Blog #3 - ND Heroes!

I found a story in the Fargo Forum that caught my attention. Partly because of the severe weather we’ve had in North Dakota the last TWO months without human fatalities because of the weather until just this past week. A 40+ year old man was found frozen to death recently. He had few cloths on, indicated he was suffering from hypothermia, which caused his death. And now a second incident that could have been fatal but was not.
A graduate school couple (nationality unknown but their names could suggest they are not North Dakota born) from UND were using their Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate a rural North Dakota home to rent/buy. With limited reception because of the grade of the land and few transfer towers, they turned the direction the GPS directed them. Unfortunately, they ended up stuck on a typical ND prairie trail. It was 4 degrees below zero with 15 mile an hour winds. All the signs for tragedy to strike were there.
They did everything right if there is such a thing if you are traveling in rural ND in sub zero conditions. They called for help with their cell phone although the service was not functioning 100%. Even with limited service the 911 operator knew they were in trouble. They had a full tank of gas with half of it left when they were found. They had winter clothing on to keep warm and were able to keep their vehicle running. They had their hazard lights blinking. And they were in North Dakota where authorities will risk their own lives to keep us safe.
The article reports that County Sherriff’s deputies from Grand Forks, Steele, Trail, and Nelson Counties were involved in the search. A U.S. Border Patrol Helicopter and a local farmer also assisted with the search and rescue. Wow! Check out the area the Grand Forks Border Patrol has to cover.
Now consider the weather in North Dakota and the history of lives lost in hazardous winter weather. Temperatures can be so extreme and adding the wind chill can be devastating. Sounds like another good reason to increase the amount of transmission towers to keep everyone who enters our state safe. It’s easy to get mixed up when you in rural ND whether you were raised here or not. Tragedy could have struck but our dedicated public servants kept going until they could guarantee a safe ending to this story. I hope all in need have people like this on the other end of the phone when they call 911. Kudos to North Dakota County Sherriff deputies, U.S. Border Patrol, and local farmers – where would we be without them?!

Fleecing in North Dakota

As you are probably aware, the 51st North Dakota Legislative session is now underway and it will be a busy time for our elected officials. With a surplus of money not spent during the last legislative session (what a problem to have!), everyone is asking for a piece of the pie. There are many good causes that need the money including all levels of education in our state. Some want the funds left in reserve "for a rainy day." Some want to allocate the funds and reduce sales taxes. Some want to use the money so property tax relief be passed on to North Dakota citizens. There are a lot of places the money could go to better our state. Issues that are not productive to our state, should not be considered for "law" in order to eat up what we have in this state.

Just because there are funds up for grabs, doesn't mean we should be spending valuable legislative time and money on something that should never be considered for a bill passed by the legislature. The example that has many of us laughing out loud is a Senate Bill that according to an Inforum article says:

“… NDSU and UND shall schedule and play an annual National Collegiate Athletic Association football game against each other pursu-ant to a schedule agreed upon by athletic directors of each institution.”

The Bismarck Tribune also had an article regarding this ridiculous legislation. I’m sure most papers in the state have also published this action. I heard it on a local nightly news station as well.

What does a football game have to do with legislation? Nothing in my perspective. What does a football game have to do with money? Nothing but fleecing for our state legislative session. A lot for the cities of Grand Forks and Fargo. Without saying it, these cities would have significant income from those that would attend the event. If it comes down to the dollar, I think there are ways to give to more than two cities in North Dakota.

So why do these two big cities and universities believe they should take up valuable taxpayer money and legislators time by submitting a bill and forcing our state legislature to talk about a football game? I haven’t a clue. Maybe you get it, I don’t.

COMM 344 - Week 1 Blog

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with this "new to me" blogging. I'm sure I'll mess up along the way so please be patient with my ignorance. Everytime I hit a button I get something I don't know how to deal with, and can't get where I really want to be. If anyone can share hints or step by step how tos - this OTA would appreciate it. OK - so now you're laughing at my ignorance - that's OK. I'm here to learn from all of you . I haven't figured out how to add links in my blog - any directions on that would be great!

I read the news article about the proposed law against texting while driving. I have done it myself once or twice. I've been with my 20 year old when she's doing it. It is not safe! I've seen her drift into another lane on the interstate going 75+ mph. All the "what ifs" run through my mind and I'm not ready to loose a family member, or have to watch them live with hurting or killing someone else. When we are on the road, we are not only responsible for our lives, but the lives of everyone else on the road. I'm all for making sure I am safe - as well as those around me. If you can drift on the interstate, you can drift on any road. The chances for accidents is so great! Who wants to be responsible for killing someone! Not me. I support a ban on texting while driving.

First time blogger.