KXMB CBS Bismarck North D

Many young boys dream of being a firefighter. For some, this dream continues into young adulthood. Brad Feldman shows us a local fire department helping teens live out their dream. (Sound - axing the roof) It might not be the real thing... but for one of these firefighters its as close as he will get for at least two years. (Devon Beehler/ Jr. Firefighter) My dad was a firefighter and I always wanted to be one since I was younger. Devon Beehler is the first junior firefighter in the Mandan Fire Department. It's a program open to boys and girls between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. (Steve Nardello/ Mandan Fire Chief) We found that ussually at that young age they get so involved in the fire department that they stay with it for the rest of their lives. Nardello knows this first hand. He started as a junior firefighter in New Jersey when he was sixteen. Today, he watches his newest member get the training he needs to be a successful firefighter. (Sound) But once Beehler leaves the training ground for the real incident...he plays more of a background role. Junior firefighters are not allowed to enter hazardous situations. (Devon Beehler/ Jr. Firefighter) I cant handle any power tools but I can get used hand tools. But I get them ready for other firefighters to use and I get to see how they are used properly. (Steve Nardello/ Mandan Fire Chief) They would be getting us additional air bottles, helping us replace out air bottles, stretching hose lines and gather tools for us. Beehler knows he still plays an important role on the scene of a fire. But he cant wait for the day when he can join his fellow firefighters in the heat of a burning building. Brad Feldman KX news Beehler says he wants to go to school and study fire science and get his hazmat certification. When he graduates he wants to become a full-time firefighter.

Any hopes that the North Dakota State Football Team had of 'sneaking up' on the rest of the Missouri Valley Conference were quickly dashed when the Bison were picked to win it in a league Poll. Even with the high expectations, NDSU has a lot to prove in their first year. Steve Hallstrom has more from the Missouri Valley meetings. That was Steve Hallstrom reporting. NDSU opens up the season next month at home against Austin Peay. Their first conference game will be September 20th at Youngstown State.

The Dickinson man hospitalized after he was shot by a police officer is now in jail... 58-yr-old Joel Wetzel was transfered from St. Alexius Hospital to the Southwest Multi County Corrections Center yesterday. He had his first court appearance this morning. Wetzel is charged with Burglary and Reckless Endangerment. Authorities say July 8th Wetzel broke into a Dickinson home and shot at two people. Wetzel is accused of pointing a gun at officers and that's when they shot him in the chest. He's been hospitalized until this week. Wetzel's bond was set at ten thousand dollars cash. If he gets out of jail he must have no contact with the victims in the case, stay away from alcohol, and have no firearms. The Stark County Sheriffs Department and the State Crime Lab are in charge of investigating the officers actions in shooting Wetzel.

They can pitch and play defense, run and score runs. As a result, the Dickinson Roughriders rode into the top spot in the Legion A Standings. But could they hold on? With Minot just a game back and in town for two, the boys from the 'Queen City' had their work cut out for themselves tonight.

He scored nearly 60 goals and earned over 80 points in three years with UND, and now, T.J. Oshie is taking his game to the next level. But before the former Sioux wears 'Blue,' he made a stop in North Dakota's 'Capitol City.' Oshie was in town on behalf of the Bismarck Hockey Boosters, where he spoke and skated with kids from second grade to seniors in high school. Oshie says his *goal*, no pun intended, is to help get kids as excited about the sport as he is. (T.J. Oshie:) I think for me, growing up, I had people that were iNFLuencing my life and my career and helped me when I was younger and couldn't skate or couldn't shoot the puck and have some fun, so I am hoping to give back to these kids as best I can and I am hoping to give back to these kids as best I can and just go out there and have some fun, meet the kids and have them meet me. Back in May, Oshie decided to skip his senior season and sign with the NHL. He'll go to camp with the St. Louis Blues in August.

