The Walsh County Record

An advisory opinion is expected soon on a motion filed in Northeast District Court in Grafton Thursday before Judge John McClintock, Jr.
Mitchell Sanderson, author of the Walsh County Shared Parenting Initiative, filed a motion to have the initiative held up in his custody case.
Earlier this year, North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s office requested to intervene in the case.
Assistant Attorney General Douglas A. Bahr argued the state’s position at Thursday’s hearing in Grafton.
Bahr said that the Walsh County Commissioners went above their authority as a Home Rule county when they approved a measure in December 2012 to uphold the initiative as law in Walsh County.
Bahr said current state law gives judges the discretion in custody cases which is best for the children and that upholding the Walsh County Shared Parenting  law only considers parents. (more…)

SB 2336 – Oil tax bill a contentious topic
The North Dakota Legislature is currently on their crossover break, allowing for legislators in District 19, which consists of Eastern Walsh County and part of Grand Forks County, to hear thoughts of their constituents.
Sen. Tom Campbell, Grafton; Rep. Gary Paur, Gilby; and Rep. Wayne Trottier, Northwood, were on hand to discuss issues that District 19 residents were concerned with at meetings at Granny’s Family Restaurant in Grafton and at the Minto Community Center.
The Grafton event was held as a part of Scott Hennen’s statewide “Legislature Today” show, which aired live from Granny’s for a portion of the show. (more…)

Snow totals around ten inches in area
The region was hit hard Monday as a winter storm moved through parts of North Dakota and Minnesota.
According to Daryl Ritchison, meteorologist at WDAY in Fargo, the storm started as a disturbance in the Pacific Ocean.
When it arrived in North Dakota, the storm moved very slowly. Ritchison said as of 3 a.m. Monday, the center of the storm was just over Bismarck. Hours later, at about 1 p.m., the storm had only moved 40 miles.
“It was a very slow-moving storm,” he said. “It snowed slightly throughout much of the day, but it was a steady snow.”
Ritchison said the storm, because of its slow movement, wasn’t considered a clipper, which is a faster moving storm.
The North Dakota Department of Transportation, by 3:30 Monday afternoon, had issued a no travel advisory for areas along and north of U.S. Highway 2 due to blowing and drifting snow, which caused areas of zero visibility. (more…)

The U. S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors elected Brian O’Toole of Crystal to serve as secretary-treasurer for 2013-14 at its meeting in Washington, D.C., in January. He will begin his term at the organization’s annual meeting, June 29.
O’Toole  began his farming career after attending the State School of Science in Wahpeton. He and his cousin Tom O’Toole operate O’Toole Farms where they produce hard red spring and hard red winter wheat, including seed wheat, dry beans, soybeans, corn and sugar beets. In 1996, he took over a seed cleaning and conditioning business started by his father, Richard O’Toole. (more…)

Cobblestone Hotel  to decide by June 14
Grafton City Council members approved a 2-year contract for caretaker services for the cemetery at its February 11 meeting. The recommendation and motion from the Public Utilities Committee (PUC) was to contract with Alan Anderson for the sum of $5,600. Anderson was caretaker for the 2011 – 2012 season.  The PUC recommended the contract without seeking bids because Anderson was the only contractor to submit bids the previous year. City Administrator Nick Ziegelman told council members that he, in the meantime, had approached Anderson and three other contractors including Moe’s Yard Care, The Yard Man and S.O.S. for bids.  Moe’s Yard Care and The Yard Man were not interested in submitting bids and S.O.S. did not respond. The final bid that was submitted by Anderson for a 2-year contract for $6,000 per year was approved.
(more…)