Dustin Monke

New England awarded $5M in funding for water infrastructure

NEW ENGLAND — The city of New England has received $5 million in funding to help get its water infrastructure project in the ground.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it is giving a $2.7 million loan and awarding a $2.2 million grant to the city of about 750 to help improve and replace its water infrastructure. The water pipes and sewer system New England uses now were installed in 1947.

“It’s a tremendous undertaking for the city of New England,” said Mayor Marty Opdahl.

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Beach considers rezoning for grain co-op rail spur

BEACH — A proposed rail spur that could determine the future of Beach’s only grain elevator has spurred debate.

The Beach Grain Cooperative, struggling to stay relevant against larger competition, has asked the city to rezone about 156 acres on the east side of Beach from agricultural to commercial so it can build a $7 million railroad track expansion to help load 110-unit train cars.

“There’s a lot of interest,” said Al Begger, chair of Beach’s zoning board. “A lot of farmers are concerned. There are some of the people who live in houses that are going to be close to this.”

Residents who own property near where the proposed spurt say they understand Beach Grain’s need, but don’t want to see it put in their backyard — literally.

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Dickinson needs more events like concert

Gwen 11 — Gwen Sebastian and her band perform Tuesday evening at the Alive@5 street concert in Dickinson.

I stood on the roof of the old Elks Building in downtown Dickinson on Thursday night and said to someone, “Why don’t we do this more often?”

And I didn’t mean standing on top of one of downtown’s tallest buildings, though the view was pretty great. Of course, I’m talking about the Alive@5 free street concerts by Gwen Sebastian and Outlaw Sippin’, and everything else that went along with it, from the local law enforcement’s National Night Out to the beer gardens outside of The Rock, bouncy castles for the kids and some pretty delicious food vendors on First Avenue West.

Nights like that need to happen more often in Dickinson, and this city is getting to a point where it cannot only make that happen, it has a population that wants to see it happen.

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August rains could be good for late crops

Early August rainfall could be a blessing for crops that were planted later than usual, area farmers and agronomists said this week.

The first week of August in southwest North Dakota — typically hot and dry — was defined by heavy rains, daily showers, early-morning fog and below-normal temperatures.

It’s not exactly the type of weather farmers like to see — at least in a normal year. But this has not been a normal growing year.

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‘A lot of memories. A lot of hamburgers’: McDonalds building torn down

McDonald’s owner Mike Kelley talks to bystanders Thursday as an excavator from Tooz Construction works on tearing down the site of the old restaurant on Museum Drive. A new McDonald’s building was built right next to the old one, which is being tore down to create a parking lot, Kelley said.

Mike Kelley couldn’t help but become emotional Thursday morning as he watched construction crews tear down the McDonalds restaurant he built four decades ago.

“This is really something,” he said to other onlookers as Tooz Construction crews razed the front of the structure along Museum Drive in Dickinson.

Kelley, a Dickinson area rancher and businessman, has owned McDonalds since it was built in 1976. The fast-food chain restaurant quickly became a staple of the community.

Walking through the old McDonalds building one last time, Kelley summed up what the restaurant — often the busiest eating place in Dickinson — has meant to the community.

“A lot of memories. A lot of hamburgers,” he said with a smile.

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