bit of fall to go through," she said.
Surprise from the lake
The Old Farmer's Almanac, which recently released its 225th issue, predicted a colder winter than normal for the Grand Forks area and North Dakota in general, but below-normal snowfall for eastern North Dakota, while the west should receive more snow.
Ritterling warned people not to put too much stock into the publication. Though it boasts an accuracy of 80 percent, its winter prediction last year was about 55.6 percent accurate.
"There are actually people who have looked into verifying The Old Farmer's Almanac against what really happened, and the results aren't very good," she said.
Devils Lake should be safe, Frith said, adding agricultural land and surrounding communities could see flooding. It would take a monumental event to surpass the record elevation, which is about 4 feet away.
"This lake has surprised and has made a lot of fools of prognosticators over the past," he said. "I wouldn't rule anything out."
With a few months to go, he said a few weeks of no rain couldn't hurt Devils Lake and surrounding cities.
"Certainly, Mother Nature can stop at any time," he said.
Flood predictions from the weather service are expected in January. When asked if people should be worried, Ritterling had some friendly advice.
"The fall is usually pretty nice," she said. "Go out and enjoy our last few months of being able to do stuff outside." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4103154-heavy-rain-saturated-soil-set-stage-major-flooding-its-too-early-tell-sure | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/a68e9af9cc149dc51b48f8ed70e854a18fc3337b9f9f0b7fdf500b279edecaf5.json |
[
"Ty Filley",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-30T16:51:54 | null | 2016-08-30T11:50:39 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4104717-hillsboro-family-living-out-camper-after-tornado-rips-through-home.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-uQejEvAT0lNnB2ODZybi1VTkE.jpg?itok=WxR4MBna | en | null | Hillsboro family living out of camper after tornado rips through home | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | HILLSBORO—A Hillsboro family is picking up the pieces after a devastating EF-3 tornado ripped through their farm home over the weekend.
Despite the losing their house in the storm, the Haultins are calling themselves lucky.
"It was just kind of surreal," said Barb Haultin, Hillsboro.
It looks more like a war zone than a farm home.
"A well-built house like this just kind of demolished completely, it puts me in awe," said Barb.
The destruction is forcing them to live out of their camper.
It's not just their roof gone, furniture, pictures thrown or ruined by the storm.
"Life is bumps in the road," said Glen Haultin.
The couple was out of town when the storm hit, making them one of the last to see the damage.
Even after losing their home, this farming family is looking on the bright side.
"I just kept thinking how lucky we were that we weren't here," said Barb.
"There's a lot of people that lose loved ones," said Glen.
They're also lucky to live in Hillsboro, where they say the community has lifted them up.
"Unbelievable support. We've had hundreds of people coming out to offer to help," said Barb.
The community is helping clean up, giving meals, just talking to a family who lost almost everything.
"I can't repay what this community means to me," said Glen.
Now, the Haultins pick up the pieces and count their blessings.
The Haultins say they plan on rebuilding their house as long as their basement remains intact.
They're guessing it'll take at least a year to restore everything. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4104717-hillsboro-family-living-out-camper-after-tornado-rips-through-home | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/09ed842e9fd19f911aad25405da014a82d4f71e6cd6b28dc80e0e5e958474c79.json |
[
"Dave Olson",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T00:50:03 | null | 2016-08-26T19:45:13 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4102776-police-explore-link-between-roger-maris-museum-theft-cases-other-states.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMiteVB0M3hEUk5XR1E.jpg?itok=mttjbKFW | en | null | Police explore link between Roger Maris museum theft, cases in other states | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Workers inspect damage that was done to the Roger Maris Museum at the West Acres mall July 26. Dave Olson / The Forum
The Roger Maris Museum at West Acres Shopping Center housed the S Rae Hickok Award, which was bestowd upon Roger Maris in 1961. The belt, traditionally given to the pro athlete of the year, was stolen early July 26 during a targeted heist. Photographer: Colburn Hvidston III, The Forum
FARGO—Police here are exploring a possible connection between the high-profile theft of Roger Maris baseball memorabilia from a museum in July and similar heists in states like New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to information contained in a search warrant.
The warrant, which was filed this week in Cass County District Court, seeks data transmitted over area cellphone towers around the time the theft took place early in the morning on July 26.
According to information contained in the warrant:
Surveillance video of the crime shows that a white four-door passenger car with no front license plate pulled up to the West Acres Shopping Center about 2:16 a.m. on July 26.
A passenger who is believed to be a white male wearing a dark-colored face mask, gloves, black pants, black shoes, and a uniform-like shirt with a tie can be seen exiting from the car and running to the south doors of the mall, where he smashes a pane of glass in one of the doors and enters the mall.
The man then runs to the nearby Roger Maris museum with what appears to be a hatchet or axe in his right hand and a reciprocating cordless saw hanging from a shoulder strap.
The man breaks a pane of glass with the hatchet and removes two items from a display—a 1961 S. Rae Hickok Belt, which was given to the famous Fargo native after he broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record, and a 1960 American League Most Valuable Player silver plate.
The suspect is then seen on the video running back to the mall entrance, where he exits and returns to the car. The elapsed time from entry into the mall and exit takes exactly one minute, according to the search warrant.
The warrant also states the theft appeared to be the work of a skilled burglar and that Fargo police have been in contact with the FBI and investigators with the Bernards Township Police Department in Basking Ridge, N.J., regarding similar thefts with similar "modus operandi."
The warrant said Fargo police are seeking information from local cellphone towers so FBI agents working the other cases can compare tower data and possibly obtain a link between the cases by way of a suspect phone number.
The document states that the estimated value of the stolen items exceeds $100,000.
Messages left with a Fargo police investigator and the Bernards Township Police Department were not immediately returned.
Hickok belts like the one Maris received were awards named for a manufacturer of men's belts that presented the belts annually to the top American athlete from the years 1950 to 1976.
The award was revived in 2012. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4102776-police-explore-link-between-roger-maris-museum-theft-cases-other-states | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/1a7a5a0a24054e833375defdb95dbbbccdd795b6118eb011ffbfb8faefbc7350.json |
[
"Forum News Service",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T22:52:00 | null | 2016-08-30T17:28:48 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4104978-jaeger-sees-no-hacking-problems-yet-nd-election-computer-system.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Jaeger sees no hacking problems yet with ND election computer system | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | BISMARCK – Secretary of State Al Jaeger said Tuesday a review prompted by an FBI warning had identified no issues so far with the computer system that hosts ballot information for North Dakota elections.
The FBI found breaches in Illinois’ and Arizona’s voter registration databases and is looking into whether other states may have been targeted, while also urging states to boost computer security ahead of the Nov. 8 election, Reuters reported Monday, citing an anonymous U.S. official familiar with the probe.
Jaeger said Tuesday that his office received a briefing from Homeland Security a couple weeks ago and received information from the FBI last week regarding certain IP addresses that were then checked by the state’s Information Technology Department to ensure the system hadn’t been infiltrated.
“Everybody that’s involved in our process is on top of it. We haven’t detective anything of significance,” he said.
Testing of the secretary of state’s website revealed a potential weakness in the area where voters can look up where they vote and view sample ballots, but it was fixed within minutes and no personal data was at risk, Jaeger said.
North Dakota is the only state without voter registration. The Department of Transportation maintains the state’s Central Voter File, and ITD provides security for it, Jaeger said. Election results go through a completely different, encrypted system, he said. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4104978-jaeger-sees-no-hacking-problems-yet-nd-election-computer-system | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/441f68c42391be123d8c0ae58dbab4fa98778be821898d94e3f546dbcbc7afa3.json |
[
"Tom Miller",
"Miller Has Been With The Grand Forks Herald Sports Department For The Past Years. He'S Also A Grand Forks Native",
"Und Graduate.",
"On Aug",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:00 | null | 2016-08-25T23:49:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2F4102071-und-announces-18-member-committee-address-athletic-budget-shortfall.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-rFYXPKbCumUUN3blRGSVdzcms.jpg?itok=KGcif2GE | en | null | UND announces 18-member committee to address athletic budget shortfall | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | GRAND FORKS, N.D.—The University of North Dakota announced Thursday the 18-member Intercollegiate Athletic Committee, a group asked to provide recommendations on the athletic department's $1.4 million budget shortfall for the 2016 fiscal year.
Nine of the 18 members, appointed by the University Senate, are faculty representatives. The IAC is a longstanding committee at UND, where members' terms vary in length depending on their category of appointment.
Athletic department representatives include athletic director Brian Faison, faculty athletics representative Sue Jeno, deputy director of athletics and senior women's administrator Daniella Irle and men's and women's cross country coach Dick Clay.
Of the three student representatives, two are athletes: senior swimmer and Bismarck native Mckenzie Jeske and Edina, Minn., senior track and field thrower Ian Collins.
Of the two alumni representatives, one is Lowell Schweigert, the brother of UND football coach Bubba Schweigert.
UND President Mark Kennedy told the committee he wants recommendations by Nov. 1.
The full committee is listed below:
Faculty Representatives: Alycia Cummings (College of Arts & Sciences), Tanis Walch (College of Education & Human Development), Janna Schill (School of Medicine & Health Sciences), Thomasine Heitkamp (College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines), Kimberly Kenville (John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences), Eric Murphy (School of Medicine & Health Sciences), Mark Askelson (John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences), Cherie Graves (School of Medicine & Health Sciences), Gary Schindler (School of Medicine & Health Sciences)
Faculty Athletic Representative: Sue Jeno
Athletic Coach Representative: Dick Clay
Athletic Staff: Brian Faison, Daniella Irle
Alumni Representatives: Jessica Sobolik, Lowell Schweigert
Student Representatives: Nicolas Hanson, Mckenzie Jeske, Ian Collins | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/college/4102071-und-announces-18-member-committee-address-athletic-budget-shortfall | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/2ae49ece8a0381da513b362241c1896ffe454f542dcf75d7466307f8e9ff5107.json |
[
"Samuel Evers",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T20:51:38 | null | 2016-08-27T15:33:25 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fblue-hawks%2F4103133-game-miles-city-reminder-dickinson-state-players-roots.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B2r172P3qo9rR2U4OVBqc1FyajA.jpg?itok=pTaFvWP6 | en | null | Game in Miles City a reminder of Dickinson State players' ro... | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | The bus ride from Dickinson to Miles City, Mont., where the Dickinson State football team will meet Montana Western in its first game of the season today, lasts a considerable two-and-a-half hours.
Geographically, it's a trip spent mostly on Interstate 94, past Medora, Beach, Wibaux, and through the dips and hills of the Badlands.
It's a 173-mile drive many of the players on the roster have made many times.
For the players and coaches with roots and ties in Miles City, lots of those miles on the way to the game will be spent thinking.
Thinking about all the friends and family that will be at the game, about the sounds and smells of Denton Field, about the gridiron grass, about former Miles City coach Dan Stanton.
"I'm really excited for it. Going back with the teammates I had in high school, and getting back to that community and that field, it's a huge honor to get back there," said senior Dalton Reid, who played four years for Dan Stanton before moving on to DSU to play for head coach Pete Stanton, Dan's brother. "There's a lot of pride in that town. A lot of pride on that field."
Reid is one of five players on the DSU's roster from Miles City. All of them played for or knew Dan Stanton, who died last October after a fight with cancer.
The idea to play a game in Miles City isn't new, but for one reason or another, it never materialized.
When he was alive, Dan would bug his brother to bring the Blue Hawks there.
It always seemed like a good idea, but the biggest catch was losing a home game. This year, things finally fell into place. With Dan in mind, plus the usual insistence from Kelly Reid, Dalton's father who organizes the Badlands Bowl high school all-star game, it seemed like a better idea than ever.
Then, when Rocky Mountain College, a usual Blue Hawk opponent, dropped that matchup to play against Northern Colorado, it was the right opportunity at the right time.
'It's going to be a privilege. It's going to be an honor to play on that field where my brother was so successful for so many years," Pete said. "It's going to be hard, but they're such a supportive community, with what they went through last year, with what their team and their players went through. It was unbelievable how great those people were."
When DSU takes the field at 6 p.m., it will be closure for the Miles City players, particularly seniors Reid and Rob Nalewaja, and for Stanton, who will be able to check something important off his list — to man the same sideline on which his brother won over an entire community.
"He made you a better person just by the way he was. He wasn't ever too hard on you for no reason. He was very stern but he was very understanding. He tried to make the best of every situation. He was a great coach," said Nalewaja, who also played four years under Dan. "He was the type of person who everyone looked up to. Everyone respected him. No one ever said a bad word about him."
Nalewaja, a junior with the Blue Hawks at the time, first heard the news about his former coach from his current coach.
After a practice, he noticed his coach didn't look well. He asked him what was wrong; Stanton told him Dan wasn't going to make it through the night.
It wasn't news that Dan wasn't well, but it didn't make hearing it any easier. The first thing Nalewaja did was call one of his best friends, Kyle Stanton, Dan's son, to offer him his condolences.
"How it happened was tough. It happened midseason. It was a hard time, especially for coach (Stanton). Just tried to be there for him and everything," Nalewaja said. "It hit home. It's still hard to talk about. Kyle is one of my best friends. I was always over at Dan's house. Not just for football. For other stuff."
Miles City is a tight-knit community of about 8,000 people. It raises hardworking, tough kids, Pete said. It reminds him of Dickinson, and the drive between towns is relatively short.
Over the years, Dickinson has been an ideal place for Miles City kids to extend their football careers.
"When Dan was here, it wasn't like he would push his players here. He might gently nudge," Pete said. "He was very popular with the players. I think there was a comfort level knowing they knew a lot of the staff members over here. I think there's also a lot of similarities between the community in Dickinson and the community in Miles City. These are very hardworking, loyal communities."
If a player liked his high school experience in Miles City, he could bank on the same thing in Dickinson, Pete said.
"Dan was their head coach and they trusted Dan. It's close over there," he continued. "They knew they were going to get taken care of if they came here."
When DSU takes the field against Montana Western today, there will be some unknowns. They don't know who is going to win.
Montana Western — picked slightly behind DSU at No. 25 in the NAIA preseason coaches poll — is a good program. The Bulldogs narrowly lost last season to Montana Tech, the same team that blew out the Blue Hawks in the playoffs.
They don't know who will step up and play well, and they don't know which position will have a tough time.
The Miles City players, coach Pete Stanton, and the community that shows up to the game do know this much: what taking that field will mean to them.
When asked about Miles City, Nalewaja thought of the grass. Stanton thought of the community. Reid thought of all his friends. They all thought about Miles City's old high school coach.
"Dan was one of the best men I ever knew. He was a great coach, he was a great friend, he was a great mentor. He always wanted to get the best out of any athlete, which he did a tremendous job of doing," Reid said. "He would always want to get stuff done. No whining. He had a kick-butt attitude. He was a tremendous man. We're all very blessed to have played for him." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/blue-hawks/4103133-game-miles-city-reminder-dickinson-state-players-roots | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/c2fda44f8be97b5cbe00797e96c1ccd7a181499d6b10ee7a7cee4eb2875f732b.json |
[
"Reuters Media",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T22:53:11 | null | 2016-08-30T16:20:04 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-and-world%2F4104891-protesters-shut-down-transcanada-pipeline-hearing-montreal.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Protesters shut down TransCanada pipeline hearing in Montreal | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | MONTREAL -- Canada's National Energy Board canceled the first day of hearings on TransCanada Corp.'s proposed Energy East pipeline in Montreal on Monday, after protesters disrupted the panel session, agency spokeswoman Sarah Kiley said.
There is no word yet on a new date for the hearing, Kiley said.
"Disruptions prevent intervenors from sharing their views and asking their questions," the regulator said in a statement. " ... Disruptions and disrespectful behavior are not acceptable."
Footage posted on Twitter by local media showed protesters at the venue standing, clapping and chanting at the panel.
Environmental groups against oil sands development fiercely oppose the 1.1-million-barrel-per-day Energy East pipeline, which would carry crude oil from Alberta to Canada's Atlantic coast. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/nation-and-world/4104891-protesters-shut-down-transcanada-pipeline-hearing-montreal | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/46233552c623e281716ebea6abd56873e9cd2108408a3b6b1c5e4ad43e284600.json |
[
"Sam Easter",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-28T02:50:59 | null | 2016-08-27T21:37:57 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4103224-quarter-century-after-cold-wars-end-veterans-grand-forks-air-force-base.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitUzFjR0FNbDhQa0k.jpg?itok=2cMZEjnp | en | null | A quarter-century after the Cold War's end, veterans of Grand Forks Air Force Base recall the days when they and the world were a key-turn away from an atomic Armageddon. | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | A portrait of Bill Little sits on his kitchen table in Grand Forks with other newspaper clippings and various paperwork from his time at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Little holds a newspaper clipping with his B-52 crew who were selected as top crew for the month of May in 1964. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Veteran John Friend, a mechanic for F101 Voodoo fighter planes at GFAFB during the Cold War holds a keepsake box put together by his daughter including a portrait from his time in service, his dog tags and patches from his uniform. . Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Little looks at an copy of Combat Crew from April 1970 which dons an illustration of a B-52 bomber on the cover. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Veteran Bill Little, in his home in Grand Forks, looks for his name on a list of enlisted men from a box of mementos from his days as a B52 gunner at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Veteran Bill Little, a former B-52 Gunner with the Grand Forks Air Force Base in his home in Grand Forks, N.D. holds his flight helmet, from his time as a B-52 gunner, in is computer room in his home in Grand Forks. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Snapped on Jan. 27, 1983, this photo shows the devastating aftermath of an explosion on board a B-52 aircraft that claimed the lives of five Air Force service members. (U.S. Air Force historical photo)
John D. Friend talks about different aspects of plane repair in front of a displayed F-101 Voodoo Interceptor at the Grand Forks Air Force Base near Grand Forks, ND on Tuesday, August 23, 2016. (Joshua Komer/Grand Forks Herald)
GRAND FORKS, N.D.—For John Friend, the ghosts of what might have been are still seared into his memory. An assistant crew chief at Grand Forks Air Force Base, he served during the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962.
"We heard the news, and they had us come for a meeting," said Friend, who had grown up in southern Illinois and joined the Air Force only about a year earlier. "They said, 'This is going to be really serious.'"
Part of Friend's job was ensuring a speedy F-101 Voodoo interceptor was ready to fly — a job that demanded speed and concentration. He remembers once trying to screw an item onto an aircraft and realizing his screwdriver wasn't nearby. He grabbed a kitchen knife and did the best he could to finish while the plane was in motion.
During the crisis, that pressing level of readiness kept Friend so close to the runway that he recalls sleeping on the wing of a nearby aircraft. When he went off-shift, he remembers wandering back to his quarters to have a nightmare of a mushroom cloud in the distance.
"It was jumpy," he said. "Scary, jumpy — we thought this was it. We thought (for) sure there was going to be a nuclear exchange. At that time, we didn't know if we were going to be the only ones left or the first ones to go."
The Cold War may seem a little more distant each day, but airmen still remember well when Grand Forks was on the front lines of a conflict that at a moment's notice could have descended into blaring alarms, bombers on the runway and mushroom clouds on the horizon.
For more than three decades, the men and women of Grand Forks Air Force Base, some of whom still live in the area, were ready to spring to action if the Cold War—the decades of post-World War II political tensions between the U.S. and the USSR—turned hot.
This month marks the 25th anniversary of the failed coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the USSR, which was a crucial turning point in the unraveling of the Soviet Union that led to its dissolution in coming months.
The recollections of Cold War veterans are many and varied. All of them, though, have a story to tell about the time in American life when the future was anything but certain.
Some served as electricians and mechanics, while others sat sequestered in missile capsules, prepared to launch warheads over the North Pole. Still others, remember the regular readiness drills or waiting "on alert" to board a B-52 bomber to fly across the Arctic and, quite possibly, end the world.
There were times they stood "on alert" for hours or days on end, serving their country in rotating shifts, to ensure the Air Force could respond to sudden orders from Washington. Now, a quarter-century after the Cold War ended, former airmen remember their time on base fondly, even cloaked behind the veneer of danger.
Friend, who still lives in Grand Forks, arrived at the base in mid-1962. He recalls chatting with a flight attendant on a trip out of Minneapolis and the dawning realization that—like many of the men he served alongside—he was about to be very, very far from home.
"She said, 'Oh, you're going out to the end of the line,'" he recalled with a chuckle. "I said, 'Oh my God.'"
'Ain't no Nordstroms'
Grand Forks Air Force Base was founded in the 1950s and was quickly equipped with everything it would need to wage nuclear war. Bryan Booker, the installation's historian, said its earliest years saw the arrival of fighter interceptors—quick and responsive aircraft that could get in the air in a hurry to head off enemy planes.
By 1960, the base received one of its marquee missions: nuclear-armed B-52 bombers, capable of carrying an atomic payload into the heart of the Soviet Union. Those, in turn, were supported by the KC-135 tankers, which refueled bombers while they were in the air. By 1964, construction began on nuclear missile silos in the broader Grand Forks area — 150 eventually dotted the countryside.
Years later, Mike Yaguchi, who reported for duty as a missile launch officer in 1986, remembers the sprawling wilderness as a remarkably easy transition from his time growing up in Seattle. There were still plenty of things to do outdoors, he said, but he was stunned by the lack of diversity and the small population.
"There ain't no Nordstroms in Grand Forks," he joked.
Others recalled the biting cold. Edwin Parks, a New Jersey native who took the same assignment in 1984, said: "All I can remember was that the first 20 days in North Dakota, the high never got above 10 below. It was crazy."
Underground crew
Both Parks and Yaguchi had what might be the most iconic job on base. As missile launch officers, they were stationed below ground for long periods of time in a launch "capsule." At any time, they could be asked to launch a nuclear warhead. Until then, though, the job could be monotonous.
"Most of your days, we would have practice messages we would get, some security alarms would go off if a rabbit jumped on the site ... you'd have to send the security police to go check that out," Parks said. "It was not real exciting, and most of the time you sat around waiting for something to happen."
But if anything were to happen, Parks said, they would need to follow a rigid set up steps to send a missile into Russia. First, he and his partner would receive a code from Washington, D.C., to arm a missile. Second, they'd target it and give the order to launch it. Third, there was a catch. They would need a second capsule team to confirm the launch before the missile would fly—one extra security check that made the weapon impossible to launch without the right protocol.
"Without that code, it was tougher than trying to win the lottery or the Powerball," Parks said.
The job wasn't for the faint of heart.
Yaguchi explained the training required to become a launch officer included a "key turn" — a literal key-turn necessary to launch the missile.
"When you did your first practice key-turn, you would sign a document that said you fully understand the responsibility that comes with this career field," Yaguchi said. There were always airmen who simply couldn't do it, but "nobody gave them grief."
High in the sky
B-52 bomber and KC-135 tanker crews, ever-ready to fly over Russia, comprised the other half of the base's Cold War mission.
Bill Little, a retired Air Force veteran who spent nearly 30 years in the Air Force first joined in the 1940s and now lives in Grand Forks. In his home he keeps a room full of Air Force memorabilia, including an old helmet he wore as a B-52 gunner. It was a post he held at the base from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s.
"Each crew had a target," Little explained. "We'd go over in (a room) they called 'the vault,' and we'd study our mission. You'd know what defenses they had, as far as intelligence could ascertain — exactly what your target was, or exactly how to get there and how to get back."
It was an opportunity to study not only the defenses you'd fly over but also the terrain near your target. There was always, of course, the chance you might be shot down, he said.
"There were many, many targets in Russia during that period of time, the Cold War," Little said. "I even had Moscow one time. I didn't like it. Because they had two rings of missiles around it and so forth—I don't know. I'd better not say too much. I don't know what's still classified. You knew the probability in Moscow, you might not make it."
That was the daily reality many airmen faced: If a nuclear war began, odds were you might not come home.
Quick and deadly
Gary Masilko, now a retired Air Force colonel, arrived on base in 1980 as an instructor pilot for the KC-135 refueling tankers. By 1983, he was commander of the 905th Air Refueling Squadron, overseeing the refueling mission in Grand Forks and beyond. In the case of a nuclear strike, he said airmen probably would have less than 10 minutes to get in the air.
"And if we did survive the mission, when we return there might not be a town," he said. "You have a younger generation that can't even conceive that we were in a position where we would have been doing that."
Yet Masilko said he and the rest of the Air Force personnel on base took it in stride.
"In the Air Force, nobody was drafted. Everybody here is a volunteer, and they've accepted the mission. You need to be comfortable understanding that this is your job," he said. "This is what we do. This is what our country is committed to at this time. We don't like that we're in the Cold War, but we're here to make sure that if it gets hot, we're ready to respond."
'Every time ... you'd remember'
In 1983, the ever-present, if far away, threat of war was punctuated by a deadly explosion right on the Grand Forks base when five members of a maintenance crew were killed.
The airmen were inside a B-52 bomber when a spark from a circuit breaker set off a giant explosion.
"It was so intense. It basically burned it to the ground," base historian Booker said. "It just showed the inherent danger that Air Force personnel go through every day. Even when they weren't flying, how dangerous the mission could be."
A black-and-white Air Force photograph shows the devastation. Taken from above, the outline of the charred plane is visible, but only the tail seems to be partially intact.
Ed Hattenberger, who worked as an aircraft mechanic on the base and in related roles from 1976 to 1990, said he knew three of the crew members who died. For years before the tarmac was resurfaced, it was a constant reminder of the tragedy.
"That part of the ramp had burn marks on the surface of it," he said. "So every time you drove by it, you'd remember."
A post-Cold War world
Twenty-five years ago, the Soviet Union was in the midst of breaking apart.
The failed August 1991 coup attempt speeded the end of the world's second superpower. It was just four months later on Christmas Day when the iconic hammer and sickle flag was removed from the Kremlin.
It was the beginning of the end of the Cold War and a time that led to a long series of changes shifting missions at the base.
At the height of the Cold War, Booker said there were more than 3,000 Air Force personnel on base. Today, there's between 1,500 and 2,000.
As the U.S. military shifted closer to a peacekeeping mission, the Bombers — which had transitioned from B-52s to the sleeker and more modern B-1s in the 1980s — went off alert in the early 1990s and soon after were transitioned away from the base.
By 1998, all nuclear missiles had been removed from the base's silos. The KC-135 tankers, which remained on base for years and often were sent on worldwide missions, left the base for good in 2010.
The Interceptor aircraft, which transitioned from F-101 Voodoos to the Delta Dart decades earlier, had already gone in the 1970s.
Today's air base has a radically different focus on unmanned aircraft. The Global Hawk aircraft arrived in 2011, and Booker said the Department of Homeland Security also flies Predator aircraft on border surveillance missions.
But the airmen who lived or worked on the base during the height of the Cold War remember it fondly.
Nole J. Myers Jr., who served as a parachute rigger, said he loved it.
"I'm a family guy. We got used to living here. The quality of life and the quality of air. It wasn't quite the hassle of big-city life," he said. Given the chance to join the 1970s Air Force, he said he'd do it again.
"You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. I miss it still."
Friend remembers it fondly, too, recalling the 8mm film he shot with a handheld camera—the same film that shows a Voodoo aircraft slide down the runway before floating into the sky.
"It gets in your blood," Friend said. "You just can't get enough of it." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4103224-quarter-century-after-cold-wars-end-veterans-grand-forks-air-force-base | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/585126e58d73883c16db28c16164238e384302a80dd6dc5695c95a1a837c3cd3.json |
[
"Parker Cotton",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-28T06:51:31 | null | 2016-08-28T00:58:40 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fmidgets%2F4103357-midgets-swimming-qualifies-3-state-first-meet.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Midgets swimming qualifies 3 for state at first meet | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | MINOT — Three members of the Dickinson High girls swimming and diving team qualified for the state meet on Saturday in the Midgets’ first meet of the season at Minot High School.
Korie Riely placed fourth in the 500 meter freestyle in 6 minutes, 1.60 seconds, earning her a ticket to the state competition. Joining her early on is Brianna Ashworth, who placed fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:28.42) and sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.25), qualifying in both events. Katie Jankowski also qualified after taking third in the 50 freestyle in 27.06 seconds.
“It’s a great start to the season. I’m excited to see what we end up doing the rest of the way,” said Mike Sullivan, the team’s interim head coach in place of Jenna Wolf this season. “A bunch of the girls had some really good times.”
As a team, the Midgets placed fifth at the meet on Saturday with 256 points. Bismarck Century took the top spot with 641 points.
Riely was also eighth in the 200 freestyle (2:15.17), and Jankowski was eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.09).
Jaydin Decker placed fifth in the one-meter diving with 149.05 points. Kara Wanner was ninth in the 500 freestyle in 6:23.37. Haley Rodakowski was sixth in the 100 freestyle (1:01.63) and ninth in the 50 freestyle (28.60). Hannah Rathgeber was sixth in the 100 butterfly in 1:11.09.
Team scores: 1, Bismarck Century, 641. 2, Minot, 425. 3, Williston, 369. 4, Bismarck High, 289. 5, Dickinson, 256. 6, Bismarck Legacy, 243.
50 freestyle: 1, Emma Hepper, B, 25.20. 3, Katie Jankowski, D, 27.06.
100 backstroke: 1, Abby Bourgois, C, 1:04.51. 13, Jaydin Decker, D, 1:16.00.
100 breaststroke: 1, Jenny Logan, W, 1:09.85. 6, Brianna Ashworth, D, 1:16.25.
100 butterfly: 1, Bourgois, C, 1:05.10. 6, Hannah Rathgeber, D, 1:11.09.
