Submitted Photo Tom Rafferty, chair of the Minot Area Chamber EDC’s Military Affairs Committee, unveils the Barksdale Trophy to military and civilian committee members during the group’s Dec. 7 meeting in Minot. The trophy recognizes Minot for its outstanding support to Minot Air Force Base.

Minot achieves metropolitan status

By JILL SCHRAMM

Elected officials from four area boards met last June to begin the process of forming a Metropolitan Planning Organization for the immediate Minot region.

The U.S. Census Bureau identified a population of 50,000 in the area from Burlington to Minot to Surrey, creating a requirement for an MPO. With the creation of an MPO, a steering committee was established and the groundwork began to be laid for creation of a regional transportation plan and prioritization of transportation improvements in the region.

Representatives of the North Dakota Department of Transportation met with representatives of Ward County, Minot, Burlington and Surrey to outline the next steps for the state’s first new MPO since the 1970s. Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks already had the designation.

Minot’s sought-after status as a Metropolitan City through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also was formally accepted by the Minot City Council in September. It entitles the city to direct annual appropriations of any congressionally appropriated federal grants through the Community Development Block Grant program, rather than competing for a share of an allocation provided to the state for distribution. Minot will begin receiving a CDBG allocation in 2024.

In accepting CDBG funds, Minot also must have a Consolidated Plan that includes a housing and homeless needs assessment, housing market analysis, strategic plan and action plan. It must be submitted to HUD before Aug. 16.

Final habitat for big cats completed in 2023

By ELOISE OGDEN

The third and final phase of investments for the big cats at Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot marked completion when ribbon was cut for the Amur Leopard Temperate Forest habitat on May 6.

Ground was broken for the African lion and Amur tiger habitats in June 2018. The African lion habitat, completed in 2019, is named the Severson Ahart African Lion Savanna. The Amur Tiger Valley opened in 2020.

The Amur Leopard habitat has five yards, outdoor climbing spaces and an overhead catwalk connection. There are viewing areas so zoo guests can get up close with the animals.

Community support helped make the projects a reality, according to information from the zoo.

The zoo has three leopards. This past summer the zoo reported a pair of young leopards – Jordan, a male, and Anyua, a female – joined Clover, the zoo’s longtime leopard.

Other projects have been completed, are underway or are being planned for North Dakota’s oldest zoo.

Jeff Bullock, zoo director, said the zoo’s year to date, as of Dec. 14, attendance is at 109,947.

“With the warmer days we have been seeing I would expect the end of the year would come in around 111,000 guests. This will be our third straight year of exceeding 110,000 guests. Prior to 2021, the zoo had never broken the 100,000 mark,” he said.

Minot recognized for outstanding support to Minot AFB

By ELOISE OGDEN

For the second time since 2019, Minot has been honored for outstanding support to Minot Air Force Base with the presentation of the prestigious Barksdale Trophy.

The trophy is given to the community with the most outstanding community support to an Air Force Global Strike Command base. Minot AFB is part of the command.

It was presented to a delegation from Minot during the Wednesday, Nov. 8, scoreposting held at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, for the command’s 2023 Global Strike Challenge, a competition held across the command to honor the “Best of the Best” in bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, helicopters, maintenance and security forces.

The trophy was unveiled to members of the Minot Area Chamber EDC’s Military Affairs Committee during its Thursday, Dec. 7, meeting in Minot.

“The State of North Dakota knows the importance of supporting military, and Minot isn’t Minot without Minot Air Force Base. It is our honor to be able to support all who serve,” Brekka Kramer, president/CEO of the chamber and a member of the AFGSC Civic Leader program, said in a news release announcing the trophy award in November. “The men and women of Minot Air Force Base are a part of our community. They are friends, neighbors and for some of us, they are family. They fight for our country and make sacrifices, so we don’t have to.”

A Minot delegation of Bruce Christianson, Pete Hankla and Carla Dolan were on hand at the scoreposting event to accept the Barksdale Trophy on behalf of the City of Minot.

Col. Daniel Hoadley, commander of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB; Col. Kenneth McGhee, commander of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB; Chief Master Sgt. Tori Jones, bomb wing command chief; and Chief Master Sgt. Ernest Crider, missile wing commander chief, also were among those in attendance at the trophy presentation.

According to Air Force Global Strike Command information:

The trophy was created in 2017. Minot won the trophy in 2019 and the City of Abilene, Texas, won the trophy in 2017 and 2021.

Nominations are judged by Barksdale Forward, Inc., leadership and a select panel of former command commanders and vice commanders.

The recipient of the trophy is based on:

– Community-based programs that positively impact the quality of life for airmen and their families.

– Community investment in infrastructure designed to benefit airmen, officers and families associated with their base.

– Community assistance and support in securing state and federal funding for infrastructure or programs beneficial to airmen, officers and their families, as well as the overall mission of the base.

– Overall community hospitality, kindness and acceptance of airmen, officers and their families.

Minot will retain the trophy until 2025.