IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK

NORTH DAKOTA AND MINNESOTA NEWS AND NOTES

(Barnesville)-The Barnesville City Council has increased the pay of members of the Ambulance squad. The action comes following a request from the ambulance manager Jon Yeske who said it has become difficult to fill weekend and holiday schedules. Ambulance service members will get a bump in their weekend pay from $1.69 to $2.00 an hour, and an increase in holiday pay from $2.38 to $3.00 an hour. Run pay for for first responders, medics and EMT's will also go up. Even though the pay increase will increase a slight deficit in the ambulance service, the council voted to cover the expenses with the discretionary fund. (Barnesville Record-Review)

(Moorhead)-A Moorhead has been charged with two counts of felony sexual molestation. One charge states that 28-year old Tracy Fees grabbed a 14-year old girl's breasts and asked inappropriate questions during an incident in June. The second charge states that Fees again tried to grab the girl's breasts while the two were playing pool in July. A detective met with the girl in July and recorded a phone call during which the two discussed the incidents. Fees is free on $20,000 pending an August court date. (Fargo Forum)

(Hawley)-An Arlington, Virginia man and Hawley area native is celebrating his 100th year of life. Lloyd Mostrom attended a one-room school house in Skree Township and graduated from Hawly High in 1929. He attended an graduated from Concordia College on a scholarship in 1933. After teaching for six years, he served an officer's commission in the U.S. Navy in Brisbane, Australis during WWII. (Hawley Herald)

(Ada)-Flom residents are waiting to see if the level of arseninc in their water will go down. Part of the problem is newer arsenic standards from the federal government. The old standard was 50 parts per billion; the new standard is 1o parts per billion. The Flom well has been averaging around 13 parts per billion. Arsenic is a carcinogen. A Minneapolis company is trying out a test-pilot system that seems to be working. Flom has a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency deadline of September of next year to address their arsenic levels.(Twin Valley Times)

(Moorhead)-A tale of a despondent cow and a story about they young Abe Lincoln are this year's Read Aloud Book Award Winners. The award is administered by the MSUM library' Curriculum Materials Center. 17 teachers and librarians and about 150 education majors field-tested over 250 award entries with area children.


In Sports.....

(Moorhead)-The Dragons of Minnesota State have a new head wrestling coach. Kris Nelson is the 9th head coach in the program's 50-year history. He has a nine-year wrestling coaching career. The Lisbon, North Dakota native wrestled and coached at NDSU.

(Ulen)-A Ulen man has one his third feature at Buffalo River Speedway. While Erickson is racking up wins on the quarter mile track he probably won't rack up the points. Despite racing two nights a week. Erickson has been only able to compete in 9 races because of spring planting. Some racers on the circuit have as many as 23 races so far. (Clay County Union)