Latest News
Dinner theater brings laughs with beach musical comedy
Tired of the winter snowflakes and cold? Are you ready for some exciting and fun beach action? If so, you'll enjoy this year's Watford City High School Masque and Gavel Club's dinner theater. The high school thespians have been working hard to get this year's performance just right. After all, it's difficult to get into the beach mood when the ground is covered with snow. On March 26, 27 and 28 in the Watford City High School Gym, the Masque and Gavel Club will be presenting the musical 'Wipeout' during their dinner theater production.
School Board approves calendar
The McKenzie County Public School District No. 1 school board gave its stamp of approval to a new calendar for the 2009-2010 school year during its regular meeting on Wednesday, March 11. Under the new calendar, Watford City classes will begin on Thursday, Aug. 27 with the last day of school set for Wednesday, May 26. Watford City High School will hold its graduation ceremonies on Sunday, May 30.
Plans underway for special 2009 Relay For Life
With snow piled high and temperatures just beginning to climb above freezing, it's difficult to imagine the Watford City Tourist Park filled with tents, fundraising booths and enthusiastic walkers. But in just 2-1/2 months that will be the scene as the Rugged West Relay For Life kicks off its eighth annual Relay Night on May 29, 2009.
Alexander rancher sues Zenergy Inc. over salt water spill
After three years of uncertainty and cleanup, Alexander rancher Linda Monson has decided to sue Oklahoma-based Zenergy Inc. over a pipeline that spilled salt water onto her property and into Charbonneau Creek in January 2006. For as long as anyone can remember springs have fed into Charbonneau Creek west of Alexander. That fresh water has been the source of water for cattle ranchers in that part of McKenzie County as well as an important tributary to the Yellowstone River. However, after a ruptured pipeline spilt nearly 950,000 gallons of highly concentrated salt water onto the land things have not been the same.
Meetings planned on grassland travel management plan
Watford City will be one of three sites where the U.S. Forest Service will be taking public comment on a new travel management plan that the agency is developing for the Little Missouri National Grasslands. The purpose of this proposal is to identify and designate a system of roads and trails on the Little Missouri National Grassland that the general public is invited to use for wheeled motor vehicle travel. "Wheeled motor vehicle" includes all types of cars, trucks, pickups, motorcycles, and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).
A salute to everyday heroes
What comes to mind when you think of heroes? Is it Superman, your family doctor, local law enforcement, a coach, or are they all heroes in your mind? To the members of the Watford City Figure Skating Club (WCFSC) they're all heroes, and in an effort to salute heroes, big and small, the WCFSC is presenting Everyday Heroes, a salute to the heroes among us.
Influenza hits McKenzie County
If you didn't get your flu vaccine this fall, you might want to get it now. Flu season is here and McKenzie County has not been spared. Influenza, or "flu," is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs that can affect millions of people every year. It is highly contagious and occurs mainly in the late fall, winter, or early spring.
Oil exploration slows as oil price falls
Exploration companies operating in the Bakken oil field are clearly slowing their activity, but most are hopeful for a turnaround in the near future. A number of companies released their 4th quarter earnings reports in recent days, laying out their strategies for riding out low oil prices.
It's not uncommon to hear about the oil field slowing down because of low oil prices, but is price the only factor affecting the current slowing of the oil field? As oil hovers around $40 per barrel there are 54 wells being drilled in North Dakota as of Monday, March, 2, 2009 with eight of those rigs located in McKenzie County. That is down from 90 rigs statewide and 22 in McKenzie County on Oct. 27, 2008 when oil was at $62 per barrel. While oil prices remain a big factor in how busy the oil field is, right now weather is also playing a big factor in the amount of activity.
Moving to a new community or adding to your family can be a stressful time, especially when you are in need of a new house and there aren't any available. McKenzie County residents and those wishing to relocate too McKenzie County know all to well the difficulties involved with a housing shortage. Western North Dakota including McKenzie County has been fighting with an ongoing housing shortage for more than a year, with no end in sight.
Fish inducted in ND Wrestling Hall of Fame
His wrestling career began in 1955 when he was just a 70-pound seventh grader, and 54 years later he may not be getting down on the mat anymore, but he's still an award winning wrestler. Frank Fish, assistant coach of the Watford City Wolves wrestling team received one of the highest honors in North Dakota wrestling, an induction into the North Dakota Wrestling Hall of Fame.