Topics covered will include:
- Thunderstorm formation
- Thunderstorm hazards
- Definitions (flash flood-tornado-funnel cloud-downburst winds-microburst-etc)
- History of severe weather in ND
- Review of severe weather from 2011
- The importance of reports (how and what to report)
- Safety
- Storm type (Ordinary Cell-Multicell-Supercell)
- Storm strength (what to look for to determine it)
- Storm structure (wall cloud-shelf cloud-mesocyclone-rain free base-rear flank downdraft)

Doppler RADAR is an outstanding tool…but it is not a video camera or camera at all…it does not “see” hail…it does not “see” tornadoes…it does not “see” flash floods…rather…RADAR “indicates” those things. The National Weather Service needs our reports…ground truth to what is happening.

The Bismarck National Weather Service will be presenting the Weather Spotter Training Course:

Free Severe Weather Seminar
7:00 PM CDT Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Gary Tharaldson School of Business Auditorium, University of Mary Campus
 
The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
No RSVP required.

The study, sponsored by the Bismarck Tobacco Free Coalition with support from the Bismarck Burleigh Public Health Department and funded by BreatheND, assessed the air quality in places that allowed smoking before the comprehensive smoke free ordinance was implemented on April 27, 2011 and compared the air quality afterward. Data were analyzed and reported by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Key findings showed that:

- Prior to implementation of the ordinance, the level of fine particle air pollution found in locations permitting smoking was in the category of “hazardous”. Workers were exposed to levels of air pollution six times higher than the level considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

- Post implementation air quality results showed a 96% decline in indoor particle pollution levels, similar to outdoor levels of exposure and in the category of “Good”.

This is important because, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 2010:

- “Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds, including hundreds that are toxic and at least 69 that cause cancer.”

- “Every exposure to the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke can damage DNA in a way that leads to cancer.”

- “Exposure to secondhand smoke has an immediate adverse impact on the cardiovascular system, damaging blood vessels, making blood more likely to clot and increasing risks for heart attack and stroke.”

Gary Philips, who is a local Bismarck bar tender spoke at the news conference, and stated, “April 27th was the day I would learn if I could breathe easier at work.” Philips discussed how well the public has adjusted to the new ordinance.

To see a summary of the Bismarck Air Quality Study, go to http://www.bismarcktobaccofree.com/resources/facts.asp

What do you think prevents more people from runnng for Mandan Mayor and City Commission?

Bids for mowing and trimming tall grass and weeds for the City of Bismarck will be received by the Board of City Commissioners of the City of Bismarck in the office of the City Administrator, until three (3:00) o’clock p.m. (CST), Wednesday, April 25, 2012. Bids will be publicly opened and reviewed at four (4:00) o’clock p.m. (CST), on Wednesday, April 25, 2012.The proposals must be mailed to the City Administrator (PO Box 5503, Bismarck ND 58506-5503) or otherwise deposited with the City Administrator (221 North Fifth Street, Bismarck ND 58501) and shall be sealed and endorsed “Mowing Bid”. If a bid is to be faxed, the bid must be sent to a bidder’s agent independent of the City of Bismarck, placed in a sealed envelope, labeled according to this specification and delivered to the office of the City Administrator prior to the bid deadline.

Bids must be submitted on blanks furnished by the City of Bismarck and in accordance with specifications and conditions therein contained. Copies of proposal blanks and specifications may be obtained from the Bismarck Fire Department, 1020 E Central Ave Bismarck, ND 58501-1936

All bidders are encouraged to attend a pre-bid meeting at the Public Works Department (601 South 26th Street) at 1:30 p.m. (CDT) on Friday, April 13, 2012

All bidders are invited to be present at the opening of the proposals.

The right is reserved to hold all bids for a period of forty-five (45) days, to reject any and all bids, to waive technicalities or to accept such as may be determined to be for the best interest of the City of Bismarck. For more information and to view the RFP visit www.bismarck.org

In order to avoid a re-parking violation a vehicle must move off the “block face” and not return (or re-park) for a minimum of 4 hours. A “block face” includes parking spaces on BOTH sides of the street. Ordinance 5857, Section 12-13-21 provides: “if the vehicle involved has not been moved a distance of 1200 feet during the period of time established and posted in accordance with this chapter…and the block is signed to prohibit re-parking in the same block, proof that the posted time-limit restriction has elapsed and that the vehicle remains parked or has been moved and is again parked in the same block on either side of the street shall constitute prima facie proof that the vehicle has remained stationary for that period of time.” For more information and to view the Ordinance and signage visit www.bismarck.org

Mayor Warford affirmed the importance of taking action and being proactive with a primary focus upon growth, and an action plan for implementation. Warford assigned each commissioner to one of four key areas of the plan, empowering each with the ability to take ownership and to become champions of their respective, assigned areas.

