What you missed while you were away

The Bahamas might have been the best place to be over spring break, but Fargo didn’t stand still while the students vacationed. Here’s what happened while North Dakota State went on spring holiday. 

Chemical on campus

NDSU had a chemical removed from a Dunbar Hall laboratory March 12. The bomb squad and Fargo Fire Department were called, and the situation was resolved, according to the Inform. The chemical, Tetrahydrofuran, could have combusted if it had crystalized.

The chemical removal was planned to happen during spring break. Battalion Chief Joe Mangin said he was notified of the chemical.

Spring snow apocalypse

North Dakota dodged the brunt of a debilitating windy snowstorm that closed some main highways and even knocked down a billboard on Interstate 29. Wind gusts reached 40 mph, and Hector International Airport reported 57 mph. This created whiteout conditions due to blowing snow in especially flat areas.

According to the West Fargo Pioneer, Fargo missed a large amount of the storm. The brunt of the event was felt in other areas of the state. “For the most part, Fargo stayed relatively warm and missed out on a lot of the snow,” said Carl Jones, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

A major impact was felt on the roads with I-29 to Grand Forks and I-94 to Bismarck closed. Roof collapses were also an issue with garages caving in Moorhead, Minnesota due to heavy snow, according to the Inforum. A commercial building off 13th Avenue was evacuated because the ceiling was sagging, according to the Inforum. 

Outside of Fargo, the Town of Kulm was stranded without water around for about three hours on Friday due to the storm. Minnesota saw persistent rain due to the storm. 

Since the storm, Fargo has seen a string of days with highs in the 40s.

Bills were sent to Burgum

A bill to raise the driver’s license fee from $15 to $30 will head to the governor’s desk after being passed by the Senate. According to the Inforum, the fee hike will fill a $5 million hole in the program’s budget. Rep. Larry Bellew, R-Minot, called the bill a tax increase, saying, “Tax and fee have three letters in it, they’re just spelled differently.”

The Senate also passed a bill that would require doctors to inform women that it is possible to reverse chemically induced abortions. 

Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, said the bill is informational. “The language in this bill is informational only, it is a notification only, giving the woman the full information she needs to make her own decision if she regrets her choice within a short period of time,” Myrdal said. 

On the other side, some are saying the bill would require giving women questionable information. “Would we require this if it were any other medical procedure with this level of evidence?” Sen. Kristin Roers asked.

The ban on Sunday morning shopping was repealed by the Senate, sending the bill to Gov. Doug Burgum. The governor has already said he will repeal the “blue laws” that restrict certain retail establishments from selling on Sunday mornings.