(Updated with story)BISMARCK—The country knows it can to turn to North Dakota for some of the nation’s most capable soldiers and that will be proven again during the National Guard’s latest mission in Afghanistan, Gov. Jack Dalrymple said Sunday.

About 100 soldiers with the Williston and Hazen-based 818^th Engineer Company were honored Sunday during a send-off ceremony in Bismarck. The soldiers will leave today (Monday) for Fort Bliss, Texas, for additional training before deploying to Afghanistan for a yearlong mission.

Patrick Keller, a Center, N.D., native, said it hadn’t sunk in yet that he’s leaving even though he volunteered to go on the mission.

“It’s hard to put into words how you feel,” he said.

This isn’t his first assignment in Afghanistan and his family has a history of military service. But he was single during his first deployment. He’s since married Kate Schell, a former reporter for KX News in Bismarck.

“It’s a lot tougher (to leave) this time,” he said.

State officials praised the soldiers and their families during the hour-long send-off ceremony. Dalrymple said it’s difficult to say good-bye, but the soldiers will perform a noble mission.

“They’re making our world a better place by using their skills and expertise overseas,” he said.

One-third of the unit consists of volunteers from other units, and nearly half of the soldiers have served previous overseas deployments, Dalrymple said.

Rep. Rick Berg, R-N.D., praised the personal sacrifices of the soldiers to ensure peace and freedom for the next generation. The 818^th will play a big part in the transition from war to peace in Afghanistan, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said.

“It is a critical time. It is a critical mission,” he said. “No one can do it better than you will, and I believe it will have a lasting impact.”

Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk said Sunday was a difficult day, but it was also a day for soldiers to recognize the role they play in the nation’s defense and freedoms.

“These professional Sappers are well trained and fully prepared to undertake their important trailblazer mission, keeping roads safe and clear for our coalition military and the citizens of Afghanistan,” he said.

Since 2001, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 3,800 soldiers and 1,800 airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. For every 10,000 North Dakota residents, 65 serve in the North Dakota National Guard, a rate more than four times the national average, Hoeven said.

About 500 people attended the send-off event. Daniel Tveit, 27, of Hawley, Minn., said it was good to see the support for the soldiers.

“I feel good,” he said. “More excited than nervous.”

Tveit, who has previously deployed to Kosovo, said he’d try to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings before he left but was otherwise ready to go.

“Take each day at a time,” he said. “Things will be all right.”

Here are a few photos from the event:

Patrick Keller, a Center, N.D., native, and his niece, Zoey.

William Safran of Minot with his 3-month-old daughter, Lilly, and wife, Shanda.

Rashad Schaffner and son, Tristan, of Dawson.

State officials spoke at the ceremony and received Guard hats.

Dear Teri,

I recently found myself leaving one of the many business places in south Fargo where the boulevard in the middle of the street forced me to turn right, though I would have wanted to turn left.

I reached an intersection where cross-traffic had stop signs and prepared to make a U-turn from the left turn lane since there was no sign to prohibit U-turns there. When opposing traffic cleared up to allow my turn and I started to go, a right-turning driver who was intending to go the direction I wanted to go left their stop sign (incorrectly assuming that I was making a normal left turn, probably) and would have collided with my car if I hadn’t already expected their motion.

If there had been a collision, who would have been considered to be in the wrong? And would it have been any different if it had been an intersection with a green left-turn arrow light and with a “U-turn permitted” sign?

Patrick Tschetter

Fargo

Thanks for writing! I contacted Lt. Jody Skogen with the Highway Patrol. Here’s what he said:

“The following North Dakota traffic law governs the right-of-way granted to drivers making U-turns: 

“39-10-36. Limitations on turning around. 1. The driver of any vehicle may not turn such vehicle so as to proceed in the opposite direction unless such movement can be made in safety and without interfering with other traffic.

“Basically, they cannot make the turn unless they can do so without interfering with any other traffic in the area. The driver making the U-turn would have been at fault regardless of the signage (unless there was a sign prohibiting a right turn on red for the motorist that he almost struck).”

Do you have a question for a North Dakota state government official or agency? Send us your question, and we’ll do our best to find an answer.

