In case you missed it in The Sun the week of April 24, 2023

The following stories from this week appeared on www.jamestownsun.com and in The Jamestown Sun.

Combined releases from Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs were expected to increase to 750 cubic feet per second by Friday, April 27.

Releases at Pipestem Reservoir increased from 17 cfs to 100 cfs on Friday, April 21, and from 100 cfs to 300 cfs on Monday, April 24.

Releases at Jamestown Reservoir increased from 50 cfs to 150 cfs on Tuesday, April 24. The releases were scheduled to increase by 100 cfs each day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 25-28, to 450 cfs.

The refined soybean oil produced at the Green Bison Soy Processing facility is expected to support approximately 75 million gallons of annual renewable diesel production , according to Mike Keller, president of Green Bison Soy Processing.

The refined soybean oil will be supplied exclusively to Marathon Petroleum Corp. as a feedstock for renewable diesel.

Keller said 100% of the refined soybean oil will be delivered to Marathon Petroleum’s refinery in Dickinson, North Dakota, for the production of renewable diesel. The facility will source soybeans locally from North Dakota farmers.

Green Bison Soy Processing is a 75%-25% venture between Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Marathon Petroleum Corp., respectively. The $350 million soybean processing facility will be located at the Spiritwood Energy Park Association industrial park about 10 miles east of Jamestown.

The facility is expected to be online by the 2023 harvest season. When complete, the facility is expected to have the capacity to process 150,000 bushels per day.

A Dilworth, Minnesota, man who was accidentally shot while hunting coyotes near Buchanan on Black Friday, is fully recovered from the incident and thanked all of the individuals who helped save his life on Friday, April 21, at Jamestown Regional Medical Center.

Mitch Amundson said two thoughts kept crossing through his mind after he was accidentally shot.

“I don’t want to die and I don’t want to be paralyzed, and I didn’t have either of those,” he said.

A bullet went through Amundson’s right hip area and out the other, severing arteries from the aorta to his kidneys, said Andy Schott, certified registered nurse anesthetist at JRMC. He said the bullet also went through his small and large intestines as well.

Amundson lost 80% of his blood and JRMC staff gave Amundson all of the blood that was available as well as other fluids, Schott said.

Amundson’s heart stopped three times — twice in the operating room at JRMC and again on the helicopter ride to Fargo — because the loss of blood was difficult on his body, he said.

The Jamestown Public School Board proposed an increase in total compensation of $290,000 for fiscal year 2024 and an additional $290,000 for the second year during teacher salary negotiations with the Jamestown Education Association.

The increase in total compensation for teachers only includes salary and the costs of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, Medicare and Teachers’ Fund for Retirement program. The increase in total compensation over the two years would be $870,000.

The school board, which was represented by members Jason Rohr and Dan Tweten, has yet to decide how the increase in total compensation will be distributed. The school board’s proposal is based on conditions including the foundation aid payment increasing by 3.5% in fiscal year 2024 and 3% in fiscal year 2025, maintaining the current health insurance funding commitment. The school board’s investment in the health insurance plan remains at $2.6 million.

The school board and Jamestown Education Association, which represents teachers of the Jamestown Public School District during the negotiations cycle, will meet again on May 16, and each side could add items to its proposals.

North Dakota has many projects on the horizon , said Rich Garman, director of economic development and finance for the North Dakota Department of Commerce.

Projects include a fertilizer plant, a biodegradable plastic plant, more value-added agriculture, a hydrogen hub and mineral ore processing among others.

“Our portfolio of potential projects is well over $40 billion right now,” Garman said at the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp.'s annual meeting on Wednesday, April 26, at Harold Newman Arena.

Garman said the projects will require a lot of infrastructure and he is encouraging the state to use the model of the Spiritwood Energy Park Association industrial park at Spiritwood.