There are more than ninety-nine hundred people in our state who may be able to get some money back from Uncle Sam... THE I-R-S says thousands of North Dakota retirees and veterans may qualify for economic stimulus paymentsbut they haven't yet filed for them. All you have to do to see if you qualify is log onto the IRS website...i-r-s dot gov. Kristi Misek is a local accountant and she says she's not surprised that there are still thousands of people who still haven't filed for their rebate. Kristi Misek, Accountant I don't think that it's necessarily surprising; just the fact that it was a fairly new piece of legislation that was passed...not a lot of people had heard about i to begin with, t or there was a great deal of confusion and people didn't know whether they could or could not file. or how to file or what the requirements as it were. Now if you do qualify, Misek says all you have to do is fill out a 2007 tax formmost likely a Ten-40-A. Also, the IRS does have a rebate hotline. That number 866-234-2942

North Dakota's Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a man who beat his girlfriend to death and set her body on fire. Steve Torkelsen argued that police illegally obtained some of the evidence used at his trial last May. He contended that he should've been allowed to act as his own lawyer. The Supreme Court's ruling says the evidence was obtained properly and that Torkelsen never made it clear that he wanted to be his own attorney. He was convicted four years ago and is serving a sentence of life without parole.

The Internal Revenue Service says nearly 10-thousand North Dakota retirees and veterans who may be eligible for an economic stimulus payment have not yet filed for it. The IRS says it's sending another set of information packets to remind those people that it's not too late, along with instructions. The deadline is Oct. 15. The packages start going out this week. IRS spokeswoman Carrie Resch says the sooner people file, the sooner they'll get their payments.

Tax Commissioner Cory Fong says his department processed about 330,000 state tax returns during the current tax filing season, with 60 percent filed electronically. Fong says the number of returns totaled about 13,000 more than last year, in large part because of a property tax credit. He says refunds to North Dakota taxpayers totaled nearly $60 million, with the average refund coming in at around $280.

The driver in a crash that killed a man near New Salem over the weekend has been arrested on a probation violation charge. Bismarck Police say 21-year-old Jon Eikanas was arrested on Sunday at the request of his probation officer. They say Eikanas was intoxicated at the time of the arrest. Eikanas is on probation for a 2006 gross sexual imposition conviction. The Highway Patrol said the crash about 4:30 a.m., Sunday killed 21-year-old Dustin Kessel of Bismarck, who was a passenger in the car.

First it was tomatoes. Now it's something else. Nancy Cordes tells us the latest target of Salmonella... NEARLY 15 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST SALMONELLA CASE WAS REPORTED, INVESTIGATORS HAVE FOUND THEIR FIRST INFECTED PLANT NOT A TOMATO BUT A JALAPENO PEPPER. IT WAS DISCOVERED AT A DISTRIBUTION PLANT IN MCALLEN Texas NAMED AGRICOLA ZARAGOSA. While this one sample doesn't yet give us the whole story, this genetic match is a very important break in the case. Because it enables us to focus our investigation on the production chain that will ultimately allow us hopefully to pinpoint the source of the contamination which has caused the outbreak. THE PEPPER IN QUESTION COMES FROM MEXICO. BUT THE FDA SAYS THE CONTAMINATION COULD HAVE COME FROM ANYWHERE INFECTED SOIL, WATER, PACKING BOXES OR EVEN CONTACT WITH OTHER PRODUCE IN MEXICO OR THE US. UNTIL THEY KNOW FOR SURE, FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARE ADVISING AMERICANS NOT TO EAT FRESH JALAPENOS OR PRODUCTS MADE WITH THEM LIKE SALSA. BUT PROCESSED, COOKED OR PICKLED JALAPENOS ARE SAFE THEY SAY. THE FDA, WHICH GAVE THE ALL CLEAR TO EAT TOMATOES LAST WEEK, SAYS THIS NEW WARNING ON FRESH JALAPENOS WILL STAND UNTIL IT DETERMINES THAT THERE ARE NO INFECTED PEPPERS LEFT ON THE MARKET.

North Dakotans who support an income tax cut today turned in petitions to the Secretary of State's office... They want their proposal on the November ballot. The measure would cut North Dakota's individual income tax rates by 50 percent and its corporate tax rates by 15 percent. Secretary of State Al Jaeger now has to make sure there are enough signatures to qualify for a statewide vote. Backers need 12,844 names to get on the ballot. They have more than 15,000 signatures.

Governor Hoeven's name is mentioned again for a national race. This time it's as the possible vice-president candidate for Republican nominee John McCain. The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal recently name Hoeven among the governors McCain may consider as a running mate. Hoeven says he's not been contacted by McCain's campaign and does not expect to be called. (Gov. John Hoeven) I am working as governor and I am running for governor. And that is what I am about. I am going to continue to work very hard to make sure that we are doing the things that people want to build this state. In recent years Governor Hoeven has been rumored to run against either Senator Conrad or Dorgan.