100 freestyle: 1, Lexi Duchsherer, C, 57.64. 6, Haley Rodakowski, D, 1:01.63.
200 freestyle: 1, Rylie Webb, M, 2:03.52. 8, Korie Riely, D, 2:15.17.
200 individual medley: 1, Vanessa Herrmann, C, 2:15.00. 4, Ashworth, D, 2:28.42.
200 medley relay: 1, Tess Sether, Carly Palmer, Herrmann, Duchsherer, C, 1:55.46. 11, Reilley Meyer, Gracie Morel, Savanna Baranko, Sydne Beld, D, 2:31.55.
500 freestyle: 1, Herrmann, C, 5:29.80. 4, Riely, D, 6:01.60.
200 freestyle relay: 1, MaKenna Kuhn, Ellie Eggl, Shayla Heger, Hepper, B, 1:47.25. 4, Hannah Rathgeber, Rodakowski, Hailey Rathgeber, Riely, D, 1:58.43.
400 freestyle relay: 1, Duchsherer, Amy Warren, Palmer, Herrmann, 3:52.54. 8, Kara Wanner, Beld, Geneva Nodland, Decker, D, 4:39.11.
1-meter diving: 1, Addisyn Widdel, M, 179.65. 5, Decker, D, 149.05. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/midgets/4103357-midgets-swimming-qualifies-3-state-first-meet | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/8c213f4b10bd17bea1f53d902d256413a0656b4e271a81d3ce7b4b2f4f391043.json |
[
"Kalsey Stults",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T02:50:12 | null | 2016-08-26T21:09:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F4102823-benefit-being-held-dunn-center-teen-after-reconstructive-surgery.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitWXpqRnlvRDVSX0U.jpg?itok=6HW-KNyu | en | null | Benefit being held for Dunn Center teen after reconstructive surgery | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | A benefit for Dakota Brekke will be held in Dunn Center today to help with the financial burden the teen obtained after having to have reconstructive surgery after being assaulted. (Submitted Photo)
DUNN CENTER—The tight-knit community of Dunn Center is coming together to help a teenager who recently graduated from Killdeer High School.
Dakota Brekke, 19, graduated last spring. In July, he suffered major injuries stemming from an assault.
On July 23, Brekke was assaulted in Turtle Lake by two juvenile males who repeatedly attacked him. Friends of Brekke say the assault was unprovoked and that Brekke didn't know the boys who assaulted him.
He suffered broken bones to his face—including to his eye, cheek and jaw—which would need surgery to reconstruct.
Brekke had reconstructive surgery three weeks ago and Christy Reems, a close friend of the family that employees Brekke, said the surgeon from the Bismarck Face and Jaw Surgery Center said it was one of the most extensive injuries he has ever seen, including the hundreds of surgeries he has performed generally from severe car accidents.
"He also said in less severe cases like his, where his cheekbone and his orbital bone had to be repaired—it was completely shattered, he said—people usually lose partial loss of vision or are completely blind in that eye," Reems said. "He said basically it was a miracle that Dakota had his eyesight because everything was completely shattered and torn apart."
She said the last time she saw Brekke he looks really good and he has no outward scarring, but a second surgery may have to be performed because his eye is sinking back in.
Reems said she can't imagine anyone being that cruel and how it must be affecting Brekke.
"I think when you take a beating like he took, it's kind of like telling someone that they aren't worth anything," she said.
Shaela Larkin and her husband, Jason, took Brekke "under their wings" a few years ago, Reems said.
Larkin said the benefit is going to be important to Brekke after such a traumatic experience.
"It's going to mean so much to him," she said. "He's got so many people rooting for him and supporting him through this whole process.
Larkin said it took a few weeks for Brekke to start feeling like himself but now he is in good spirits.
While the benefit is to help with the financial burden Brekke has obtained, Reems said it's also to let him know how many people care about him.
"I'm more concerned with the emotional damage, the emotional toll," she said. "You can tell it's really affected him, which is completely understandable but I think that's probably going to be a long haul for him. That was the thing we said from the get-go was that we wanted Dakota to realize was how important he is to so many people."
She said that Brekke is a kind-hearted, hard working young man who she can't say enough good things about.
"The first time I met Dakota there was just something about him that made me want to reach out and hug him," she said. "You can just tell that he is a very good kid. I have a lot of respect for him."
The benefit which will have a dinner, live auction and dance is to help fund the more than $15,000 in medical expenses Brekke has compiled for facial reconstructive surgery.
The event will be at the DC Pub & Grub in Dunn Center on Saturday with dinner from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., a live auction at 7 p.m. and the E-Z Street band will start playing at 8:30 p.m.
Reems said she and Cheryl Boyce—who employs Brekke for work on their ranch—immediately started planning a benefit within two days of the assault because they knew Brekke would need help.
"We just said, 'We have got to do something,'" Reems said. "It just kind of snowballed to this point where we have people calling us wanting to donate."
Reems said one of the first things Brekke was concerned about was how he was going to pay his bills, especially payments on the used truck he had bought the week before the incident.
"It's all beat up but he was so proud of that because he bought that," she said. "He saved the money for the down payment. Then he set up with the bank to pay for the rest of it. The way he acted was like it was a brand new, fancy Dodge instead of a really old one. But that's the part of Dakota that I really love—just his whole outlook. He's just such a good kid."
Larkin said she hopes people come out to not only help financially but celebrate Brekke.
"We're going to have a good time (Saturday)," she said. "(We're going to) just celebrate that he's recovering and you know that he has a good life ahead of him and that he is a good person. We're just going to celebrate him too."
If you go
What: Dakota Brekke Medical Benefit
When: Starting at 4:30 today
Where: DC Pub & Grub, Dunn Center | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/local/4102823-benefit-being-held-dunn-center-teen-after-reconstructive-surgery | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/5f76aedd6a29ee836c88f6af28187284a986c4bceb915a32389d31f9f4d3b801.json |
[
"Jessie Veeder",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T00:51:33 | null | 2016-08-29T19:48:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2F4103820-veeder-ranch-circle-life-can-be-tough-witness.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-uQejEvAT0lSk51WjhCSkxZV3c.jpg?itok=tPqSqz_K | en | null | Veeder: At the ranch, circle of life can be tough to witness | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | WATFORD CITY—When I was a little girl my big sister and her friend rescued a baby robin from a knocked-down nest. I was so young at the time that the memory doesn't have any details, except for the way that creature's eyes looked before they were open, all blue and puffy, and how naked and impossibly fragile it was.
Even as a kid I knew that a baby that tiny had slim chances of surviving in a shoebox on eyedropper feedings. But the two girls tried anyway, and I watched the way little sisters do, willing it to turn out differently.
Tonight I'm out on my deck listening to the coyotes howl and watching a couple does come down the hill to take a drink in the dam. They've been creeping slowly toward their spot, shaken but not deterred by what sounds like a muskrat slapping and splashing in their water hole, and I'm wishing he would cool it. I mean, all those girls want is a little drink.
The way we do this circle of life thing seems so painstaking sometimes.
A few weeks ago all of the ranch dogs turned up with porcupine quills in their noses (well, all but our big old Lab who learned his lesson years ago when he came home full of sorrow and one tiny quill barely dangling from his nostril).
So my husband and dad had the task of pulling a few quills from snouts after work that day. It wasn't the first time.
And if those dogs don't learn their lesson, it won't be the last.
These are the things that happen out here. Sometimes between the beautiful sunrise and sunset we're reminded that nature is not the Disney movie we'd like to imagine it to be.
For example, earlier this summer, Dad was driving his side-by-side down the road with his brother and his two dogs. They were taking it slow, noticing the scenery and catching up when he noticed a baby killdeer running and flitting beside them. So he slowed down and remarked on the tiny bird, pointed it out to his brother, marveled at the little creature. And just as he finished saying some tender thing about being a witness to new life, his pup jumped out and snatched it up, bit it right out of the air like a scene out of an old Loony Tunes cartoon, feathers flying, tiny bird leg dangling out the dog's mouth.
And that was that.
I have dozens of similar stories that I could pull out of the archives to help illustrate my point, like the time Mom's cat drug a not-quite-dead-chipmunk into the house, or the one where my husband smashed a mouse with his boot in the middle of our living room in the middle of Easter dessert while his big sister stood shrieking on our couch.
And I have one about bats that I don't want to get into right now, but why I'm bringing this all up in the first place is because just the other day, in the middle of a visit about the baby, my grandparents and my nephew going to kindergarten, Mom pulled out the latest.
"Oh, did I tell you about the bird in the sink?"
No. No, she hadn't.
"Oh, I was standing at the sink and a bird flew up out of it."
"Wait. A bird flew out of your sink!?"
"Yeah. Yeah. Well anyway, it flew up at me and then started banging against the window and so I screamed."
"Yeah, I bet you screamed."
"And Dad came huffing in, wondering what was going on, you know ..."
"Because you're easily startled."
"Yeah. And so he was able to grab the bird against the window and bring it out to the door to set it free."
"Oh, that's good."
"But, well, then I heard him holler, 'Don't look, don't look!"
"Oh, no ..."
"Cause the cat was out on the deck ..."
"Oh. No."
"And as soon as that bird left his hands, well, she got up off her chair and snatched it up, and that was that."
If this were a Disney movie, I think that would have turned out differently.
Yes, the law of the land is hard to buck sometimes. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/4103820-veeder-ranch-circle-life-can-be-tough-witness | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/04f848532f8f4dd6215cf5d2f5dea3f24b74589da826cee38db071040eb523be.json |
[
"Rob Port",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T00:53:24 | null | 2016-08-29T19:47:35 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fopinion%2Fcolumns%2F4104208-its-good-thing-kaepernick-can-choose-sit-during-national-anthem.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/field/image/Port%2C-Rob-2_11_1.jpg?itok=Mc-y5mn6 | en | null | It's a good thing Kaepernick can choose to sit during national anthem | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | This is America, after all. One of the things which makes this place great, which inspires millions upon millions of people to voluntarily stand in respect during our national anthem, is that we don't force people into unwilling displays of nationalism. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/opinion/columns/4104208-its-good-thing-kaepernick-can-choose-sit-during-national-anthem | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/092933a55c50239ef069fbda10ed45642322e7848d3179c8db7117992864d751.json |
[
"Sam Easter",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-29T18:51:46 | null | 2016-08-29T12:42:34 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4103224-recalling-eve-destruction-grand-forks-air-force-base-veterans-reflect-25.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitUzFjR0FNbDhQa0k.jpg?itok=2cMZEjnp | en | null | Recalling the eve of destruction, Grand Forks Air Force Base veterans reflect 25 years after the Cold War | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | A portrait of Bill Little sits on his kitchen table in Grand Forks with other newspaper clippings and various paperwork from his time at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Little holds a newspaper clipping with his B-52 crew who were selected as top crew for the month of May in 1964. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Veteran John Friend, a mechanic for F101 Voodoo fighter planes at GFAFB during the Cold War holds a keepsake box put together by his daughter including a portrait from his time in service, his dog tags and patches from his uniform. . Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Little looks at an copy of Combat Crew from April 1970 which dons an illustration of a B-52 bomber on the cover. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Veteran Bill Little, in his home in Grand Forks, looks for his name on a list of enlisted men from a box of mementos from his days as a B52 gunner at the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Veteran Bill Little, a former B-52 Gunner with the Grand Forks Air Force Base in his home in Grand Forks, N.D. holds his flight helmet, from his time as a B-52 gunner, in is computer room in his home in Grand Forks. Jesse Trelstad/ Grand Forks Herald
Snapped on Jan. 27, 1983, this photo shows the devastating aftermath of an explosion on board a B-52 aircraft that claimed the lives of five Air Force service members. (U.S. Air Force historical photo)
John D. Friend talks about different aspects of plane repair in front of a displayed F-101 Voodoo Interceptor at the Grand Forks Air Force Base near Grand Forks, ND on Tuesday, August 23, 2016. (Joshua Komer/Grand Forks Herald)
GRAND FORKS, N.D.—For John Friend, the ghosts of what might have been are still seared into his memory. An assistant crew chief at Grand Forks Air Force Base, he served during the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962.
"We heard the news, and they had us come for a meeting," said Friend, who had grown up in southern Illinois and joined the Air Force only about a year earlier. "They said, 'This is going to be really serious.'"
Part of Friend's job was ensuring a speedy F-101 Voodoo interceptor was ready to fly — a job that demanded speed and concentration. He remembers once trying to screw an item onto an aircraft and realizing his screwdriver wasn't nearby. He grabbed a kitchen knife and did the best he could to finish while the plane was in motion.
During the crisis, that pressing level of readiness kept Friend so close to the runway that he recalls sleeping on the wing of a nearby aircraft. When he went off-shift, he remembers wandering back to his quarters to have a nightmare of a mushroom cloud in the distance.
"It was jumpy," he said. "Scary, jumpy — we thought this was it. We thought (for) sure there was going to be a nuclear exchange. At that time, we didn't know if we were going to be the only ones left or the first ones to go."
The Cold War may seem a little more distant each day, but airmen still remember well when Grand Forks was on the front lines of a conflict that at a moment's notice could have descended into blaring alarms, bombers on the runway and mushroom clouds on the horizon.
For more than three decades, the men and women of Grand Forks Air Force Base, some of whom still live in the area, were ready to spring to action if the Cold War—the decades of post-World War II political tensions between the U.S. and the USSR—turned hot.
This month marks the 25th anniversary of the failed coup attempt against Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the USSR, which was a crucial turning point in the unraveling of the Soviet Union that led to its dissolution in coming months.
The recollections of Cold War veterans are many and varied. All of them, though, have a story to tell about the time in American life when the future was anything but certain.
Some served as electricians and mechanics, while others sat sequestered in missile capsules, prepared to launch warheads over the North Pole. Still others, remember the regular readiness drills or waiting "on alert" to board a B-52 bomber to fly across the Arctic and, quite possibly, end the world.
There were times they stood "on alert" for hours or days on end, serving their country in rotating shifts, to ensure the Air Force could respond to sudden orders from Washington. Now, a quarter-century after the Cold War ended, former airmen remember their time on base fondly, even cloaked behind the veneer of danger.
Friend, who still lives in Grand Forks, arrived at the base in mid-1962. He recalls chatting with a flight attendant on a trip out of Minneapolis and the dawning realization that—like many of the men he served alongside—he was about to be very, very far from home.
"She said, 'Oh, you're going out to the end of the line,'" he recalled with a chuckle. "I said, 'Oh my God.'"
'Ain't no Nordstroms'
Grand Forks Air Force Base was founded in the 1950s and was quickly equipped with everything it would need to wage nuclear war. Bryan Booker, the installation's historian, said its earliest years saw the arrival of fighter interceptors—quick and responsive aircraft that could get in the air in a hurry to head off enemy planes.
By 1960, the base received one of its marquee missions: nuclear-armed B-52 bombers, capable of carrying an atomic payload into the heart of the Soviet Union. Those, in turn, were supported by the KC-135 tankers, which refueled bombers while they were in the air. By 1964, construction began on nuclear missile silos in the broader Grand Forks area — 150 eventually dotted the countryside.
Years later, Mike Yaguchi, who reported for duty as a missile launch officer in 1986, remembers the sprawling wilderness as a remarkably easy transition from his time growing up in Seattle. There were still plenty of things to do outdoors, he said, but he was stunned by the lack of diversity and the small population.
"There ain't no Nordstroms in Grand Forks," he joked.
Others recalled the biting cold. Edwin Parks, a New Jersey native who took the same assignment in 1984, said: "All I can remember was that the first 20 days in North Dakota, the high never got above 10 below. It was crazy."
Underground crew
Both Parks and Yaguchi had what might be the most iconic job on base. As missile launch officers, they were stationed below ground for long periods of time in a launch "capsule." At any time, they could be asked to launch a nuclear warhead. Until then, though, the job could be monotonous.
"Most of your days, we would have practice messages we would get, some security alarms would go off if a rabbit jumped on the site ... you'd have to send the security police to go check that out," Parks said. "It was not real exciting, and most of the time you sat around waiting for something to happen."
But if anything were to happen, Parks said, they would need to follow a rigid set up steps to send a missile into Russia. First, he and his partner would receive a code from Washington, D.C., to arm a missile. Second, they'd target it and give the order to launch it. Third, there was a catch. They would need a second capsule team to confirm the launch before the missile would fly—one extra security check that made the weapon impossible to launch without the right protocol.
"Without that code, it was tougher than trying to win the lottery or the Powerball," Parks said.
The job wasn't for the faint of heart.
Yaguchi explained the training required to become a launch officer included a "key turn" — a literal key-turn necessary to launch the missile.
"When you did your first practice key-turn, you would sign a document that said you fully understand the responsibility that comes with this career field," Yaguchi said. There were always airmen who simply couldn't do it, but "nobody gave them grief."
High in the sky
B-52 bomber and KC-135 tanker crews, ever-ready to fly over Russia, comprised the other half of the base's Cold War mission.
Bill Little, a retired Air Force veteran who spent nearly 30 years in the Air Force first joined in the 1940s and now lives in Grand Forks. In his home he keeps a room full of Air Force memorabilia, including an old helmet he wore as a B-52 gunner. It was a post he held at the base from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s.
"Each crew had a target," Little explained. "We'd go over in (a room) they called 'the vault,' and we'd study our mission. You'd know what defenses they had, as far as intelligence could ascertain — exactly what your target was, or exactly how to get there and how to get back."
It was an opportunity to study not only the defenses you'd fly over but also the terrain near your target. There was always, of course, the chance you might be shot down, he said.
"There were many, many targets in Russia during that period of time, the Cold War," Little said. "I even had Moscow one time. I didn't like it. Because they had two rings of missiles around it and so forth—I don't know. I'd better not say too much. I don't know what's still classified. You knew the probability in Moscow, you might not make it."
That was the daily reality many airmen faced: If a nuclear war began, odds were you might not come home.
Quick and deadly
Gary Masilko, now a retired Air Force colonel, arrived on base in 1980 as an instructor pilot for the KC-135 refueling tankers. By 1983, he was commander of the 905th Air Refueling Squadron, overseeing the refueling mission in Grand Forks and beyond. In the case of a nuclear strike, he said airmen probably would have less than 10 minutes to get in the air.
"And if we did survive the mission, when we return there might not be a town," he said. "You have a younger generation that can't even conceive that we were in a position where we would have been doing that."
Yet Masilko said he and the rest of the Air Force personnel on base took it in stride.
"In the Air Force, nobody was drafted. Everybody here is a volunteer, and they've accepted the mission. You need to be comfortable understanding that this is your job," he said. "This is what we do. This is what our country is committed to at this time. We don't like that we're in the Cold War, but we're here to make sure that if it gets hot, we're ready to respond."
'Every time ... you'd remember'
In 1983, the ever-present, if far away, threat of war was punctuated by a deadly explosion right on the Grand Forks base when five members of a maintenance crew were killed.
The airmen were inside a B-52 bomber when a spark from a circuit breaker set off a giant explosion.
"It was so intense. It basically burned it to the ground," base historian Booker said. "It just showed the inherent danger that Air Force personnel go through every day. Even when they weren't flying, how dangerous the mission could be."
A black-and-white Air Force photograph shows the devastation. Taken from above, the outline of the charred plane is visible, but only the tail seems to be partially intact.
Ed Hattenberger, who worked as an aircraft mechanic on the base and in related roles from 1976 to 1990, said he knew three of the crew members who died. For years before the tarmac was resurfaced, it was a constant reminder of the tragedy.
"That part of the ramp had burn marks on the surface of it," he said. "So every time you drove by it, you'd remember."
A post-Cold War world
Twenty-five years ago, the Soviet Union was in the midst of breaking apart.
The failed August 1991 coup attempt speeded the end of the world's second superpower. It was just four months later on Christmas Day when the iconic hammer and sickle flag was removed from the Kremlin.
It was the beginning of the end of the Cold War and a time that led to a long series of changes shifting missions at the base.
At the height of the Cold War, Booker said there were more than 3,000 Air Force personnel on base. Today, there's between 1,500 and 2,000.
As the U.S. military shifted closer to a peacekeeping mission, the Bombers — which had transitioned from B-52s to the sleeker and more modern B-1s in the 1980s — went off alert in the early 1990s and soon after were transitioned away from the base.
By 1998, all nuclear missiles had been removed from the base's silos. The KC-135 tankers, which remained on base for years and often were sent on worldwide missions, left the base for good in 2010.
The Interceptor aircraft, which transitioned from F-101 Voodoos to the Delta Dart decades earlier, had already gone in the 1970s.
Today's air base has a radically different focus on unmanned aircraft. The Global Hawk aircraft arrived in 2011, and Booker said the Department of Homeland Security also flies Predator aircraft on border surveillance missions.
But the airmen who lived or worked on the base during the height of the Cold War remember it fondly.
Nole J. Myers Jr., who served as a parachute rigger, said he loved it.
"I'm a family guy. We got used to living here. The quality of life and the quality of air. It wasn't quite the hassle of big-city life," he said. Given the chance to join the 1970s Air Force, he said he'd do it again.
"You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. I miss it still."
Friend remembers it fondly, too, recalling the 8mm film he shot with a handheld camera—the same film that shows a Voodoo aircraft slide down the runway before floating into the sky.
"It gets in your blood," Friend said. "You just can't get enough of it." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4103224-recalling-eve-destruction-grand-forks-air-force-base-veterans-reflect-25 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/501b95c74e9b2e7557071d2d414c525e7a5bba7b886a46db2c11c6c4865fa8ba.json |
[
"The Sports Xchange",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T04:52:35 | null | 2016-08-29T22:54:46 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fprofessional%2F4104415-quarterback-siemian-start-broncos.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/field/image/0830%20Broncos.JPG?itok=ch_BXIo_ | en | null | Quarterback Siemian to start for Broncos | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian runs with the ball against the Chicago Bears Aug. 11 at Soldier Field. (Photo by Dennis Wierzbicki / USA TODAY Sports)
Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has named Trevor Siemian the starting quarterback for Week One, when the defending champions open the 2016 season with a rematch of Super Bowl 50.
Siemian, who has yet to throw a regular-season pass in the NFL, will start against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 8 to kick off the NFL's 2016 regular season.
Kubiak informed quarterbacks Siemian, Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch of his decision on Monday morning prior to sharing it with the entire team.
Siemian, a 2015 seventh-round pick, will replace the retired Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, who left the Broncos during free agency to join the Houston Texans in the offseason.
"The thing about replacing Peyton -- nobody is going to replace Peyton," Siemian said last week. "Those shoes are a little too big to fill.
"For me, I'm not reading too much into anything and trying to be the best team mate and leader I can be."
The 24-year-old Siemian won the battle with Mark Sanchez, who was traded in March by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Broncos for a conditional 2017 draft pick.
Siemian solidified his hold on the starting job in Saturday night's third preseason game when the Broncos beat the Los Angeles Rams 17-9, completing 10 of 17 passes for 122 yards with a touchdown and an interception that came off a deflection.
"I'm impressed -- I think he's very calm,'' Kubiak said of Siemian after the game. "I can tell by the way he handles the team in the huddle, he's got control of what's going on. Gets a bad break on the 'go' ball and comes right back and goes down the field. I think what I see is a guy getting better."
Sanchez, who did not play in the third game, is slated to count $4.5 million against the salary cap if he makes the roster. The Broncos would not have to surrender the pick to the Eagles if he is not on the roster to open the season.
Denver moved up five spots in the first round of the 2016 draft to select Lynch, who was 6-of-13 passing for 57 yards and led a touchdown drive Saturday night. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/professional/4104415-quarterback-siemian-start-broncos | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/b11c00ea96c30c7289943622122922b8830262a69a4668a8132b0ef945c2ddbc.json |
[
"Jack Hittinger",
"Jack Hittinger Is The Sports Editor Of The Bemidji Pioneer. He Is Also The Bemidji State Beat Writer. He Hails The Great State Of Michigan. Read His Bemidji State Blog At",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-31T00:52:11 | null | 2016-08-30T19:12:23 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2F4105041-bemidji-state-football-coach-leave-absence-ad-says.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B2r172P3qo9rQnQ3ejdicTJqYzg.jpg?itok=HxFwdPtq | en | null | Bemidji State football coach on 'leave of absence,' AD says | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Bemidji State football head coach Jeff Tesch works with the linemen during a recent practice held at Chet Anderson Stadium. Maggi Stivers / Forum News Service
BEMIDJI, Minn.—Longtime head coach Jeff Tesch will not be on the sideline at Bemidji State for Thursday's football season opener against Upper Iowa.
In a press release delivered just over 48 hours prior to the Beavers' home opener, BSU director of athletics Tracy Dill said that Tesch was taking a "leave of absence" from the Beavers.
BSU officials would not elaborate further on the nature of Tesch's absence.
BSU opens its season at 6 p.m. Thursday at Chet Anderson Stadium.
Defensive coordinator Brett Bolte would be taking over as head coach in the interim, the press release said.
Tesch is entering his 21st season on the Beaver sideline. He is 126-91 all-time as BSU head coach, a tenure that began in 1996 and featured a conference championship (2006), a bowl game appearance (also 2006) and 10 All-Americans.
A native of Robbinsdale, Tesch played college tight end at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he was an All-American and NCAA Division II receiving champion. After graduating he was an assistant at Montana State, Central Missouri State and North Dakota, where he spent 11 seasons.
Bolte has been a member of Tesch's staff since 2000, and a full-time assistant since 2003. He's been defensive coordinator since 2005. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/college/4105041-bemidji-state-football-coach-leave-absence-ad-says | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/ea2d12ea125e21ceb41ab88b2f8f87c3d7814f2c1b8e05f6f073094f136e923b.json |
[
"Reuters Media",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T18:52:08 | null | 2016-08-30T12:51:46 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fagriculture%2F4104772-us-soybean-plantings-rise-2017-corn-fall.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B0FHRS_QcepbM19DbXJMMkhEVms.jpg?itok=lj99LXfv | en | null | U.S. soybean plantings to rise in 2017, corn to fall | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | A bushel of soybeans are shown on display in the Monsanto research facility in Creve Coeur, Missouri, U.S. on July 28, 2014. REUTERS/Tom Gannam/File Photo
BOONE, Iowa—U.S. farmers plan to increase their soybean plantings in 2017 to an all-time high, encouraged by robust demand for the oilseed, while reducing corn and wheat acreage, according to a producer survey released by Farm Futures magazine on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
Growers will plant 84.4 million acres of soybeans next spring, up from 83.7 million in 2016, and 93.1 million acres of corn, down from 94.1 million this year, according to the survey, the magazine's first for the upcoming season.
Low prices will prompt farmers to slash wheat area for a fourth straight season to 49.1 million acres, which would be the lowest U.S. all-wheat acreage since 1970, according to the
online survey of 1,225 farmers conducted in late July and early August.
A moderate increase in white wheat seedings will be more than offset by declines in plantings of all other major classes of wheat, the survey showed.
"Farmers show a tendency to base planting decisions on what worked the previous year, and soybeans were profitable for growers able to take advantage of hedging opportunities this
summer," Bryce Knorr, Farm Futures senior grain market analyst, said in a statement.
"Strong buying from China also provides a much better fundamental underpinning for the market compared to corn and wheat, which lack demand drivers," he said.
The survey also forecast moderate increases in cotton and sorghum acres. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/agriculture/4104772-us-soybean-plantings-rise-2017-corn-fall | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/1b090028044ae5bff8779e8d5752bcef2c4cd6f87ee49ab7ca887eadd4a52268.json |
[
"Reuters Media",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-29T18:52:16 | null | 2016-08-29T12:30:38 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-and-world%2F4103889-freak-lightning-storm-kills-323-reindeer-norway.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/field/image/0830%20Dead%20Reindeer.JPG?itok=Ycp7zxQ5 | en | null | Freak lightning storm kills 323 reindeer in Norway | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Dead wild reindeer are seen on Hardangervidda in Norway, after lightning struck the central mountain plateau and killed more than 300 of them, in this undated handout photo. Haavard Kjoentvedt/Norwegian Nature Inspectorate/NTB Scanpix via REUTERS
OSLO, Norway -- A freak lightning storm has killed 323 reindeer in a remote mountainous area of Norway, officials said on Monday.
Dead animals were found lying on top of each other, many with their antlers entangled, after the thunderstorm on the Hardanger plateau in southern Norway on Friday.
"We've never had anything like this with lightning," Kjartan Knutsen of Norway's nature surveillance agency said, adding there were sometimes isolated cases of sheep or reindeer struck down.
Reindeer tend to group together when in danger. It was unclear whether the herd had been killed by a single lightning bolt or several.
Hardanger was extremely wet on Friday, helping conduct lightning.
"The high moisture in both the ground and the air was probably an explanation for why so many animals died," Olav Strand, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, wrote in a statement. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/nation-and-world/4103889-freak-lightning-storm-kills-323-reindeer-norway | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/7b4a355f3c2511bf2b8dec0f11c62fce8827144d927fdc286ce2f1f71d02355c.json |
[
"Mike Berardino",
"St Paul Pioneer Press",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-31T04:52:13 | null | 2016-08-30T23:48:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fprofessional%2F4105299-prized-twins-reliever-might-go-fall-league.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Prized Twins reliever might go to fall league | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | CLEVELAND — Prized Twins relief prospect Nick Burdi, who has suffered through a lost season because of a bruised humerus in his right arm, is still being considered for a second consecutive assignment to the Arizona Fall League.
