Dustin Monke

Barking dog ‘savior’ for family during home fire

beld house — Dickinson Fire Department personnel investigate a house and garage fire at the 800 block of 13th Avenue West on Sunday morning.

A barking dog named Pebbles helped save the lives of a Dickinson woman and her daughter as a fire was destroying their home early Sunday morning.

Amber Beld and her 10-year-old daughter, Simone, escaped the house unharmed but lost most of their possessions because of a fire that the Dickinson Fire Department believes was the result of smoldering ashes from a backyard fire pit.

“I don’t know what I would have done without our little dog there with us,” Beld said. “She was like our little savior. She watches over us.”

Continue reading “Barking dog ‘savior’ for family during home fire”

When a veteran speaks, listen

On Thursday night, we had to make a quick trip to Bismarck. Because we were heading that way, I decided that it was time to pay a visit to the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan.

That’s where my Grandpa Monke was buried in December, and because circumstances kept me from attending the burial service, I had yet to see the place where he was laid to rest.

While this was my first trip to the Veterans Cemetery, it certainly won’t be my last. Not only is my Grandpa there, my Grandma and parents plan to buried there as well.

Continue reading “When a veteran speaks, listen”

Univited Guest: Pickup crashes into unoccupied Dickinson residence, driver faces charges

uninvited guest — The Dickinson Fire Department works at the scene of an accident at 45 Ninth Ave. W after a pickup truck crashed into the side of the unoccupied duplex going about 60 mph, according to investigators, at about 9 p.m. Sunday.

The driver of a pickup was injured Sunday night after violently crashing into the side of an unoccupied Dickinson residence.

Brian Foss, 40, of Dickinson, was traveling eastbound on First Street West at about 60 mph when he lost control of the Dodge Ram 1500 he was driving and crashed into the northwest corner of a residence at 45 Ninth Ave. W. The pickup drove over and uprooted a large tree on the property before entering the residence just before 9 p.m.

Capt. David Wilkie of the Dickinson Police Department said Foss was charged with driving under the influence and reckless driving. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital by the Dickinson Ambulance Service. A neighbor, whose vehicle was narrowly missed by the pickup, said he responded immediately after the crash and found Foss responsive but badly injured.

Continue reading “Univited Guest: Pickup crashes into unoccupied Dickinson residence, driver faces charges”

Grain train issues will only get worse

On Wednesday, I made a quick trip to Southwest Grain’s Boyle Terminal between Taylor and Gladstone to take a photo of Delane Thom, the cooperative’s manager. He had been interviewed for a national story by Reuters titled “Grain trains scarce on the Plains,” that we ran Thursday on our front page.

I spent 15 minutes chatting with Thom about the issues facing elevators throughout North Dakota, particularly those out west in the Oil Patch areas. I came away with an even better understanding of what people like those in Thom’s position are facing as they head into another busy season, trying to appease producers tired of hearing that an elevator with millions of bushels of space has no room and then begging BNSF Railway to send a few more trains their way to help free up space, only to watch a train hauling 110 cars full of oil roll east past the facility.

So much attention is being paid to those train cars carrying Bakken oil and its volatility that most forget about the issues facing local grain cooperatives throughout the region.

Continue reading “Grain train issues will only get worse”

Park Board to move forward with study into 2nd golf course

The Dickinson Park Board is moving forward with research into whether or not the city can support a second public golf course.

The board listened to a report from Peter Elzi with planning firm THK Associates at its regular meeting Monday afternoon and decided to appoint a committee to further study the information Elzi and his firm has gathered.

Elzi said the projected growth of Dickinson’s trade area makes building a second course marketable. Though the city’s population is not officially known, it’s believed to be between 25,000 and 30,000, and is projected to grow to at least 40,000 or more with a decade.

Continue reading “Park Board to move forward with study into 2nd golf course”