North Dakota National Guard soliders are back home from helping California crews battle fires. Their unique tool a Blackhawk helecopter with a 640 gallon water bucket. The helicopter dropped about 50 buckets a day on the fire flying more hours in 18 days than they do in three months. Monte Myers says their work was rewarding and beneficial. The first day up visibility was only half a mile on the last day they could see 10 miles out. (Monte Myers / ND National Guard) That fire was real close to residential areas, that's a pretty good feeling to stop a fire from burning into people homes. That was the goal to keep it under control where they didn't loose a lot of structures and houses. This is video from when the Blackhawks used water buckets fighting a fire near Fort Yates in 2006. Myers says the Blackhawks are resourceful in fighting fires where the terrain is rough and the fires are difficult to fight on the ground... What we try to do is get water in front of burn line to soak the terrain down to keep it from expanding. Sometime the smoke is too great we can't do that. Have to drop it on the back side. Each fire is different it depends on the wind.

Figures from the state Commerce Department show North Dakota's two newest ethanol plants have collected nearly 1.8 million dollars in state subsidies over the past six months. State officials say they're considering whether the ethanol support program should be increased. The plants collect subsidies because high Corn prices make it hard for them to do business. Commerce Department figures show that from October through March, Blue Flint Ethanol of Underwood has received about $900,000 in subsidies. The Red Trail Energy plant of Richardton got about $878,000 during the same period. Lieutenant Governor Jack Dalrymple says he's not sure whether there is political support for increasing North Dakota's ethanol subsidy program.

Will John Hoeven be getting a call from Senator John McCain? There's some speculation about our governor being on the radar as a possible Republican vice presidential candidate. Hoeven is shrugging off the idea. He says he's concentrating on his job and his re-election campaign this year. The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal websites recently listed Hoeven among the governors that presumptive Republican presidential nominee John Mc-Cain may consider as a running mate. Hoeven says the Mc-Cain campaign hasn't called him about the possibility, and he says he doesn't expect to be called.

The Bismarck Reps playing in the SEnior Babe Ruth State tournament in Williston this weekend, they beat Fargo for the championship. They now move on to the Midwest Plains Regional in Charleston, Missouri. They play the champions from Minnesota at 4:30 on Friday. And Bismarck drop their first game at the 14 year olds State Babe Ruth tournament, but they bounce back and win game two. They'll play at noon tomorrow for the championship, against West Fargo.

Areas affected by oil development in North Dakota are getting 3 million dollars. Jeff Engleson is director of the state Land Department's Energy Development Impact Office; he's responsible for approving the grants. This year, 278 government entities submitted oil impact grant requests totaling more than 29 million dollars. Engleson approved 265 requests in 15 oil-producing counties. The funds come from the state's five percent oil and gas production tax. Engleson says nearly half of the grant money this year is to fix township roads and bridges torn up from heavy truck traffic. The grant program has doled out more than 61 million dollars since it was started in 1982.

Milk production in North Dakota in April, May and June totaled 107 million pounds, that's down 8 percent from the same period last year. The Agriculture Department says milk produced per cow was up from the same period a year ago. But the average number of milk cows in the state during the quarter dropped to 27,000 the lowest total on record. Nationwide, milk production in the second quarter was 48.7 billion pounds, up just under 3 percent.

The 4th of July may be over but that's not stopping some from shooting things into the sky. The Gateway to Science held it's 4th annual rocket day today in Bismarck. Participants first built their rockets. After careful assembly..the rockets were launched. Amanda Person is the Program coordinator for Gateway to Science and she hopes everyone takes something home with them. It's really fun to watch rockets go off, everyone loves the 4th of July so we're sort of sneaking in a little bit of science as well to have the kids come to see the rocket but also learn about why and how these types of rockets go off Volunteers helped build water rockets, Alka Seltzer rockets, air pressure rockets and engine-propelled rockets. Even the kids have good things to say. My Rocket went as high as Tom S. (Loren Anderson/Rocket Launcher) Family rocket day is a great day to learn about different types of rockets and how they fly. For more information on Gateway to Science you can visit their website www.gscience.org