E-mail politics@wday.com (Subject: Ask your government).

You may also write to Teri Finneman c/o Forum Communications, Press Room, State Capitol, Bismarck, ND 58505.

Please include your name, town and a phone number to reach you for verification.

BISMARCK—State officials agreed Thursday to award nearly $26 million in grants to help counties recover from last year’s devastating floods.

Minot and other cities in Ward County received $18.8 million of the funding, which can be spent on developing new community infrastructure, raising roads, restoring flood damaged property, acquiring property and expanding landfill capacity.

More than 11,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses in Minot and surrounding towns last summer after record flooding of the Souris (Mouse) River.

Minot plans to spend $4 million of its state funding for repairs to sewer lift stations and $2.15 million to expand its landfill. Minot Public Schools received $3.5 million to help relocate and replace a middle school.

“With these grant funds from the state, we will be able to move forward this year, in a big way, on critical infrastructure projects that are a direct result of the impact felt by last year’s flood,” Minot City Manager David Waind said in a statement.

The Board of University and School Lands also approved the following awards: Barnes County, $500,000; Benson County, $467,806; Burleigh County, $2.68 million; McHenry County, $527,026; Morton County, $1.08 million; Ramsey County, $459,800; Renville County, $514,000; Richland County, $500,048.

The board will discuss further grants for projects in Benson, McHenry, Renville and Ramsey counties in May.

The state received more than 135 flood grant applications asking for a total of $39.3 million in financial help for $130 million worth of projects.

Funding for the grants comes from $30 million set aside by the Legislature in November to help flood-impacted political subdivisions.

Other projects receiving help include $200,500 to replace a storm water pumping station in Valley City, $200,000 for countywide road repair in Benson County and $150,000 for a landfill expansion in Devils Lake.

Gov. Jack Dalrymple said the grants are an important part of the ongoing work to help communities recover from last year’s major flood events.

“We will not waiver in our commitment to help meet these challenges,” he said in a statement.

The board also agreed to provide $2 million in grants to five rapidly-growing school districts in North Dakota’s Oil Patch. The money is to help provide temporary portable K-8 classrooms in South Heart, Tioga, Powers Lake, McKenzie County and District 8 in Williams County.

A complete list of projects approved for funding can be found at http://www.land.nd.gov/

BISMARCK—It’s “outrageous” and “unacceptable” that one in three Native American women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime, North Dakota’s U.S. attorney said Thursday.

Tim Purdon and U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole spoke about efforts to increase public safety on Indian reservations during a conference in Bismarck and on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation this week.

Purdon said he’s never forgotten his first experience on a reservation nearly 20 years ago and how seeing residents living in isolation and poverty affected him.

“I said to myself, ‘How is this possible in the United States of America?’” he said. “How is it possible American citizens in places like Cannon Ball are forced to live in these sorts of conditions?”

After becoming U.S. attorney in 2010, Purdon said he wasn’t going to buy into cynicism both on and off the reservation that the issues are “just the way it is.” He said he was determined to make the reservations safer.

Prosecutions have increased 78 percent from 2009 to 2011, he said. His office also started a program to help first responders on reservations identify signs of sexual and physical abuse of children.

Another crime prevention effort collected 60 pounds of prescription drugs from the reservations by offering drop-off sites, Purdon said. His office will also create a public corruption and white collar team to ensure resources allocated to tribes go to the programs intended, he said.

Death certificates on some reservations show women are murdered at a rate more than 10 times the national average, Cole said.

The Department of Justice is supporting legislation that would give tribes the authority to prosecute non-Indians who engage in domestic violence against tribal members on the reservations, he said. The current law “leaves tribes powerless to address violence before it escalates,” he said.

The Department of Justice has a legal and moral responsibility to prosecute violent crimes in Indian Country, which it takes seriously, he said. The department has met with tribal leaders to discuss priorities and strengthen collaboration with tribal law enforcement, he said.

Every U.S. attorney office with reservations in their state now has a plan to address specific tribal public safety challenges and has met with tribes to develop and address these plans, Cole said.

Efforts to improve public safety are about more than reducing crime, Cole said.

