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In both Sidney and Watford City, families are settling down and companies are settling in, making the real estate market strong in both areas. In Sidney, the housing market appears to be stabilizing following the most recent Bakken oil boom. According to Justin Jones, broker and owner of Nick Jones Real Estate, "we're seeing that people are again moving to the area and setting down roots." In the summer of 2017, there were over 100 homes for sale in the Sidney area, Jones explained. "I would...
Produced by BBI International and North American Shale magazine, The Bakken Conference will provide attendees with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the Bakken shale play. BBI International announced the keynote speaker for the 4th annual Bakken Conference & Expo, one of North Dakota's premier shale oil events, taking place July 16-18 in Watford City, North Dakota. This year's agenda headlines Oasis Petroleum, Vice President of Operations as the keynote speaker who will highlight...
Bakken region operators, suppliers, consultants, local officials and many others will convene in Watford City for the three-day Bakken Conference & Expo, beginning on July 16. Among the many exhibits and panels of speakers is "Boomtown 2.0: New Realities for Real Estate, Roads and Community Enhancement," offering an update on the economic status of the region. Local officials Shawn Wenko, Executive Director of Williston Economic Development, and Daniel Stenberg, Economic Development Coordinator...
Justin Voll, who became mayor in a special election after the departure of Brent Sanford to the office of Lieutenant Governor, is not seeking reelection. Three candidates are vying for the office. Phil Riely was born in Watford City and raised in the community as well. He moved away in 1996 to go to college, where he met his wife and moved back to the area in 1999 to get back into the oilfield. Riely currently works for Whiting Oil and Gas as a lease operator, and is married with two children....
Two candidates are challenging McKenzie County Sheriff incumbent, Gary Schwartzenberger. Schwartzenberger has had a controversial term as McKenzie County Sheriff, with a misdemeanor charge of the misapplication of entrusted property recently dropped in January of this year. Schwartzenberger, was reinstated as sheriff by Governor Doug Burgum, after having been suspended as the result of a special investigation of the North Dakota Attorney General. He is now running for reelection. Brady Beyers...
Three candidates are running for Richland County Justice of the Peace. Sidney resident, Judge Luke Savage, Sidney resident, Ross Hall, and Fairview resident, Judge Ray Trumpower are all vying for this position. Savage explained to the Roundup the position of Justice of the Peace and its terms of office, saying, “The Justice of the Peace handles all misdemeanors outside the City of Sidney. It’s technically called the ‘Richland County Justice Court of Record.’ That means that because there i...
Sirens flare, lights blaze and another ambulance flies down the street to someone's aid. It happens way too often and yet, someone is blessed with another chance at life every time. EMS or Emergency Medical Services delivers prehospital care and medical transport to those with illness or injuries that prevent them from transporting themselves. While EMTs, EMRs and paramedics may respond, only an EMT or paramedic may transport a patient. They are all compassionate, hardworking and dedicated...
The McKenzie County Ambulance Service has remained strong through the oil boom, despite a 328% increase in the number of calls. At the height of the oil boom, in 2014, the Service responded to about 1200 calls total. For comparison, ten years ago, the Service responded to 280 calls per year. This year, they have responded to about 70 calls per month, on track to reach about 840 calls in 2018, according to Jim Johnsrud, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Squad Leader for the McKenzie County...
In the last decade, the number of ambulance calls has increased as much as 300% or more in and around McKenzie County, North Dakota. Several of the rural areas in McKenzie County have turned to Quick Response Units, or QRU's, to ensure efficient emergency care. Quick Response Units are intended to respond to emergency calls and provide stabilizing care until an Ambulance Service arrives to transport the patient. QRU's are provided for in North Dakota law, requiring only one emergency responder,...
Richland County Health Department’s administrator Judith LaPan recently co-authored an article in the peer-reviewed journal Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, evaluating strategies for conducting impact assessments in areas affected by oil development. The study is a case-study of Richland County’s experience implementing the Mobilizing for Action Through Planning and Partnerships, or MAPP, process. The MAPP process is a framework for community needs assessment and strategic planning. Richland County has implemented the framework thr...
A lot has changed in the MonDak Region in the post oil-boom period, but perhaps none as substantial as the future expansion of the Boys & Girls Club of Richland County. In November, the Club officially announced a partnership between the Club and the Lonsdale United Methodist Church, across the street from the Club's current location at Central School. The Lonsdale congregation voted unanimously to transfer ownership of the main church building to the Club, with the intention to share the space....
Two projects by JLG Architects have earned design awards, including the top Honor Award, from the North Dakota Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The awards were presented at the annual AIA North Dakota Awards Conference in Fargo “for distinguished accomplishments in design and the profession of architecture.” HONOR AWARD-Watford City High School; Watford City, ND: After explosive oil boom-related growth, the McKenzie County School District and JLG Architects came together to initiate an aggressive plan to not only meet their spa...
McKenzie County Economic Development Coordinator Daniel Stenberg speaks at the "Bakken vs. The World" Pre-Conference Seminar which was held July 17 prior to the Bakken Conference. Stenberg's presentation featured infrastructure and community updates in McKenzie County since the oil boom occurred. The Bakken Conference & Expo, being held in Bismarck this week, features energy & economic professionals presenting information on the current status of the Bakken oil play....