Burdi, 23, made just three appearances for Double-A Chattanooga before landing on the disabled list in early May. The 2014 second-round pick out of Louisville threw eight scoreless innings (11 strikeouts) in the prospect-only league last fall.
Rosters are due to be announced Wednesday.
Left-hander Randy Rosario, limited to 96ƒ innings in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, is expected to be among Twins prospects named to the Surprise Saguaros roster.
Rosario, added to the 40-man roster last winter, saw his nine-inning strikeout rate drop to 6.49 in 21 outings (16 starts) for Class A Fort Myers but he posted a 3.34 earned-run average.
Miracle shortstop Nick Gordon, the Twins' first-round pick in 2014, could head west to build on a solid season in which he hit .296. Lookouts center fielder Zach Granite also figures to be a candidate for the seven-man Twins contingent after a breakout season that includes a .356 on-base percentage.
Triple-A sluggers Daniel Palka and Adam Brett Walker II could rate return visits to the desert along with Double-A catcher Stuart Turner.
Among pitchers, Double-A lefty Mason Melotakis has worked just 32 innings out of the bullpen after being added to the 40-man roster last winter. Right-handers Ryan Eades, Brandon Peterson and recently acquired Alan Busenitz also profile as potential AFL candidates.
Santiago's progress
Four walks on Monday night helped veteran left-hander Hector Santiago surge back into a tie with Martin Perez of the Texas Rangers for the American League lead at 64.
In terms of nine-inning walk rate, Santiago maintains a comfortable edge among AL qualifiers at 3.95, well ahead of Kansas City flamethrower Yordano Ventura (3.61). Cleveland righty Trevor Bauer, who dueled Santiago to a standstill over the first six innings of an eventual 1-0 Twins loss, was fourth in the AL at 3.43 walks per nine.
So much for the Twins' attempts to turn Santiago into a strike-throwing machine.
"I said that right before starting in my (pregame) bullpen: I haven't worried about walks all year and I've pitched fine," Santiago said. "I've given up six walks and I've gone six innings and gotten a win. A walk is not the issue; it's when I try not to walk people and leave pitches over the middle of the plate."
After going two straight starts without a walk but giving up a combined 15 earned runs in 8„ innings, Santiago held the Indians to three hits despite recording just two strikeouts for the third straight outing.
"I think I pitched smart," he said. "I definitely think pitching to where I'm not worried about walking people is a better mind-set — having that mind-set of, 'Who cares?' If I walk somebody, I walk somebody. Get the next guy and here we go. Move on."
Awkward spot
Twins manager Paul Molitor was asked Tuesday about the search for Terry Ryan's front-office successor and how that might limit his short-term options and long-range decisions in the coming weeks.
"I don't fret over that," Molitor said. "I think it's different because we have some unknowns here moving forward with some people that will be integral to some of the philosophies we might go forward with. It just puts us in kind of a strange position, but it's one of those uncontrollable things and we'll have to see how it plays out."
The Twins are searching for a president of baseball operations who would then likely hire a general manager if interim GM Rob Antony or another internal candidate isn't retained for that role.
"You would hope that you would still have some input into some of those things and bring people up to speed if there's changes," Molitor said.
Molitor said he plans to meet individually with most players on the season-ending roster, as he did last year, to give them some thoughts moving forward.
"I will still voice what I think," he said. "Is it possible that it could change because of whatever might transpire? I think players will understand that, too."
Tebowmania
The Twins were among major league teams with a scouting presence at Tim Tebow's much-hyped baseball workout Tuesday in Southern California.
Former big-league catcher Chad Moeller, who was drafted by the Twins in 1996 and broke in with them in 2000, is one of Tebow's baseball trainers. Molitor was bench coach under Tom Kelly in 2000, but he was unaware Moeller had been coaching Tebow, who hasn't played baseball since high school.
Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback, already has an offer to play outfield this winter for Zulia in Venezuela. Twins farmhands Levi Michael and D.J. Baxendale were with Zulia last winter, and reliever Ryan O'Rourke pitched for the club in 2014-15. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/professional/4105299-prized-twins-reliever-might-go-fall-league | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/9a682f3e7d4b24a0191eb153304027a7e7fa8a3ddf34c158a971ad72f2021aca.json |
[
"Mike Nowatzki",
"Mike Nowatzki Reports For Forum News Service.",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T02:50:02 | null | 2016-08-26T20:03:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4102779-nd-leaders-shift-toward-willingness-spend-legacy-fund-earnings-2017-19.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitWWFoUHYxckhheFU.jpg?itok=5NOTJNNp | en | null | N.D. leaders shift toward willingness to spend Legacy Fund earnings for 2017-19 budget --EMDASH-- but which earnings? | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, (from right) talks about the state's Legacy Fund as House Minority Leader Kenton Onstad, D-Parshall, and Brad Crabtree of the Great Plains Institute listen on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016, during the Greater North Dakota Chamber's Policy Summit at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck, N.D. Photo by Mike Nowatzki / Forum News Service
BISMARCK — North Dakota leaders are signaling a growing willingness to use earnings from the state's $3.8 billion Legacy Fund to shore up declining revenues when they craft the budget for next biennium, but just which earnings will be available is still up in the air.
"I'll tell you right now, I'm counting on the revenue from the Legacy Fund," Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, said during a lively panel discussion Thursday as part of the Greater North Dakota Chamber's daylong Policy Summit in Bismarck.
The discussion came about three weeks after the Legislature met in special session to plug a $310 million budget shortfall for the current biennium that ends next June, in part by using $100 million in profits from the state-owned Bank of North Dakota.
The Legacy Fund has grown to more than $3.8 billion since state voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2010 to create the trust fund by setting aside 30 percent of the state's taxes on oil and gas production and extraction starting in 2011.
There were no guidelines on how to spend the money, but lawmakers can't tap it until after June 30, 2017. After that date, the state treasurer must transfer earnings to the state's general fund.
Wardner and House Minority Leader Kenton Onstad, D-Parshall, both said there's no appetite to spend the fund's principal — which requires two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate — but agreed that the earnings will likely be needed to fund state programs.
Wardner said about $120 million in earnings are expected to be available for the 2017-19 biennium, citing a Legislative Council estimate.
"If we're going to keep our priorities and make sure we get through this time, we're going to need that $120 million," he said. "In my mind, I'm planning on that we're probably going to use it."
Long-term vision
Brad Crabtree, vice president for fossil energy for the Minneapolis-based Great Plains Institute, led an initiative in 2013-14 involving public and private sector leaders from across the state to develop a road map for the Legacy Fund. He urged lawmakers Thursday not to use the Legacy Fund just to plug short-term budget gaps but to invest most of the earnings back into the principal to allow compounding interest to build the fund bigger so it can be invested in major long-term initiatives later on.
Crabtree said the group presented lawmakers last year with modest recommendations about governance and management of the fund, "and to be very candid, most of the legislators in the hearing room couldn't give a damn."
"I don't see a lot of responsiveness or vision to new ideas, and so it worries me that we're going to make some bad choices that will then set the precedent ... that the Legacy Fund slowly dies a death by a thousand cuts legislative session by legislative session," he said.
"That's an unfair statement," Wardner shot back. "The Legislature is not going to let it die. We're committed to leaving it in there. Sometimes we need to use it, the interest, in order to get through a tough time."
However, the question remains whether the earnings that have accrued so far will also be available for lawmakers to spend with a simple majority vote, or whether they'll be considered part of the principal and will require a two-thirds vote to spend. State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt has asked Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem for an opinion on the issue.
"The constitution is silent on it," she said.
Warner and Onstad both said they're not interested in using those earnings. Onstad said after the panel that he doesn't even want to use the 2017-19 earnings, "but I think we're going to be forced to because we've cut revenue in other areas."
Like other state revenues, monthly deposits into the Legacy Fund have shrunk considerably as low crude prices have slowed oil drilling activity, though a rebound is in the forecast.
The average monthly deposit so far this calendar year has been $29.7 million, down from about $50 million in 2015 and $93 million in 2014, according to the treasurer's office. The record high monthly deposit was more than $117 million in August 2014. This month's deposit was about $35.3 million.
The 2016 figures reflect GOP lawmakers' decision last year to lower the oil extraction rate from 6.5 percent to 5 percent as of Jan. 1, while doing away with price-based tax breaks that would have drastically reduced oil tax collections. Whether the tax break was necessary continues to be a source of debate, as seen Thursday.
Revenue forecasts released earlier this month project tax revenues going into the Legacy Fund will total about $810.7 million this biennium and $994.2 million in 2017-19.
Gov. Jack Dalrymple told reporters last month that he would not rule out the possibility of using interest earnings from the Legacy Fund in his proposed budget for 2017-19, but said he doesn't support spending the principal. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4102779-nd-leaders-shift-toward-willingness-spend-legacy-fund-earnings-2017-19 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/510156311439994c1bda7de12f40e530ee595e64c4d307d521ef1108645889f2.json |
[
"Samuel Evers",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T04:52:15 | null | 2016-08-29T23:11:26 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fblue-hawks%2F4104423-dickinson-state-cross-country-looks-carry-momentum-after-last-seasons.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B2r172P3qo9rbENCU1FSTGZubkk.jpg?itok=4400C8gt | en | null | Dickinson State cross country looks to carry momentum after last season's success | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | The faces of this year's Dickinson State men's cross country team look a lot different than the faces of last year's team.
All three seniors from last season's conference champion have graduated, and another three are gone for various personal reasons.
The lone top runner left from last season, and the lone senior on this year's team, is Jonathan Aman. The roster of eight is made up of Aman, three transfers from Bakersfield College and Bakersfield, Calif., two freshmen and two other sophomore returners.
With more new teammates than old ones, there is some uncertainty entering the season. But this offseason, Aman made sure one of those question marks wouldn't be team chemistry.
"I think the major thing we did, in the first week that we all met each other, was the team bonding stuff, just getting to know each other," Aman said. "I told them immediately, 'It's one thing to work hard on the courses together, but if you don't know the guy you're running next to, then why would you want to run harder for him? There would be no point if you weren't close.'"
While the Blue Hawks have their annual DSU Twilight Team Time Trials — an intrasquad scrimmage — this Thursday, both team's first meet of the year will be on Sept. 9 in Minneapolis, at the MSU Moorhead Randy Smith Invite.
Aman, a Las Vegas native, said his bond with the California runners — Daniel Aguirre, Christopher Moreno and Richard Timmermans — grew particularly quickly, in part because all of them are from the West Coast.
"We just have a togetherness already and we all want to work hard together," he said. "If it comes down to it, no one is going to have a problem going all out at the line."
Despite holding the conference title from a season ago, the Blue Hawks were voted second in the North Star Athletic Association Preseason Coaches poll, while Waldorf College came in first.
From head coach Ben Shroyer's point of view, the ranking was because of his team's high turnover and a strong job of offseason recruiting by Waldorf. But he didn't put much thought in the poll, instead choosing to focus on the long haul.
"It's just going to be take time. Time will tell. A lot of questions and unknowns," Shroyer said. "It'll be our Jamestown meet (Oct. 1) until we really know where we're at, and how we stack up in the conference. That's how I'm looking at it at least. But our goal is to win conference again, both men and women, because we want to go back to Nationals."
On the women's side, which joined the men's team last season in winning the NSAA and taking its first ever trip to the NAIA National Cross Country Championship in North Carolina, things appear more concrete.
The women were unanimously voted first in the same preseason poll, and technically return their top five finishers, although Austyn Copp, last year's top runner, may miss the entire season with a knee injury.
"The women's side I think we should be tough," said Shroyer, whose women's roster also stands at eight. "But in our situation, we have to have freshmen step up and be a part of the team because we don't have 20 women on the team. They don't have a year or two to step in."
Along with the two freshmen are two sophomores, two juniors and two seniors. Junior Ashly Kraenzel, who redshirted last season for medical reasons, is back with the team after finishing as the Blue Hawks' top runner in 2014. She figures be a big part of the team's success in the absence of Copp.
"It's not really necessarily about coming in and replacing (Copp); I don't feel like you can do that because every person has a different facet that they are going to bring to the team," Kraenzel said. "But I'm just coming in and hoping that I can maybe add something and see what I can do." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/blue-hawks/4104423-dickinson-state-cross-country-looks-carry-momentum-after-last-seasons | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/164ac0b219d5a1505691483b6e8973e5f582dfee283a2a023359ff95a70329f8.json |
[
"Rob Port",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-28T06:51:41 | null | 2016-08-28T01:00:03 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fopinion%2Fcolumns%2F4103347-port-dhs-audit-revealed-shameful-conduct-which-put-children-risk.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/field/image/Port%2C%20Rob%201_13.jpg?itok=TFp-sWey | en | null | Port: DHS audit revealed shameful conduct which put children at risk | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | MINOT -- “The Department of Human Services is not properly monitoring or suspending providers and notifying parents after confirmed knowledge of activities that jeopardize the health and safety of children.”
That line is from a bombshell report from the North Dakota State Auditor’s office.
What activities was DHS soft peddling, according to the auditor?
“Providers were allowed to continue operating under MOU (memorandum of understanding) agreements while the Department was aware of activities including illegal drug use by the provider, restricted persons being present at the facility, inappropriate touching from adults, inappropriate sexual play between children, and other concerns of supervision and discipline,” the report states.
I’ll give you a moment to pick your jaw up off the floor.
Back now? Good. Here’s another dose of ugly from the report.
“The significant errors identified in our testing of child care provider licensing indicate these reviews are clearly ineffective at identifying material weaknesses and inconsistencies,” it states. “These situations include failure to identify incomplete application requirements, improperly licensed providers, nonperformance of unannounced inspections, backdated licenses, lack of monitoring of corrective orders, non-imposed sanctions, and lack of documented notification to parents for serious safety concerns.”
This was no mere dereliction of duty. These were calculated policies which prioritized keeping child care facilities open over the safety of the children themselves. The report says there was an “improper balance between ensuring safe quality of child care and supporting child care providers to become licensed or continue operating without meeting minimum requirements.”
Keep in mind, this report comes after a 5-year-old Velva girl drowned while in the care of a facility with licensing problems and too few staff for the number of children they were watching.
Maybe, if the folks at DHS had been doing their jobs, that little girl might still be alive today.
Child care services can be scarce in our state, particularly in the more rural areas.
Perhaps it’s understandable that state regulators would work to keep a facility open and serving its community.
But we aren’t talking about letting a few facilities skate on red tape technicalities. We’re talking about dozens of confirmed instances where the people in charge of ensuring these facilities are safe not only allowed troubled facilities to continue operating but failed to notify parents about serious problems.
The auditor looked at a sampling of 58 licensed facilities and found problems at 11 of them. That’s not a good ratio. With over 1,000 licensed child care facilities in this state, it makes me wonder how many more have serious problems tolerated by state officials.
What do we do about this?
For one thing Maggie Anderson, the director of the DHS and a member of Governor Jack Dalrymple’s cabinet, needs to go. Under her watch a callous disregard for the safety of children became systemic.
On her way out the door maybe she can give back some of the $27,692 bonus she got from Dalrymple last year.
For another, we need assurances from Dalrymple himself that this problem is going to be corrected. When it comes to the executive branch of our government, the buck stops in his office.
What we don’t need is more of Dalrymple’s lead-from-behind style.
After I wrote about this audit at SayAnythingBlog.com I got unsolicited emails from three different readers — solid, involved Republicans all and one a significant contributor to Dalrymple’s past campaigns — who told me they thought the governor should resign over this audit.
I’m not sure I’m ready to go that far, but I am more than a little weary of Dalrymple being a lame duck on autopilot in the closing months of his tenure in office.
Lead, Mr. Dalrymple, or move aside for someone who will.
Port, founder of SayAnythingBlog.com, a North Dakota political blog, is a Forum Communications commentator. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/opinion/columns/4103347-port-dhs-audit-revealed-shameful-conduct-which-put-children-risk | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/32f09b064cfec805f6d2f2a3e5567b3310c45c249e2f56767b48b4b5c2d541a2.json |
[
"Parker Cotton",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-31T06:52:24 | null | 2016-08-31T00:16:29 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fmidgets%2F4105304-midgets-volleyball-drops-west-region-opener-demons.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B2r172P3qo9rTUpRVlprRW1tbGM.jpg?itok=4XJJilq2 | en | null | Midgets volleyball drops West Region opener to Demons | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Dickinson High junior setter Marley McChesney sets the ball for a teammate against Bismarck High on Tuesday at DHS gymnasium. (Parker Cotton / The Dickinson Press)
While holding a 23-22 lead in the first set on Bismarck High, the Dickinson High volleyball team seemed poised to take the first set win at the start of West Region play.
The Demons quickly responded to tie the game and take the next two points, winning the set 25-23. It was a brief spurt, but it lingered the rest of the match.
Bismarck came away with a sweep after picking up 25-18 victories in the second and third games.
"It's frustrating because it's little things that we shouldn't be doing," Midgets head coach Jay Schobinger said. "We don't give ourselves a chance and then we don't get out of it."
The Midgets (0-1) showed signs of life in the third set as they traded points through the early going. Bismarck (1-0) pulled ahead 12-9 only to see Dickinson go on a run of its own to tie it at 12.
When locked in a tie at 13, the Demons won three of the next four points and Dickinson didn't get closer than three points the rest of the way.
"We just let them get on runs, and that's what brings us down," Dickinson senior Aspen Galster said. "We were playing really well at first and we were communicating, but when the other team goes on runs, it gets hard and we lose our momentum."
The Demons rolled out a balanced offense, led by senior Cara Haussler's 14 kills. Kiaya Schwab and Lexus Mosbrucker followed with eight and six, respectively, helping Bismarck to its first win in non-tournament play.
"The biggest thing we focused on was minimizing our own mistakes," Demons head coach Shari Hewson said. "They finished that first game really well. They were back, and they just came back and finished, and that just carried over."
On Dickinson's side, it was the little errors and lapses in communication that came back to haunt the Midgets.
Schobinger said the Midgets played better and harder than what he saw over the weekend when the team opened the year at a tournament hosted by Bismarck Legacy.
"We saw a little more continuity," he said.
Galster could see that same improvement as well.
"We communicated a lot more. Over the weekend, we were really quiet and didn't really know what we were doing," she said. "And our setters did phenomenal tonight."
The Midgets are still breaking in a trio of new setters — Lexi Jordheim, Marley McChesney and Sadi Dvorak — that are not setters by trade.
Jordheim led the group with nine assists, and McChesney followed with eight. Dvorak added five.
"Our offense did alright tonight," Schobinger said. "I know our middle hitters are a little frustrated, but we've got kids that have never set the ball in the middle before. That's just going to take some time. But I think our outside hitters were a little more aggressive than they have been in the past."
Dickinson junior Mariah Mortensen led the Midgets with seven kills and added three blocks and an ace. Jordheim, Paige Schweitzer and Jayde Lawlar all tallied four kills.
"Our hitters were a lot more aggressive," said Galster, who had six digs and an ace, "and I think we're figuring our defense out."
Bismarck High 3, Dickinson High 0
B 25 25 25 — 3
D 23 18 18 — 0
Kills: B, Cara Haussler 14, Kiaya Schwab 8, Lexus Mosbrucker 6, Lauryn Andre 5, Shanoah Williams 4, Jess Oja 3, Alie Glasser 1. D, Mariah Mortensen 7, Lexi Jordheim 4, Paige Schweitzer 4, Jayde Lawlar 4, Morgan Kainz 3, Brianna Larsen 1.
Blocks: B, Schwab 1, Haussler 1. D, Mortensen 3, Kainz 1, Lawlar 1, Jordheim 1.
Aces: B, Mosbrucker 3, Jenna Kivisto 1, Oja 1, Andre 1. D, Mortensen 1, Schweitzer 1, Sadi Dvorak 1, Aspen Galster 1, Larsen 1.
Digs: B, Kivisto 18, Haussler 9, Andre 7, Glasser 6, Oja 5, Mosbrucker 2, Schwab 1. D, Jordheim 12, Sarah Dobitz 11, Katie Riely 7, Galster 6, Marley McChesney 5, Schweitzer 3, Mortensen 2, Lawlar 1, Dvorak 1.
Assists: B, Oja 32, Kivisto 1, Glasser 1. D, Jordheim 9, McChesney 8, Dvorak 4, Schweitzer 1, Riely 1. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/midgets/4105304-midgets-volleyball-drops-west-region-opener-demons | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/b19018342d88daf7423e83e8bec6e7e18a1b938b23295db18518a6919eff332c.json |
[
"Jake Shama",
"On Aug",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:03 | null | 2016-08-25T23:43:29 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4102069-sd-10-year-old-who-died-crash-had-smile-lit-room.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMita2d6c3hxV2FXVTQ.jpg?itok=U0hyugMu | en | null | SD 10-year-old who died in crash had a 'smile that lit up a room' | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Members of the Corsica Fire Department block off the scene of a crash Wednesday on Highway 44 near Dakota Christian School, about four miles southwest of New Holland. (Jake Shama/Forum News Service)
PLATTE, S.D. — A 10-year-old boy from Geddes who died in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon in far south-central South Dakota had "a smile that lit up a room."
Andrew Sybesma, of Geddes, died after a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup truck, in which he was a passenger, collided with a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee at about 3:30 p.m. on South Dakota Highway 44, according to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
Sybesma was a student at Dakota Christian School, a private, faith-based school for students in pre-kindergarten through high school, near where the crash occurred. The Ford Ranger was southbound on 376th Avenue and collided with the eastbound Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Five other people sustained minor injuries in the crash, including a 14-year-old driver of the vehicle Sybesma was in.
According to Donald Mitchell, Superintendent at Dakota Christian School, Sybesma and two others involved in the crash were Dakota Christian students.
"Andrew was a 10-year-old boy with a smile that lit up a room," Mitchell said in a written statement Thursday to The Daily Republic. "His youthful exuberance and cheerful attitude affected everyone with whom he came in contact."
Sybesma, as well as the 14-year-old male driver and 11-year-old female passenger, both of Geddes, were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the truck, authorities said.
Chandra Dykshorn, the 27-year-old driver of the Grand Cherokee, had two juveniles, ages 2 and 4, in her vehicle. The juveniles were in child seats. All three occupants of the jeep are from New Holland.
Names of the other people involved are not being released, as they are juveniles.
Mitchell said Sybesma loved playing football, and his favorite move was "The Dab," a celebration popularized by Carolina Panthers Quarterback Cam Newton, but Sybesma's legacy will extend beyond sports and dance moves.
"Most importantly, his love for his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ leaves behind an indelible legacy for the entire DCS family to follow," Mitchell said. "He was adored by his classmates and teachers, and the DCS family is in shock and mourning over the loss of our beloved Andrew. Our prayers go out to the Sybesma family and to all who are affected by this tragedy."
Funeral services were arranged by Mount Funeral Homes in Platte. Visitation is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Christian Reformed Church in Platte with a 7 p.m. prayer service.
The funeral will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, also at Christian Reformed Church, followed by burial in the Platte City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Sybesma's family requests people make donations to Dakota Christian School.
Young drivers
According to Tony Mangan, public information officer for the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, the 14-year-old driver had a valid restricted driver's license.
In South Dakota, 14 is the minimum age that a person can obtain a driver's license, the lowest minimum age in the United States.
Like five other states, a 14-year-old driver can obtain an instruction permit, which allows a person to drive between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. with a licensed adult, but the driver can receive a restricted minor's permit 90 days later if he or she has successfully completed a state-certified driver's education course. Without completing a course, teen drivers may receive a restricted permit after 180 days.
A restricted minor's permit allows a driver to operate a vehicle unsupervised from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with approval from a parent or guardian. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., the driver must have a parent or guardian in the vehicle.
South Dakota drivers can then gain a full, unrestricted license at age 16.
The three-tiered graduated license system is common across the country. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, the average minimum age to obtain an instruction permit, or equivalent, in the United States is 15.12 years old. The average minimum age to obtain a restricted permit is 16.03, and the average to obtain an unrestricted license, among 38 states with a defined minimum age, is 17.
South Dakota allows teens to gain a restricted permit at a younger age than any other state. The next closest states are Montana and Idaho at 15.
But South Dakota's age limits have actually gotten stricter over the years. In 1999, the state's current graduated license system, approved by the legislature, took effect, Mangan said. Before then, 14-year-old drivers were given an unrestricted license without requiring any kind of permit beforehand. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4102069-sd-10-year-old-who-died-crash-had-smile-lit-room | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/5045d9f695c38e2588b56360e856577631cb661450b92dec5c85ecb029d188a8.json |
[
"April Baumgarten",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-28T04:51:40 | null | 2016-08-27T23:19:02 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4103341-red-river-valley-storms-produce-tornadoes-3-inch-hail.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitaDZYd2xJNjdmVlE.jpg?itok=WeI8021Q | en | null | Red River Valley storms produce tornadoes, 3-inch hail | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Alden Lieberg photographs the damage to Kelly and Brenda Beck's vehicle from a hailstorm Saturday afternoon in Arvilla, ND. photo by Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
Brenda Beck checks the damage to her Chrysler van after Saturday's hailstorm in Arvilla, ND. photo by Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald
ARVILLA, N.D.—Kelly Beck walked around his yard Saturday afternoon, golf ball-size hail and leaves crunching under his feet as he assessed the damage at his Arvilla home.
"It's just like a bullet went through it," he said as he held a green bell pepper with two large holes showing the projectile of the hailstone.
Arvilla, a small town of about 300 residents that is approximately 20 miles west of Grand Forks, suffered significant hail damage from the storm that formed around 4 p.m. Saturday in northeast North Dakota. Hail fell for about 25 minutes in the city, with some stones as large as 3 inches, Beck said. Residents around town were seen raking leaves knocked down by the storm, with ditches still filled with hail hours after the storm passed. Others looked over vehicle damage, including smashed windows.
Aside from the bell pepper plant, the rest of the garden was destroyed. A van in his yard was marked with hail dents and cracks in the windshield. Plants, lawn ornaments and pots appeared pummeled.
"When it first started, I heard bang, bang," he said, adding his first thought was how it missed his pickup. "Then it let loose."
Parts of Arvilla lost power, though crews were on scene several hours after the storm.
The storms that formed in the Red River Valley triggered several alerts produced several reports of tornadoes in Grand Forks County, including a "large and dangerous" tornado near Holmes, N.D., which is about 30 miles southwest of Grand Forks. Another tornado touched down south of Cummings, N.D., a Traill County town of about 200 people roughly 25 miles south of Grand Forks.
The storm destroyed a farmstead north of Hillsboro, according to the National Weather Service.
Other parts of the Valley saw heavy rain and hail, with reports ranging from pea- to baseball-sized stones.
It seemed the storms affected a swath of land between Fargo and Grafton, with the bulk of it staying between Arvilla and Hillsboro. Though reports indicated the storm could produce torrential flooding and winds exceeding 40 mph, it was too early to tell Saturday how much damage was caused across the region. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4103341-red-river-valley-storms-produce-tornadoes-3-inch-hail | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/ea1df312ded4645a24359d59e34d2f238f3a678874e71acc3289b8af8f65e288.json |
[
"Parker Cotton",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-28T06:51:21 | null | 2016-08-28T01:00:35 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fpreps%2F4103359-oak-grove-tops-heart-river-football.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Oak Grove tops Heart River football | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | BISMARCK — The Heart River football team suffered a 32-0 loss to Fargo Oak Grove to open the season Saturday in Bismarck.
The Cougars were held without a completed pass in the game, so all offensive yards came on the ground.
Cauy Shypkoski led the way with 44 yards on nine carries. Trace Jacobson added 21 yards on six carries, Dion Madler carried four times for 23 yards and Zack Bebee ran eight times for 13 yards.
Oak Grove led 6-0 after the first quarter and 19-0 at halftime before adding six points and seven points in the final two quarters. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/preps/4103359-oak-grove-tops-heart-river-football | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/f46f49c2306f11d072a4818109881574bd821c710008679e6ef31d22c805d49f.json |
[
"Sports Xchange",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-27T06:50:36 | null | 2016-08-27T00:52:13 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fprofessional%2F4102973-smoak-martin-bash-blue-jays-past-twins.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitRkR2eG5JakhVZ3M.jpg?itok=QoGX4POC | en | null | Smoak, Martin bash Blue Jays past Twins | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Aug 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Twins left fielder Robbie Grossman (36) can't reach a ball hit for a home run by Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Darwin Barney (not pictured) in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier (2) forces out Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) at second but can't turn a double play in the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
TORONTO—Justin Smoak and Russell Martin each had five RBIs, Francisco Liriano earned his first win for the Blue Jays and Toronto used four home runs to defeat the Minnesota Twins 15-8 on Friday night.
Smoak, Martin, Josh Donaldson and Darwin Barney homered for the Blue Jays. Donaldson added three RBIs.
The Blue Jays (72-56) entered Friday tied for first place in the American League East with the Boston Red Sox
Trevor Plouffe homered for the Twins (49-79), who lost their eighth game in a row and Kurt Suzuki had three RBIs.
Twins left-hander Pat Dean (1-4) allowed eight hits, one walk and six runs in three innings.
Liriano (7-12) allowed two hits, four walks and four runs (three earned) in five innings to go 1-1 in four starts for Toronto after a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The left-hander struck out seven.
Joe Biagini allowed a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Eddie Rosario to cut Toronto's advantage to 6-5.
Barney led off the four-run Toronto sixth with his fourth homer of the season.
Pat Light replaced Andrew Albers after shortstop Jorge Polanco's throwing error on Ezequiel Carrera's grounder
As Jose Bautista struck out, Carrera stole second and took third on a throwing error by the catcher, Suzuki.
Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion walked to load the bases and Martin hit a three-run double for a 10-5 Toronto lead.
The Blue Jays added five runs in the seventh against Michael Tonkin and Michael O'Rourke, who allowed Martin's 15th homer, a two-run shot.
Smoak and Donaldson had RBI singles in the inning.
The Twins scored twice in the eighth against Aaron Loup on a sacrifice fly by Suzuki and an RBI single by Rosario.
Loup allowed a sacrifice fly to Max Kepler in the ninth.
Plouffe hit his eighth homer of the season with two out in the first inning to give the Twins a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Jays came back with five runs in the second inning, three on the 14th homer of the season by Smoak and two on the 30th home run of the season by Donaldson.
Troy Tulowitzki, Melvin Upton Jr. and Bautista hit singles in the inning.
The Twins cut the lead to 5-2 with an unearned run in the third on walks to Kurt Suzuki and Robbie Grossman, an error by Liriano on an infield trickler by Eddie Rosario and Plouffe's sacrifice fly.
Singles by Upton, Darwin Barney and Smoak restored Toronto's four-run lead in the bottom of the third.
Suzuki hit a two-run double in the fourth to reduce Toronto's lead to 6-4. It scored Kepler and Eduardo Escobar, who had walked. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/professional/4102973-smoak-martin-bash-blue-jays-past-twins | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/b88b46254d6f3d6eb682f94469e167de5a5c244da1b3d6f482ac40706f9f0378.json |
[
"Jenny Schlecht",
"Bismarck Tribune",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-29T16:51:43 | null | 2016-08-29T10:26:26 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4103774-judge-pipeline-case-stresses-importance-law.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Judge in pipeline case stresses importance of law | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | BISMARCK—The judge who will decide the immediate future of the Dakota Access Pipeline expressed his belief during his confirmation proceedings that the U.S. Constitution and judicial precedent should lead to a judge's decisions.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in 2010 responded to questions from U.S. Sens. Jeff Sessions and Tom Coburn about his judicial philosophies. Boasberg's answers tended to stress the importance of following the law. Neither empathy nor sympathy should play a role, he wrote.
"Judges should not work from a desired outcome in assessing the law and facts. Instead, they should follow the law and facts to whatever outcome they dictate," he wrote.
Boasberg will decide whether to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline while the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe pursues a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The tribe alleges the corps violated the National Historic Preservation Act while permitting the pipeline, which would take Bakken oil to Illinois. Boasberg plans to rule on the injunction by Sept. 9.
According to his biography on the court's website, Boasberg attended college at Yale, received a master's in modern European history from Oxford University, then went back to Yale for law school.
Boasberg served as a law clerk in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District, then worked in litigation at two law firms. He served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., specializing in homicide prosecutions before becoming as an associate judge in the District of Columbia Superior Court.
Pres. Barack Obama in 2010 nominated Boasberg to the District Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Senate in March 2011 confirmed the nomination by a 96-0 vote.
According to his public questionnaire at the time of his nomination to the district court, Boasberg has never served in political campaigns or political parties.
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in May 2014 appointed Boasberg to the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, an 11-judge court that rules on whether the government can use various investigative actions for foreign intelligence purposes.
Since his appointment, Boasberg has presided over several high-publicity cases. In 2015, he ordered the Obama administration to stop detaining immigrants solely for the purpose of deterring others from immigrating illegally, according to the New York Times. Boasberg also earlier this week ordered the U.S. State Department to release additional emails from Hillary Clinton's time as Secretary of State, the Times also reported.
Boasberg in April was ranked No. 1 in a list of seven "rising star" district court judges by legal website Above the Law, as determined by how often other judges cited him in their opinions. The website also called him one of the most influential new judges. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4103774-judge-pipeline-case-stresses-importance-law | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/a93743353074ff936605b147d7453a86587d3eae7708c8ab9ba42275c8aed40d.json |
[
"Kevin Schnepf",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-28T06:51:01 | null | 2016-08-28T00:57:42 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2F4103356-schnepf-clear-new-video-boards-one-thing-certain-bison-just-find-way-win.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/field/image/082816.S.FF_.ndsufootball.01.jpg?itok=4hqB4yFE | en | null | Schnepf: As clear as the new video boards, one thing is certain: Bison just find a way to win | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | North Dakota State’s King Frazier, right, celebrates his overtime touchdown run against Charleston Southern with teammate Jeff Illies Saturday at the Fargodome. (FNS Photo by David Samson)
FARGO -- Al Hager remembers the 1970s watching North Dakota State football games at old Dacotah Field — sometimes sunny, usually cold and windy; sometimes filled with fans, often abandoned with ice-covered empty seats; and a scoreboard with light bulbs that provided the score ... and that was about it.
Saturday night in the Fargodome, the 68-year-old Hager was sitting in his usual spot in Section 29 of the north endzone seats. Below him on Gate City Bank Field was the college football season opener between NDSU and Charleston Southern.
Above him, hanging was the 37,000-pound new state-of-the-art, high definition video board that provided nearly 18,881 fans with high-definition appearances from Carson Wentz and Erin Teschuk. The head of Bison head coach Chris Klieman once projected on the new screens was large enough to cover George Washington’s face on Mount Rushmore — or so it seemed.
“It’s like going from an old TV to H.D.,” said Hager, who could have watched the entire game without looking at the field since all the action was beamed on the giant screens.
Little did Bison fans expect that those video boards would be displaying the first Bison overtime game played in the Fargodome. Charleston Southern, with 16 starters back from last year’s playoff team, was not intimidated by all the noise and new glitz. The Buccaneers gave the Bison all they could handle.
But in the end, the Bison claimed a dramatic 24-17 win. All those 3 million pixels in the big video boards displayed with clarity — the Bison are just tough to beat, especially in the dome.
Charleston Southern nearly became the first team since Emporia State in 1998 to hand the Bison a season-opening home loss.
“These games are just such an adrenalin rush,” Hager said well before the game.
Hager is one of those avid tailgaters who fill up the 15 acres of cement-covered lots west of the Fargodome. His crew was the first in line Friday afternoon, 25 hours before Saturday’s kickoff, waiting for the tailgating lots to open and claim their usual four unreserved lots that cost them a total of $20.
While he and his cohorts took cover in the nearby porta-potties during an early afternoon hail storm, tailgaters in the reserved section — like Dave and Alice Vandal of Sabin, Minn., — simply hopped into their tailgating rig that used to be a limo party bus. Their four reserved spots cost them $360.
Whether you were partying in the cheaper lots or the more expensive lots, all those tailgaters did get to experience something new other than another Bison win. The $7.2 million video boards — with their crystal clear, pixelated images — made NDSU’s one-of-kind team entrances even more impressive.
The boards that hung above Hager in the north seats and above the Bison marching band in the south seats each measure 29 feet high and 100 feet wide. That’s big enough to cover most of the end zones in the Fargodome yet by no means is the leader in this recent race to build the largest and most vivid video scoreboard.
EverBank Field, home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, claims the biggest at 360 feet wide and 60 feet high — more than twice the size what Bison fans experienced Saturday night. But they are almost as big as the 108-foot wide, 48-foot tall boards that hang in TCF Bank Stadium — home of the Minnesota Gophers.
Once again, the Bison are making a bid to outdo the Gophers. And once again, the Bison found a way to win. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/college/4103356-schnepf-clear-new-video-boards-one-thing-certain-bison-just-find-way-win | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/94399a69113ac04479e93106fc5eea3ad6280df36dbd46ec316b00936c705207.json |
[
"Forum News Service",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-31T02:52:12 | null | 2016-08-30T21:06:12 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4105084-grand-forks-teacher-wins-100000-powerball-drawing.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Grand Forks teacher wins $100,000 in Powerball drawing | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | GRAND FORKS -- Ruth Pederson, a Grand Forks middle school teacher of more than 20 years, had prayed Sunday night for a good first day of class after summer vacation.
As that first Monday of the year went on and the excited special education instructor marveled at how much the kids had grown over the break, it became clear her prayers had been answered. What wasn’t yet clear was the extent.
Not long after Pederson left school, she discovered she’d won the lottery -- a $100,000 Powerball with Power Play prize from numbers drawn on Saturday.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh, my feet are sore, I should sit,’ ” she said Tuesday evening as she drove back from Bismarck, where she’d claimed her winnings earlier that day. “It was about 10 minutes to 4 p.m., so I had about 10 minutes left and had forgotten I had the ticket. I looked at it, then looked at another teacher and asked, ‘Do you think four white balls and a Powerball is good?’ ”
Pederson described herself as an occasional lottery player and said her son had been the one to eventually explain that she’d won the drawing on the “quick pick” ticket.
She spent the second day of the school year on her trip to Bismarck. Calling in absent from her classroom wasn’t easy, even with the circumstances. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4105084-grand-forks-teacher-wins-100000-powerball-drawing | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/07c76b70bc71e01eb267245c401267585caf1c09ed111d8f227e319f8b520508.json |
[
"Dustin Monke",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-31T00:52:21 | null | 2016-08-30T19:40:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Feducation%2F4105052-roosevelt-presidential-library-board-chair-optimistic-organization-begins.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B0FHRS_QcepbMF9nc19qdkh3cFU.jpg?itok=rTfX-5ON | en | null | Roosevelt presidential library board chair optimistic as organization begins | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation Board Chair Bruce Pitts stands in front of Cottonwood tree logs that'll be used to recreate Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch cabin on Tuesday at the site of the proposed library and museum. (Dustin Monke / The Dickinson Press)
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation Board Chair Bruce Pitts stands in front of Cottonwood tree logs that'll be used to recreate Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch cabin on Tuesday at the site of the proposed library and museum. (Dustin Monke / The Dickinson Press)
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation Board Chair Bruce Pitts stands in front of Cottonwood tree logs that'll be used to recreate Roosevelt's Elkhorn Ranch cabin on Tuesday at the site of the proposed library and museum. (Dustin Monke / The Dickinson Press)
Bruce Pitts sat down with a fabled downtown Dickinson coffee group on Tuesday morning and walked away with $1,250.
The group handed the chairman of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation board cash and checks to go toward planting a cottonwood tree next to the replica of Roosevelt's Elkhorn Cabin.
"They're challenging other coffee groups to do the same," Pitts said with a laugh.
The cabin is slated to begin construction next summer at the site of the proposed $60 million Roosevelt Presidential Library on Dickinson State University's campus.
Pitts spent the past few days in Dickinson meeting with library staff and potential donors as the foundation begins a nationwide push toward making the project a reality.
"We're in a position where things are happening in an orderly sequence ... and there's great intent," he said. "We're in a much better place than we were a year ago."
New developments
Pitts said the biggest recent development is that Mortenson Construction has been retained to oversee all aspects of the library's construction. He said the Minneapolis-based firm's connection to Dickinson was essential in the foundation choosing them.
Mortenson built the West River Community Center and the West River Ice Center, the Biesiot Activities Center, and is in the process of constructing the Dickinson Middle School.
"It's important to have somebody who understands what it means to build here," Pitts said.
Requests for proposals are going out to architectural firms and other designers soon, he said, and a consulting group has been retained to help the foundation organize all aspects of its planning.
"We're in the process of planning a capital campaign that is national," Pitts said. "This is a local project, but it has a national impact. Most of the money is going to come nationally. We're very confident about our ability to raise the funds needed to build something magnificent in Dickinson."
Pitts hosted Bridget Bush, a senior project manager for consulting group Ascent, throughout the weekend.
Bush said she toured Theodore Roosevelt National Park and visited the Elkhorn Ranch site to try and gain a better appreciation for the project.
She will be working with Mortenson on the project and is helping the foundation "realize big ambitions," she said, by creating organization from the beginning to the end of the project, setting milestones and helping organize fundraising and public relations.
The Chicago-based consultant said it's "meaningful" to be involved in the project.
"The cool thing about the project is that Theodore Roosevelt is an absolutely amazing subject," Bush said. "He appeals to so many people. We've got that ability to appeal to masses. There's something of interest for everyone."
One of the biggest issues facing the library foundation, however, remains its search for a permanent CEO.
Jim Kelly, who held the interim CEO position since last December, recently told the board he won't continue in the position while on a leave of absence since suffering a stroke in early July while hiking in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Kelly won't be immediately replaced, Pitts said.
"We think that once we get through this initial phase of planning this winter, we'll be in a position to restart our search for a CEO and we'll probably do that this spring," Pitts said.
Cabin construction
Dozens of cottonwood logs that have been sitting on the project site just off 13th Avenue West all summer and are meant to be used in the construction of the Elkhorn Ranch cabin replica will finally see movement in October, Pitts said.
The first Roosevelt Elkhorn Festival will be held from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at the project site. The festival will feature chief cabin builder Richard Bickel demonstrating the debarking of the cottonwoods, cross-cut sawing the board, and notching and preparing the trees for assembly. The event will also feature a chuckwagon dinner, music and kids games from Roosevelt's era.
The purpose is to begin cutting the logs so they can cure throughout the winter before the cabin is built.
"They need at least a year to cure," said Shanna Shervheim, the foundation's recently hired regional public relations manager. "They need to be debarked first or they'll just rot."
Pitts said it's believed the reason the original Elkhorn Ranch cabin—and others like it—are no longer standing is that the wood used in them wasn't allow to dry and cure.
He said the replica will be built using 19th century tools, but will have modern touches. The roof will have six inches more of an overhang than the original cabin to help with displacement of rainwater and snow, and Pitts said the entire structure will be "exceptional" when it comes to Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
"We're building this in a way that recognizes modern realities," he said.
Pitts said winter planning is crucial to the construction of the library.
The foundation board—which has 13 members, seven of whom are from Dickinson—is planning a series of community forums to gather input on the project's design and what it should elements it should include.
One of those elements is a 70-ton steam shovel used to build the Panama Canal, which the planners envision as part of a virtual reality exhibit that immerses the museum visitor inside the construction of the Panama Canal.
"We're going to start engaging the community at a much deeper level to react to designs, to react to possibilities. Then next spring and summer, we'll be launching a capital campaign," Pitts said. "All those things will hopefully line up with a time to initiate construction—perhaps in a year—and knowing we have the money to pay for it. All this has to come together in a very deliberate way. I'm optimistic it's going to come together well." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/education/4105052-roosevelt-presidential-library-board-chair-optimistic-organization-begins | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/4e53efa9c667fc0cd3079d69ec9509b195090e2d9d23a1f7bebe5d5ae657b2cc.json |
[
"Caroline Grueskin",
"Bismarck Tribune",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T22:52:41 | null | 2016-08-30T17:14:48 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4104947-highway-patrolmen-protest-site-take-name-tags.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Highway patrolmen at protest site take off name tags | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | BISMARCK-- North Dakota Highway Patrol troopers working near the Dakota Access Pipeline protests are not wearing name tags, due to concerns about officers being threatened online.
"Early on when the protests were starting, there were numerous incidents of social media posts identifying officers by their name and posting of specific threats towards those officers on social media," Lt. Tom Iverson said.
Iverson said officers also were advised to monitor their social media accounts to make sure they were not providing identifying information for "someone that would want to do harm to you or your family."
Troopers were notified by email on Aug. 13 and the change took place the following Monday, he said.
They are still wearing badges with their numbers, which would allow anyone to report an officer who acted badly.
Iverson said the threatening posts were found through simple keyword searches on social media sites, such as Facebook. He would not share the posts with the Tribune, citing an ongoing criminal investigation. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4104947-highway-patrolmen-protest-site-take-name-tags | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/85e3f4fee4792e20620092e39a568fb6043aabe174101dd5c33b5a0159a4bbfb.json |
[
"April Baumgarten",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-31T02:52:42 | null | 2016-08-30T20:09:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnorth-dakota%2F4105064-missing-angler-73-found-alive-after-floating-12-hours-devils-lake.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/all/themes/thedickinsonpress_theme/images/touch-icon.png | en | null | Missing angler, 73, found alive after floating for 12 hours on Devils Lake | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | MINNEWAUKAN—A 73-year-old man who survived the night floating in the water of Devils Lake has his lifejacket and an empty gas can to thank after his fishing boat sank this weekend.
Leroy Throlson of Sheyenne, N.D., has been released from hospital care and is doing fine after the ordeal, Benson County Sheriff Steve Rohrer said Tuesday. He said the fisherman is lucky to be alive.
"We were preparing the family for the worst," Rohrer said. "It's just incredible."
The story of survival began Friday night after Throlson launched his fishing boat into Devils Lake about an hour before twilight, Rohrer said.
Throlson had been traveling in his boat somewhere east of Minnewaukan, a Benson County town of roughly 200 residents about 20 miles west of the city of Devils Lake, when the back of the watercraft caught a wave and started foundering, Rohrer said. The boat sank, leaving Throlson stranded at night in the middle of the lake.
The surface area of Devils Lake is massive with 330.2 square miles. Temperatures dipped into the mid-50s Friday night into early Saturday morning.
Finding the shoreline would have been difficult at night. The water was likely warmer than air temperatures, but Throlson still would have been cold floating in the lake overnight, Rohrer said.
When asked what the chances were of someone surviving a night in the waters of Devils Lake, Rohrer said "probably slim to none."
A search and rescue mission was launched about 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning after the Sheriff's Department received a call that Throlson hadn't returned from his fishing trip.
But around 11 a.m. Saturday, Rohrer received another call. The reporting party said Throlson had floated to shore near North Dakota Highway 19 northwest of Minnewaukan and had been taken to CHI St. Alexius Health in Devils Lake for treatment.
Other than feeling sore from the night in the water, Throlson was doing well, Rohrer said.
He was released Sunday.
Luckily for Throlson, an empty 5-gallon gas can was floating nearby, so he grabbed onto it and hung on throughout the night.
Rohrer credited the lifejacket and gas can for Throlson's survival, adding he didn't start wearing a lifejacket until recently at the request of his family.
"His family got on him a few weeks ago to start wearing his lifejacket," Rohrer said.
The tale of survival emphasizes how important it is to wear a lifejacket while boating and to let someone know about your travel plans when heading out on the lake, Rohrer said, including when you are leaving and when you plan to return. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/4105064-missing-angler-73-found-alive-after-floating-12-hours-devils-lake | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/4077b308efde837247b3543781de73693e11989d44a2242c49d6fe3167f673fe.json |
[
"Reuters Media",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T04:50:13 | null | 2016-08-26T23:38:50 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-and-world%2F4102958-fda-wants-donated-blood-tested-zika-virus.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitX3NsdGV4cjEtVms.jpg?itok=f4BkntiI | en | null | FDA wants donated blood tested for Zika virus | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Donated blood is seen being transferred into test tubes at United Blood Services in Fargo, N.D., in this file photo.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended on Friday, Aug. 26, that all blood donated in the United States and its territories be tested for Zika virus, as it moves to prevent transmission of the virus through the blood supply.
The agency's move to expand its previous guideline for blood screening comes after Florida officials on Tuesday announced the first case of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes in Pinellas County, some 265 miles from Miami, where the first locally transmitted U.S. cases were reported.
The FDA last month ordered blood banks in Florida's two most densely populated counties—Miami-Dade County and Broward County—to stop collecting blood.
The FDA also recommended that nearby counties implement the same measures.
Zika was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
Health officials warned pregnant women last week not to travel to Miami Beach after Florida confirmed the mosquito-borne Zika virus was active there.
The agency had recommended in February that blood should no longer be collected from regions where the Zika virus is circulating, and that blood needed for transfusions be obtained from areas of the country without active transmission.
The FDA has authorized the emergency use of several investigational Zika screening tests, including products made by Hologic Inc and Roche Holding AG. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/nation-and-world/4102958-fda-wants-donated-blood-tested-zika-virus | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/c60d576e156b5dc399a4cc15aaedd22b783d834784440ae48bd116b079a75b61.json |
[
"Eric Peterson",
"Peterson Covers Small College Athletics For The Forum",
"Including Concordia College",
"Minnesota State Moorhead. He Also Covers The Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks Independent Baseball Team",
"Helps Out With North Dakota State Football Coverage.",
"On Aug",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-27T06:51:46 | null | 2016-08-26T23:58:20 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2F4102972-espn-analyst-brown-thinks-fcs-right-level-bison.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitWmR2ZzZIQURHRzQ.jpg?itok=QRc_wym4 | en | null | ESPN analyst Brown thinks FCS is the right level for the Bison | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | ESPN Broadcaster and former Texas coach Mack Brown talks about the NDSU championship run in FCS football while talking with the media from the Fargodomeon Friday, August 26, 2016. David Samson / The Forum
FARGO—Mack Brown won a national title at the top level of college football and the former Texas head coach thinks North Dakota State should stay put.
The Bison, who have won an unprecedented five consecutive Division I FCS national championships, open their season against Charleston Southern at 6:36 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.
Brown will serve as the color analyst for ESPN, which will televise the FCS Kickoff game.
"I think (the Bison) stay where they are. It's about winning, it's about character, it's about academics," Brown said on the game's eve outside the NDSU football offices in the Fargodome. "It's working for them. Why would you ever even think about changing it? You want to be the best at what you do, and right now, they are the best program in FCS and it's not even any question."
The Bison have a 71-5 record over the previous five seasons, including four wins against Division I FBS opponents. They have five consecutive wins against FBS teams.
That success has some clamoring for the Bison to move to the FBS level. In recent years, former FCS powers like Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have made the move to FBS.
Brown was the head coach at Appalachian State in 1983. In 2013, the Mountaineers started their transition to FBS from FCS. They were the first team to win three consecutive FCS national titles (2005, 2006, 2007).
"I told Appalachian if I was them I'd stay, keep winning national championships at their level because that's what it's all about. You want to win, you want to compete," Brown said. "You'll have a great experience for your fans and your university and your players. How does it get any better than that?"
Brown led the Texas Longhorns to the FBS national championship for the 2005 season. The Longhorns rallied to beat Southern California 41-38 in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl.
Brown is impressed that NDSU has been able to maintain a national championship level for half a decade.
"What the guys have done here is just unbelievable ... five straight national championships. You always say you can't repeat, well these guys have done it," Brown said. "They've stayed humble and they've stayed hungry and it's very, very difficult to do."
Brown said he has a "large bank of knowledge" about NDSU football. He worked with former Bison coach Darrell Mudra at Florida State in the 1970s. Mudra was a head coach at NDSU in the 1960s and led the team to a national title in 1965.
Brown also said he's friends with Craig Bohl, who led the Bison to three FCS national championships (2011, 2012, 2013) before taking the head job at Wyoming.
"Craig Bohl is a dear friend," Brown said. "Craig is a guy that I watched and followed."
Brown predicts the college football structure will change in the next 5 to 10 years with the Power Five conferences breaking away from the rest of Division I.
"It will probably be a system where maybe there's this Power Five group and then everybody else," Brown said. "But I think that true college football right now is at the FCS level and it's fun to watch."
As for Saturday's NDSU-Charleston Southern game, Brown is looking forward to experience the atmosphere in the Fargodome.
"I'm looking forward to the noise. I hope they can't hear us at all," Brown said with a laugh. "The (team) entrance is supposedly unbelievable." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/college/4102972-espn-analyst-brown-thinks-fcs-right-level-bison | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/8928e336d0f0bf450b23b6333a60ce3f78c00624751dcc210a515c955c4a5dc4.json |
[
"Chris Tomasson",
"St. Paul Pioneer Press",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-28T04:51:00 | null | 2016-08-27T23:38:32 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fsports%2Fprofessional%2F4103349-finishing-career-vikings-petersons-ultimate-goal.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitODgwQkNnSnZXRTA.jpg?itok=HBapOYfb | en | null | Finishing career with Vikings is Peterson's 'ultimate goal' | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson walks onto the field during the afternoon practice on the second day of the Minnesota Vikings training camp at Minnesota State University in Mankato on Saturday, July 30, 2016. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)
What intrigued the Vikings running back was Bryant having spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers before finally retiring in April at 37.
"They were talking about Kobe being the only guy (in NBA history) to play for one franchise for like 20 years,'' Peterson said. "And I remember looking at that like, 'Man, wow, that'd be amazing to be able to do that.' So that's what I hope, man, is to finish here.''
OK, even Peterson, who talks about playing until his late 30s, doesn't believe he'll last 20 seasons. What the 10-year veteran wants to do, though, is play for no team other than Minnesota.
"That would be amazing,'' Peterson sad. "That would be the ultimate goal.''
It was 1½ years ago that Peterson, coming off missing the final 15 games of the season because of a child-abuse incident, said he wasn't sure he wanted to come back to the Vikings. With rumors swirling that Peterson could be traded, he did return and became last season the second-oldest player to lead the NFL in rushing.
Peterson, 31, is now vying to break hall of famer Curtis Martin's record and become the oldest. Then he wants to continue playing long-term with the Vikings.
"We got a great coaching staff, great team, young team, great fans here, so why not?'' he said. "The coach is the main thing.''
Peterson has developed a special bond with Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer, who played a key role last year in making him feel comfortable about returning. Zimmer has great trust in his running back, and that recently was illustrated.
Zimmer left the choice up to Peterson on whether he wanted to play in the preseason. Peterson, who hasn't had an exhibition carry since 2011, had said in May he was "itching" to change that, but he ultimately decided it was in his best interests to remain on the sideline.
"He trusts me,'' Peterson said of his relationship with Zimmer. "We trust each other.''
So Peterson won't take the field Sunday when the Vikings open U.S. Bank Stadium in the third preseason game against San Diego. Instead, he next will play in the Sept. 11 regular-season opener at Tennessee.
As far as Zimmer is concerned, it will be business as usual. Peterson might be a year older, but he's not planning on any changes from last season, when he rushed for 1,485 yards on 327 carries, an average of 20.4 per game.
"I think he can handle the same workload he had last year,'' Zimmer said.
One-team wonders
Peterson, who arrived in Minnesota in 2007, would like to join the short list of legendary runners who played with just one NFL team.
Peterson is No. 17 on the NFL career rushing list with 11,675 yards. No. 2 Walter Payton, No. 3 Barry Sanders and No. 9 Jim Brown are the only other players in the top 25 to have not played for multiple franchises.
"When you play with the same team, I think it makes it a lot more attainable to play for a long time,'' said Eric Dickerson, who is No. 7 on the list and played for four teams from 1983-93. "You look at Adrian. You look at Walter Payton, who was with the Bears his whole career (from 1975-87). When you have to move to another team, it makes it harder. When you don't, you know that team and the team knows you and that makes it much easier.''
The Vikings, who stood by Peterson despite his troubles in 2014, know all about Peterson. But will they like him well enough next year to again pay him huge bucks?
Peterson is guaranteed this season to make $12 million on a contract that was restructured in July 2015. He is on the books in 2017 for a base salary of $11.75 million, a $6 million roster bonus and a $250,000 workout bonus, which would be a whopping total of $18 million.
Few believe Peterson will end up playing for that amount. The Vikings would owe him nothing if he is waived by the third day of the league year next March, although a very possible scenario is his deal is again restructured.
For now, Peterson isn't dwelling on his future contract situation.
"Right now, I really don't worry about that,'' he said. "I focus on the season and things that I can control right now, and whatever else comes after this year will take care of itself. ... At the end of the day, I know business is business, so never unexpect the unexpected.''
For how long?
Peterson has talked about playing until he's 40 but also has backed off from that number. If all works out, here's how long now he's thinking now about playing for the Vikings.
"I kind of change by the seasons,'' Peterson said. "You'll never know how I feel next year or the year after that or the year after that, Right now, I plan on playing long term, for five or six more years. But who knows what life brings?''
If Peterson plays five more years, he would need to average 1,336 yards a season to break Emmitt Smith's career rushing record of 18,355 yards. If he logs six more, he would need to average 1,113.
"That's one of my goals,'' Peterson said of topping Smith. "It's high up there.''
If Peterson duplicates his yardage total from 2015, he will move up this season to No. 8 on the all-time list. Hall of famers in line to be passed include No. 14 Thurman Thomas (12.074), No. 13 Franco Harris (12,120), No. 12 Marcus Allen (12,243), No. 10 Marshall Faulk (12,279), Brown (12,312) and No. 8 Tony Dorsett (12.739).
"It's going to be an honor,'' Peterson said. "I grew dreaming about playing in the NFL and being the best player to ever play. And just to climb the ladder and pass guys, pass greatness along the way, is just a humbling feeling.''
Team goals
Entering this season, though, Peterson has been more outspoken about team goals. The Vikings are coming off their first NFC North title in six years, and Peterson has let everyone know who will listen he believes they have what it takes to claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
"That would be awesome to defend the North and put ourselves in a position to make the playoffs and to win a Super Bowl,'' Peterson said. "If I have 1,000 yards, 900 yards, if we're playing in the Super Bowl, that's the best season of my career, over my MVP season. That's how I view it.''
Peterson hoisted the MVP trophy in 2012 when he gained 2,097 yards, nine short of breaking Dickerson's 1984 record for the most in a season. After that, Peterson regularly talked about not only breaking Dickerson's mark, but crushing it.
There's been less talk about that lately. Could it be that Peterson has put such thoughts on the back burner?
"I remember saying in training camp one time, 'You know what, I'm going for 2,500, and I'm just going to leave it at that, so you guys don't have to ask me anymore,''' Peterson said. "That's what it'll always be. That really hasn't changed. I still got the same mind-set that's a mark that I'm going to put out there for myself.''
