A few articles of interest to me.
1/18 – Energy Media Group at Bakken.com – 5 oil full job still in demand in 2016 – Even with the drop off in drilling, there are five areas in which you can still find a job if you have the skill sets.
Article says those jobs are drivers with CDL, operators, production foremen, drillers, and field technicians.
Keep in mind the comment I’ve seen repeatedly that each producing well creates essentially one full-time job.
1/26 – Bismarck Tribune – Strip clubs receive second reading – The meaning of that headline is that rules to ban strip clubs from the downtown area were considered for the second time by the Williston city commissioners. City rules require considering a motion twice before it is considered approved. Second look at the rule resulted in unanimous approval.
Several zoning changes will essentially force two strip clubs in the heart of downtown to move into industrial areas on the outskirts of town.
An attorney representing one of the clubs indicated the city may have cooked the books on the number of calls to the two strip clubs. The city claimed there were more than 200 police calls to those two locations in a certain period of time. The attorney looked at official logs and found there were 1,081 police calls to non-food service liquor license holders during that period of time. Instead of 200 runs, there are actually 163 to those two bars.
So that means there were 163 police calls to the two strip clubs and 918 to other bars. The two strip joints drew 15% of the police calls to bars.
No public comments are taken during second readings. From my observations at a distance, it is looking to me like the purpose of the second read is to allow a cooling down time for new rules. Commissioners passed something on the first read after taking public comment and then have a second reading a few weeks later, which seems to merely ratify the conclusion from the first reading.
1/29 – Bismarck Tribune – Mayor says decision on strip clubs part of building a better downtown – Williston Mayor Howard Klug described his vision for Williston in 2020. He foresees a new airport, more shopping (I hear tell a mall will be built on the northwest side of town), more and improved shopping downtown, and an eastside bypass to improve traffic flow. He hopes private parties will remodel some of the buildings downtown.
Article repeats the accusations from the owner of Heartbreakers and his attorney that the number of police calls to the clubs was significantly overstated. The Commissioner and Police Lt. who made that accusation were not present for the second reading of the ordinance.