2007 in Review, Part 1

It s a tradition to pause as the year ends to remember the big events of the past 12 months And it s a tradition we ve carried on for years So tonight Jim Olson begins his look at the major local news stories of 2007 with a peek at what was in the headlines during January and February Only a few days into 2007 this sound marked the start of a very big newsmaking event - the legislative session Minot native John Hoeven addressed lawmakers for his state of the state address- a message that may have been his last if he decided not to seek a third term as governor But that thought changed later in the year - we ll cover it later in our reports Locally big stories at the Legislature in the first weeks of the session included an effort to land ten million dollars in funding for a new grandstand at the State Fairgrounds in Minot Local legislators testified in favor of the funding but it was not included in the final budget Darlene Watne Ward Co Board We also heard that the building is for sale The Ward County Board began what turned out to be an eventful year with debate about space issues A vote for a new office building had failed in late 2006 and 2007 began with options being kicked around - including buying the building where they ve been renting space for years - the Oppen Center on Minot s north hill The idea died but the county did decide to lease more space in that building while awaiting a long-term decision on new office space Bill Krueger Consultant It just doesn t strike me as something in all my experience that that would be something that would be the first choice to take a look at The mayor s committee looking into a new sports complex called the Community Bowl met early in January and scrapped the idea of seeking a domed facility that could house many sports including Football and baseball The committee scaled back its plans and later in the year decided to seek a new football-Soccer complex at the site of the current Herb Parker Stadium at Minot State University Questions about funding that plan will likely go before voters in 2008 A biofuels plant planned for east Minot the Dakota Skies biodiesel Plant announced plans to double its size in January But those plans soon fell through as the company and Minot Area Development Corporation parted ways because of a lack of progress on the project - and a need to dedicate the land to other uses for a growing ag park In Velva students got out of school early in early February as a steam pipe burst and forced school officials to evacuate the building No one was hurt and the Velva Principal said it provided a good chance to test the school s emergency plans A small church west of Williston the West Prairie Lutheran Church burned down in mid-February Firefighters were unable to save the vintage building - a loss estimated at more than 200-thousand dollars George Killmer Derailment Victim I thought I had met my maker Residents of west Minot remembered January 18th - marking five years since a Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed and spilled toxic anhydrous ammonia over the city One man was killed and hundreds were injured As the 5th anniversary hit many were still wondering how and when their legal claims against the railroad would be settled Some answers came over the next several months as a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit was negotiated and dozens of individual suits against the railroad were settled as well Farmers took their non-growing season break to bone up on the latest news at places like Rugby where the annual ag show was held in February In Williston the 54th Annual wheat Show included talk that the current strong prices - then close to four dollars - might just go higher Little did anyone realize those prices would triple - with wheat finishing the year at more than ten dollars a bushel And a North Dakota teacher was one of 25 in the nation chosen to travel to Saudi Arabia to learn about the culture and the education system there Nick Knoll shared his plans for his trip with his class at the Round Prairie School 25 miles west of Williston as February ended Jim Olson KX News Tomorrow Jim will continue his look at top local stories of 2007 with the big news from March and April