He also has the mind-set that all the additional yards he gains, he wants them to be with the Vikings. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sports/professional/4103349-finishing-career-vikings-petersons-ultimate-goal | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/9f80d5b4c357838a3d9fe616bf28c0acf737517a19063759481c065b05198cea.json |
[
"Joseph Menn",
"Today",
"At A.M."
] | 2016-08-26T18:50:33 | null | 2016-08-26T11:54:42 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-and-world%2F4102365-apple-fixes-security-flaw-where-hacking-software-could-take-over.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-uQejEvAT0lTjhqQy1lTXhMV1U.jpg?itok=X62_BHjL | en | null | Apple fixes security flaw where hacking software could take over entire phone | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | iPhones sit on display during a preview event at the new Apple Store Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., July 28, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
SAN FRANCISCO—Apple Inc issued a patch on Thursday, Aug. 25, to fix a dangerous security flaw in iPhones and iPads after researchers discovered that a prominent United Arab Emirates dissident's phone had been targeted with a previously unknown method of hacking.
The thwarted attack on the human rights activist, Ahmed Mansoor, used a text message that invited him to click on a web link. Instead of clicking, he forwarded the message to researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab.
The hack is the first known case of software that can remotely take over a fully up-to-date iPhone 6.
Experts at Citizen Lab worked with security company Lookout and determined that the link would have installed a program taking advantage of a three flaws that Apple and others were not aware of. The researchers disclosed their findings on Thursday.
"Once infected, Mansoor's phone would have become a digital spy in his pocket, capable of employing his iPhone's camera and microphone to snoop on activity in the vicinity of the device, recording his WhatsApp and Viber calls, logging messages sent in mobile chat apps, and tracking his movements," Citizen Lab wrote in a report released on Thursday.
The researchers said they had alerted Apple a week and a half ago, and the company developed a fix and distributed it as an automatic update to iPhone 6 owners.
Apple spokesman Fred Sainz confirmed that the company had issued the patch after being contacted by researchers.
The Citizen Lab team attributed the attack software to a private seller of monitoring systems, NSO Group, an Israeli company that makes software for governments which can secretly target mobile phones and gather information. Tools such as that used in this case, a remote exploit for a current iPhone, cost as much as $1 million.
NSO Chief Executive Shalev Hulio referred questions to spokesman Zamir Dahbash, who said the company "cannot confirm the specific cases" covered in the Citizen Lab and Lookout reports.
Dahbash said NSO sells within export laws to government agencies, which then operate the software.
"The agreements signed with the company's customers require that the company's products only be used in a lawful manner," he added. "Specifically, the products may only be used for the prevention and investigation of crimes."
Dahbash did not answer follow-up questions, including whether the exposure of the tools use against Mansoor in UAE and a Mexican journalist would end any sales to those countries.
NSO has kept a low profile in the security world, despite its 2014 sale of a majority stake for $120 million to California private equity firm Francisco Partners. That company's chief executive, Dipanjan Deb, did not return a call on Thursday. In November 2015, Reuters reported that NSO had begun calling itself "Q" and was looking for a buyer for close to $1 billion.
Sarah McKune, senior legal adviser to Citizen Lab, said Israel tries to follow the strictures of the Wassenaar Arrangement, which puts controls on the international sale of nuclear and chemical weapons technology and more recently cyber intrusion tools.
NSO may have had to apply for an export license, she added, saying that raised questions about "what consideration was given to the human rights record of UAE."
The Israeli embassy in Washington did not respond to an email seeking comment.
NSO marketing material says that it also has capabilities for Android and BlackBerry devices. No version of the software has been exposed, indicating it remains effective.
Citizen Lab did not directly accuse UAE of carrying out the attack on Mansoor with NSO gear called Pegasus, but it said other NSO attacks on critics of the regime were connected to the government.
It also said a Mexican journalist and a minority party politician in Kenya had been targeted with NSO software and that domain names set up for other attacks referred to entities in Uzbekistan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and other nations, suggesting that other targets lived in those nations.
A call to the UAE embassy in Washington was not immediately returned.
The market for "lawful intercept," or government hacking tools, has come under increased scrutiny with revelations about authoritarian customers and noncriminal victims.
Two popular vendors, Hacking Team of Italy and Gamma Group of the United Kingdom, have had their wares exposed by researchers or hackers.
Mansoor had previously been targeted with software from both of those companies, according to Citizen Lab.
"I can't think of a more compelling case of serial misuse of lawful intercept malware than the targeting of Mansoor," said one of the Citizen Lab researchers, John Scott-Railton. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/nation-and-world/4102365-apple-fixes-security-flaw-where-hacking-software-could-take-over | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/89bdebc4cd2c7d584819d1720ac1e14389557ec5c4e5e5263fc628278bb35641.json |
[
"Kalsey Stults",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-28T00:51:19 | null | 2016-08-27T19:39:47 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F4103177-same-sex-dickinson-couple-reflect-marriage.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0BycQm6_akMitMmFLZDd5NkxIVFU.jpg?itok=rdMSp6Kg | en | null | Same-sex Dickinson couple reflect on marriage | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | Left, Kyle Gengler and Julian reflect on the ability to enter into a recognized union. July marked a year since gay marriage was legalized in all 50 states. (Press Photo by Mary Shown)
A milestone in the LGBT community was reached in June 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage should be recognized in all 50 states.
While gay couples have been able to marry their significant others legally, there have only been three same-sex marriages issued in Stark County in the past year. The LGBT couples married in Stark County include a female couple from Dickinson and a male couple who no longer live in the area.
The third couple is Kyle and Julian Gengler, of Dickinson.
The happily married couple will celebrate their one-year anniversary in December.
While Julian, 20, said he was always open about his sexuality, Kyle, 31, didn't come out to friends and family on Facebook until after gay marriage was declared legal.
"I just called my mom and told her, 'There's something on Facebook that you should go read,'" he said. "It was actually right after the gay marriage because I had some family members that were voicing their opinion on it, and so I kind of had to. It worked really well. I got a lot of 'I'm sorry.'"
While there has been progress in western North Dakota, there is still room for more acceptance.
Prairie Pride, a new LGBT organization in the area, is trying to raise support in western North Dakota and has received a lot of interest on social media in the past month.
Though he's not yet old enough to legally drink alcohol, Julian said he hopes one day there will be a LGBT bar in Dickinson where people can go to feel safe and to have fun.
"Believe it or not, people believe a gay bar is just for gay people, but it's actually a safe place for gays to go, lesbians too," he said. "(It's) a safe place for them to go, exchange stories, meet fun people. It's not just a bar. It's a safe zone."
Julian said there is a sizeable gay population in Dickinson, but not all of them are out in the community.
"There are actually a lot of gay people in Dickinson," he said. "A lot of them are not fully fledged and they aren't all the way out there yet. They haven't told their family yet, but you get to Bismarck and ... everybody is already out. They know people. (It's) the same thing with Williston and Minot. I don't know why Dickinson is like the last of the group."
Julian said that he came out when he was in high school at age 16, but said he never felt people treated him differently.
"We blend very well into the community," he said. "I grew up in Montana. I had to just kind of blend in, ride it out. People would ask and I'd say, 'Yea I'm gay.' But they would never follow that up with anything and they'd leave me alone."
As for Kyle, he said he decided to come out later in life because he didn't feel like it was anybody's business.
The couple were married in Dickinson in December at the Bingo Hall in a short and sweet ceremony with Julian's best friend officiating the wedding.
Julian said he felt like it was about time that gay marriage was recognized as a union.
"The world changes very quickly," he said. "You either get with it or you get left behind."
While Julian said he doesn't feel like people criticize their marriage, he is also mindful of being respectful while in the community.
"We're pretty respectful about it," he said. "We're not making out in the park or hanging off each other at Walmart. We're not really crazy about it." | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/local/4103177-same-sex-dickinson-couple-reflect-marriage | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/a45834bc6795418cecf88f3567a40af428fb0d8ab72cd924f7de7b95a952a8d5.json |
[
"Madison Dapcevich",
"Today",
"At P.M."
] | 2016-08-30T02:51:45 | null | 2016-08-29T20:43:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedickinsonpress.com%2Fnews%2Fagriculture%2F4104210-montanagrow-turns-rocks-fertilizer.json | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/sites/default/files/styles/square_300/public/0B-uQejEvAT0lbGpHY0RaVGo2QXc.jpg?itok=yalzAimW | en | null | MontanaGrow turns rocks into fertilizer | null | null | www.thedickinsonpress.com | BONNER, Mont. — When people think of agriculture, growing rocks might be the last crop that comes to mind. But for MontanaGrow Natural Fertilizer President John Porterfield, amorphous silicon cultivation has become a way of life.
"When you look at plant tissue, we are what we eat, and animals are what we feed them," Porterfield says. "The continuous cultivation of certain crops has led to a depletion of silicon in the soil, and we're looking at sources to boost production and reduce problems that cause yield reductions, such as pathogens and pests."
According to the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University, a number of crops have been shown to respond positively to silicon fertilizer applications, including wheat, alfalfa, hops, textiles, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.
MontanaGrow products are derived entirely from amorphous volcanic tuff formed by a geological event about 30 million years ago. Containing potassium and silicon dioxide, the fertilizer builds strong roots, stems and foliage, while improving yield.
"Our product comes from a natural volcanic deposit," Porterfield says. "We create our silicon in a phenol type. It is a natural rock that we don't do anything to change. We just crush it, screen without any sort of chemical process."
Certified in 2012 by the Agricultural Services Certified Organic specialists, MontanaGrow currently ships to 16 states with several international exports.
When volcanoes eject silicon-rich particles into the Earth's atmosphere, the ash attaches itself to water droplets which then allow the worldwide distribution of silicic acid onto the surface of the earth.
Silicon is then cycled into agriculture, where newly derived silicic acid is utilized by plants in roots, stems and foliage. When crops are harvested, silicon gets carted away for consumption and a variety of uses. In tropical climates with rain-weathered soil, the leaching of available silicon is increased, heightening the need for soil fertilization. The process is completed when silicon washes to the bottom of the oceans into subduction faults, eventually ejecting into the Earth's atmosphere by a volcanic event.
"There's silicon on the period table and we're carbon-based creatures," Porterfield says. "Carbon and silicon have really unique abilities, like increasing the resistance to frost damage, that allow for the possibility of crops to be grown in colder, more northern climates."
For more information, visit montanagrow.com. | http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/agriculture/4104210-montanagrow-turns-rocks-fertilizer | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.thedickinsonpress.com/70d3e401df9e832c2126ff0f5b32949d05b33c985c1fc4016d1844a340772514.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:49:49 | null | 2016-08-28T22:26:38 | SINGAPORE — Singapore has confirmed 41 cases of locally-transmitted Zika virus, mostly among foreign construction workers, and said it expected more cases to be identified. All but seven of those infected have fully recovered, the health ministry and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement on Sunday. Those seven remain in hospital. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fsingapore-confirms-41-cases-locally-transmitted-zika-virus.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/27920375.jpg | en | null | Singapore confirms 41 cases of locally transmitted Zika virus | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | People take photos near the Singapore Flyer observatory wheel shrouded by haze, on Friday (Reuters photo)
SINGAPORE — Singapore has confirmed 41 cases of locally-transmitted Zika virus, mostly among foreign construction workers, and said it expected more cases to be identified.
All but seven of those infected have fully recovered, the health ministry and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement on Sunday. Those seven remain in hospital.
On Saturday, authorities had confirmed a 47-year-old Malaysian woman living in southeastern Singapore as the city-state's first case of a local transmission of the virus — which in Brazil has been linked to a rare birth defect.
The authorities said they tested 124 people, primarily foreign construction workers employed on a site in the same part of Singapore. That site has been ordered to halt work, and workers' dormitories are being inspected. Seventy-eight people tested negative and five cases were pending. Thirty-four patients had fully recovered.
Four Singaporean men had developed symptoms of the virus in the past week and were hospitalised on Saturday. It was not clear where the foreign workers were from or when their cases were detected. Singapore hosts a large contingent of workers from the Asian sub-continent.
None of those infected had travelled recently to Zika-affected areas. "This confirms that local transmission of Zika virus infection has taken place," the statement said.
The ministry "cannot rule out further community transmission since some of those tested positive also live or work in other parts of Singapore", the statement said. "We expect to identify more positive cases."
Singapore, a major regional financial centre and busy transit hub, which maintains a constant vigil against the mosquito-borne dengue virus, reported its first case of the Zika virus in May, brought in by a middle-aged man who had been to Brazil.
Singapore deployed around 200 NEA officers to clean drains and spray insecticide in the mainly residential area early on Sunday to counter mosquito breeding grounds, and volunteers and contractors handed out leaflets and insect repellent.
Zika, carried by some mosquitoes, was detected in Brazil last year and has since spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked in Brazil to more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly — where babies are born with small heads.
All medical services in Singapore had been alerted "to be extra vigilant" and immediately report any Zika-associated symptoms to the health ministry.
Local residents welcomed the NEA clean-up on Sunday.
"I'm very scared of mosquitoes because they always seem to bite me, they never bite my husband," Janice, 31, who gave only her first name, told Reuters. "This concerns me because maybe in a couple of years I want to have another [child]."
Regional risk
Singapore said there were "ongoing local transmission" cases in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Other countries in the region to have detected the Zika virus since 2013 include Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives and the Philippines, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Malaysia said on Sunday it stepped up surveillance at main transit points with Singapore — handing out leaflets on Zika prevention and having paramedics ready to handle visitors with potential symptoms of the virus.
In Thailand, where close to 100 cases of Zika have been recorded across 10 provinces this year, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) was screening athletes returning from the Olympic Games in Brazil, but was not otherwise changing its prevention measures.
"Every country in this region has Zika transmission cases," said Prasert Thongcharoen, an adviser to the DDC. "Thailand has, however, managed to contain the problem through early detection."
A foreign ministry spokesman said Indonesia was "following developments". Oskar Pribadi, a health ministry official, said there had been no recent Zika cases in the country.
Vietnam has to date reported three cases of locally-transmitted Zika infection.
The current strain of Zika sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean originated in Asia, where people may have built up greater immunity.
The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/world/singapore-confirms-41-cases-locally-transmitted-zika-virus | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/81b687b282a10509b5d697102933e0c3cec5fea804a809a64cfb9e8becb98f6c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:54:46 | null | 2016-08-25T23:00:40 | AMMAN — The government is spending JD244 million on development programmes in Aqaba this year, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury said during a visit to the governorate on Thursday. Government spending is higher in Aqaba, 330km south of Amman, than in other governorates, as projects like the Aqaba port serve the whole Kingdom, Fakhoury noted. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fgov%25E2%2580%2599t-spending-jd244m-development-aqaba-2016.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Gov’t spending JD244m on development in Aqaba in 2016 | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — The government is spending JD244 million on development programmes in Aqaba this year, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury said during a visit to the governorate on Thursday.
Government spending is higher in Aqaba, 330km south of Amman, than in other governorates, as projects like the Aqaba port serve the whole Kingdom, Fakhoury noted.
Accompanied by a government team, the minister briefed the local community and official representatives on the government’s measures to implement the Aqaba development programme 2016, a ministry statement said.
Some JD120 million has been spent on capital governmental projects and JD114 million on projects of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the Aqaba Development Company and the Aqaba Water Company, said Fakhoury.
Projects in Aqaba, which has a population of 188,160, include the establishment of a productive branch in Wadi Araba in cooperation with the Labour Ministry, worth JD173,000, and the provision of JD500,000 to be distributed as loans to unemployed graduates, in cooperation with the Development and Employment Fund (DEF), according to the minister.
He added that the government had increased financial allocations to national credit corporations for 2016-2018 to help create job opportunities.
The ministry has coordinated with donors on the priorities in each governorate, Fakhoury said.
As for priority infrastructure projects, the ministry has worked with various government institutions including the General Budget Department to allocate JD5.5 million to development priorities in Aqaba, which was not listed in the ministries’ budgets for 2016.
Financing for the Syrian refugee crisis has been directed in line with the Jordan Response Plan, including JD1.8 million earmarked for the education and health sectors in 2015-2016, Fakhoury said.
In response to demands from residents of Aqaba, the government recently approved a project to build a new hospital in the governorate, the minister noted.
The hospital will be affiliated with the Health Ministry through partnership with the private sector, he said, adding that the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development would fund construction of the Wadi Araba Hospital through a JD25 million soft loan.
Also during the meeting, Hatem Habahmeh, the ministry’s governorate development department director, delivered a briefing on the progress of the Aqaba development programme, and the government team listened to residents’ demands, the ministry said. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/gov%E2%80%99t-spending-jd244m-development-aqaba-2016 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/939bf2251db9b15517c7ffee7562f4cd4f0d4de2d8c12e29ee0cb506bc3069ee.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:48:45 | null | 2016-08-29T22:38:23 | BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Monday insisted talks on a huge US free trade agreement were on track, rejecting German claims that irreconcilable differences had left the deal dead in the water. "The ball is rolling right now. The commission is making steady progress," commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said when asked about comments by German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel that the talks had "failed". | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Feu-insists-ball-still-rolling-us-trade-deal.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1%20US%20pic.jpg | en | null | EU insists 'ball still rolling' on US trade deal | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Activists protest against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership in Brussels, on July 12 (AFP photo)
BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Monday insisted talks on a huge US free trade agreement were on track, rejecting German claims that irreconcilable differences had left the deal dead in the water.
"The ball is rolling right now. The commission is making steady progress," commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said when asked about comments by German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel that the talks had "failed".
"Talks are now indeed entering a crucial stage but... provided the conditions are right, the commission stands ready to close this deal by the end of the year," Schinas told a regular press briefing.
The EU and US began work on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2013, aiming to create the world's largest free trade area by the time President Barack Obama leaves office in January next year.
But the talks have got bogged down amid widespread suspicion in the 28-nation EU that a deal would undercut the bloc's standards in key areas such as health and welfare.
As the US presidential vote nears and with the French and Germans heading to the polls in 2017, Gabriel is only the latest high-ranking European to cast doubt on a swift deal.
France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said it would be "impossible" for the two sides to conclude negotiations on a trade deal by the end of 2016.
‘Dancing on eggshells’
On Sunday, the vice chancellor told German television that "the talks with the US have de facto failed because we Europeans of course must not succumb to American demands... Nothing is moving forward”.
Germany's governing left-right coalition is divided over TTIP.
The centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) led by Gabriel is increasingly sceptical, while Chancellor Angela Merkel and her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) remain largely in favour.
Gabriel is "dancing on eggshells between his roles as Social Democratic Party leader and economy minister", CDU General Secretary Peter Tauber said on Monday.
Industry groups also repudiated the SPD leader's words.
"TTIP can't be sacrificed to the election campaign that's beginning," said Matthias Wissmann, head of the powerful German Automotive Industry Association.
Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert confirmed the chancellor's continued support for a deal, telling a Berlin press conference that "it's right to keep negotiating".
Keen to disarm TTIP as an electoral weapon, the commission, the EU's executive arm which conducts all bloc trade negotiations, said a deal would not come at any cost.
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has made clear "the commission will not sacrifice Europe's social health and its data protection standards, nor its cultural diversity on the altar of free trade," spokesman Schinas said.
Asked whether TTIP could go through without support from Germany, the EU's paymaster and largest economy, he said Juncker had won fresh backing for the negotiations from all bloc leaders at a summit in July.
"At the last [summit], precisely because we were entering this difficult and complex stage, President Juncker addressed his counterparts, checking whether there was political backing to conclude the deal by the end of the year," Schinas said.
"We did not feel that there was a lack of support... we received the mandate to conclude these negotiations." | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/business/eu-insists-ball-still-rolling-us-trade-deal | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/6cf4de352a4af43501a1e84cc889ea1da6492d7b5f8695ff31d1c527048aebfa.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:50:19 | null | 2016-08-30T22:50:50 | Wayne Rooney will remain as England captain but his midfield experiment with the national team is over, with the Manchester United veteran set to revert to playing as a deep-lying forward under new coach Sam Allardyce. “Wayne has been an excellent captain for England and the manner in which he has fulfilled the role made it an easy decision for me to ask him to continue,” Allardyce said Monday, having taken his time to settle on who should have the armband after being hired in July. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fsports%2Frooney-remains-captain-back-forward-england.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/27968943.jpg | en | null | Rooney remains captain, back as forward for England | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Wayne Rooney will remain as England captain but his midfield experiment with the national team is over, with the Manchester United veteran set to revert to playing as a deep-lying forward under new coach Sam Allardyce.
“Wayne has been an excellent captain for England and the manner in which he has fulfilled the role made it an easy decision for me to ask him to continue,” Allardyce said Monday, having taken his time to settle on who should have the armband after being hired in July.
Rooney received the symbolically prestigious honour of captaining England on a permanent basis in 2014, taking over the role from Steven Gerrard. Rooney has played 115 times for England, putting him level with David Beckham as the country’s most-capped outfield player.
England plays Slovakia in its opening World Cup qualifier on Sunday, for what will be Allardyce’s first game in charge.
“Wayne’s record speaks for itself. He is the most senior member of the squad and he is hugely respected by his peers,” Allardyce said. “All of these factors point towards him being the right choice to lead the team.”
Rooney finished last season playing as a central midfielder for United under Louis van Gaal, and played there for England during its European Championship campaign that ended with an embarrassing last-16 loss to Iceland.
New United manager Jose Mourinho has returned Rooney to the No. 10 role behind the striker, and Allardyce also thinks that’s his best position.
“Wayne’s position has changed at Manchester United,” Allardyce said, “and that’s the sort of position I’d be looking for him to be playing in.”
The player most affected by that positional tweak is Ross Barkley, who was dropped on Sunday by Allardyce in his first squad announcement since replacing Roy Hodgson as England coach. Barkley plays in the same position as United captain Rooney at Everton, and has started the season in good form for his club with two goals in four games.
With Dele Alli included in England’s squad, it appears there was no room for another attacking playmaker.
“We have had to make some very difficult decisions, none more so than obviously I would think Ross Barkley,” Allardyce said. “But you have to make these decisions. The door will always be open for Ross, but at this moment I felt the squad I picked is the right one.”
Looking to put his own stamp on the national team, Allardyce has recalled winger Theo Walcott and also picked an uncapped wide player in Michail Antonio of West Ham. It would suggest Allardyce is looking to play with more width than England did under Hodgson.
Antonio’s rise to the national team is being compared to that of Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, in that he started out in non-league football — with Tooting and Mitcham, a club in south London — rather than in an academy of a big club.
He had spells on loan at lowly clubs before joining Sheffield Wednesday and then Nottingham Forest. Antonio moved to West Ham last year and has impressed as a right-sided midfielder, especially in the air. He has scored eight headed goals since the start of last season — including one in each of his last two league games.
“His journey is something that deserves to be in this squad and me to have a look at as a potential player going forward,” Allardyce said. “It’s a bit similar to Jamie Vardy — it shows if you have got guts and determination and desire, how much it means.
“He goes forward, creates a career for himself and finally ends up in the Premier League and with us in this squad. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
Marcus Rashford wasn’t included by Allardyce, despite going on as a substitute to score United’s injury-time winner against Hull in the Premier League on Saturday in his first appearance of the season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has displaced 18-year-old Rashford up front at United.
Rashford will instead play for England under-21 this week to get some game time.
“Having international experience with the under-21 will be invaluable for us later down the line,” Allardyce said. “If he plays for Manchester United on a regular basis, he would certainly — if he is breaking into the Manchester United team — be in my squad.
“He made a massive impact last season, yes, but he’s only a young man, let’s not heap too much pressure on him just yet.” | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/sports/rooney-remains-captain-back-forward-england | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/213fee718bc8884ae2c7cc8d4067fd2e474b40ac87a9a82da3ef9d0c7e31d7da.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:52:19 | null | 2016-08-25T22:31:04 | TEHRAN — Iran will take part in an informal meeting of OPEC countries in Algeria next month, state media reported on Thursday. "I will take part in this session," Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told the ministry's Shana news service. Iran had previously said it had not yet taken a decision on whether to attend the closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum in Algiers in late September. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Firan-will-join-opec%25E2%2580%2599s-meeting-algeria.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Iran will join OPEC’s meeting in Algeria | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | TEHRAN — Iran will take part in an informal meeting of OPEC countries in Algeria next month, state media reported on Thursday.
"I will take part in this session," Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh told the ministry's Shana news service.
Iran had previously said it had not yet taken a decision on whether to attend the closed-door meeting on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum in Algiers in late September.
Oil markets have been carefully tracking reports of whether Iran will attend the meeting, which other OPEC members hope will lead to a freeze in production that would boost oil prices.
Iran refused to accept a freeze earlier this year, having just emerged from international sanctions and keen to maximise its oil revenues, but rumours this week that it may have changed its position have led to a 10 per cent spike in prices, according to Bloomberg.
Zanganeh did not comment on whether Iran, OPEC's third-biggest producer, would support a cap on production at the September meeting.
He did mention that OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo will be visiting Iran "in the near future", according to the Shana agency.
Adding to the difficulties of reaching an agreement, tensions have spiked in recent months with Saudi Arabia, the dominant member of OPEC.
Iran says it has doubled its exports of oil and gas to 2.7 million barrels per day (bpd) since signing an accord with world powers in July 2015 that removed sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Oil production has risen from 2.7 million bpd to 3.85 million bpd in that time, close to the level before international sanctions were imposed in 2012. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/business/iran-will-join-opec%E2%80%99s-meeting-algeria | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/04eefb903bce3df4c0a7ad66de52f39d6a225e3a03a81076cca04cf283366c1d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:50:09 | null | 2016-08-29T23:40:32 | AMMAN — Some 38 international companies have qualified to submit bids for a $170 million project to increase the capacity of the national grid, the energy minister said on Monday. A committee studied 82 technical and financial proposals and shortlisted the applicants to 38 companies, said Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ibrahim Saif. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F38-companies-bid-green-corridor-project.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | 38 companies to bid for Green Corridor project | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — Some 38 international companies have qualified to submit bids for a $170 million project to increase the capacity of the national grid, the energy minister said on Monday.
A committee studied 82 technical and financial proposals and shortlisted the applicants to 38 companies, said Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ibrahim Saif.
The winning bidders will be selected in November and December, and the Green Corridor project will be operational by the end of 2018, Saif told The Jordan Times.
The Green Corridor project will boost the grid’s capacity by an additional 1,000 megawatts (MW) to absorb the loads generated by new renewable energy projects.
The grid’s capacity currently stands at 3,600MW.
The European Investment Bank has extended a $72 million loan to finance the Green Corridor project, while the French Development Agency has provided a $54.9 million soft loan and the National Electric Power Company has contributed $12.6 million, in addition to an EU grant of $20.2 million offered under the Neighbourhood Investment Facility. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/38-companies-bid-green-corridor-project | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/08ba833124f2bc912a9bc15564ab85210a21cb3fc3e2ffc08949b544e2211a26.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:50:07 | null | 2016-08-25T22:25:50 | KARKAMIS, Turkey — Turkey sent more tanks into northern Syria on Thursday and demanded Kurdish militia fighters retreat within a week as it seeks to secure the border region and drive back the Daesh terror group with its first major incursion into its neighbour. Syrian rebels backed by Turkish special forces, tanks and warplanes on Wednesday entered Jarablus, one of Daesh’s last strongholds on the Turkish-Syrian border. Gunfire and explosions echoed around hills in the region on Thursday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Fturkey-sends-more-tanks-syria-demands-kurdish-fighters-retreat.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1syria_7.jpg | en | null | Turkey sends more tanks to Syria, demands Kurdish fighters retreat | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | KARKAMIS, Turkey — Turkey sent more tanks into northern Syria on Thursday and demanded Kurdish militia fighters retreat within a week as it seeks to secure the border region and drive back the Daesh terror group with its first major incursion into its neighbour.
Syrian rebels backed by Turkish special forces, tanks and warplanes on Wednesday entered Jarablus, one of Daesh’s last strongholds on the Turkish-Syrian border. Gunfire and explosions echoed around hills in the region on Thursday.
Some of the blasts were triggered as Turkish security forces cleared mines and booby traps left by retreating Daesh militants, according to Nuh Kocaaslan, the mayor of Karkamis, which sits just across the border from Jarablus.
Three Syrian rebels were killed during the operation to take Jarablus, one of them when he opened the door of a house rigged with explosives, Kocaaslan told reporters. There were no casualties among the Turkish troops.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and senior government officials have made clear the aim of “Operation Euphrates Shield” is as much about stopping the Kurdish YPG militia seizing territory and filling the void left by Daesh as about eliminating the radical group itself.
Turkey, which has NATO’s second biggest armed forces, demanded that the YPG retreat to the east side of the Euphrates River within a week. The Kurdish militia had moved west of the river earlier this month as part of a US-backed operation, now completed, to capture the city of Manbij from Daesh.
Ankara views the YPG as a threat because of its close links to Kurdish militants waging a three-decade-old insurgency on its own soil. It has been alarmed by the YPG’s gains in northern Syria since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, fearing it could extend Kurdish control along Turkish borders and fuel the ambitions of Kurdish insurgents in Turkey.
Turkey’s stance has put it at odds with Washington, which sees the YPG as a rare reliable ally on the ground in Syria, where Washington is trying to defeat Daesh while also opposing President Bashar Assad’s government in a complex, multi-sided five-year-old civil war.
The Syrian Kurdish force is one of the most powerful militias in Syria and regarded as the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a US-backed alliance formed last October to fight Daesh.
Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said preventing the Kurdish PYD Party — the political arm of the YPG — from uniting Kurdish cantons east of Jarablus with those further west was a priority.