Tooth decay in children is what some call a hidden epidemic....And one local dentist says tooth decay isn't hard to find. Reporter Ashley McMillan sat in the chair with one local dentist who has a few thoughts on why this disease is becoming more prominent. Dr. Bryce?I wish I could say you had no cavities. It's something no one wants to hear from their dentist. But more and more children throughout the United States are..North Dakota is no exception. (Dr. Bryce Goebel/Pediatric Dentist) A big part of the problem, why it's such a huge chronic problem affecting children is access to care. The kids that need to be seen and have things done and preventative measure instituted have a really hard time finding someone to provide that care for them. But not enough care isn't the only problem. A lack of or poor oral hygiene is one factor and diet is a really big factor not only exactly what the diet consists of, but the dietary habits. Frequency of exposure to sugars, juices, PowerAde's, pops, that kind of thing is really hard on teeth, and not catching things early can make things worse. Tooth decay in children can also cause problems in their learning habits if not taken care of right away. Everything is connected and there is always the potential for the infection to spread somewhere dangerous. Infected baby teeth can lead to developmental problems in the permanent teeth, that's a concern. A lot of kids miss school. They have, there are studies that show kids have greater learning problems, other things affect their performance, their daily life performance just because of their tooth decay and the pain that it causes. Dr. Goebel cautions parent to check their child's mouth. Parents that are brushing their children's teeth usually find it and if they're lifting the lip and looking a the teeth closely they can see brown spots or kind of a yellow spot or a breakdown of the tooth. It's no that its that difficult to spot, it's just that people aren't looking. Dentists are getting help from other places as well. The pediatricians are being greatly helpful and their accademy is working towards getting the word out as they're seeing the kids before I would ever see the kids for the well checks as they get older and tha'ts part of the solution. but the solution is not an easy thing. It's a matter of getting the word out on many levels and trying to improve access to care so that the children, once the word is out, can find a provider to help them take care of their needs, then hopefully, the ultimate goal is to prevent the disease, not treat the disease. When kids start getting their first teeth it's time to contact a dentist. It's not very often we see them early enough to try to put into place good eduation, good practices, and the things that are neccessary to prevent the disease.

Travis Huber is 17 and doing something most high school students will never get to do. Travel overseas to play Soccer. Huber was selected as part of the People to People organization to travel to Holland as part of the US soccer team. Huber is the only North Dakotan to play on the team, and will be part of the 18's division. He'll have a chance to be coached by some of the best coaches in Europe he'll be a senior at St. Mary's this fall. But besides being an athlete Huber will also be asked to be an ambassador...to help bridge cultures. ( TRAVIS HUBER/ ST. MARY'S SENIOR) I'll be put on a team with I don't know any of the guys and we only have a couple days to put our stuff together and it'll be a great experience I think it'll help me adapt to different styles to game play cause over in Europe game play is fater than here and it'll be a great experience hopefully it'll help my skills some Huber left today to travel to Holland, he'll be gone 9 days.

North Dakota's Hospitals are having a tough time making ends meet. Recently MeritCare in Fargo had to make big cuts. St. Joes' in Dickinson struggles... And, hospitals in rural towns have been hurting for years... We haven't heard much about Bismarck's two hospitals but they're feeling it too. So much so, if the system doesn't change they may be looking at big changes... Here's the story. (Gary Miller/ Senior Vice President, CFO) We're no different than other providers. Gary Miller is the chief money guy at St Alexius... He knows what bills need paying and what checks come in.. (Gary Miller/ Senior Vice President, CFO) I've been in this business 30 years and I'm very concerned abut the next 10. (Reporter) Rignt now, for every dollar paid out at St. Alexius....they only get 72 cents back... Miller says no business can survive that way... Part of it is a sign of the times investments are down, energy costs skyrocketing... But the biggest problem of all is the way North Dakota hospitals are reimbursed by Medicare. (Jim Cooper/ CEO, Medcenter One) It comes back to this cronic underfunding. Just so folks realized we are underpayed about 28% in terms of what we're paid by medicare. (Reporter) Take a look at his chart, it's what Medicare pays out for a heart patient. Bismarck would recieve just over 27-thousand dollars. That same heart patient, in New York is reimbursed almost 38-thousand dollars keep in mind, that's for the same exact care... This chart, shows the differences in reimbursement for a patient with Pnemonia... Again, big differences between Bismarck hospitals and others across the nation. (Jim Cooper/ CEO, MedCenter One) I think we're at a crossroads here in Healthcare. I think if this matter is not addressed and soon, we wil not have the type of healthcare in North Dakota that people will be proud of, that people will feel confident in coming too. (Reporter) So why is North Dakota the lowest paid in the nation in Medicare? Why is a patient treated in North Dakota worth less, than a patient anywhere else... (Gary Miller/ Senior Vice President, CFO) Unfortunately it became a biproduct of how the system was origionally developed by Yale University. They used charges for their base. That was all they had available for their data. And in the upper midwest we we're very good stuards of our recources, we kept our charges down. We had the lowest charges in the country when the system started. And that was our base. It has not been re-based since. (Reporter) For now, for both hospitals, all eyes on on Washington... What happens there will determine, the future of healthcare In North Dakota... What hasn't there happened yet, already has... Meritcare in Fargo cut hundreds of positions. Both Bismarck hospitals have had to consolidate their rural health care clinics. (Gary Miller/ Senior Vice President, CFO) We need to go back to what is it costing and what are your outcomes. We have the best outcomes, highest quality. We're not being recognized for it in the formulas being used by the government. This week the house and senate overroad a presidential veto of Medicare legislation. If that wouldn't have passed, which it did. It would've meant even less medicare reimbursement.