“This is also about peace of mind and a brighter future for everybody in Indian Country,” he said.

BISMARCK—More North Dakota tourists want to know if there are opportunities to tour the Oil Patch so they can find out how the oil industry works, but tourism officials say options are limited.

The Tourism Division has received more inquiries than in the past about touring oil country, spokeswoman Kim Schmidt said. However, she’s not aware of opportunities for tourists.

Dickinson’s Convention and Visitors Bureau has explained to callers asking for a map to do a self-tour that there are issues with security and traffic, Executive Director Terri Thiel said.

“We explained that you can’t just drive up to some of these rigs,” she said.

However, the visitors’ bureau is taking steps to address the interest, Thiel said. She’s working with a motorcoach group going through North Dakota this summer and will find someone from the area who can step on the bus to talk about oil activity during their stop in town.

Dickinson’s CVB is also creating a section about oil on its website and putting together oil-themed information packets for visitors who stop in, Thiel said.

Williston is also considering what it could do to meet the increased tourism interest in the oil boom, said Amy Krueger, executive director of the local convention and visitors bureau.

“The risk of those types of things is hard to overcome at times, and so I think it will have a lot of hurdles, if you will,” she said. “However, we are going to look into something.”

Although taking tourists out on a rig isn’t possible, there’s potential for educational tourism, Krueger said.

Tourism officials from across the state discussed the opportunities and challenges western North Dakota’s oil boom is having on their industry during a conference Wednesday in Bismarck.

Topics ranged from negative perceptions about safety in western North Dakota to the additional hotels, restaurants and spending that have benefited the region. Officials also talked about the need to help people adjust to the changing travel landscape.

Tourists should be able to find hotel rooms in western North Dakota this summer, but they need to plan ahead, Tourism Director Sara Otte Coleman said.

There’s a perception that people can’t travel in western North Dakota and all of the hotels are booked, she said. Lack of housing due to the oil boom and flooding meant hotels were busier than normal last summer housing oil workers and families.

But Otte Coleman said most hotels earmark rooms for leisure travelers and had openings last summer that weren’t filled because people assumed they were full.

In the past two years, 26 new hotels opened in 13 communities in the state to help with demand, Commerce Commissioner Al Anderson said. Another 31 hotels are under development and are expected to add 2,400 rooms in the next year, he said.

The convention and visitors bureaus in Minot and Dickinson include hotel availability information on their websites to save travelers time when looking for rooms.

Local tourism officials in western North Dakota are working together to share ideas and discuss issues, said Wendy Howe, executive director of the Minot Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Some tourists don’t like that Minot has changed, so part of the challenge is to tell them how the growth has brought new hotels, attractions and restaurants that benefit the city, she said.

Negative stories about the Oil Patch have also made some cautious, and perception is reality for a lot of people, she said.

“It is so easy to say, ‘Wow, that wild west. You don’t want to go out there. It’s not safe to take your kids out there,’ ” she said.

She asked other tourism officials to help explain the communities are safe to visit.

It’s great the western visitors’ bureaus are getting together and talking, said Renee Sander of the Fargo-Moorhead Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“But did you forget that there were eastern CVBs? We need the information,” Sander said.

If tourism officials want leisure travelers to continue to make North Dakota a vacation destination or part of their trip, there needs to be more communication between the western and eastern half of the state, Sander said.

Most out-of-state tourists stopping at the Fargo visitors’ center are not aware of the oil boom, she said. Those heading west without advance hotel reservations are disappointed to find out they may have trouble getting rooms, she said.

The Fargo visitors’ bureau also sees travelers heading for the Oil Patch to find work.

“We find that they are very ill informed about our state,” Sander said. “They have dollar signs in their eyes and not facts.”

She said comments from visitors include: “Is this the state with the faces on the mountain?” and “Williston is about 50 miles from here, right?”

Krueger of Williston’s CVB said it was eye opening to hear from other tourism officials during the conference.

“That’s what the tourism conference and all conferences are all about: education and learning,” she said.

BISMARCK—North Dakota’s tourism industry grew by $927 million after the launch of an advertising campaign highlighting the state’s legendary figures and potential for adventure, the state’s tourism director said Tuesday.