“Daesh should be completely cleansed, this is an absolute must. But it’s not enough for us.... The PYD and the YPG militia should not replace Islamic State [Daesh] there,” Isik told Turkish broadcaster NTV.
“The PYD’s biggest dream is to unify the western and eastern cantons. We cannot let this happen,” he said.
Euphrates
US Secretary of State John Kerry told Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu by phone on Thursday that YPG fighters were retreating to the east side of the Euphrates, as Turkey has demanded, foreign ministry sources in Ankara said.
A spokesman for the US-led coalition against Daesh also said the SDF had withdrawn across the Euphrates, doing so “to prepare for the eventual liberation” of Raqqa, the radical group’s stronghold in northern Syria, which is to the east.
Isik said the retreat was not yet complete and Washington had given assurances that this would happen in the next week.
“We are closely following this... If the PYD does not retreat to east of the Euphrates, we have the right to do everything about it,” he said.
The offensive is Turkey’s first major military operation since a failed July 15 coup shook confidence in its ability to step up the fight against Daesh. It came four days after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.
US Vice President Joe Biden, who met Erdogan during a trip to Turkey on Wednesday, said Turkey was ready to stay in Syria for as long as it takes to destroy the radical Islamist group.
“I think there has been a gradual mind shift... in Turkey, with the realisation that ISIL [Daesh] is an existential threat to Turkey,” he told reporters during a visit to Sweden.
A Turkish official said the ground incursion had been in the works for more than two years but had been delayed by US reservations, resistance from some Turkish commanders, and a stand-off with Russia which had made air cover impossible.
Turkey had made the case more strongly to Washington over the past few months, had patched up relations with Russia, and had removed some of the Turkish commanders from their posts after finding they were involved in the coup attempt, paving the way for the operation to go ahead, the official said.
The incursion comes at a testing time for Turkish-US relations. Erdogan wants the United States to extradite Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania for 17 years and whose religious movement Turkey blames for staging last month’s failed coup.
Washington says it needs clear evidence of Gulen’s involvement and that it is a matter for the courts, a position that has sparked an outpouring of anti-Americanism from Turkey’s pro-government media. Gulen denies any role in the coup attempt.
Rebels advance
The sound of gunfire, audible from a hill on the Turkish side of the border overlooking Jarablus, rang out early on Thursday and a plume of black smoke rose over the town. Warplanes flew overhead.
A senior Turkish official said there were now more than 20 Turkish tanks inside Syria and that additional tanks and construction machinery would be sent in as required. A Reuters witness saw at least nine tanks enter on Thursday, and 10 more were waiting outside a military outpost on the Turkish side.
“We need construction machinery to open up roads... and we may need more in the days ahead. We also have armoured personnel carriers that could be used on the Syrian side. We may put them into service as needed,” the official said.
Erdogan said on Wednesday that Daesh had been driven out of Jarablus and that it was now controlled by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels, who are largely Arab and Turkmen.
“The myth that the YPG is the only effective force fighting Daesh has collapsed,” Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter, reflecting Turkish frustration at how closely Washington has been working with the Kurdish militia.
Saleh Muslim, head of the Kurdish PYD, said on Wednesday that Turkey was entering a “quagmire” in Syria and faced defeat there like Daesh. Redur Xelil, spokesman for the YPG, said the intervention was a “blatant aggression in Syrian internal affairs”.
After seizing Jarablus, the Turkish-backed rebels have advanced up to 10km south of the border town, rebel sources and a group monitoring the war said.
But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said Kurdish-backed forces opposed by Ankara had gained up to 8km of ground northwards, apparently seeking to pre-empt advances by the rebels. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/turkey-sends-more-tanks-syria-demands-kurdish-fighters-retreat | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/c659661719be693e3e2d2a01bd4483bece08beb19e75fbb62ed9dcfc9dbd445b.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:50:22 | null | 2016-08-27T22:38:03 | UNITED NATIONS, United States — The UN Security Council on Friday strongly condemned North Korea for test-firing ballistic missiles and agreed to take “significant measures” in response to the latest series of launches. The 15-member council issued the toughly-worded condemnation in a unanimous statement drafted by the United States and backed by China, Pyongyang’s main ally. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fun-council-condemns-north-korea-missile-launches-vows-new-measures.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1korea.jpg | en | null | UN council condemns North Korea missile launches, vows new measures | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | In this undated photo distributed on Thursday by the North Korean government, a missile is launched at an undisclosed location in North Korea (AP photo)
UNITED NATIONS, United States — The UN Security Council on Friday strongly condemned North Korea for test-firing ballistic missiles and agreed to take “significant measures” in response to the latest series of launches.
The 15-member council issued the toughly-worded condemnation in a unanimous statement drafted by the United States and backed by China, Pyongyang’s main ally.
Council members agreed to “continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures”, said the statement, without elaborating.
North Korea has been hit by five sets of UN sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006.
In March, the council adopted the toughest sanctions resolution to date, targeting North Korea’s trade in minerals and tightening banking restrictions.
The council met behind closed doors on Wednesday after North Korea launched a missile from a submarine towards Japan, the latest provocation from Pyongyang.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the missile breached his country’s Air Defence Identification Zone and condemned what he called an “unforgivable, reckless act” and a grave threat to Japan’s security.
The council condemned that launch as well as another on August 2 that for the first time fell in Japanese controlled-waters and two other missile tests on July 9 and 18, saying these were all “in grave violation” of UN resolutions.
North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has carried out several launches following its fourth nuclear test in January.
The council statement was adopted after several rounds of negotiations with China, which has insisted over recent weeks on the need to avoid an escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula.
A previous bid by the council to condemn North Korea for firing a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters on August 2 ran aground after China sought changes to the text.
The council was unable to agree after Beijing pressed for language in a statement opposing the THAAD missile defence system that the United States plans to deploy in South Korea.
In Friday’s statement, the council expressed serious concern that North Korea carried out the latest series of missile launches despite repeated appeals to Pyongyang to reverse course.
North Korea leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday boasted that the latest submarine-launched missile test was the “greatest success”, putting the US mainland and the Pacific “within the striking range”.
Council members again demanded that North Korea “refrain from further actions, including nuclear tests, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions”. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/world/un-council-condemns-north-korea-missile-launches-vows-new-measures | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/f3bf44c3075d11dc579b236029570b5c7250f237819fa88d535b442d5449ca0b.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:49:28 | null | 2016-08-28T22:43:54 | AMMAN — Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) and Middle East Payment Services (MEPS) signed a partnership agreement on Sunday under which MEPS will provide JIC with point-of-sale (POS) devices that allow investors to use Visa or Master Card to pay for JIC’s services online. JIC President Thabet Al Wir, who signed the partnership agreement with MEPS CEO Khaled Zakaria, said JIC seeks to provide the best investment services to businessmen. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Finvestors-can-pay-jic%25E2%2580%2599s-services-online.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/brief%20one.jpg | en | null | Investors can pay for JIC’s services online | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) and Middle East Payment Services (MEPS) signed a partnership agreement on Sunday under which MEPS will provide JIC with point-of-sale (POS) devices that allow investors to use Visa or Master Card to pay for JIC’s services online.
JIC President Thabet Al Wir, who signed the partnership agreement with MEPS CEO Khaled Zakaria, said JIC seeks to provide the best investment services to businessmen.
The agreement is in line with the government's directives to streamline investment procedures, especially when in terms of e-payments, he added, according to a JIC statement. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/business/investors-can-pay-jic%E2%80%99s-services-online | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/3ce93c8c8c49afefe558e1386d82567e317c5d3b666f943810fbfd977631330e.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:50:08 | null | 2016-08-27T22:40:46 | PARIS — A UN report on the use of chemical weapons in Syria is a chance to push Russia to accept a resolution condemning the Syrian regime and resume political negotiations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said. A joint investigation by the United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW found that Syrian government troops were responsible for two toxic gas attacks and Daesh militants used sulfur mustard gas. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Ffrance%25E2%2580%2599s-ayrault-urges-russia-back-un-resolution-syria.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/2syria_2.jpg | en | null | France’s Ayrault urges Russia to back UN resolution on Syria | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | This photo provided by the Syrian anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Centre shows a Syrian man carrying a girl away from the rubble of a destroyed building after barrel bombs were dropped on Bab Al Nairab neighbourhood in Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday (AP photo)
PARIS — A UN report on the use of chemical weapons in Syria is a chance to push Russia to accept a resolution condemning the Syrian regime and resume political negotiations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said.
A joint investigation by the United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW found that Syrian government troops were responsible for two toxic gas attacks and Daesh militants used sulfur mustard gas.
“We are working with our partners in the UN Security Council, notably the United States and Britain, on a resolution condemning the attacks under Chapter 7,” Ayrault told France’s Le Monde newspaper in a interview published on Saturday.
“This means sanctions against the perpetrators of these crimes and those responsible for these abominations,” he said.
The Security Council is due to discuss the report next week.
The inquiry found there was sufficient information to conclude that Syrian Arab air force helicopters dropped devices that then released toxic substances in Talmenes on April 21, 2014 and Sarmin on March 16, 2015, both in Idlib province. Both cases involved the use of chlorine.
It has set the stage for a Security Council showdown between the five veto-wielding powers, likely pitting Russia and China against the United States, Britain and France over whether sanctions should be imposed in the wake of the inquiry.
Ayrault said France’s goal was to obtain a condemnation by the Security Council and create the conditions for resuming political dialogue.
“We must use this opportunity to tell Russia: You now have a opportunity to head back to the political track and get out of the military quagmire you walked into,” Ayrault said.
Russia said on Thursday it was prepared to work with the United States on a response to the UN report.
Le Monde quoted Ayrault as saying: “Russia says it wants a political solution and resuming talks in Geneva? I tell them then: condemn the Syrian regime and stop the bombings.” | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/france%E2%80%99s-ayrault-urges-russia-back-un-resolution-syria | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/54cca92ee709dd36fda22bd24ce4a929a6438c011cf382b1ca3e7610ef3ad9c7.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:48:04 | null | 2016-08-28T23:47:24 | BAGHDAD — Iraq's security forces continue to gear up for a long-awaited operation to retake the Daesh-held city of Mosul. But they will be doing so without the minister of defence who has presided over most of the military's recent successes against the extremist group. Khaled Al Obeidi was abruptly dismissed by a parliamentary no-confidence vote Thursday after weeks of political wrangling over duelling allegations of corruption with the Parliament Speaker Salim Al Jabouri. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Fdown-another-key-minister-iraq-continues-mosul-push.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/5Irq_2.jpg | en | null | Down another key minister, Iraq continues Mosul push | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | In this Saturday picture, Iraqi security forces deploy after the defeat of the Daesh terror group in Qayyarah, 70 kilometres south of Mosul, Iraq (AP photo)
BAGHDAD — Iraq's security forces continue to gear up for a long-awaited operation to retake the Daesh-held city of Mosul. But they will be doing so without the minister of defence who has presided over most of the military's recent successes against the extremist group.
Khaled Al Obeidi was abruptly dismissed by a parliamentary no-confidence vote Thursday after weeks of political wrangling over duelling allegations of corruption with the Parliament Speaker Salim Al Jabouri.
The allegations of corruption were quickly exploited by a handful of Iraq's powerful political blocs looking to weaken Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi by removing one of his key Sunni allies.
Neither Jabouri's nor Obeidi's allegations of corruption have been publicly proven.
Obeidi's removal came just over a month after the minister of interior's resignation was accepted, leaving Iraq without two key security officials as the country prepares for what is expected to be the most complicated fight yet in the anti-Daesh campaign.
Interior Minister Mohammed Al Ghabban submitted his resignation in early July amid mounting anger following a massive truck bombing claimed by Daesh in central Baghdad that killed more than 300 people.
So far Abadi has kept largely quiet on Obeidi’s dismissal. His office told The Associated Press that it will not affect ongoing military campaigns.
On the ground, operations in advance of an assault on Mosul have continued uninterrupted by the political shake up, according to ministry of defence spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool and a senior ministry of defence official. Rasool said logistics, command and control are not reliant on the defense minister, but rather controlled by the Joint Special Operations command.
“The sacking the defence minister is a political issue and not a military one,” he said.
Just moments before the no-confidence vote Thursday, Abadi announced that a town south of Mosul neighbouring a key air base had been “liberated”, by Iraqi ground forces backed by coalition air strikes. Abadi said the retaking of Qaraya marked an “important step” on the road to Mosul. While progress south of Mosul has been slow, Iraqi forces have not suffered any significant territorial setbacks in recent months.
Late Saturday night, Abadi announced another victory against Daesh. In a statement he said Iraqi forces had completely retaken the Khaldiya area in Anbar province between Ramadi and Fallujah, a pocket of desert territory used by the militant group to move supplies, weapons and fighters through Anbar.
Obeidi’s dismissal also concentrates on a significant amount of power in the hands of the prime minister. Abadi’s predecessor Nouri Al Maliki left the defence and interior portfolios vacant and ran those ministries himself.
“Abadi came in [to office] promising not to do what Maliki had done ... but he’s ended up doing just that,” said Nathaniel Rabkin, managing editor of Inside Iraqi Politics, a political risk newsletter. Rabkin explained that the move does not appear to be an intentional power grab by Abadi like that of Maliki.
A senior official in the ministry of defence maintained that Obeidi’s departure would have no effect on the day-to-day workings of the ministry. “The minister is a formality and has no real impact on operations,” he said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to brief the press.
Obeidi, a Mosul native, was the most senior Sunni official in Abadi’s defense establishment. His original appointment in October of 2014 was praised by members of the then newly formed US-led anti-Daesh coalition as a move towards creating a more inclusive government that would address Sunni marginalisation and some of the rampant corruption issues that allowed Daesh to embarrass the Iraqi military in 2014.
The defence minister’s dismissal “gives clear evidence that the subject of reconciliation has received a mercy killing”, said Zuhair Al Jabouri, a senior member of the provincial council in Nineveh province, which contains Mosul. “There can no longer be national reconciliation,” he said.
On the newly formed frontline some 60 kilometres south of Mosul, Rasool, the defence ministry spokesman said: “The fighters and officers are frustrated that the defence minister was sacked in this way”.
“Despite the frustration we will continue to fight and expel Daesh,” he added. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/down-another-key-minister-iraq-continues-mosul-push | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/e9b203665c23834d31f827128b91dc15de9ab4a16ec3cd1806ba91edda4186db.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:48:13 | null | 2016-08-29T23:52:19 | KARBALA, Iraq — Attackers armed with suicide vests, rifles and grenades killed 18 people in the Iraqi oasis town of Ain Al Tamer, many of them guests at a wedding party, local officials said Monday. "They were carrying Kalashnikovs, hand grenades. One of them blew himself up and the others were killed by the security forces," said the head of central Euphrates operations command, Qais Khalaf. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Fsuicide-attack-kills-18-iraq-oasis-town.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/Irq_42.jpg | en | null | Suicide attack kills 18 in Iraq oasis town | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | In this Sunday photo, oil wells on the edge of Qayyarah burn days after the key town was retaken from Daesh militants by Iraqi ground forces backed by US-led coalition airpower (AP photo)
KARBALA, Iraq — Attackers armed with suicide vests, rifles and grenades killed 18 people in the Iraqi oasis town of Ain Al Tamer, many of them guests at a wedding party, local officials said Monday.
"They were carrying Kalashnikovs, hand grenades. One of them blew himself up and the others were killed by the security forces," said the head of central Euphrates operations command, Qais Khalaf.
A local council member and a provincial health directorate source confirmed the death toll in the attack, which took place late Sunday, and said at least 26 others were wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but all recent suicide operations in Iraq have been claimed by the Daesh terror group.
Ain Al Tamer, southwest of Baghdad, is located 50 kilometres from the Shiite holy city of Karbala and on the edge of Anbar province, long a haven for terrorists.
Officials said the attackers started opening fire in a neighbourhood of Ain Al Tamer at around 1830 GMT on Sunday, although it was not immediately what their target was.
Five members of the same family were among the dead, according to a health official from Karbala province.
“The five terrorists were carrying lots of weapons and one of them blew himself up in the midst of our citizens,” said Farhan Jassem Mohammed of the local council.
“Some of them were wearing civilian clothes, others military clothes. They infiltrated from the west under the cover of darkness,” he said.
“One of them may have managed to flee. There is an ongoing search,” Mohammed told AFP
Wedding party
A former mayor of Ain Al Tamer told AFP the attackers started spraying bullets at a nearby wedding party.
“The attack kicked off as people were attending a wedding party in the neighbourhood. Several among the dead and wounded were at the party,” said Mahfouz Al Tamimi, who is now a Karbala provincial council member.
Military commanders said the attackers came from the Anbar desert to the west, a region that is overwhelmingly Sunni and borders Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.
Iraq’s security forces have for months been battling Daesh militants in Anbar, notching up key victories in provincial Ramadi and terrorist bastion Fallujah earlier this year.
Daesh recently lost control of an area in Anbar called Jazirat Al Khaldiyeh, a key crossroads that terrorists used to move fighters and supplies between fronts since they seized large parts of Iraq in 2014.
The attack on Ain Al Tamer, in which guerrilla fighters doubled up as suicide bombers, bore the hallmark of Daesh.
The extremists call such operations “inghamasi” — which literally means “plunging” and refers to the act of penetrating deep into enemy territory. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/suicide-attack-kills-18-iraq-oasis-town | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/4b1bde5dbc3f372269135fd57349c26c439bb308208335b20ddb563e7c74b767.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:49:05 | null | 2016-08-30T22:48:58 | AMMAN — The Jordan national women’s U-16 football team plays Laos on Wednesday in their second match in Group A qualifiers for the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Women’s Championship. Jordan lost to hosts Thailand 2-1 in the opening match and are set to play Myanmar on September 3 and Guam on September 5. In other matches, Thailand took the group lead after a 5-2 win over Laos while Myanmar lost 5-2 to Laos but came back to score a big win beating Guam 11-0. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fsports%2Fjordan-u-16-women%25E2%2580%2599s-football-team-play-laos.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Jordan U-16 women’s football team to play Laos | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — The Jordan national women’s U-16 football team plays Laos on Wednesday in their second match in Group A qualifiers for the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Women’s Championship.
Jordan lost to hosts Thailand 2-1 in the opening match and are set to play Myanmar on September 3 and Guam on September 5.
In other matches, Thailand took the group lead after a 5-2 win over Laos while Myanmar lost 5-2 to Laos but came back to score a big win beating Guam 11-0.
The qualifiers have brought together 24 teams playing in four groups with the top team from each group advancing to the championship. Last edition’s top four — North Korea, Japan, China and Thailand — have qualified.
Jordan’s squad is missing some players who are on the U-17 team line-up currently preparing for the Women’s World Cup kicking off September 30 in the Kingdom.
Japan have won three of the past six editions of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship. Jordan’s U-16 team did not qualify to the 2015 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship after qualifying in 2013.
Jordan women’s U-19 national team is also reading for Asian Group A qualifiers for the 2017 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship. The qualifiers set for October 29 will see Jordan play alongside Australia, Singapore and Lebanon and the Northern Mariana Islands. The top team from each group moves to the championship in 2017. The women’s senior national team has also regrouped to start preparations for qualifiers for the 2018 AFC Women’s Championship starting in April 2017. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/sports/jordan-u-16-women%E2%80%99s-football-team-play-laos | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/79ec82be6e202e851280f16971bb8c697109a802e00352f451c6c7c79e452ebc.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:48:34 | null | 2016-08-29T23:50:42 | OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — The discovery of sophisticated spyware to infiltrate and remotely take control of iPhones without leaving a trace has put a spotlight on Israel's secretive surveillance industry, considered among the world's most advanced. Apple rushed out a security update last week after researchers said a prominent Emirati rights activist was targeted by "Pegasus" spyware attributed to Israeli firm NSO Group, based in Herzliya in the country's "Silicon Valley". | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Fiphone-spyware-spotlights-israel%25E2%2580%2599s-secretive-surveillance-industry.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/7israel-cyber-spy.jpg | en | null | iPhone spyware spotlights Israel’s secretive surveillance industry | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor shows text message he received in the UAE on Thursday. Mansoor was recently targeted by an Israeli spyware that can hack into Apple's iPhone handset (AP photo by Jon Gambrell)
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — The discovery of sophisticated spyware to infiltrate and remotely take control of iPhones without leaving a trace has put a spotlight on Israel's secretive surveillance industry, considered among the world's most advanced.
Apple rushed out a security update last week after researchers said a prominent Emirati rights activist was targeted by "Pegasus" spyware attributed to Israeli firm NSO Group, based in Herzliya in the country's "Silicon Valley".
NSO Group, now owned by US private equity firm Francisco Partners Management, has flown far under the radar, without even a website.
It is among some 27 surveillance firms headquartered in Israel, according to a recent report from British NGO Privacy International — putting the country of 8 million people at the top of the list of such companies per capita.
According to Privacy International, Israel has 0.33 such firms per 100,000 people, while the United States has 0.04.
For the firms involved, the technology is meant to fight crime and terrorism through legal means. Israel's defence ministry must also approve exports of sensitive security products.
But activists question whether enough attention is paid to the potential for abuse of such invasive technology, including whether governments will simply target opponents.
"Opposition activists, human rights defenders, and journalists have been placed under intrusive government surveillance and individuals have had their communications read to them during torture," Privacy International said.
“State agencies are also utilising technologies used for surveillance for offensive and military purposes as well as espionage.”
‘Spy in his pocket’
An investigation by Lookout mobile security firm and Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto found the spyware that forced Apple’s update last week to be rare and powerful.
Emirati activist Ahmed Mansoor’s phone “would have become a digital spy in his pocket, capable of employing his iPhone’s camera and microphone to snoop on activity in the vicinity of the device, recording his WhatsApp and Viber calls, logging messages sent in mobile chat apps, and tracking his movements,” they said.
He was targeted by a simple text message that asked him to click on a link for “information on detainees tortured in the UAE”.
Targeted by cyber attacks in the past, he became suspicious and forwarded it to Citizen Lab.
NSO did not confirm that it created the spyware used to target Mansoor.
But it said in a statement that it “sells only to authorised governmental agencies, and fully complies with strict export control laws and regulations”.
“Moreover, the company does not operate any of its systems; it is strictly a technology company.”
Israel’s defence ministry, for its part, did not respond to a request for comment.
Code-crackers
Daniel Cohen, a cyber-terrorism expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, said the country’s expertise in such products stems in part from its military, which puts a premium on cyber warfare training.
Most Israelis are required to serve in the military, whose Unit 8200 for signal intelligence and code-cracking is considered an incubator for future start-ups.
“Israel is among the world leaders in everything involving the cyber sector,” Cohen said.
“After leaving the military, such experts take advantage of their knowledge to create start-ups or get hired at exorbitant salaries by existing firms.”
Cohen said there are more than 300 cyber-related firms in Israel, though most create products to protect institutions against cyber attacks.
“Less than 10 percent of firms in the cyber sector have pursued an offensive niche, meaning technologies allowing the infiltration of computer systems,” he said.
Companies with Israeli roots have provided technology to monitor Internet and phone communication to secret police in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as well as Colombian security forces, according to Privacy International.
They have also reportedly exported to Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Panama and Mexico, it said.
One case drew particular attention in 2011, when Internet-monitoring technology by Allot Communications was reportedly sold on by a distributor to Iran, Israel’s arch-enemy.
Citizen Lab said: “Clearly, additional legal and regulatory scrutiny of the ‘lawful intercept’ market, and of NSO Group’s activities in relation to the attacks we have described, is essential.”
“While these spyware tools are developed in democracies, they continue to be sold to countries with notorious records of abusive targeting of human rights defenders.” | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/iphone-spyware-spotlights-israel%E2%80%99s-secretive-surveillance-industry | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/7df539f227910733d2a42a8387804887d4a60fdcc4755d2c81bc85807c6be860.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:49:58 | null | 2016-08-30T23:16:53 | AMMAN – Minister of Public Works and Housing Sami Halaseh on Tuesday said the ministry has received nine bids to renovate the Desert Highway, which links Amman with southern governorates. In a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, Halaseh said the bids were submitted by consortiums of 27 Jordanian and Saudi contractors, adding that the cost of the renovation project is estimated at $180 million. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fnine-bids-received-renovate-desert-highway-%25E2%2580%2594-halaseh.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Nine bids received to renovate Desert Highway - Halaseh | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN – Minister of Public Works and Housing Sami Halaseh on Tuesday said the ministry has received nine bids to renovate the Desert Highway, which links Amman with southern governorates.
In a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times, Halaseh said the bids were submitted by consortiums of 27 Jordanian and Saudi contractors, adding that the cost of the renovation project is estimated at $180 million.
Rehabilitation work of the 220-kilometre highway will be implemented via three tenders through cooperation between Jordanian and Saudi companies, he said.
The maintenance of the highway will be funded by Saudi Arabia, which also extended a grant to renovate the Airport Road at a cost of nearly JD100 million.
Halaseh told The Jordan Times previously that the Saudi Fund for Development will extend $65 million in a grant while the rest of the funds will be secured through a soft loan.
Halaseh said that the ministry has recently completed urgent rehabilitation for the highway by mending the most damaged areas of the road.
Last month, Prime Minister Hani Mulki directed the ministry to revamp damaged areas in the road within four weeks, before comprehensive maintenance is carried out.
Extending from Amman to Aqaba through Karak, Tafileh and Maan, the road has witnessed deadly car accidents over the past years, prompting a group of lawyers to sue Halaseh over the condition of the highway. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/nine-bids-received-renovate-desert-highway-%E2%80%94-halaseh | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/2b7ee11a33a72b4d86793259ddbf02a328985c04cc716c69c19a213bfb943e06.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:49:29 | null | 2016-08-27T22:44:41 | AMMAN — The Ministry of Water has saved 133,000 cubic metres of water in its crackdown on water waste, Minister Hazem Nasser said on Saturday. The ministry’s field teams implemented 480 surveys across the Kingdom in July and August, as part of a campaign to address water waste, Nasser said, adding that surveys put citizens’ response to the campaign at 58 per cent. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F133000-cubic-metres-water-saved-crackdown-water-wasters%25E2%2580%2599.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | ‘133,000 cubic metres of water saved in crackdown on water wasters’ | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — The Ministry of Water has saved 133,000 cubic metres of water in its crackdown on water waste, Minister Hazem Nasser said on Saturday.
The ministry’s field teams implemented 480 surveys across the Kingdom in July and August, as part of a campaign to address water waste, Nasser said, adding that surveys put citizens’ response to the campaign at 58 per cent.
The number of recorded monthly violations related to water misuse or waste dropped from 1,610 in August 2015 to 638 over the last month, Nasser said in a ministry statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
Amman registered 300 violations in July’s surveys, and 80 violations in August, a 73.3 per cent drop, marking the largest decrease in Jordan.
On the other hand, Mafraq, some 80km northeast of Amman, registered the lowest drop in violations of 36.36 per cent, from 110 in July to 70 in August, Petra reported.
The ministry’s campaign calculates the total amount of lost water by estimating an average of 4 cubic metres for each violation.
The ministry launched the campaign in June, under which water companies and directorates across the Kingdom are required to enforce the law against consumers who use potable water for any purpose other than drinking.
Under the campaign, people who use drinking water to irrigate trees, wash cars, clean-up driveways, pavements, or gardens using a hose are penalised, and water is suspended from households whose rooftop water tanks leak. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/133000-cubic-metres-water-saved-crackdown-water-wasters%E2%80%99 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/3b11d7452281ff15f2fea843e5efd1cbf9b77cbac3179758aebac49e19af157a.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:50:29 | null | 2016-08-30T22:55:41 | JERSEY CITY, New Jersy — It's been the driving issue of Donald Trump's campaign. Build a wall along the southern border. Make Mexico pay for it. And expel everyone living in the US illegally with the help of a "deportation force". Ten weeks before the election, however, buffeted by conflicting advice from aides and advisers, Trump has seemed to be in full indecision mode. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fsuddenly-unsure-immigration-trump-trying-clear-it.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1trump.jpg | en | null | Suddenly unsure on immigration, Trump trying to clear it up | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at Joni's Roast and Ride at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday (AP photo)
JERSEY CITY, New Jersy — It's been the driving issue of Donald Trump's campaign. Build a wall along the southern border. Make Mexico pay for it. And expel everyone living in the US illegally with the help of a "deportation force".
Ten weeks before the election, however, buffeted by conflicting advice from aides and advisers, Trump has seemed to be in full indecision mode.
At a Fox News town hall tall taping last week, in the face of pressing questions, he proceeded to poll the audience at length on the fate of an estimated 11 million people.
Trump is now planning a major speech on Wednesday, during which he's expected to finally clarify his stance. Supporters are hoping for a strong, decisive showing. But for critics, many already disposed to vote against him, his wavering on what has been his signature issue, seems like a warning that he's unable to handle a central element of any president's job — making decisions.
It also underscores how little his Republican campaign has invested in the nitty gritty of outlining what he would do as president, especially when compared with the more detailed plans of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
"It's just puzzling," said Lanhee Chen, who has served as a policy adviser to several Republican presidential candidates. "This is the issue on which he rose to prominence in the primary and the issue on which he continues to stake much of his campaign."
From the start, Trump has never been the kind of candidate to pore over thick policy books.
Indeed, he has mocked Clinton on the subject.
"She's got people that sit in cubicles writing policy all day. Nothing's ever going to happen. It's just a waste of paper," he told Time Magazine in June. "My voters don't care and the public doesn't care. They know you're going to do a good job once you're there."