North Dakotans have read this book before. And it usually doesn’t end well. As the story goes, an oil boom draws thousands of people from around the country to the Peace Garden State. Jobs, jobs and more jobs are created in the industry. Then, after some years, oil production slows down and oil jobs dry up. These new people with specific skill sets who have come to the state and established roots in communities are forced to pick up their families and move elsewhere—creating a big void in the local and state economies, a shortfall in the tax...
Books on Broadway, downtown Williston, was started in 1993 by Robin Wilder at a time when independent booksellers were going out of business. She and Chuck met as undergraduates at NDSU and were friends for 17 years before getting married in 1991. Robin was in marketing with US West in Sioux Falls, SD but wanted to move to Williston because she enjoyed the area and the people. Not able to find a job in her field, she decided to open the book store and Williston not only took to her, but supporte...
In June of 2015, Montana and North Dakota U.S. Attorneys announced the creation of the Bakken Organized Crime Strike Force, which has jurisdiction in both western North Dakota and Richland County, Montana. The goal of the strike force was to create a multi-agency solution to growing crime problems in the Bakken Oil Field, and mitigate some of the problems usually contained to larger metropolitan areas that were perceivably coming to the Bakken due to what was, at the time, an oil boom....
Brent Sanford became the mayor of Watford City, just when the oil boom began. After taking his new post as Attorney General of North Dakota, his mayoral position needed to be filled. With Sanford’s term originally not slated to be over until June of 2018, the mayoral office has been empty since he won election to the state-wide office in November. After a city-wide election, Justin Voll was voted as the next mayor of Watford City. Voll, who has served as president of the First International B...
Hungry? For some great food in a family atmosphere, try Kat's Kitchen at the Elks Lodge in Sidney. Owner Kirsten Traylor cooks up mouthwatering breakfast foods, and a soup and salad bar on her buffet every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., plus lunch is available off the menu. Kat's Kitchen also hosts steak nights every Saturday. Selections include beef, chicken and perhaps some fish. Due to a conflict, this week only, steak night will be held on Friday, February 24. Have Kat's Kitchen cater your...
Communities In Action (CIA) held a workshop on January 30 and 31st in Sidney to discuss the community building process including members' engagement to make sustainable change across sectors and knowledge of how engaging policy makers creates sustainable change, followed by a commitment to action. Communication, both internal and community wide, was also discussed. The workshop was facilitated by MSU Extension in Bozeman which had partnered with Cornell University, Penn State University and the...
The honorable Gregory Mohr is bringing his career of 30 years as a Justice of the Peace to a close, with December 31st being his last official day. Mohr is in the middle of his eighth term, and the County Commissioners will appoint a replacement to finish out the next two years of the term before elections are held in 2018. Originally from Iowa, Mohr came to Sidney in 1977; his wife is from the area, having family that farmed in Richland and Wibaux Counties. Mohr was elected as Justice of the...
Superintendent of Sidney schools, Daniel Farr has announced his retirement, with his last official day being June 30, 2017. Farr began his career in Culbertson, MT after graduating from MSU Bozeman with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982, and with his Master of Education in 1987. Farr and his family moved to Sidney in 1998 to be closer to his wife's family, and he became the High School Principal and K-12 Curriculum Director. "Being an educator was a natural fit. It seems like you follow in...
This is Richland Pump & Supply’s 17th year providing supplies and service to the oilfield. Scott Ramus and Dave Williams opened their doors on Sept. 15, 1999; both had extensive experience in different areas of the oil field and both had been working for supply company Continental Emsco when the business was bought out by Wilson Supply. Wilson Supply kept the Sidney location open for only ten months before closing-up shop, and at that point, Ramus and Williams decided to start their own c...
Jean Ekern and her siblings were the 2016 Old Settler's Day Honorees in Alexander ND. She joined 15 relatives to lead the parade and eat barbequed beef. She had planned for two years to revisit her childhood home, see the oil wells, and tour Roosevelt National Park. She marveled at the changes brought by the oil boom and the relaxed traffic brought by the oil downturn. Jean Ekern, 91 years old, died Monday, September 19, 2016 at her home surrounded by her devoted and beloved family. Interment...
Some people living in the Bakken area became more optimistic recently when the North Dakota director of mineral resources told Williston, N.D. leaders that oil will come back “with a rush.” According to the Forum News Service, Lynn Helms told the Williston Chamber of Commerce that he anticipates the community will have 40,000 permanent oil jobs by 2050 and a population of more than 80,000. Helms said the world’s oil supply will return to balance by the end of 2016 or early 2017. Alan Olson...
BOZEMAN – Researchers will be using a mailed survey in Richland County, Montana, and McKenzie County, North Dakota, to collect data to better understand the local community benefits and costs of oil and gas development. The survey asks businesses and landowners about how recent oil activity affected their businesses and farm and ranch operations. The post-boom timing of this study makes it notable as little hard data exists about communities after peak drilling activity, according to Julia Hobson Haggerty, project director and assistant p...