It's a day of education and fun. Hundreds of you headed south of Mandan...for the Northern Great Plains Research Lab's annual Friends and Neighbors Day. This year's theme The World Down Under...The Future Starts with the Soil is focusing on the ground underneath our feet. One day out of the year the campus is open to the public to give all of us a better understanding of just what actually goes on at the research facility. (Jon Hanson / Lab Director) WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO GET EXCITED ABOUT Agricultural RESEARCH, WE CAN SHOW THEM THE BEAUTIFUL FACILITIES WE HAVE OUT HERE, WE CAN JUST GET THEM INVOLVED IN Agriculture. AND THE MORE PEOPLE THAT KNOW ABOUT AGRICULTURE AND ARE INVOLVED IN IT, THE BETTER FOR THE STATE. Producers are taking field tours...learning more about cover crops, Corn production and carbon sequestration. And of course checking out some of the latest farm equipment. And campus activities are focusing on what happens in your backyard. (Val Howard / Bismarck Teacher) Now I teach environmental science and environmental science has to do with weather, soils, and how we preserve the productivity of our land. So I thought this was a great place to come to find out about it. Friends and Neighbors day requires a great deal of preparation. Hanson says planning for next year's event...starts tomorrow.

There are many families in our area that have seriously ill kids and spend so much time in the hospital they have no idea what day it is... The Halliday family has been there but they say the Ronald McDonald House has helped them get through tough times... Donnell Preskey has the story... There have been times when the Klee family has spent more time here than at their home in Halliday. (Cheryl Klee) in the hospital of first 13 years of life and that's a strain. Courtney was born with a congenital heart defect her heart had holes in both the upper and bottom chambers. At 3 months old she had a stroke leaving her right side partially paralyzed. So she's been in and out of the hospital her entire life... (Klee) forever... and it'll go on through her lifetime. Early on they learned about the Ronald McDonald House. A place they can eat, sleep, and hang out at when they're not at the hospital. People dont' realize when you have a sick child, you don't care about cooking a meal, you don't care about shopping, you don't care about anything but being at hospital 24-7. And when you spend your days and nights at hospital it isn't fun, don't get rest and relaxation. The Klee's have used the Ronald McDonald House since the home opened it's doors 16 years ago. They are only one of thousands of families this home has helped. It's been a home away from home for 3,000 families. (Kathy Keiser / Ronald McDonald House) these families have seriously ill child, dealing with a lot on their plate - to know they have a safe place to stay at little or no cost elivates a bothersome area in lives - and we hope makes difficult situation a little easier. Keiser says before the Ronald McDonald House families spent night in hospital lobbies and in their cars. (Cheryl Klee) everytime you go into hospital, and have to go to hotel add the costs of hotel and food onto your expenses - and sometimes you don't have extra money to do it. THis is a godsend to have a place to come and stay. Families are asked to make a $10 a night donation but no one is turned away if they can't pay. The Ronald McDonald House opened July 18th 1992. You can help them celebrate at a sweet 16 birthday party from 1 to 4 on Sunday.

