BISMARCK, N.D. – Bismarck Burleigh Public Health is closed today due to a water main break. Individuals with appointments are asked to call public health at 355-1540 to reschedule any existing appointments that are scheduled for today. No walk in visits or public health services will be available today.

Front Avenue will be closed today between 5th Street and 7th Street. Repairs to the water main are expected to be completed by 5 p.m. today. Traffic is advised to use alternate routes.

Truck traffic is advised to use Main Avenue.

For more information visit www.bismarck.org

BISMARCK, N.D. – The Bismarck Fire Department’s Environmental Health Division is accepting informal bids for the cutting of tall grass and weeds on properties located within the corporate limits of the City of Bismarck. Bagging and/or collection of the tall grass and weeds resulting from mowing and trimming is not required. Properties that do not comply with the city ordinance governing tall grass and weeds will be authorized for mowing.

The interested bidder shall declare an hourly rate that he or she will honor during the entire 2010 mowing season and must provide proof of insurance holding the City of Bismarck harmless of liability issues arising from cutting of tall grasses and weeds. Mowing will be assigned to the lowest bidder as the need arises. The Bismarck Fire Department reserves the right to utilize the services of more than one bidder if the circumstances so warrant. The Bismarck Fire Department Environmental Health Division reserves the right to reject or accept all bids. Bids must be mailed or delivered to the Bismarck Fire Department, Environmental Health Division, 1020 E. Central Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58501-1936 by 5:00 p.m. on April 15, 2010.

For more information visit www.bismarck.org or call Melvin Fischer at (701) 355-1418 or email mfischer@nd.gov

BISMARCK, N.D. – City Forester Jackson Bird announced that the Forestry Division will begin a city wide search for the over wintering and breeding habitat of the elm bark beetle as soon as conditions become conducive to search for firewood piles. This effort is critical in the battle to save Bismarck’s elm trees from devastating losses to Dutch elm disease.

Bismarck’s Dutch elm disease prevention program has been successful in large part due to the elimination of habitat that this disease vector uses to make it through our harsh winters. The insulating effect of a firewood pile allows many insects to survive in our frigid environment. Elm bark beetles use elm wood with tightly attached bark for protection from the extreme fluctuations of temperature that can kill many insects. By eliminating elm wood before spring, the over wintering beetles are destroyed and prevented from emerging in the steadily warming temperatures.

“We attribute our success in fighting to save Bismarck’s elm trees to three main factors. Diligent inspections in the summer to identify diseased trees, quick removal of diseased trees from the urban forest once they are identified as a positive host for the fungus that causes Dutch elm disease, and eliminating the over wintering and breeding habitat of elm bark beetles by enforcing the required debarking or disposal of dead elm wood and stumps,” City Forester Bird said. For 2009, 21 American elms tested positive for Dutch Elm Disease. An additional 93 elms were removed that provided a breeding habitat for the beetle.

City arborists will begin combing the city, looking for firewood piles that might contain elm wood. If elm wood is found, it will be marked with orange paint to aid the homeowner in the identification process. Wood owners will be asked to debark, burn or dispose of the over wintering elm wood habitat within ten days of notification. A notice describing the elm bark beetle lifecycle and how they use elm wood as a breeding and over wintering habitat will be left at the property where the elm wood is found. The notice also describes how to identify elm wood from other common firewood types found in North Dakota.

According to the NDSU Extension Service publication Dutch Elm Disease, “A few elm logs secreted away by one homeowner who does not understand the importance of the problem can undo all attempts at thorough sanitation and watchful disease surveillance for an area of several city blocks.” For more information visit www.bismarck.org/forestry

BISMARCK, N.D. – The Morton Burleigh Bismarck Mandan (MBBM) Opportunity Development committee – a subcommittee of the Mayors’ Economic Advisory Group established by Bismarck Mayor John Warford and Mandan Mayor Tim Helbling – will hold their first meeting Tues., March 16, 2010, 4:00 p.m., at the Mandan City Hall, 205 2nd Ave NW, Mandan.

Agenda
• MBBM Committee will discuss regional detention opportunities and the needs of each jurisdiction.

• Invited to make short presentations and discuss current needs are:
Sheriff Pat Heinert, Sheriff Dave Shipman, Chief Dennis Bullinger and Chief Keith Witt

For more information visit www.bismarck.org