The North Dakota Legendary brand is now in its 10^th year and helped create more awareness of North Dakota and what it has to offer, Tourism Director Sara Otte Coleman said.

Advertising has featured Theodore Roosevelt, Lewis and Clark, and Sakakawea. The brand has also focused on North Dakota’s scenery, culture and adventures, inviting visitors to come and create their own legends.

Nonresident spending grew from just over $3.5 billion in 2002 to about $4.5 billion in 2010, according to North Dakota State University research of the state’s tourism growth. Tourism is North Dakota third-largest industry, behind agriculture and energy.

The success of the campaign isn’t by accident and involved constant research to refine the state’s messaging and strategy, Otte Coleman said.

Since 2002, the total investment in the Legendary advertising campaign was $17 million, according to the Tourism Division. The division is investing about $2 million in media buys this year and spent similar amounts in recent years, Otte Coleman said.

The target market is the Upper Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana and South Dakota, as well as Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada. The Tourism Division also does niche marketing nationally to promote the state’s outdoor activities.

The return on investment during the 10 years of the Legendary campaign has ranged from $55 to $123 for every dollar spent on paid advertising, Otte Coleman said.

Jamestown has benefited from incorporating the Legendary brand into its marketing efforts, said Nina Sneider, executive director of the Buffalo City Tourism Foundation. The city gets “more bang for our buck” by having a partnership with the state, she said.

“The Legendary brand has been very valuable to all of the attractions in the state,” she said. “It’s easy to incorporate into our marketing.”

Tourism officials from across the state are participating in a Travel Industry Conference this week in Bismarck.

BISMARCK—Former North Dakota governor candidate Paul Sorum is now chairman of a political action committee embracing limited government.

Sorum is one of the founding board members of Liberty ND PAC. Local supporters of Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul and Rick Santorum formed the political action committee to support liberty-minded legislative candidates in North Dakota, a news release said.

Liberty ND PAC will endorse, coordinate and provide resources to legislative candidates who embrace a limited-government philosophy.

Its mission is to “promote the Constitution, limited government, state sovereignty, transparency, free markets, property rights, individual liberty, protection of life and religious freedom in North Dakota by engaging in political action,” the release said.

“We’re not promoting strange things. We’re promoting the things that every single Republican in North Dakota should already be promoting, but are not,” Sorum of Fargo said in a statement. “We simply cannot sit on the sidelines anymore and watch our political parties continue to travel further and further down the road to big government.”

The committee will make its first round of legislative endorsements in the coming weeks and will help candidates in the June primary race, the release said.

Other founding board members are Del Ruff of West Fargo, Brett Narloch of Bismarck, Andrea Toman of Bismarck and Neil Toman of Bismarck.

BISMARCK–A recent nighttime weight enforcement check in northwestern North Dakota found six  of the 16 vehicles stopped were breaking the law, the Highway Patrol said Monday.

Drivers caught operating vehicles in excess of legal weights are assessed overload fees.  Nearly $6,500 in fines were assessed to the drivers of the overloaded vehicles during this overnight enforcement effort, the Highway Patrol said. Year to date, the Highway Patrol has assessed $914,090 in overload fees.

The expanding economy in North Dakota has prompted the Highway Patrol to modify its weight enforcement strategies to better protect roadways and infrastructure, the agency said in a news release.

Dear Teri,

I have a question, but I am not sure if it is state, county or city government.

I have heard that real estate transactions are public record.  At least that is the term they have used in a local neighborhood newsletter when they list sales information (sales price, date and address) on properties that have recently sold in the neighborhood.

Are real estate transactions public record? If so, how would the public go about looking at these records? How much information is available? Can the general public go somewhere to research sales history on a specific piece of property?

The reason I ask is my house has recently been pegged for a huge reassessment, and I am interested in being able to look up properties nearby to see what their actual sales history is. I know there is a way to look at assessment information online, but I can’t find anything for actual sales.

If this information IS public record, can it be accessed online? Is it available statewide, on a county-by-county basis or is each city responsible for this information? If it is not available online, is this something that one could go to a specific government office to look at?