A preliminary estimate of damage from the Tornado that struck Rolla last week now tops $1 million. Rolette County Tax Director Diane Schwandt expects that estimate to grow. Schwandt says property owners are finding more damage as they inspect closely. Schwandt says 19 buildings in Rolla were either damaged or destroyed. Twelve families were forced to move into temporary housing.

As Iraqi officials take control of a province south of Baghdad... there are still deadly attacks happening across the country. Despite these attacks, the Pentagon is optimistic about US troop levels in the months ahead. Susan Roberts reports from Washington. The surge strategy for securing Iraq is coming to an end. (NAT) - TROOPS The last of the 5-additional combat brigades sent to Iraq last year is heading home... And the Pentagon expects more to follow. (SOT: ADM. MIKE MULLEN / JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN) - I EXPECT TO BE ABLE, EARLY IN THE FALL, TO RECOMMEND TO THE SECRETARY AND TO THE PRESIDENT, FURTHER TROOP REDUCTIONS. (MAP IN) The military calls the province of Qadisiyah an example of success. Wednesday, Coalition troops returned that province to the Iraqis. Coalition forces now control just 8 of Iraq's 18-provinces. (MAP OUT) (MAP IN) But North of Baghdad, in Tal Afar at least a dozen people died when a car bomb exploded in a crowded market. (MAP OUT) US Commanders call that region one of the last major strongholds for al-Qaeda in Iraq. (STANDUP BRIDGE: Susan Roberts / CBS NEWS / THE White House) - despite attacks like that one the Bush Administration remains optimistic. The latest CBS News / New York Times poll shows public support for the war is starting to rebound. (GRAPHIC IN) 45-percent of Americans now think the war effort is going well... That's up 10-percent from last month. But, a majority still think the war is going badly. (GRAPHIC OUT) Among the reasons: the cost of the conflict. So far, the U-S has spent well over half a trillion dollars on the Iraq war. The White House's original estimate was 60-billion dollars. And, with 150-thousand American forces still on the ground... Many on the home front say, worries about the human cost of the war are still very much a part of every day life. Susan Roberts, CBS News, Washington.

Severe thunderstorms rolled through Burleigh County early this morning. And one family was rudely roused as the storms passed overhead. Ryan Davidson has more in this week's Weather Extra. {Thunder Clap} Imagine waking up to that. For one family in Menoken a raoring clap of thunder was their 4:30am wake up call from a cluster of severe thunderstorms. A bolt of lightning hit the Broeckel house this morning. Tim - I was on the other side of the bed and I could see both and there were sparks here and there. Ryan - Coming off the roof? I'm assuming it was probably the shingles... Tim - I'm guessing that's what it was, cause there was some I think they're not there anymore, the rain washed them off but there were shingles even on the roof of the garage, I mean they're all over the yard the front yard the back yard...they're everywhere. The lightning bolt also burned a hole, as Tim Broeckel describes, the diameter of a softball into the roof's peak. Tim - And the guy who fixed it or put the tarp on the roof said that all the nails are melted up there all of them. Ryan - What did it hit? Was there something metal there? Tim - Nope, nothing, nothing see and that's why we couldn't figure out, you know I've got all kinds of trees and I got this pole, lots of other things to hit, why hit the house? The strike shook the entire house waking everyone inside and short to follow was a deafening blast of thunder. Tim - it was like you know you go to a loud concert and your ears ring for a long time after...that's what it felt like. Luckily for the Broeckel's the house did not catch fire. The damage to the home was only the hole in the roof, some singed wiring and light switch. As for their electronics they expect to know more when they turn their electric back on. In Menoken with your weather extra, for kxnews, I'm Ryan Davidson. If you have any ideas or questions for the next weather extra, log on to kxnet.com/weatherextra and send an e-mail to weather12@kxnet.com

A presidential candidate will soon have an office in Bismarck. Democrat Barack Obama has hired a North Dakota campaign director, and he's opening a presidential campaign office in Bismarck this week. A campaign spokeswoman says the office is having a grand opening celebration tomorrow night.Obama aide Anita Decker is taking the job of North Dakota campaign director. Decker now works on Obama's U.S. Senate staff in Illinois. Obama has visited Grand Forks and Fargo so far this year, and he's promising an effort to try to carry North Dakota's three electoral votes. But Obama certainly has his work cut out for him....a Democrat has not carried the Peace Garden state in a presidential election since Lyndon B. Johnson did it in 1964.