To date, Trump's campaign has posted just seven policy proposals on his website. There are 38 on Clinton's site, ranging from efforts to cure Alzheimer's disease to Wall Street and criminal justice reform.
"I've laid out the best I could, the specific plans and ideas that I want to pursue as your president because I have this old-fashioned idea," Clinton said during a recent speech in Colorado. "When you run for president, you ought to tell people what you want to do as their president."
Trump's new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, has said she's pushing her boss to get more specific. Yet his positions on a host of issues remain vague at best.
For example, while Trump has slammed the Common Core education standards and touts the benefits of local control of education, he has no formal, detailed plans for improving public schools. He talks about student loan debt and the increasing costs of higher education, but has yet to propose solutions. He has teased plans to make childcare more affordable, but has missed his own deadline for unveiling them.
Until recently, however, there has been no doubt about where Trump stood on illegal immigration. The wall was going up — Mexico would have to pay — and those estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally were going to have to leave.
But over the summer, Trump began suggesting in closed-door conversations with Hispanic leaders that he might be open to softening his stance. On August 20, he convened a closed-door round table of Hispanic lawmakers and business leaders, and left some with the same impression. The day after, campaign manager Conway said his position on deportations was "To be determined".
Trump's supporters say questions about his recent waffling are overblown. His running mate, Mike Pence, describes him as "a CEO at work" as he consults with various stakeholders.
"You see someone who is engaging the American people, listening to the American people," Pence told CNN on Sunday. "He is hearing from all sides."
But Stephen Moore, a conservative economist who has worked with Trump to shape his tax and economic plans, says the vagueness on policies is also by design.
"We want to talk about the big visionary stuff. We don't want to have a big debate about this loophole, that loophole," he said. "This is a campaign, it's not a write-up of a tax bill in the Ways and Means Committee."
Ari Fleischer, a White House press secretary under George W. Bush, says the confusion that now exists about Trump's plans for immigration underscores "the risk in electing someone whose candidacy is based on his personality and image, as opposed his experience and policy knowledge".
While Trump could succeed as president as a "big picture, set the tone, drive the direction and move the government" kind of leader, Flesher said that would require him to surround himself with a knowledgeable and capable staff.
"But the lesson in how he's run his campaign — and frankly in how he's run his businesses — doesn't give you confidence that he would surround himself with a lot of capable people," he said.
In addition, Chen said that a President Trump arriving at the White House without detailed plans could be limited in how much he might achieve.
"If you're not able to hit the ground running, chances are you're going to run into serious resistance if you sit there studying something for the first 100 days," he said. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/world/suddenly-unsure-immigration-trump-trying-clear-it | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/5b0e3a47f91876b5ca0549f22005595abc29205cd9b6f66349e036e89584499c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:54:17 | null | 2016-08-25T23:04:02 | AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to 20 years in prison for the murder of a woman. The Criminal Court in February convicted the defendant, identified as Y. M., of stabbing the victim to death while at her house on July 30, 2012. The court said that the defendant met the victim, who was married, in 2012 and became friends with her. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fcourt-upholds-20-year-sentence-convicted-murderer.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Court upholds 20-year sentence for convicted murderer | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld a Criminal Court ruling sentencing a man to 20 years in prison for the murder of a woman.
The Criminal Court in February convicted the defendant, identified as Y. M., of stabbing the victim to death while at her house on July 30, 2012.
The court said that the defendant met the victim, who was married, in 2012 and became friends with her.
“Their relationship developed and they had a sexual affair for seven months, although she was married,” the court maintained.
Several months before the incident, the defendant “regretted the illicit relationship and decided to leave the victim to marry another woman in accordance with the Sharia [Islamic law]”, court papers said.
“The victim did not approve of the defendant’s decision to end the relationship, started harassing him and filed several complaints which resulted in his imprisonment,” the court added.
On the day of the murder, the court added, the defendant and the victim met at her house and “discussed the fate of their relationship and that it should end, but the victim refused to end it”.
“An argument ensued and became heated, with the victim cursing the defendant’s mother, saying that she was behind the defendant’s decision to leave her,” the court said.
At that moment, the court maintained, “the defendant became enraged, grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed the victim repeatedly, but the knife broke, so he grabbed another knife and kept stabbing her until he was sure she was dead”.
“The defendant took the knife and headed to the nearest police station to turn himself in and informed the police about the incident,” according to the seven-page verdict.
The defendant had confessed in court and pleaded guilty to the charges and did not contest the ruling at a higher court, court papers said.
But any sentence over five years is automatically reviewed by the Cassation Court, which ruled that the Criminal Court’s verdict was sufficient and in accordance with the law.
The Cassation Court comprised judges Yassin Abdullat, Mohammad Tarawneh, Daoud Tubelieh, Bassem Mubeidin and Hussein Sakran. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/court-upholds-20-year-sentence-convicted-murderer | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/ac495a01542e59c6af60e06c76355cbc21c30f4bc3a4e9e800d4d6f0741a491d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:49:47 | null | 2016-08-30T23:44:52 | AMMAN — As parliamentary hopefuls turn to social media to attract voters, digital marketing experts warn that while tools like Facebook can drive the youth vote, misusing them could backfire. Many candidates in the upcoming election have Facebook pages, but most of them are not updated regularly, and those who administer the pages rarely respond to comments or questions, experts interviewed by The Jordan Times said on Tuesday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fsocial-media-can-attract-voters-candidates-must-interact-%25E2%2580%2594-experts.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Social media can attract voters, but candidates must interact - experts | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — As parliamentary hopefuls turn to social media to attract voters, digital marketing experts warn that while tools like Facebook can drive the youth vote, misusing them could backfire.
Many candidates in the upcoming election have Facebook pages, but most of them are not updated regularly, and those who administer the pages rarely respond to comments or questions, experts interviewed by The Jordan Times said on Tuesday.
On most candidates’ Facebook pages, there is no interaction with users. Questions about how to vote and queries about candidates’ political platforms often go unanswered.
"Social media platforms, especially Facebook, are great tools to reach out to targeted audiences and age groups, but candidates are not using these properly," said Mohammad Hamad, digital marketing expert at Bidaya Corporate Communications.
While social media networks offer an opportunity to effectively target specific groups, creating a Facebook page is not enough, he told The Jordan Times.
“Interaction and engagement with users is crucial to make or break a page,” he said.
Some candidates post videos on their pages to introduce themselves, but while they advocate change, they do not specify the kind of change they seek, or how they plan to achieve it, experts noted.
They added that other Facebook posts are usually limited to photos of the candidates among supporters or at meetings.
"The content on the pages of candidates is boring and will not necessarily lead to increase voter turnout for them," said Mohammad Farouq Obeidat, a social media expert.
"By using Facebook or other tools, candidates seek to communicate and deliver a message, but communication is a two-way street. They need to respond to comments and inquiries and interact with users," Obeidat told The Jordan Times.
He stressed that there is an increase in the use of social media during elections, noting that online platforms were much cheaper than traditional campaigning methods.
Jawdat Shammas, a digital marketing expert, said that social media tools could help encourage the youth to go to the polls.
“At present, the majority of the youth do not read newspapers, but they use their smartphones to surf news and check Facebook around the clock. Candidates can reach a larger audience via social media,” Shammas said.
Some candidates are already aware that social media, particularly Facebook, offers a cheap and effective way to spread their messages.
“I am using Facebook to promote myself and my programme. Social media is very important. I have not used it before and this is the first time I resort to it because I believe it can play a role in attracting supporters,” said former MP Rula Hroub who is running for a re-election.
“I will also start posting live feed videos on Facebook for an hour everyday to listen to peoples’ views,” she said. “But I cannot judge whether using these tools would ensure me win, but I know they are indispensable nowadays,” she added.
Mustafa Rawashdeh, who is also running in the upcoming elections, agreed.
“Social media can help us reach voters anywhere, any time and in seconds. It has high interaction, specifically from the young people. It is much cheaper than ads in newspapers or on TV,” he said. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/social-media-can-attract-voters-candidates-must-interact-%E2%80%94-experts | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/3727bc7c9dd4798eb82a6f5c4b8731b58e7a1baa0f686d2d38f402b8fe32bcab.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:55:14 | null | 2016-08-25T22:19:10 | AMMAN — The fifth and crucial round of the popular Jordan Drift Championship kicks off on Friday at SOFEX racetrack with the participation of 43 drivers. The event will witness the participation of Mohammed Kukhen, who will be eyeing the title, winner of the 4th round Omar Kukhen, Munir Hattar, Qais Tufaha, Hesham Baraghithi and Rafat Haroun. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fsports%2Fjordan-drift-championship-slips-high-gear.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/_AGH5528.jpg | en | null | Jordan Drift Championship slips into high gear | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Othman Takriti in action during the fourth round of the Jordan Drift Championship on July 29 (Photo by Amjad Ghsoun)
AMMAN — The fifth and crucial round of the popular Jordan Drift Championship kicks off on Friday at SOFEX racetrack with the participation of 43 drivers.
The event will witness the participation of Mohammed Kukhen, who will be eyeing the title, winner of the 4th round Omar Kukhen, Munir Hattar, Qais Tufaha, Hesham Baraghithi and Rafat Haroun.
Mohammed talked about his strategy for the 5th round saying: “It will be aggressive and comprehensive as I will be fighting to win the title for the 2016 season. I believe the challenge will be tough but not impossible.”
“We had a good run in earlier rounds but in drifting anything can happen to change the results. I am expecting a lot of competition from other drivers in the 5th round and I wish everyone a safe run,” he added.
In the 4th round, Omar Kukhen overcame the 64 drivers representing Egypt, Palestine and Iraq, in addition to Jordan and registered 141 points, followed by Haroun ( (139) and Baraghithi (138).
Friday’s event will consist of two heats with the third for the best 13 results.
Drifting is a kind of driving technique used by drivers through oversteering and causing a loss of traction whether in the rear wheels or all tyres while controlling a certain entry to exit of a corner; drivers are judged according to speed, angle and perfect track line (90 points), showmanship (5 points) and smoking tyres (5 points). | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/sports/jordan-drift-championship-slips-high-gear | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/9526622777aa6f51cbc80845cd620b906c1faf983029ccbb355bb7985dcbe912.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:51:13 | null | 2016-08-25T23:12:34 | JEDDAH — US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday announced a fresh international peace initiative for Yemen aimed at forming a unity government to resolve its 17-month-old conflict. "This war needs to end and it needs to end as quickly as possible," Kerry said after a meeting in Saudi Arabia with Gulf counterparts, a British minister and the UN peace envoy to Yemen. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Fkerry-announces-new-yemen-peace-initiative.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/Yem_0.jpg | en | null | Kerry announces new Yemen peace initiative | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | An armed man loyal to the Houthi movement holds his weapon as he rides on the roof of a truck during a protest against the exiled government in the capital Sanaa, Yemen, on Thursday (Reuters photo by Mohamed Al Sayaghi)
JEDDAH — US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday announced a fresh international peace initiative for Yemen aimed at forming a unity government to resolve its 17-month-old conflict.
"This war needs to end and it needs to end as quickly as possible," Kerry said after a meeting in Saudi Arabia with Gulf counterparts, a British minister and the UN peace envoy to Yemen.
He said participants "agreed on a renewed approach to negotiations" between the Saudi-backed government and Iran-supported rebels, after three months of talks in Kuwait ended earlier in August without making headway.
Kerry lashed out at Iran, saying its arms shipments to the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen posed a threat to the United States.
"The threat potentially posed by the shipment of missiles and other sophisticated weapons into Yemen from Iran extends well beyond Yemen and is not a threat just to Saudi Arabia and... the region," Kerry told reporters in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
“It is a threat to the United States and it cannot continue.”
The new peace approach will have “both a security and political track simultaneously working in order to provide a comprehensive settlement”, said Kerry, adding that Gulf states had “agreed unanimously with this new initiative”.
He said details of the initiative would be finalised by the “parties themselves”.
But the final agreement, in broad outline, would initially include a “swift formation of a national unity government with power shared among the parties”.
It will also include the “withdrawal of forces from Sanaa and other key areas”, and the “transfer of all heavy weapons including ballistic missiles and launchers from the Houthis and forces allied with them to a third party”.
A Saudi-led Arab coalition in March last year launched a military campaign against Houthi rebels as they closed in on UN-backed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in his southern refuge in Aden.
The intervention helped loyalists push the rebels out of five southern provinces, including Aden, but the rebels still hold onto many regions, including the capital Sanaa.
More than 6,600 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since March 2015 and more than 80 per cent of the population has been left in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/kerry-announces-new-yemen-peace-initiative | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/c5fb06c1bf10d83c6769e113079296abb0101249bd388b312126a301e23c6ab1.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:49:26 | null | 2016-08-30T23:47:19 | AMMAN — The rate of suicides has been on the rise in Jordan since 2011, the Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) said on Tuesday, citing figures from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). There were 39 suicides in 2011, 86 in 2012 and 108 in 2013. The number of suicides dropped in 2014 to 100, before rising to 113 in 2015, according to the CID annual statistics report, SIGI said in a statement. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fsuicide-rates-rise-jordan-%25E2%2580%2594-report.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Suicide rates on the rise in Jordan - report | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — The rate of suicides has been on the rise in Jordan since 2011, the Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) said on Tuesday, citing figures from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
There were 39 suicides in 2011, 86 in 2012 and 108 in 2013. The number of suicides dropped in 2014 to 100, before rising to 113 in 2015, according to the CID annual statistics report, SIGI said in a statement.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report on suicide, issued in September 2014, 52.7 per cent of suicides in 2012 were committed by men, SIGI noted.
Suicide is the leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 29, the WHO report said, adding that the suicide rate is rising globally.
Some 800,000 commit suicide every year, while 16 million attempt suicide, the WHO said.
In Jordan, suicide is becoming more common among women and girls, SIGI said, calling for the government, NGOs and local communities to work together to prevent these deaths.
A coordinated strategy is needed to analyse the reasons for suicide and to find ways to resolve them, the institute said.
SIGI said the strategy should also raise awareness of the dangers of suicide and provide help to potential victims and survivors of suicide attempts.
According to the WHO, across the world someone commits suicide every 40 seconds, and the act is more common in low or medium income countries.
In rich countries, men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women, the UN agency found.
Globally, up to 50 per cent of male suicides are blamed on bullying, while domestic violence is the cause of 71 per cent of female suicides, the WHO report said.
In countries that decriminalised suicide, those who had survived suicide attempts were more likely to seek help, it added.
Regarding the increase in female suicides in Jordan, SIGI noted that some women have no access to health services and resources.
Violence, injustice and inequality can cause depression, which accumulates and can lead to suicidal thoughts, SIGI added. One of the most successful ways to prevent suicide is by removing materials commonly used to commit suicide, like pesticides and firearms, and limiting access to very high buildings or bridges, according to SIGI.
Suicide is not always connected to mental factors and can affect healthy people too, the statement said. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/suicide-rates-rise-jordan-%E2%80%94-report | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/b026f776c130d909883d02b0c7e0ef228965dba105634ab2ef412a7d87e7adc5.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:48:38 | null | 2016-08-27T22:31:26 | TUNIS — If Tunisia does not overcome its economic difficulties, an austerity programme will be inevitable next year with thousands of public sector job cuts and new taxes, prime minister-designate Youssef Chahed told parliament on Friday. Chahed has promised his new government will take tough decisions to help growth in the economy and create jobs with the North African country under pressure from international lenders to push through economic reforms and trim public spending. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Ftunisia-pm-warns-economic-austerity-job-cuts.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Tunisia PM warns of economic austerity, job cuts | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | TUNIS — If Tunisia does not overcome its economic difficulties, an austerity programme will be inevitable next year with thousands of public sector job cuts and new taxes, prime minister-designate Youssef Chahed told parliament on Friday.
Chahed has promised his new government will take tough decisions to help growth in the economy and create jobs with the North African country under pressure from international lenders to push through economic reforms and trim public spending.
Lawmakers were meeting on Friday to vote whether to approve Chahed's new government — a broad coalition of secular, Islamist and leftist parties, independents and trade union allies which he believes can deliver on economic reforms.
"If the situation continues like this then in 2017, we will need a policy of austerity, and dismiss thousands of public sector employees and impose new taxes," Chahed told lawmakers before the vote.
Chahed, an ally of President Beji Caid Essebsi, promised a tough line on the economy. But critics question whether he has the political clout to overcome the labour union opposition and party infighting that have dogged past governments.
He said growth this year would not surpass 1.5 per cent, below the official target of 2.5 per cent for the year.
Tunisia is struggling with lower tourism revenues after two militant attacks on foreign tourists last year hit what is one of its key industries. Strikes and protests for jobs have also hurt state phosphate production, another key revenue earner for the state. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/business/tunisia-pm-warns-economic-austerity-job-cuts | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/b9a0de2f966cdf50f809fc0cf89f6f46119d009c178a81defa221cc9bca576c9.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:50:08 | null | 2016-08-30T22:53:45 | BANGKOK — Predominately Buddhist Thailand has opened its first halal hotel as hopes to attract more Muslim visitors and boost one of the few bright spots in its economy. Nearly 30 million foreign tourists came to Thailand last year, but only about 658,000 were from the Middle East, according to industry data. The four-star Al Meroz hotel in Bangkok, which opened in November, hopes to play its part in changing that, and to cash in. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Fthailand%25E2%2580%2599s-first-halal-hotel-hopes-help-boost-muslim-arrivals.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1MEROZ.jpg | en | null | Thailand’s first halal hotel hopes to help boost Muslim arrivals | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | By Reuters - Aug 30,2016 - Last updated at Aug 30,2016
A view of Al Meroz Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday (Reuters photo)
BANGKOK — Predominately Buddhist Thailand has opened its first halal hotel as hopes to attract more Muslim visitors and boost one of the few bright spots in its economy.
Nearly 30 million foreign tourists came to Thailand last year, but only about 658,000 were from the Middle East, according to industry data.
The four-star Al Meroz hotel in Bangkok, which opened in November, hopes to play its part in changing that, and to cash in.
“There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. It’s a huge market,” said the hotel’s general manager, Sanya Saengboon.
“Just 1 per cent of that market is enough for us to thrive.”
The Al Meroz, which boasts mosque-like architecture, has two prayer rooms and three halal dining halls.
Rooms cost from 4,000 baht all the way up to 50,000 baht ($116 to $1,445) a night, said Sanya.
A guest at the hotel, Aamir Fazal, 28, a security officer from Australia, said access to a halal hotel was a comfort to Muslim travellers in Thailand where halal food can be hard to find.
“It’s a really nice experience. It’s the first halal hotel here and I find that amazing,” said Fazal.
Eager to tap into a growing Muslim tourist market, Thailand launched a mobile application last year which helps tourists search for halal eateries and Muslim-friendly attractions.
Parts of Thailand’s south, near the border with Muslim Malaysia, are mainly Muslims.
Many Malaysians pop over the border for short visits but a low-level separatist insurgency in the far south, that has included bomb attacks in border towns frequented by Malaysian tourists, has dented business there.
A series of bomb attacks in more mainstream tourist towns south of Bangkok this month, in which four people were killed and dozens wounded, has led to fears the insurgency is spreading.
Thailand saw a 10 per cent increase in arrivals from the Middle East in 2015 compared with 2014, data from the Department of Tourism showed. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/business/thailand%E2%80%99s-first-halal-hotel-hopes-help-boost-muslim-arrivals | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/98d7338a58a0e90367666ea9b6501dae98de4da359b119c860fef515600a1b5a.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:49:06 | null | 2016-08-29T22:29:49 | NEW DELHI — A “culture of impunity” among Indian officials puts journalists at risk of violence for exposing corruption, while a string of murders of reporters have gone unpunished, a global press rights group said Monday. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said successive local and national governments have failed to promote freedom of the press in the world’s biggest democracy. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Findian-journalists-face-violence-murder-%25E2%2580%2594-rights-group.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1india.jpg | en | null | Indian journalists face violence, murder - rights group | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | NEW DELHI — A “culture of impunity” among Indian officials puts journalists at risk of violence for exposing corruption, while a string of murders of reporters have gone unpunished, a global press rights group said Monday.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said successive local and national governments have failed to promote freedom of the press in the world’s biggest democracy.
The CPJ, which defends the right of journalists to work freely, said intimidation and attacks on reporters were especially rife in rural areas of the vast country where local authorities lacked oversight.
“[Case studies] show how small-town journalists face greater risk in their reporting... and how India’s culture of impunity is leaving the country’s press vulnerable to threats and attacks,” the CPJ said in a report.
“An overwhelmed justice system and lack of media solidarity add to the problems facing India’s press,” it said.
The New York-based CPJ released the 42-page report highlighting the deaths of three reporters who were investigating graft and other serious allegations.
From his hospital bed shortly before his death last year, freelance reporter Jagendra Singh accused police of setting him on fire to force him to stop investigating allegations of rape against a local lawmaker.
Local police in Uttar Pradesh state have since disputed his account and tried to downplay his credentials, while no one has been arrested over the attack, the report said.
Umesh Rajput, known for exposing exploitation of tribal groups in Chhattisgarh state, was shot dead outside his home in January 2011. His family is still waiting for justice after delays and the disappearance of key evidence, the report said.
A television reporter died last year in Madhya Pradesh state from a heart attack while reporting a massive jobs for cash scandal, but family and friends fear he may have been poisoned.
Akshay Singh’s death was one of several that opponents of the state government have linked to the scandal. The report said one year after his death, it was still unclear whether he was murdered.
Twenty-seven reporters have been killed in total for doing their jobs since 1992 when the CPJ began keeping records, the report said.
“More than half of those killed reported regularly on corruption,” the report said.
The CPJ urged governments to provide resources and other support to authorities to conduct proper probes into such deaths. It also called for attacks on the press to become a national crime against free expression, which is enshrined in the constitution.
India was rated last year as the deadliest country in Asia for journalists by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/world/indian-journalists-face-violence-murder-%E2%80%94-rights-group | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/579a36157497512b1d71e8f6cc559ff32a70bea8d609323138bf87f6507f4116.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:50:37 | null | 2016-08-27T22:58:42 | AMMAN — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that a move by authorities to reduce exemptions from general sales tax and customs duties is “critical” for the success of a newly approved correction programme. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fimf-says-tax-customs-duty-exemptions-critical%25E2%2580%2599-eff-deal-endorsed.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | IMF says tax, customs duty exemptions ‘critical’ as EFF deal endorsed | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that a move by authorities to reduce exemptions from general sales tax and customs duties is “critical” for the success of a newly approved correction programme.
On Wednesday, the IMF executive board approved a three-year extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Jordan for an amount equivalent to Special Drawing Right (SDR) JD514.65 million (about $723 million, or 150 per cent of Jordan’s quota) to support the country’s economic and financial reform programme.
Following the board’s decision, an amount of about $72.3 million is made available for immediate disbursement, while the remaining amount will be phased in over the duration of the programme, subject to six reviews.
The programme aims at advancing fiscal consolidation to lower public debt and broaden structural reforms to enhance the conditions for more inclusive growth, a statement by the fund said on Thursday.
Describing the route the economy should take, the IMF said: “Public debt needs to be put on a downward path through gradual fiscal consolidation over the medium term while preserving essential social spending. To this end, it is critical to reduce the general sales tax and customs duty exemptions and to amend the Income Tax Law.”
“The electricity company NEPCO needs to reach operational cost recovery and Water Authority of Jordan’s finances should be consolidated. Public financial management should be strengthened to enhance fiscal transparency and reduce fiscal risks,” the statement said.
The fund, however, gave credit to authorities for steering national economy during a stormy period that witnesses turbulence and refugee influx to the Kingdom.
“The Jordanian economy has performed favourably under a difficult external environment, including the hosting of a large number of Syrian refugees,” the statement quoted IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair David Lipton as saying following the executive board discussion on Jordan.
“Macroeconomic stability has been maintained thanks to significant policy adjustment and reforms. However, economic performance remains below potential and the hosting of Syrian refugees weighs on the economy and public finances.
“The authorities have developed a comprehensive economic reform programme to enhance the conditions for more inclusive growth and preserve macroeconomic stability,” he said, urging early and decisive actions to provide new economic opportunities, create jobs, and bolster confidence under a difficult environment.
“While the domestic and regional conditions are challenging, the authorities’ strong commitment and their ownership of the programme is welcomed. Continued donor support through sufficient grants and concessional financing as stated in the Jordan Compact [pledges made to Jordan at the London donor conference and Jordan’s commitments in return] will also be important to support programme goals,” the IMF executive said.
He added: “Monetary policy has been skilfully managed, and will continue to be anchored by the exchange rate peg and focus primarily on preserving an adequate level of reserves. To further strengthen the regulatory framework, adoption of the amendments to the central bank law is a step in the right direction, and those for commercial banking law and of the secured lending and insolvency laws should be expedited.”
“A swift implementation of the structural reform agenda would enhance the resilience and depth of the financial sector and the business environment, and help tackle challenges facing SMEs in terms of access to finance. Labour market reforms are needed to boost youth and female employment and lessen informality.” | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/imf-says-tax-customs-duty-exemptions-critical%E2%80%99-eff-deal-endorsed | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/202f7dd556870f3f9f1067e00828249ba6e4c7bca95d15d2c739ebd8d4904f91.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:52:50 | null | 2016-08-25T22:23:42 | KABUL — Twelve people, including seven students, were killed in an attack on the American University in Kabul that sent hundreds of students fleeing in panic, police said on Thursday, before the assault ended when two gunmen were shot dead. The attack began at around 6:30pm on Wednesday with a large explosion that officials said was a car bomb followed by gunfire, as suspected militants battled into the complex where foreign staff and pupils were working. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fgun-bomb-attack-american-university-kabul-kills-12%25E2%2580%2599.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1afghanistan_1.jpg | en | null | ‘Gun, bomb attack on American University in Kabul kills 12’ | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Students walk towards a police vehicle after they were rescued from the site of an attack at the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday (Reuters photo)
KABUL — Twelve people, including seven students, were killed in an attack on the American University in Kabul that sent hundreds of students fleeing in panic, police said on Thursday, before the assault ended when two gunmen were shot dead.
The attack began at around 6:30pm on Wednesday with a large explosion that officials said was a car bomb followed by gunfire, as suspected militants battled into the complex where foreign staff and pupils were working.
Elite Afghan forces surrounded the walled compound and eventually worked their way inside, according to a senior interior ministry official.
Sporadic gunfire could be heard through the night and, before dawn, police said the operation had concluded after they killed at least two attackers.
There was no claim of responsibility for an attack in which Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said seven students, three policemen and two security guards were killed, the second incident involving the university this month.
President Ashraf Ghani called the assault “a cowardly attempt to hinder progress and development in Afghanistan”.
“Attacking educational institutions and public places and targeting civilians will not only fail to shake our determination, but will further strengthen it to fight and eradicate terror,” he said in a statement.
Islamist militant groups, mainly the Afghan Taliban and a local offshoot of the Daesh terror group, have claimed a string of recent bomb attacks aimed at destabilising Afghanistan and toppling the Western-backed government of Ghani.
One Ugandan man — a faculty member — was among the wounded, according to a list at the Kabul emergency hospital.
In a statement, the university said it was working with authorities to make sure everyone was accounted for.
“My number one priority at this point is the safety and security of all faculty staff, and students,” said Mark A. English, the university president.
Fraidoon Obaidi, chief of the Kabul police Criminal Investigation Department, told Reuters that police had evacuated between 700 and 750 students from the university, which is popular with the children of Afghanistan’s elite.
Desperate escapes
Terrified students recounted barricading themselves in classrooms or jumping from windows to escape.
“Many students jumped from the second floor, some broke their legs and some hurt their head trying to escape,” Abdullah Fahimi, a student who escaped, told Reuters. He injured his ankle making the leap.
“We were in the class when we heard a loud explosion followed by gunfire. It was very close. Some students were crying, others were screaming,” he said.
Others said they scrambled towards an emergency exit, scaled walls and jumped to safety.
The university buildings are protected by armed guards and watchtowers but the gunmen still got in.
Edrees Nawabi, another student at the university, said he had long been concerned about campus security.
“We were scared but also we wanted to be educated,” he said.
It was the second time this month that the university or its staff had been targeted.
Two teachers, an American and an Australian, were abducted at gunpoint from a road near the university on August 7. They are missing.
The American University of Afghanistan has about 1,700 students and advertises itself as the country’s only not-for-profit, “non-partisan”, co-educational university. It opened in 2006 and caters to full-time and part-time students.
Taliban insurgents control large swaths of Afghanistan, and the security forces are struggling to contain them, especially in the provinces of Helmand to the south and Kunduz to the north.
NATO ended its combat mission in December 2014 but thousands of foreign troops remain to train and assist Afghan forces, while several thousand other US soldiers are engaged in a separate mission focusing on Al Qaeda and Daesh.
The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation in Kabul following the university attack and that forces from the US-led coalition were involved in the response in an advise-and-assist role.