Please let me know what you find out.

Paul Dregseth

Fargo

Thanks for writing! I started with Jack McDonald, a media attorney very familiar with open record laws. He referred me to Burleigh County Recorder Debbie Kroshus as a good source for this topic.

Since you live in Cass County, I also contacted Cass County Recorder Jewel Spies. She provided a follow-up response to give additional information for your specific county. But first, here is the response from Kroshus:

“Yes, all real estate land records are public record. Anyone can come into their local county recorder’s (we used to be called register of deeds) office and look up records. What is available are any deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, liens and other documents pertaining to any land in the county.

“This does also include any city properties within the county. Burleigh County does not have the availability to access these documents through a local website. Other counties in the state may have that capability but we do not. Most of the counties in North Dakota belong to an organization called NDRIN (North Dakota Recorders Information Network), and we do upload our images to this system. All of Burleigh County land records are on NDRIN.

“However, in order to have access to these records, you would need to join as a member. The fee is $25 per month, and you would have access to all the participating counties’ land records. To research membership, you could go to http://www.ndrin.com/ and get all the necessary information there.

“Although, by law (N.D.C.C. 11-18-02.2) all deeds must have a statement of consideration to be recorded, the buyers do not have to disclose what they paid for a property. They have the option to file the information with the State Board of Equalization so they would not have the purchase price disclosed in public record.

“Also, if they are using a quit claim deed to transfer title on a property (family members, foreclosures, government agencies, etc.) they need not disclose the purchase price as they can be exempted from doing so. The other option is to disclose the purchase price in the statement of consideration.”

“The best way to search history on property would be to go to the county recorder’s office to do research. We all have land records dating back to the beginning of time.

“In Burleigh County, all of our documents are on our computer system but anything before 1996 must first be found in the record books to get the document number. Then you can find the document on the computer.

“I hope this sheds some light on what can be obtained through government land records.”

Here is the follow-up from Spies:

“Debbie’s answer is absolutely right on. The only difference for Cass County is we do have our subdivision plats on public record through the Cass County Intranet. You can also access your real estate tax records through the county website, as well as maps and information about the cities within Cass County. 

“We also have a GIS application where you see an aerial view of the property. This can be accessed through the city of Fargo website or the Cass County website.  As far as actual recorded documents, we suggest you come into the office, and we will show you how to search. We will happily make copies of any records for a fee.

“We do not yet have all of our documents digitized.  Due to the size of Cass and the amount of records, we are doing this in increments. 

“Sales research: you can come into the courthouse and we have a sales report we run and you can see comparable sales for your area. Just stop at the “Tax Equalization” counter and ask for the sales report and explain what you are looking for and they will assist you.

“I hope this additional information has some value for you.”

Do you have a question for a North Dakota state government official or agency? Send us your question, and we’ll do our best to find an answer.

E-mail politics@wday.com (Subject: Ask your government).

You may also write to Teri Finneman c/o Forum Communications, Press Room, State Capitol, Bismarck, ND 58505.

Please include your name, town and a phone number to reach you for verification.

BISMARCK – The Bank of North Dakota made record profits for the eighth year in a row with just over $70 million in net earnings, officials said Thursday.

In its newly released 2011 annual report, the state-owned bank reported total assets of $5.3 billion, an increase of $1.3 billion from 2010, a news release said.

The bank ended the year with capital of nearly $400 million. The state’s return on its investment at the bank was 17.6 percent.

The Bank of North Dakota plays a key role in supporting and growing North Dakota’s thriving economic base: agriculture, commerce and industry, Gov. Jack Dalrymple said in a statement.

The bank contributed significantly to building infrastructure in western and north-central North Dakota by financing apartments, hotels, office complexes, businesses and water systems, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said in a statement.

Several state agencies were also supported with funding for infrastructure projects, he said.

The bank’s loan portfolio grew 6.4 percent to a record $3 billion, said Eric Hardmeyer, the bank’s president.

“We adjusted to the rapidly-changing needs of North Dakotans in 2011 by designing and expanding loan programs,” he said in a statement.

The Bank of North Dakota is the only state-owned bank in the nation.