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Updated 5-8-08

More local impact felt from oil development
There is no denying the changes to the landscape of Mountrail County or the added traffic on the roads. But with the increasing activity prompted by the oil exploration, many changes have been felt by locals in New Town. Businesses on Main Street, as well as local motels and restaurants, have seen a jump in revenue, as have local financial institutions. Gary Petersen, president of Lakeside State Bank, said, “From a financial standpoint, I think we’ve noticed, this early on of course, a lot of the leasing activity been done which has had financial impact on our institution and from what I gather other banks in the area. There are lease dollars in the community that weren’t there 24 months ago. We’re obviously seeing some of that impact. But the real question I have is if this continues in the same manner as it has, what are the production dollars going to mean to this area?

Enrollment ‘yes,’ increasing council ‘no’
It took a 70-vote margin for tribal voters approve a lineal descendency constitutional amendment in the secretarial election earlier this week. The majority of voters, 517 tribal members, approved changing the current tribal enrollment criteria from a blood quantum minimum to lineal descendency. Four hundred forty-seven tribal voters opposed this amendment. The amendment language was, “Any person born to any member of the tribes shall be eligible for enrollment.” By a similar margin, 74-votes, tribal voters also turned down a second constitutional amendment to expand the tribal council membership. Voting 515-441, the majority of tribal voters said ‘no’ to increasing the council from seven to nine members. There were a total of five “spoiled” ballots for both amendments. A committee of Bureau of Indian Affairs personnel and tribal members tallied the results at the 4 Bears Casino meeting room on Tuesday of this week. Howard Bemer, Fort Berthold BIA Superintendent, was the election committee chairman.