July 2013 – Page 2 – Dustin Monke

One of the more shocking scenes in the aftermath of Monday evening’s storm in Dunn County was the damage to Weydahl Field, commonly known as the Dunn County Airport on the north side of Killdeer.

The airport, which has seen a surge in usage because of oil activity in the area and was in the process of being improved, suffered a huge setback Monday when winds that reached up to 85 mph, overturning airplanes and completely destroying the hangar, leaving only the terminal intact.

“I think it’s a real tragedy because the people that own those airplanes have helped tremendously in the effort to help rebuild the hangar and the whole airport in general,” said Mike Schollmeyer, the vice chairman of the Dunn County Airport Authority. “It’s a lot of hard work that just got blown away. I feel really bad for everybody that’s put so much time in up there.”

Continue reading “Dunn County Airport hangar destroyed, planes overturned”

My neighbor’s son, Ethan, was all in his glory with his sparklers on the Fourth of July.

Yesterday, I drove 30 miles to my friend’s recently completed home on the edge of the Badlands for an evening of fireworks, steaks and general revelry.

It’s something that our group of friends has done nearly every year since the summer following our final year of high school.

One way or another, and no matter where we are all living at the time, we attempt to get together on or around the Fourth of July to have our own private fireworks show, grill some red meat, have a few adult beverages and soak in the peacefulness of western North Dakota.

Long-standing nicknames and some of our best stories have come out of these gatherings, as they do for most families or groups of friends who celebrate together regularly.

However, one change is becoming very apparent.

Continue reading “Adulthood apparent on holidays like the Fourth of July”