Tribune editorial: Statewide fan behavior policy a step forward
This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up or thumbs down on the issues from the past week.
There's now a statewide standard for handling unruly fans at high school sporting events - a three-game suspension. And a fan who is ejected twice during a school year will be suspended for a minimum of one calendar year. These are just minimum standards, set by the North Dakota High School Activities Association. School districts are free to increase the penalties. The move is drawing praise from Indigenous leaders who have been active in the battle against racial taunting of high school athletes. It sets a statewide standard, but also leaves room for local control. Though the Indigenous leaders note that the question remains how - and to what extent - the new policy will be enforced.
In 2021, a disease commonly known as EHD killed more than 1,200 deer in western and central North Dakota, and prompted about 3,000 hunters to request license refunds. Three years later, the disease has surfaced again in the southwest, mainly in the Dickinson region. The state Game and Fish Department says that so far, reports are scattered - nowhere near the level of 2021. But the agency is still working to determine the extent of the disease's spread, and asking the public to report deer deaths. Hopefully, there won't be an outbreak this year like there was in 2021. Deer hunting is not only a big tradition in North Dakota - it's also a multimillion-dollar contributor to the state's economy each year.
Two men from North Dakota who died in World War II will finally be laid to rest in the near future. Navy Fireman 1st Class Edward D. Johnson, originally from Hurdsfield in Wells County, died on the battleship USS Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Army Pfc. Charles Reiser, of Washburn, was killed June 15, 1944, when he was among Marines on the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean who came under assault from Japanese mortars. Military agencies that work with unidentified soldier remains have finally been able to identify Johnson and Reiser through advancements in technology. Johnson will be buried on Oct. 25 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. Reiser will be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on a date to be determined. A rosette will be placed next to both names on the Walls of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific to indicate they have been accounted for.
Fentanyl-related deaths continue to increase in North Dakota. Reporting by the North Dakota Monitor shows that in 2019, 42% of overdose deaths tested positive for fentanyl. In 2023, the figure was up to 77%. Fentanyl-related arrests in Bismarck have become commonplace. A great deal of the synthetic opioid is brought into the area from Detroit. Authorities say drug traffickers there can make big money in North Dakota. It's sad that the quest for illegal profits takes such a human toll. As Kodi Pinks with the state Department of Health and Human Services told lawmakers recently, "Behind this data are actual people. I know that behind these numbers are families and communities that have been directly impacted by these losses."