Key Area Assignments
Economic Vitality – Commissioner Mike Seminary
Community Character – Commissioner Brenda Smith
Civic Engagement – Commissioner Josh Askvig
Community Services – Commissioner Parrell Grossman

Mayor Warford also charged Commissioner Askvig with leading and “jumpstarting” a green space initiative for new development areas in Bismarck as the City plans for growth. “We are a dynamic people looking to our future,” said Askvig. “I am very enthusiastic about getting started and putting this ambitious plan into action.”

For more information visit www.bismarck.org

Families can find Bodyworks information at www.bismarck.org/publichealth or www.womenshealth.gov/bodyworks. Bodyworks helps youth to improve lifestyle choices, helps parents think as role models, gives hands-on ideas to make life better, and is offered at no cost to
participants. Bodyworks is part of Bismarck’s Moving More Eating Smarter project and supported by GO! Bismarck Mandan, a healthy community coalition.

For more information, contact Bismarck Burleigh Public Health at 701-355-1540.

The three finalists were recommended to continue on to the next phase of the selection process; interviews with the Bismarck City Commission at a special meeting April 16, and an in-basket exercise that is designed to assess leadership and management skills.

Five candidates originally met the minimum qualifications for the position of Police Chief. Two individuals – James Hughes, Honolulu, Hawaii and Terrence LeMaster, Council Bluffs, Iowa, chose to withdraw their applications bringing the number of remaining candidates to three.

For more information visit www.bismarck.org

Both were recognized by Mayor Warford at a ceremony held March 19, 2012, 1:15 p.m., at Dorothy Moses Elementary school in Ms. Barb Fix’s classroom with their classmates, family members, and Human Relations Committee members where both received an award for their essay and poem. Mayor Warford also encouraged the students to rededicate themselves to the principles of respect for human rights and freedom, of belief in non-violence, and of commitment to improving our City and nation through community service. The mission of the Human Relations Committee is to protect and promote the personal dignity of all Bismarck citizens and to eliminate any discriminatory barriers that prevent them from reaching their full human potential. For more information visit www.bismarck.org

The Center stresses the importance of prevention because research shows that over 80 percent of adult smokers begin before the age of 18. Each year in North Dakota, 600 kids become new daily smokers and purchase 1.7 million packs of cigarettes.

Eleven thousand kids now under the age of 18 in North Dakota will ultimately die prematurely from smoking, which is why the Center works with public health units across the state to promote tobacco prevention and comprehensive tobacco-free policies in schools and communities.

Since the comprehensive program was put into place the number of North Dakota school districts that have adopted comprehensive tobacco-free policies has increased from 60 to 102. These policies eliminate not only cigarette use but also all other types of tobacco use on school grounds and at school events, which protect students, faculty, staff and visitors from exposure to all tobacco use.

“Kick Butts Day is an important part in our fight against the harmful effects of tobacco use and to help spread the word about the harms of tobacco,” said Susan Kahler, Bismarck Burleigh Public Health. Bismarck area students who attended the 6th Annual Bismarck Tobacco Prevention Youth Summit last fall, developed public service announcements (PSA’s) to educate their peers. St. Mary’s Middle School developed a radio PSA titled “I’d Get” and Wachter Middle School developed a TV PSA titled “How much would you be willing to pay for bad breath and smoker’s cough?” PSA’s and video productions are viewable at Bismarck Tobacco Free http://www.bismarcktobaccofree.com/ads/ or Breathe ND’s You Tube page at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8gHyBfkd88

Bismarck area school students will be holding Kick Butts Day activities: The activities will be focused on educating peers about the harmful effects of using tobacco products and promoting the ND Quitline, and ND Quitnet.

Research shows the Center’s partnered efforts are working. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, youth smoking rates have dropped from 22.4 percent in 2009 to 19.4 percent in 2011.

“We’re excited about our success, but our work has just started,” said Jeanne Prom, Executive Director of the Center. “Kick Butts Day is another tool we have to help prevent youth from ever using tobacco by implementing tobacco-free school policies.” Prom said tobacco-free policies are a Center for Disease Control and Prevention Best Practice that has been proven to successfully reduce both youth and adult tobacco use.

To learn about Kick Butts Day programs taking place in your community, contact Susan Kahler at (701) 355-1595 or go to www.breathend.com to see the North Dakota tobacco-free school listing and to learn more about comprehensive tobacco-free school policies.

For more information also visit www.bismarck.org/publichealth