State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the US Embassy was working to account for all of its personnel and to locate and assist any US citizens affected. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/world/gun-bomb-attack-american-university-kabul-kills-12%E2%80%99 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/bb0c208f9cb7fbe07f0aa6282f55cc772f59065e7956b767377af9470afe5e53.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:49:49 | null | 2016-08-27T22:43:27 | GENEVA — The United States and Russia say they have resolved a number of issues standing in the way of restoring a nationwide truce to Syria and opening up aid deliveries, but were unable once again to forge a comprehensive agreement on stepping up cooperation to end the brutal war that has killed hundreds of thousands. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Fdespite-progress-us-russia-fall-short-truce-syria.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1focus_5.jpg | en | null | Despite progress, US-Russia fall short on truce for Syria | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov walk to their seats prior to a bilateral meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday (AP photo)
GENEVA — The United States and Russia say they have resolved a number of issues standing in the way of restoring a nationwide truce to Syria and opening up aid deliveries, but were unable once again to forge a comprehensive agreement on stepping up cooperation to end the brutal war that has killed hundreds of thousands.
After meeting off-and-on for nearly 10 hours in Geneva on Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov could point to only incremental progress in filling in details of a broad understanding to boost joint efforts that was reached last month in Moscow.
Their failure to reach an overall deal highlighted the increasingly complex situation on the ground in Syria — including new Russian-backed Syrian government attacks on opposition forces, the intermingling of some of those opposition forces with an Al Qaeda affiliate not covered by the truce and the surrender of a rebel-held suburb of Damascus — as well as deep divisions and mistrust dividing Washington and Moscow.
The complexities have also grown with the increasing internationalization of what has largely become a proxy war between regional and world powers, highlighted by a move by Turkish troops across the Syrian border against the Daesh terror group militants this week.
Kerry said he and Lavrov had agreed on the “vast majority” of technical discussions on steps to reinstate a cease-fire and improve humanitarian access. But critical sticking points remain unresolved and experts will remain in Geneva with an eye toward finalising those in the coming days, he said.
“We are close,” Kerry said. “But we are not going to rush to an agreement until it satisfies fully the needs of the Syrian people.”
Lavrov echoed that, saying “we still need to finalize a few issues” and pointed to the need to separate fighters from the Al Nusra Front, which has ties to Al Qaeda, from US-backed fighters who hold parts of northwest Syria.
“We have continued our efforts to reduce the areas where we lack understanding and trust, which is an achievement,” Lavrov said. “The mutual trust is growing with every meeting.”
Yet, it was clear that neither side believes an overall agreement is imminent or even achievable after numerous previous disappointments shattered a brief period of relative calm earlier this year.
The inability to wrest an agreement between Russia and the US — as the major sponsors of the opposing sides in the stalled Syria peace talks — all but spells another missed deadline for the UN Syria envoy to get the Syrian government and “moderate” opposition back to the table.
The UN envoy, Staffan de Mistura, briefly sat in Friday with Kerry and Lavrov. After missing an initial target date of Aug. 1, de Mistura had hoped to restart the intra-Syrian discussions towards political transition in late August. He suspended the talks in late April after a resurgence in the fighting.
Friday’s meeting came a month after the Kerry and Lavrov met in Moscow and agreed on a number of unspecified actions to get the all-but-ignored truce back in force. However, as in Moscow, neither Kerry nor Lavrov would describe them in detail.
In a nod to previous failed attempts to resurrect the cessation of hostilities, Kerry stressed the importance of keeping the details secret.
“We do not want to make an announcement ... that is not enforceable, that doesn’t have details worked out, that winds up in the place that the last two announcements have wound up,” Kerry said. “Until we have, neither of us are prepared to make an announcement that is predicated for failure. We don’t want a deal for the sake of the deal, we want a deal that is effective.”
And, underscoring deep differences over developments on the ground, Kerry noted that Russia disputes the US “narrative” of recent attacks on heavily populated areas being conducted by Syrian forces, Russia itself and the Iranian-backed Hizbollah militia. Russia maintains the attacks it has been involved in have targeted legitimate terrorist targets, while the US says they have hit moderate opposition forces.
Expectations had been low for the talks, particularly given how efforts to forge a new US-Russia understanding have fallen short virtually every month for the past five years.
At the same time, the Obama administration is not of one mind regarding the Russians. The Pentagon has publicly complained about getting drawn into greater cooperation with Russia even though it has been forced recently to expand communication with Moscow. Last week, the US had to call for Russian help when Syrian warplanes struck an area not far from where US troops were operating.
US officials say it is imperative that Russia use its influence with Syrian President Bashar Assad to halt all attacks on moderate opposition forces, open humanitarian aid corridors, and concentrate any offensive action on Daesh and other extremists not covered by what has become a largely ignored truce.
For their part, US officials say they are willing to press rebels groups they support harder on separating themselves from Daesh and Al Nusra, which despite a recent name change is still viewed as Al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria.
Those goals are not new, but recent developments have made achieving them even more urgent and important, according to US officials. Recent developments include military operations around the city of Aleppo, the entry of Turkey into the ground war, Turkish hostility towards US-backed Kurdish rebel groups and the presence of American military advisers in widening conflict zones.
Meanwhile, in a blow to the opposition, rebel forces and civilians in the besieged Damascus suburb of Daraya were to be evacuated on Friday after agreeing to surrender the town late Thursday after four years of grueling bombardment and a crippling siege that left the sprawling area in ruins.
The surrender of Daraya, which became an early symbol of the nascent uprising against Assad, marks a success for his government, removing a persistent threat only a few kilometres from his seat of power.
Referring to Daraya, Lavrov said: “This is an example I think will get some following.” He said the Russian military’s reconciliation centre in Syria has received a request from another area to organise a similar operation — with Russian mediation. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/despite-progress-us-russia-fall-short-truce-syria | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/71ec4c24d72ae772e9bbc3f22cc6cc342b039bf07e6941b0e35dc8b86a0d6fb2.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:48:35 | null | 2016-08-28T23:57:01 | AMMAN — Weight loss surgeries are on the rise in Jordan, while efforts are under way to ensure the operations meet the highest international standards, the Jordan Medical Association (JMA) said on Sunday. This summer, the number of bariatric operations performed in the Kingdom rose by 10 per cent compared to the same period of the last year, said JMA of the President Ali Abous. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fweight-loss-surgeries-rise-jordan-%25E2%2580%2594-jma.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Weight loss surgeries on the rise in Jordan - JMA | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — Weight loss surgeries are on the rise in Jordan, while efforts are under way to ensure the operations meet the highest international standards, the Jordan Medical Association (JMA) said on Sunday.
This summer, the number of bariatric operations performed in the Kingdom rose by 10 per cent compared to the same period of the last year, said JMA of the President Ali Abous.
“The reasons for the growing number of such surgeries are related to the increasing number of obese individuals, whether in Jordan or the Arab region,” Abous told The Jordan Times.
The “positive” outcomes of the operation, “reasonable” cost and the “reputed” Jordanian medical sectors also contributed to the rise in weight-reducing surgeries, he noted.
Around 10 private practitioners are specialised in the operation, the JMA president said, underlining the need to regulate the practice to prevent medical errors.
To this effect, an ad hoc technical committee was formed to study the criteria for surgeons who perform weight loss operations, the best bariatric procedures for every case and the standards that should be considered by hospitals in which these surgeries are performed.
The committee comprises officials from the JMA, the Health Ministry, the Royal Medical Services, universities and representatives of the private medical sector.
“The committee will determine the number of bariatric surgeries each surgeon can perform a day — whether alone or with a medical team — the type of procedures to be taken in different cases and what qualifies patients for these surgeries,” said Abous.
He added that a local protocol for weight loss operations will be established by the committee, based on the international protocol.
While Arabs, mostly from the Gulf, are the main recipients of obesity reduction surgeries, people from other countries also come to Jordan for the procedure, according to the JMA.
“On the other hand, there is fierce competition from other countries in this field,” noted Abous, giving Turkey as an example.
While acknowledging that the private health sector complains that Jordan is not sufficiently promoted as a destination for weight loss surgeries, the JMA president said the sector itself should take responsibility.
“They should come up with an international plan and cooperate with foreign companies for better promotion,” Abous said.
Several Jordanian healthcare centres are accredited by the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/weight-loss-surgeries-rise-jordan-%E2%80%94-jma | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/30e1f0f462cab7500c4adee9f91ed4494a5f915b5e3fed50cc431628300d7cc1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:56:46 | null | 2016-08-25T22:19:59 | Nothing stays the same. If there is one field where this is particularly true it is in Information Technology (IT), and perhaps in its most significant aspect, the Web. If having a fast ADSL Internet connection was a matter of pride so far, the technology is showing its age and is on its way out. Several other forms of subscription and channels to the Web are now available and are gradually replacing ADSL. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Ffeatures%2Fend-adsl.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | The end of ADSL | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Nothing stays the same. If there is one field where this is particularly true it is in Information Technology (IT), and perhaps in its most significant aspect, the Web.
If having a fast ADSL Internet connection was a matter of pride so far, the technology is showing its age and is on its way out. Several other forms of subscription and channels to the Web are now available and are gradually replacing ADSL.
Fibre optics, DSL, microwave, 3G, 4G, leased lines, T3, etc.. are some of the wired and wireless options, other than the wired ADSL, and they offer significantly better, more reliable and of course faster connection.
There are inherent limitations to copper-wired ADSL. Although you can subscribe to faster or slower formulas, the peak speed will not exceed 24Mb (megabyt per second) in the best case. Moreover the upload speed is but a fraction of the download speed. Typically if you enjoy 24Mb download, the upload will be around 1 or 2 Mb. Five or ten years ago it was not a constraint, for users would browse (i.e. download) much more than they would send data (i.e. upload).
Today with the huge size of audiovisual material we exchange, with extensive and ever increasing usage of the cloud — which implies equal and large amounts of downloads and uploads — ADSL is just not enough.
Last but not least, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) will put several subscribers on the same ADSL connection and will make them share it, resulting in unstable, inconsistent speeds and performance, depending on whose doing what on that shared line.
Consider just the size of the pictures you take with your smartphone. Thanks to the much improved resolution of the new handsets’ cameras, it has been multiplied by four in the last six or seven years. So when you send or receive a photo taken with an up to date, high-end smartphone, this alone requires a connection certainly better than regular copper-wired ADSL.
Some networks, like for instance WhatsApp, automatically downsize the picture you are sending so as not to overload the network, and also to put less stress their own servers. This results in pictures with reduced quality. If all networks were consistently fast there would be no need for such downsizing. WhatsApp statistics indicate that an average 1.6 billion photos are exchanged on its network every day (figures of February 2016). Doesn’t this call for better than ADSL?
If you use a cloud storage service such as OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox, here too ADSL is hardly a good solution.
Most of the new subscription formulas and technical implementations offered by the ISPs, including by those operating in Jordan, fare better than ADSL. In plain the latter has become somewhat old.
Times have changed and the need for faster and more consistent Internet has become a real need, certainly not a luxury, and it is justified at home as much as it is at work.
As always performance comes at a price. Whereas ADSL has become relatively inexpensive, with household subscriptions being at about JD250 per year, 4G for example is still charged much higher by the local ISPs. One of the leading providers in Jordan charges JD10 for each 4GB you would use via your 4G-enabled smartphone.
As for the leased lines that large enterprises and businesses often subscribe to, although prices have gone down recently, they are still in the range of a few thousands dinars per year. If it is often feasible for business it is rarely so for home use.
One way or another, and regardless of cost, ADSL is bound to disappear very soon. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/features/end-adsl | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/95526e7c692da26c09d24dde15ce21a1af0425c0a033ec91e1f838b48ae6a902.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:49:38 | null | 2016-08-29T23:49:08 | ISTANBUL — Turkey warned Monday it would carry out more strikes on a Syrian Kurdish militia if it failed to retreat beyond the Euphrates River, as Washington voiced alarm over weekend clashes. Turkish forces pressed on with a two-pronged operation inside Syria against Daesh extremists and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), shelling over a dozen targets. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Fus-alarm-turkey-warns-syrian-kurd-militia-more-strikes.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/Syr_66.jpg | en | null | US alarm as Turkey warns Syrian Kurd militia of more strikes | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Syrian families, fleeing Daesh militants and the ongoing fighting, carry their belongings on Monday as they arrive to take refuge in the Syrian village of Al Khalfatli, held by the Free Syrian Army, near the Syrian-Turkish border, north of Aleppo (AFP photo)
ISTANBUL — Turkey warned Monday it would carry out more strikes on a Syrian Kurdish militia if it failed to retreat beyond the Euphrates River, as Washington voiced alarm over weekend clashes.
Turkish forces pressed on with a two-pronged operation inside Syria against Daesh extremists and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), shelling over a dozen targets.
The strikes against the YPG are hugely sensitive as the outfit — seen as a terror group by Ankara — is allied with Turkey's NATO partner, the United States, in the fight against Daesh in Syria.
Ankara said it killed 25 Kurdish "terrorists" in strikes on YPG positions on Sunday, a day after a Turkish soldier died in a rocket attack.
The Pentagon called the clashes "unacceptable" and urged an immediate de-escalation.
Turkey’s operation aims to push the YPG back across the Euphrates to prevent it joining up a region east of the river already under its control with a Kurdish-held area to the west.
‘Ethnic cleansing’
Ankara fears the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria would bolster Kurdish rebels across the border in southeast Turkey.
US Vice President Joe Biden said last week Washington had ordered the YPG to retreat or risk losing American support. But Ankara says it had seen no evidence of this.
“The YPG... needs to cross east of the Euphrates as soon as possible. So long as they don’t, they will be a target,” said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Cavusoglu accused it of “ethnic cleansing” in the mainly Arab area around the city of Manbij, west of the Euphrates, which the YPG wrested from Daesh earlier this month.
Turkey accuses the YPG of being an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has waged a deadly insurgency on Turkish territory for over three decades.
On Monday, the Turkish air force launched air strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq, state media said.
‘Deep concern’
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 40 civilians were killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes on pro-Kurdish positions in northern Syria on Sunday.
Ankara strongly denies killing any civilians.
The army said Monday 10 more villages had “been cleared of terrorist elements” by Turkish-backed anti-regime Syrian fighters.
A 400-square-kilometre area has been cleared since the operation began on August 24, it added.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a statement the offensive would continue until “the threat of Daesh and YPG/PKK is over”.
On Monday, at least five people were injured in the Turkish town of Kilis by rockets fired across the border from a Daesh-held area, NTV television reported. The army returned fire, the report said.
Ankara-backed forces faced little resistance when they captured the Daesh border stronghold of Jarabulus last week, days after a suspected Daesh suicide bombing killed 55 people in southeast Turkey.
But the standoff with the Kurdish militia has been intense, with a Turkish soldier killed on Saturday in a YPG rocket attack on his tank.
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the clashes were “unacceptable and a source of deep concern”.
“The United States was not involved in these activities, they were not coordinated with US forces, and we do not support them,” he said.
He called for steps to deescalate the situation and said Washington had once again told the YPG to retreat east of the Euphrates. This has “largely occurred”, he added.
‘Prevent Kurdish corridor’
The Jarabulus military council — affiliated to the YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) — said its forces had withdrawn south of the Sajur River, 20 kilometres south of Jarabulus, “to protect the lives of civilians”.
This goes some way to meeting Turkish demands but it still leaves SDF-affiliated forces in and around Manbij.
The Turkish army said it had fired 61 times on targets in northern Syria in the last 24 hours. It did not say which group was targeted.
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus confirmed one of the key aims of its operation was to prevent the creation of a Kurdish-controlled corridor stretching from Iraq to the verge of the Mediterranean.
“If that happens, it means Syria has been divided,” he added, quoted by NTV television.
He said all relevant parties had been forewarned of Turkey’s operation in Syria, including the regime of President Bashar Assad, a bitter enemy of Ankara who had been informed by its ally Russia.
Syria’s official Sana agency said Damascus had written to the UN Security Council to protest Turkey’s “crimes against humanity” in the country. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/us-alarm-turkey-warns-syrian-kurd-militia-more-strikes | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/a770cab1cacd953c978aa5055b50979a2d3b812bf98ae182de0a70bf3bd095d4.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:48:56 | null | 2016-08-29T22:31:28 | WASHINGTON — In his speech at the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump made six references to the conflict in Syria, pointing to the war-ravaged nation as a source of much of the world's turmoil, particularly immigration and extremism. A week later at the Democratic convention, Hillary Clinton made not one reference to Syria. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fregion%2Fsyria-democrats-look-deflect-conversation.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/27931079.jpg | en | null | On Syria, Democrats look to deflect the conversation | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | WASHINGTON — In his speech at the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump made six references to the conflict in Syria, pointing to the war-ravaged nation as a source of much of the world's turmoil, particularly immigration and extremism.
A week later at the Democratic convention, Hillary Clinton made not one reference to Syria.
The conflict in Syria remains a major conundrum for both President Barack Obama and Clinton, his former secretary of state. With a firm reluctance to enter another US war in the Middle East, the United States has focused its military efforts on fighting the Daesh terror group in northern Syria and in Iraq while pursuing so-far failed diplomatic efforts to end the civil war.
Now entering its sixth year, the Syria conflict has killed more than a quarter million people, displaced some 11 million, and has turned the once-cosmopolitan, secular country into a hive of factions with dangerously competing interests.
"Of the two or three biggest legacy problems for the Obama administration, in terms of foreign policy, Syria will figure prominently on that list," said Robert Ford, US ambassador to Syria during the uprising and now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. There is an element within the Democratic Party, Ford adds, that "would go as far as to say the United States helped to cause that problem”.
Clinton has tap-danced around the issue, particularly since her views may not be in line with that of her former boss. Her closest advisers point out that she often had a more hawkish approach to international relations than many in her party, including Obama, but delving into such a complex situation on the campaign trail risks putting off voters who are more concerned with the situation at home.
"There is a benefit to the Syria debate not getting too political at this stage," said Ilan Goldenberg, a Clinton adviser who is senior fellow and director of the Middle East Security Programme at the Center for a New American Security. "There will be a rigorous process of us evaluating all our options. It's much more deep than what you get on the campaign trail but my instinct is she'll lean further forward."
While Clinton has been one of the most pro-intervention candidates to run for the presidency in 2016, she has not condoned the forceful removal of Syrian President Bashar Assad from power, calling instead for a peaceful handover.
In a December debate, she said she supports the establishment of a no-fly zone "to create those safe refuges within Syria". The aim would be "to try to protect people on the ground both from Assad's forces, who are continuing to drop barrel bombs, and from ISIS [Daesh]”.
"And of course, it has to be de-conflicted with the Russians, who are also flying in that space," she added.
But Clinton dodged a question about whether failure to take more assertive action in Syria damaged American credibility, saying at a later debate that, "as commander-in-chief, you have to be constantly evaluating the decisions you have to make”.
The type of intervention that many had envisioned — targeting key installments belonging to Assad's government after it was found to be using chemical weapons in 2013 — never came to fruition.
Appetite for intervention of any kind was especially low after the vastly unpopular US-led invasion of Iraq, and Washington was still reeling from the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Clinton has been forced to answer inquiries over the security failures leading to that attack.
Clinton "was very sobered by the Libya experience," Ford said. "She absolutely understood, back in 2012, the need for a more muscular approach [in Syria]. I never ever heard her say we need to send in the US military," he added. "But she thought there were people on the ground who we could help."
When it came time for action in Syria, Obama opted to help moderate rebel forces and, a year later, launched air strikes to target Daesh. Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have also supported a military partnership with Russia to limit a US expansionary role in Syria for years to come.
Trump does not often address the Syria conflict, but he's repeatedly blamed the Obama administration for the rise of Daesh, which in 2014 took over a third of Syria and Iraq, though much of that territory has since been re-claimed. This month, he accused Obama of being the "founder of ISIS", adding, "I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton”.
Trump has said that he doesn't think Assad is the biggest problem in Syria, and has called for the establishment of safe zones inside Syria for refugees so they don't have to flee the country.
Outside observers caution against expecting too much in Clinton's ability to turn this conflict around, saying that any future action is too little, too late. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/region/syria-democrats-look-deflect-conversation | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/32479deaa2b0d48ee213e4277a7be2a38aba391673ca18764eaa00c248c4af99.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:49:07 | null | 2016-08-28T22:47:37 | LONDON — The head of EDF Energy has urged the British government to approve the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project, an explicit appeal by the French energy giant ahead of a decision due within weeks. Prime Minister Theresa May intervened last month to delay the £18 billion ($24 billion) project, just hours after it was approved by EDF’s board, former Cabinet colleague Vince Cable said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Fedf-chief-urges-britain-give-go-ahead-nuclear-plant.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/1%20Hinkley.jpg | en | null | EDF chief urges Britain to give go-ahead to nuclear plant | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | Men work at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station site near Bridgwater in Britain, August 4 (Reuters file photo)
LONDON — The head of EDF Energy has urged the British government to approve the Hinkley Point C nuclear power project, an explicit appeal by the French energy giant ahead of a decision due within weeks.
Prime Minister Theresa May intervened last month to delay the £18 billion ($24 billion) project, just hours after it was approved by EDF’s board, former Cabinet colleague Vince Cable said.
The government says it will make a final decision in the early autumn. Cable said May was concerned about China’s involvement, particularly in terms of national security.
The state-owned China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN) is EDF’s partner in building the two new reactors at Hinkley Point, southwest England, which would provide about 7 per cent of Britain’s electricity.
EDF Energy Chief Executive Vincent de Rivaz said the Chinese, who will provide £6 billion of funding, were a trusted partner with whom the French had worked building two nuclear reactors in China.
“[The Hinckley Point project] brings the benefits of a 30-year partnership between EDF and CGN in nuclear construction in China, a country with the largest civil nuclear programme in the world,” he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.
“We know and trust our Chinese partners.”
Addressing security concerns, he said all staff on nuclear projects were rigorously vetted and the control systems at Hinkley Point would be isolated from IT systems and the internet.
EDF and its partners have agreed to fund the new stations, and in return Britain has committed to paying a minimum price for the power generated for 35 years. Critics say the price, around double current market levels, is too high.
But de Rivaz said it was fair.
“Hinkley Point C is competitive with all other future energy options, even including fossil fuels like gas when the cost of carbon is taken into account,” he said. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/business/edf-chief-urges-britain-give-go-ahead-nuclear-plant | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/875274c6903001258bd8f99d3bf861013c85c11862285459ecfe5dedb0a5adb7.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:56:18 | null | 2016-08-25T22:59:25 | AMMAN — The government will not rescind a decision to reduce tax exemptions on imported used cars, despite protests by car dealers, Finance Minister Omar Malhas said on Thursday. “We took the decision in June and we will not go back on it. Our decision is final, and the sales of used cars at the free zone are returning to normal and at rates similar to those before the decision,” Malhas told The Jordan Times. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fgov%25E2%2580%2599t-says-decision-raise-fees-imported-used-cars-final%25E2%2580%2599.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Gov’t says decision to raise fees on imported used cars ‘final’ | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — The government will not rescind a decision to reduce tax exemptions on imported used cars, despite protests by car dealers, Finance Minister Omar Malhas said on Thursday.
“We took the decision in June and we will not go back on it. Our decision is final, and the sales of used cars at the free zone are returning to normal and at rates similar to those before the decision,” Malhas told The Jordan Times.
“Around 325 used cars are sold per day…. When the decision was announced, and in light of the protest by traders, there was a slight drop but in July and August for example, sales of used cars at the zone are picking up and the situation is improving,” the minister said.
He added that the decision will “fulfil its objective” by the end of the year.
“We will generate the revenue we are looking for by taking this decision and it will yield fruit by the end of this year,” said Malhas.
The decision was one of several issued following a recent deal with the International Monetary Fund to extend a funding programme for the Kingdom, the minister added.
Earlier in August, the Jordan Free Zone Investors Commission claimed that the Treasury had lost around JD60 million since June due to the strike by used car importers in the free zone.
Importers and car dealers stopped selling cars from Jordan’s only free zone, which is in Zarqa, in protest against the government’s June 22 decision to reduce tax exemptions on imported used cars, which they said would hurt the sector. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/gov%E2%80%99t-says-decision-raise-fees-imported-used-cars-final%E2%80%99 | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/db10f403198505916761a0ecf2f1f5ff14127ec2ed8a8c1618e5e15951c19154.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T22:48:45 | null | 2016-08-28T23:48:13 | AMMAN – Five Jordanians from the same family were killed in a road accident in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night after their vehicle overturned on a highway, according to the Saudi Red Crescent Authority. The family members were killed near Shobah Nassab town, near Hafr Al Baten in northeastern Saudi Arabia, said the authority, adding that a rescue team from the red crescent rushed to the accident scene and found four family members dead, while the fifth was badly injured and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fentire-family-killed-saudi-arabia-accident.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Entire family killed in Saudi Arabia accident | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN – Five Jordanians from the same family were killed in a road accident in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night after their vehicle overturned on a highway, according to the Saudi Red Crescent Authority.
The family members were killed near Shobah Nassab town, near Hafr Al Baten in northeastern Saudi Arabia, said the authority, adding that a rescue team from the red crescent rushed to the accident scene and found four family members dead, while the fifth was badly injured and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
The deceased family is from the town of Kufr Soum in the northern governorate of Irbid.
The dead were identified by relatives as Saed Al Batran and his wife Linda and their children Aktham, Saif and Ghaith.
The father is based in the United Arab Emirates, where he works as an accountant, according to Maher Batran, who said the family members were planning to spend Eid Al Adha in Jordan.
Amer Khatib, a resident of Kufr Soum and a relative, told The Jordan Times Sunday that the family was on its way to Jordan when the car overturned.
“The entire town is in a shock and saddened by the news of the death,” he added.
Saed and his wife were in their late 30s while the children aged between 6 and 14, Maher said. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/entire-family-killed-saudi-arabia-accident | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/b088c04004967e4a68579d1c4b381b56bfc7d85ea1a6847f53ce77cca465a5c6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:53:21 | null | 2016-08-25T22:32:31 | CAIRO — Egypt cannot afford to keep its museums open let alone search for ancient buried treasures because of the economic crisis, the antiquities minister says. Tourism, a mainstay of the economy, has been hit hard since the 2011 revolution that overthrew veteran ruler Hosni Mubarak, with many of Egypt's renowned historical sites, from the pyramids at Giza to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, suffering a decline in foreign visitors. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Fbusiness%2Fegypts-economic-crisis-weighs-heavily-heritage-%25E2%2580%2594-minister.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/default/files/Egypt%201.jpg | en | null | Egypt's economic crisis weighs heavily on heritage - minister | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | CAIRO — Egypt cannot afford to keep its museums open let alone search for ancient buried treasures because of the economic crisis, the antiquities minister says.
Tourism, a mainstay of the economy, has been hit hard since the 2011 revolution that overthrew veteran ruler Hosni Mubarak, with many of Egypt's renowned historical sites, from the pyramids at Giza to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, suffering a decline in foreign visitors.
"We have over 20 museums that have been closed down since the January 25 Revolution and we do not have the resources to run them," Khaled Al Anani told Reuters in an interview.
His ministry is meant to be self-sufficient and not supposed to receive funds from the state budget. In 2010 the ministry made 1.3 billion Egyptian pounds ($146.40 million) a year; in 2015 income was down to 275 million pounds.
"That's a little over 20 million pounds a month. I have to pay 80 million a month in salaries alone."
Anani says that without a revival in tourism none of his new projects, such as the introduction of year-long museums and heritage site passes or extending opening hours will have the desired effect.
Neither will reopening Pyramid Complex of Unas, built for Pharaoh Unas, the ninth and final king of the Fifth Dynasty in the mid 24th century BC, which has been closed since 1998 for fear of overcrowding and which Anani reopened in May.
Still, Egypt plans to partially open the Grand Egyptian Museum, an ambitious planned museum of Ancient Egyptian artefacts that will be the world's largest archaeological museum, in 2017, said Anani, bringing forward the scheduled opening date by a year.
This is only possible because the $248 million needed came from a Japanese loan years ago.
Financial woes also affect excavation attempts, which have seen a steep decline since 2011, he said.
Other issues include a lack of international law experts at the ministry to help claim back Egyptian artefacts that were smuggled to other countries or claimed by the country's former colonial masters as well as the need to create a centralised database of antiquities to combat smuggling, efforts for which had stalled since the year 2000. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/business/egypts-economic-crisis-weighs-heavily-heritage-%E2%80%94-minister | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/3fb99406a70b2c0c6976a4241ef873b8c05e23251082cafab27f2dca53d3c243.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T22:48:24 | null | 2016-08-29T23:52:56 | AMMAN — Jordan on Monday condemned two suicide bombings — in the southern city of Aden, Yemen, and in Karbala, Iraq, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The agency quoted Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani as saying that the terrorist attacks "prove once again the dark and evil nature" of terrorist groups, who target innocent people "everywhere in the world”. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jordantimes.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fjordan-condemns-terror-attacks-yemen-iraq.json | http://www.jordantimes.com/sites/all/themes/jtimes/favicon.ico | en | null | Jordan condemns terror attacks in Yemen, Iraq | null | null | www.jordantimes.com | AMMAN — Jordan on Monday condemned two suicide bombings — in the southern city of Aden, Yemen, and in Karbala, Iraq, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
The agency quoted Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani as saying that the terrorist attacks "prove once again the dark and evil nature" of terrorist groups, who target innocent people "everywhere in the world”.
A suicide car bomber on Monday killed at least 54 people and injured at least 67 at a pro-government recruitment centre in the Mansoura district in Aden, according to the Yemeni health ministry, Reuters reported.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the two attacks, according to the international news agencies. Momani, who is also the minister of state for media affairs, called on the international community to “unite efforts” in combating terrorism, Petra reported. | http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/jordan-condemns-terror-attacks-yemen-iraq | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.jordantimes.com/553545c64010e31bb9196470c2b6f6c86fb2797e49d8775baea09d1057fa89ae.json |
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